The Enlightened Ones say that the feelings of attachment and aversion are violence. It is important to understand why They stress on keeping feelings in check more than just focusing on actions.
First come feelings and later, when these feelings intensify, they express themselves through words and deeds. First, a sinful thought arises, and then follows the crime. The law and the society may be able to bring the crime under control but they can’t reach the thoughts, desires, and inclinations behind those criminal acts. A mere thought of killing someone is not punishable by law. Law and society can only tell you to not put thoughts of violence into action. They can threaten you by saying that if you act violently, you will be punished. They are concerned about sinful actions alone. But religion touches layers that are much deeper. Religion says, no doubt violent expressions are wrong but it is the feelings and intentions that are their root cause and therefore responsible for all sinful deeds. An evil feeling or intention is also violence. If you want to stay away from violence, you must stay away from evil thoughts and inclinations too.
Intention and Action
No sooner a thought to harm someone arises, whether that person is hurt or not, it creates bondage of karma. For violence, it is not necessary that the other person should die or get hurt. The thought of hurting someone itself is violence, a mistake that results in bondage.
The science of acupuncture was accidentally discovered in China a few thousand years back. A man was suffering from severe headache. He tried many methods but nothing could relieve him from that pain. At the end he even thought of bringing an end to his life but even there, he was unsuccessful. Once, his enemy shot an arrow at him in rage. The arrow hit him on his foot. No sooner the arrow pierced his foot, his headache vanished! Hence unfolded the science of acupuncture. After this incidence, many experiments were conducted and around 700 other points were discovered. The science continues to help relieve pain for millions of people even today. Although the one who shot the arrow helped the man in pain, the king punished him for that act. Although the act turned out to be a meritorious one, yet his intention behind shooting the arrow was sinful. So the punishment was for the intention behind the deed.
Contrary to this, a doctor may be cutting open a patient’s abdomen with a knife but because his intention behind the act of cutting is to save the patient, he is not punished. Even if the case fails, the doctor is not punished for it. Therefore, the Enlightened Ones give importance to the feelings and intentions and not just the act. If you do not introspect and check your intentions and focus only on the actions, you will not become non-violent.
Violence arises from Attachment
Feeling of dislike or hatred is violence. This can be well understood but the Enlightened Ones say that creating the feeling of liking or attachment is also violence. The moment attachment arises in the mind you have committed violence. It may be a little difficult for you to accept this truth. You may feel that if I have not harmed anyone, how can I be called violent? Let me explain through an example. Seeing a house, you get a thought, ‘this house is beautiful!’ If this thought is not replaced, if you do not stay aware, then from a petty thought like this will arise a series of thoughts, ‘it would be so good if I had such a house.’ ‘I somehow want a house like this.’ ‘I need a lot of money to buy or build such a house.’ ‘By hook or crook I must get money to own a house like this.’ In accordance with the intensity of the thought, there will be its expression. Thus a petty looking thought of praising a house can create a huge blunder. A seed of one impure thought, a subtle feeling of violence can grow into a huge tree of physical violence. And so the Enlightened Ones say that do not feel that cutting someone’s throat or killing an ant alone is violence. A feeling of attachment is also violence.