Karuna and Ahimsa

All faith leaders, scriptures and peoples' leaders like M K Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr have talked of the importance of living with compassion and practising non-violence. Says the 14th Dalai Lama, 'India's millennia-old tradition, karuna and ahimsa, really gives me self- confidence and inner strength. With the practice of karuna, wherever I go, I always feel we are same human beings.'

Destructive emotions like anger, hatred and violence come from a strong sense of I-ness, or ego, and by cultivating selflessness, these emotions can be overcome and one can focus on becoming compassionate, kind, non-violent and loving.

The Pranagnihotra Upanishad, one of the minor of the 108 upanishads, extols the virtues of being compassionate and non-violent to the Self, for it is Brahmn that resides within, the universal consciousness of which were are part, and this show of karuna and ahimsa to the inner Self is far superior to any kind of external ritual that propitiates the gods.


Although karuna is present in all faiths, it is the Buddhist tradition that has really spread the message, and, so, it has come to be associated more with Buddhist philosophy worldwide. When there is compassion, ahimsa is not far behind, since compassion brings with it kindness and empathy, attributes that engender peace, love and togetherness.