ahimsa

noun

ahim·sa ə-ˈhim-ˌsä

: the Hindu and Buddhist doctrine of refraining from harming any living being

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Ahimsa has been part of the English language since at least the late 19th century, but the word didn't gain the attention of the English-speaking world until the first half of the 20th century, when it was recognized as an important component of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Ahimsa comes from a Sanskrit word meaning "noninjury," and Gandhi's policy of nonviolent protest played a crucial role in the political and social changes that eventually led to India's independence from Britain in 1947.

Examples of ahimsa in a Sentence

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Jains grapple with the destructive impacts of everyday actions on other life-forms; their answer has been to reduce harm as much as possible through ahimsa, nonviolence. —Shayla Love, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2025 Over the last 18 years of being plant-based, my reasoning for not eating any sentient being has been influenced by the Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain philosophy of ahimsa, a belief system that teaches leading a nonviolent life and respecting all living beings. —Lola Méndez, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024