281. A Non-violent default setting ...

Today, we return to our study of aṣṭāṅga yoga, the eight-limbed path outlined by Patañjali. As a reminder, the eight limbs are:

1. Yama – ethical restraints

2. Niyama – personal observances

3. Āsana – posture

4. Prāṇāyāma – breath regulation

5. Pratyāhāra – withdrawal of the senses

6. Dhāraṇā – concentration

7. Dhyāna – meditation

8. Samādhi – absorption or union

The first four limbs are external practices—disciplines that we can actively cultivate through behavior and intention. The final four, the internal limbs, arise naturally from the consistent and sincere application of the first four. It's like laying a foundation before building a temple.

Let’s recall the five yamas, the ethical guidelines that form the cornerstone of the path:

1. Ahiṃsā – non-violence

2. Satya – truthfulness

3. Asteya – non-stealing

4. Brahmacarya – right use of energy

5. Aparigraha – non-possessiveness

Today, we focus on the first of these: ahiṃsā, as presented in Yoga Sūtra 2.35:

"ahiṃsā-pratiṣṭhāyām tat-sannidhau vaira-tyāgaḥ"
When one is firmly established in non-violence, all hostility ceases in their presence.

This verse carries a profound and poetic vision—just imagine: to be so committed to non-harming that even the presence of your being dissolves conflict in others. This is the power of spiritual presence. Stories of saints like St. Francis of Assisi, who reportedly sat peacefully with wolves and birds, illustrate this reality. And in our own age, we can look to people like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, The Dalai Lama, Fred Rogers (“I like you just the way you are”), and Thích Nhất Hạnh (“We must speak for peace, not victory”). These are living embodiments of ahiṃsā, radiating a field of calm wherever they go.

But let’s be honest—it’s hard to imagine ourselves at that level. Thankfully, Patañjali is not asking for perfection. He’s asking us to practice toward perfection. To aim for non-violence as our default setting.

What does that look like in daily life? It means we bring non-harming into every layer of interaction:
– In thought (releasing judgments),
– In word (choosing kindness over criticism),
– And in action (refusing to cause harm, even subtly).

It’s not passive. It’s courageous and intentional. And it makes a difference.

So here is today’s inquiry:
What do you stand for? Who are you becoming?
Can you let ahiṃsā be your baseline—your default—and allow that energy to ripple outward?

More tomorrow as we continue exploring the transformative power of the yamas.