Talks on the Gita — 43: Conflict Between the Divine and the Demoniacal Tendencies — 2
Four Stages in the Development of Non-Violence
It is worth studying how non-violence has developed progressively. We would then understand how spirituality has progressively developed in life and how it can develop further.
First Experiment: The non-violent Brahmins devised the idea of having a special class of fighters — the Kshatriyas — for the protection of the society. But that class itself turned against the people. Parashuram, although non-violent, took to violence and started exterminating Kshatriyas. He resorted to violence to make the Kshatriyas abandon violence. It was certainly an experiment in non-violence, but it could not succeed. How can Kshatriyas be rooted out when you yourself become a violent Kshatriya?
Second Experiment: Brahmins again began to think about the matter. They thought that the Kshatriyas have anyway taken to violence; so it is better to make them fight the demons. Sage Vishwamitra brought Rama and Lakshmana to protect his yajna from the demons and destroyed the demons through them. But such non-violence that is dependent on others' protection cannot be perfect.
Third Experiment: The saints of the mediaeval times resolved, "Now we will never seek protection from others and rely on non-violence itself to protect us. That alone can be the true protection." This experiment was on an individual plane; and on that plane, it was carried to perfection. But it did not have a social dimension.
Fourth Experiment (Present): Now we are in the midst of the fourth experiment, in which the whole society is engaged in resisting violence through non-violent means.
In the context of their times, the experiments of the past were the best possible ones. Only the Lord, the Supreme Self, is perfect; none else is. Purushottamyoga in the Gita is perfect; but it is yet to be fully developed in individual and social life.
A Great Experiment in Non-Violence: Giving Up Flesh-Eating
Men have still not been able to live without eating the flesh of animals of lower and weaker species. Good and wise men laid down a restriction that if anybody wants to eat meat, he should eat the meat of animals sacrificed in yajnas only — their intention was to minimize violence. In the course of time, some people completely abjured meat.
Lord Buddha then came forward and said, "You may eat flesh if you like; but do not do so in the name of the Lord." This too was to limit violence and develop self-restraint. In this way, we gradually gave up flesh-eating.
This great experiment in the history of the world took place only in India. Millions of people became vegetarians. If we are vegetarians today, we can claim no credit for that. We have got used to it because of the merit of our ancestors. We should now proceed further. We should try the experiment of giving up milk also as it also is an animal product. It is unbecoming for man to take milk of other animals. Perhaps our descendants in the distant future would be shocked to learn that their ancestors used to drink milk.
In short, we should go on experimenting with fearlessness and humility. There is ample scope for development; no virtue has yet been developed to perfection.
[To be continued]
[Reproduced with kind permission of Paramdham Publication, Pavnar, from Chapter 16 of 'Talks on The Gita' by Sant Vinoba Bhave, 16th edition, January 2005]
"True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears — satisfied with what we have." — Seneca