32.1 Nonviolence

 32.1 Nonviolence

Question:

What is violence, and how can we avoid violence towards others? 

Answer:

What one has realized as causing pain to oneself, one should

not inflict on others.                                                                                   (Couplet - 316) 

இன்னா எனத்தான் உணர்ந்தவை துன்னாமை

வேண்டும் பிறன்கண் செயல்.                                                                          (குறள் – 316)

 

Explanation:

Generally, violence is defined as the use of physical force to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy another living being. In fact, violence is much more complicated than that. A more comprehensive definition of violence given by the Old Testament Scholar Professor Terence Fretheim seems more appropriate and comprehensive. He says that violence may be defined as follows: any action, verbal or nonverbal, oral or written, physical or psychical, active or passive, public or private, individual or institutional/societal, human or divine, in whatever degree of intensity, that abuses, violates, injures or kills. Since violence implies a multitude of actions caused by words and deeds, it is difficult to know which actions should be avoided.

Consistent with Professor Terrence Fretheim’s definition, violence against other human beings would include verbal as well as physical violence. Verbal violence refers to harsh and unkind words, slander, and lies that offend and hurt another human being's feelings. Physical violence would include any physical attack which may cause pain, injury, or death to another person. Valluvar condemns verbal as well as physical violence. According to him, one should avoid any violence through the use of words or deeds.

There is a rule known as the Golden Rule, also referred to as the Law of Reciprocity. It refers to the principle of treating others as one would like to be treated. It is a maxim that is found in many religions and cultures. The Golden Rule is often attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551 BC – 479 BC). This Golden Rule has two versions. One is the positive version, and the other is the negative version. The positive version of the Golden Rule states, "Do unto others what you would want others to do unto you." The negative version states, "Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you." The positive version stresses what a compassionate person should do, and the negative version emphasizes the actions one should avoid. Valluvar has a simple and elegant form of the negative version of the Golden Rule, which can guide what actions should be avoided. So, according to Valluvar, anything that one has realized as causing pain to oneself should not be inflicted on others.