Live Vedanta: Parenting Culture

Virtues: Sensitivity

Episode Summary

Welcome to Parenting Culture, a space to learn and reflect on 20 virtues that are prerequisites to be an extraordinary caregiver. This week, we continue onto Virtue #3 - Ahimsa (Sensitivity). When we desist from expressing our inner conflict, we become more sensitive to those around us. When we are sensitive to others sorrow, then we are not so hard on them. Vedanta teaches us how to be sensitive so as to never hurt without purpose; some circumstances demand injury for the sake of growth.

Episode Notes

This week, we pursued Virtue #3: Ahimsa (Sensitivity). 

Here is the recap from our October 10 satsang:

• Ahimsa is one of the most important values to convert to a virtue.
• Typical meanings of Ahimsa are non-violence, non-harming, non-injury. We define Ahimsa as Sensitivity or non-harming.
• Whatever we don’t identify with, there is a greater chance or propensity to cause or inflict harm there. Example - If we don’t identify with animals, there is a greater chance we will use animals for clothing, beauty products, etc. If we identify with animals, we will most likely not harm them.
• If we identify only with our bodies (hair, body weight, BMI etc.), then we will only care for the bodies of the people we are caring for. 
• When we realize that we are more than the body and that we are the mind also, then we can care about another’s mind as well.

How to practice Ahimsa (Sensitivity)? 

1. Practice Swadhyaya: Engage in self-reflection to know oneself and identify  with our own minds. This naturally will make us sensitive to the harm we could cause to others. 
2. Offer Quality over quantity: Invest in quality time, quality experiences and quality interactions to become more sensitive.