ethics and conduct
What is ahimsa (non-violence)?
What the tradition says
The word ahimsa comes from a root meaning harm or injury, with the prefix that reverses it. So it means the absence of harm. The tradition holds that this applies at three levels: what we do, what we say, and what we think. Harming someone in action is the most obvious form of violence, but harsh words and thoughts of ill will are also seen as forms of himsa, harm. Many teachers across Hindu traditions have placed ahimsa near the top of ethical life. It also connects to how people relate to animals. The belief that all living beings carry something of the divine made harm to them a serious matter. This is one reason vegetarianism has long been linked to Hindu practice, though it is not universal across all regions and communities.
What it stands for
Ahimsa is not only about avoiding physical harm. It points to a way of moving through the world with care and awareness. The tradition sees violence as something that disturbs the inner life as much as the outer one. Acting with ahimsa was understood as a kind of discipline that kept the mind steady and the heart open. Upanishadic and Puranic thought both touch on the idea that all life is connected, and that harming another is in some way harming the whole.
Across different traditions
Ahimsa is shared across several Indian traditions. In Hindu thought it appears in old texts and in later devotional teachings. Jain tradition made it especially central. Buddhism also holds it as a core value. Exactly how far it extends, to insects, to plants, to enemies, has been discussed and debated across these traditions for a long time. There is no single agreed boundary.
Today
Ahimsa is probably better known around the world today than at any earlier time, partly through the example of leaders who drew on it as a force in public life. For many Hindus it still shapes everyday choices, from food to how conflicts are handled in the home and community. How strictly people follow it varies widely by region, family, and personal belief.