Do you believe in non-violence and non attachment?

When I discuss the issue of non-violence with my friends, peers, and with my colleagues, unanimously everyone shows his opposition against violence. The question comes that if most of us are in favor of non-violence, then why there is so much violence in our societies? Gandhiji and Nelson Mandela are the most prolific leaders who are the  believers of non-violence. As per them, non-violence has many benefits, namely peace, happiness and joy. Do we then construe that people forego all these traits and engaging in violence? To some extent, it is true because most of the violent behaviors are acquired behaviors, it is not an inbuilt from birth. Some political leaders who our  moral preachers and most of them are wealthy people of the societies make an artificial environment in society and provoke us to engage in violence directly or indirectly. Through their eloquent volubility, they ensure people to become agitated, irritated and restless only to accrue benefits for their own or their political parties. Because of their instigations, common people are allured to create a nuisance in society. And the issues will be mostly baseless. Also, our attachment to worldly affairs and various material comforts make us so attached to the same that if we don’t receive the same, our mental conditions become uproarious and then at a slightest provocation either we engage in violence or support the same.

Now, the real reason of so much violence is the dearth of a true leader like Gandhi. He took active part in the freedom movement in India primarily based on his theory of non-violence. One out of many interesting stories related to Gandhiji’s non-violence and non-attachment is here. One day, he was about to board a train and while boarding, his one shoe slipped on the track. He was unable to retrieve the shoe; he took off the other one and threw it at the same point where the earlier one was lying. Someone present there questioned him about his this decision. He promptly replied,” The poor man, who finds the shoe lying on the track will now have a pair to use.”  Through this exemplary behavior, he taught many lessons. In general, we will be very annoyed to lose the shoe and will be continually murmuring on the loss. What Gandhiji did? He did not dwell on the loss and instead make his mind clear to throw the other shoe to extend his help for a poor person to wear the pair of shoes.

Without becoming emotional, he weighed the pros and cons of the situation and decided to act on the basis of a compassionate thought. Rather than becoming angry for losing the shoe, he showed his generosity and caring.  He took the decision to drop the other piece just to make a contribution to a needy person, who might require shoes and find them by chance.  His thoughts were noble and he also put an example of his non-attachment.  Now, how many of us are in a position to convert a bad and ugly situation to a good one?  How many of us are ready to change a negative into a positive environment?  Gandhiji’s attitude shows us to how a problematic situation can be converted for the benefit of others. In general, if a person loses a shoe in a journey similar to the one Gandhiji undertook, he would be frustrated throughout his journey. He would be restless and continue to ponder on the loss. Most of us, in a similar situation, get agitated, curse our bad luck and remain in despair for long. Gandhiji on the other hand, maintained his calmness and showed no grief for losing his shoe.  He simply gave them up and moved on. He utilized his time for some productive thoughts. Instead of becoming a victim of the circumstances, he challenged the same for a solution.  In our life, many times, we are not able to show our non-attachment. We feel allured to show attachment to various things.

Some of us are very much attached to wealth and other possessions.  If the wealth is lost because of any reason, we grimace so much as if some disastrous has happened in our life. Instead of forgetting the issue, we continue to repent and murmur. We dwell on what we lost instead of converting this odd situation into an opportunity. There are people who are very much attached to name and fame. They are so much attached to these aspects that they become insolent when their fame is maligned. They always worry what others tell about themselves. They get very much hurt, if someone comments on them. They cannot tolerate any type of criticism. If any odd remark on their reputation is passed, they become angry and may detach their relationship with the person who has commented bad things. Instead of making the situation as a normal one and turning it into a positive one, they are devastated.

Now, without getting hurt or angry by the comments, if they analyze the same calmly, they may find the whole episode as a frivolous and trivial.  But we are so much engrossed in our thoughts that seldom we ascertain the truth. The magic wand of attachment to the name and fame, wealth, materialistic comforts make us irrational and even sometime violent when we are deprived of the same. After examining the truth behind our irrational behavior and haughty attitude, we may find that our the same is completely wrong. So, we  must put efforts to clear the environment of misunderstanding and violent behavior.

The more you are non-attached to various materialistic comforts, your personal likings, your name, fame and related issues, the more you will be inclined to follow the path of non-violence in your life to make this world a better place to live.