[‘ The doctrine of non-violence; avoidance of killing or causing harm out of respect for all living things.']
Pronunciation: Brit. /əˈhɪmsɑː/, U.S. /əˈhɪmˌsɑ/
Forms: 18– *ahimsa*, 18– *a-hinsa*, 18– *ahinsa*, 19– *a-himsa*.
Etymology: < Sanskrit /ahiṃsā/, ahiṉsā non-violence < /a-* un- prefix1 + /hiṃsā* injury ( < /hiṃs-/ to injure, harm, kill).
/Hinduism/, Jainism, and Buddhism.
The doctrine of non-violence; avoidance of killing or causing harm out of respect for all living things.
1831 V. Kennedy /Res. Nature & Affinity Anc. & Hindu Mythol./ App. D, 453 /Ahimsa/, wise men define to be the abstaining from hurting living beings in any manner; and there is no virtue of greater excellence than this.
1875 M. Williams /Indian Wisdom/ x. 249, I am told..that, notwithstanding the strict rules of a-hiṉsā, the ‘Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ might find work to do in some parts of India.
1884 H. Jacobi /Gaina Sutrâs/ in /Sacred Bks. East/ XXII. p. xxi, The stress which is laid on the ahimsâ or not killing of living beings.
1915 M. K. Gandhi /Speeches & Writings/ (ed. 3, 1922) 236 Our religion is based upon ahimsa, which in its active form is nothing but Love.
1936 A. Huxley /Eyeless in Gaza/ xi. 150 How foolish of Satan to tempt a, by definition, /ahimsa-/practising Messiah with fame, dominion, ambition.
1966 W. N. Brown /Unity of Life/ ii. 48 For Hindus,..the doctrine of Ahinsa has reached its apex with respect to the cow.
2008 R. Preece /Sins of Flesh/ ii. 73 Jains were, and are, far less compromising on the ideal of ahimsa than Buddhists or Hindus, approaching a strict veganism.