In this short article, we want to discuss values, mindfulness, our ego, constant change and evolution, but also suffering and stress. We see that there is a life of nonviolence or Ahimsa way that is possible through meditation and training of our mind.
Life values
What is your main value as a human?
Is there such thing that can unify all humans and sentient beings – can it be “value of life itself”.
The act of taking someone’s life is an ultimate crime. We need to develop a reverence for life. Can we live without harming others? Can we extend this compassion and harmlessness to all living beings?
Our progress allows and requires us to thrive by living harmoniously with others.
Why be mindful of life
Let’s be mindful.
Mindfulness helps us to contemplate what is the value of life. It is anything but violence. It is not killing – be it others or yourself. So mindfulness is connected to kindness and compassion. It starts with you, your body and mind and then extends to your family and so on.
Mindful eating leads to mindful health, better care about our body. This, in turn, leads to mindful consumption and then to mindful relationships, both interpersonal and with nature.
Why hold back your ego
Hold on, put a mindful cap on, who are you?
Let’s think about it. Are we a collection of organs? Is there a soul? Is there a centre of our persona or so-called ego?
Such contemplation may lead us to a liberating effect of egolessness. There is really nowhere to go and no one to be, but just be.
Why you do not need to be afraid of change
We all change, we all sentient beings are born and die. We form communities, learn, enhance and develop our lives.
Enhancement brings evolution.
Natural evolution is happening all the time. Our wants are subjected to do the same but artificially. Our needs are actually not that big – we need shelter, food, clothing, medicine. The rest are wants – they create attachments, delusion and thus suffering.
Evolution, our progress and development also mean that we have now enough tools and ways how to grow enough food, secure food supply and stop relying on killing others for our own food, clothing or entertainment. We can stop that suffering. We should be proud of our achievements so far, they allow us to transform our living into a more peaceful and pleasant one.
Yet suffering is everywhere.
What we can do is to cultivate nonviolence, a non-harming way of life.
How? By kindness and compassion, joy when others do/live well and serenity in our everyday lives. This compassion that extends to all living beings makes it possible for us to live in harmony and peace with others. Everyone can start today – change nutrition, make their choice whilst shopping, give a helping hand at animal sanctuaries, feed the hungry, and all of this can be cultivated in your mind.
Meditation
Cultivation is possible through meditation.
Meditation is not just about concentrating and focusing your mind, it can provide seeds to possible insights. Studies proved that it enhances your well-being by strengthening physical and mental health.
How can you start improving your well-being in the context of nonviolent life? Consider employing a plant-based whole foods diet, practising mindfulness meditation and engaging in ethical business.
Plant-based whole foods nutrition is devoid of violence both towards your own body and others’. There should be no intentional killing when it comes to our livelihood and business activities. It is clear that we live in a world of abundance and overconsumption. Abusive marketing and advertising make us believe that our wants are actually our needs. It stimulates new wants in us all the time.
There are many triggers for violence. One of them is inequality. Income inequality becomes truly shocking when investment bankers earn a thousand times more than other workers. From the nutritional side, excessive consumption of sugar triggers increase in crime and violent behaviour, it also affects our current rise of obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemic.
It is evident that everything is truly interconnected: how we can care best for our bodies, train our minds, provide good nutrition and adopt a mindful approach to living.
How to live well?
There is a very simple solution that solves our current predicament – it is a mindful living based on the life-enhancing value of nonviolence. We can truly embrace it wholeheartedly and make it as a centre of all our activities, including nutrition, relationships, politics, business, environment and simply being in this world, we can solve a puzzle of happy living.
