Bhagavad Geeta 205 - Chapter 16 - Bannanje Govindacharya (16.2)

16.2 Krishna continues listing the qualities Ahimsa - non-violence of all types - physical (hurting others physically), speech (speaking harshly to hurt others), and mental (wishing harm on others). It's not totally possible to avoid violence completely. Eating food itself is a violence for plants or animals that we consume. But one must try to minimize it. Also, smaller violence that will reduce further violence is okay (killing a lion that was going to kill many cows). Killing Kauravas and their army to save the country is okay. Consuming food involves violence, but beings with more evolved bodies feel more pain. So plants feel much less pain (least violence to eat veg food), animals feel more pain and humans feel most. Also pain increases with attachment to the body - humans have most attachment to their bodies and feel most pain. Doctor operating on patient, or parents/teachers beating kids is not violence since the intent is to rectify and help the victim. Small pain to save from larger future pain. Arjuna and Pandavas were non vegetarian, and it is allowed for Kshatriyas. This is not considered violence since it is done for surviving and carrying out their Kshatriya duties appropriately. So one can do it if it is unavoidable/beneficial but not through spite. Satya - not just plain truth, but sincere truth. Truth with discretion. One mustn't hurt others by speaking truth - calling someone ugly even if it's the truth is not Satya. What Dasharatha did was wrong - Satya would be reneging on his word to Kaikeyi for the sake of his kingdom. Rama also says this to Lakshmana at one point. Rama also lied to Shurpanakha to send her to Lakshmana since she was Dushta. Example of a person arriving late at night and lying that he has already had dinner - a lie that is considered Satya. Akrodha - Not being angry, no matter how harshly someone speaks to us or harms us in anyway. An advice here is to be silent when you are angry and only speak rationally after anger subsides. Rama used to send away those who came with a bad mood for discussions and tell them they could speak another day. Tyaaga - Sacrifice - different from Daana (which was already mentioned earlier) - Tyaaga means Mamataa/Abhimaana Tyaaga - giving up attachment to possessions and relatives. Example of Purandara Dasa losing his child but being unfazed and writing a song about it. One must love family but not get over-attached to them in a way that they cannot live without them. Also, Phala Tyaaga - giving up expectations of rewards for actions and accepting whatever comes. One can live peacefully by giving up ego and possessiveness (Ahamkaara/Mamakaara). Shaanti - Peacefulness. One can live peacefully if you give up expectations (Tyaaga) and attachments. Example of a parent in Mangalore telling his child that he won't be allowed to enter the home if he doesn't score first class in his exams. He failed and committed suicide, but then the results turned out to be wrong - he was indeed first class in the corrected results. Anecdote of Bannanje Govindacharya's daughter crying for failing in an exam. Acharyaru peacefully explained that even he had failed once and it was alright. Apaishunam - Paishuna is slander and gossip (Chaadi in Kannada) to spark quarrel between people. One must never gossip about others highlighting other's faults. Anecdote of Bannanje Govindacharya's friend in childhood who would drink coffee with him in a hotel. He later went and complained to Acharyaru's father that Bannanje drinks coffee. But Acharyaru's father was unfazed. His father never approached Bannanje Acharyaru about it. He only heard about it from his mother. Anecdote of Bannanje Govindacharyaru stealing money from his father to buy books. His father knew but didn't confront him.