What is intent-violence?

One commits self-violence when one does kashaya (when one has anger, false pride, attachment and greed), whereas the other violence is against external life-forms. Intent-violence is the violence against one's Self. Such violence through kashayas creates bondage for the Self and it is for this Self that you must have compassion. The Lord has said that one must first have intent non-violence towards one's own Self and then towards others.

The killing of animals, insects and smaller life-forms is called effect violence. And to inflict mental anguish on others or to become angry with others is intent-violence. No matter how hard one tries, it is not easy to practice non-violence. In fact the real violence is anger, false pride, attachment and greed. Effect violence continues according to the laws of nature and no one has any control over it.

Kashaya is the highest violence and that is why the Lord has said that first and foremost, one should not have any kashaya. This type of violence is called self-violence or intent-violence. If effect violence occurs, let it happen, but one must not allow intent-violence to occur at any cost. Instead, people try to stop effect-violence and continue to do intent-violence.

If a person were to resolve in his mind that under no circumstances does he want to kill any life-form, then he will not be instrumental in causing the death of any life-form. There are those who take a firm stand to stop the effect-violence. They may be able to stop killing insects overtly. However if they use their intellect to take advantage of others in their business dealings, they are continuing intent violence through their greed. This is all violence!

You should conduct yourself in such a way that no living entity should run away from you in fear for its life. There should not be any act of aggression towards any living entity nor should it be made to suffer even in the slightest degree. And as far as human beings are concerned, you should not have a single negative opinion about anyone, because it is violence. Even a negative opinion against an enemy is great violence. This violence is much worse than the violence in slaughtering a lamb. When you get angry with the people at home, it is worse than killing a lamb: It is detrimental for the Self.

To speak maliciously or gossip about someone is also violence. To utter anything negative about a person in his absence is considered violence.

There is also violence in partiality or discrimination. People go around proudly proclaiming that they belong to a non-violent group of people. This partiality in itself is the first violence. If people understood even this much, it would be more than enough. One has to understand what the Lord has said.