Being nonviolent is cowardice.
Do you agree with this?
Many people will agree with the above statement. If you can not kill anyone, then you are a coward.
Can these people call Desmond Doss and Mahatma Gandhi cowards? Perhaps, they can even call Mahatma Gandhi a coward.
Let's look at the result of cowardice.
A soldier killed one of his army men, as he got frightened to feel someone suddenly rushing towards him. He was unable to figure out who was coming. This is an act of cowardice.
Saving one of your privates at the stake of your own life is an act of courage.
You see here violence is cowardice, and nonviolence is courage.
Why do we kill someone?
Suppose you saw a snake in front of you. You know that you cannot outrun a snake. You lift a stone/stick nearby, to kill it. Ain't you frightened of the snake?
If you are courageous enough, then you would spare its life, and let it go its way, and you would continue to go on your way, fully aware of the fact that 99% of snakes are poison less. This is courage.
Courage comes when you are fully aware of the situation. Fear creeps in when you are ignorant.
Mark Twain on the absence of fear and courage
Mark Twain writes that if the absence of fear is courage, then, perhaps the flea is the most courageous creature. She bites the human body anytime, in peril and happiness. She ignores the difference in the body size of a human and herself. The difference between a human and a flea is similar to massed armies to a sucking child.
When we say that a man knows no fear, we compare him with the flea. Hence, ignorance is not courage.
Courage is the most conscious state of mind.
From the discussion above, it is clear that
- Non-violence is courage and violence is cowardice.
- Courage flows in when we are in a state of awareness. Fear creeps in when we are in a state of ignorance.
- When we say terrorists and invaders know no fear, we are comparing them with a flea.
How to be courageous? The practical step to be courageous
- Self-confidence is the key to eradicate all your fears.
- Be aware that your soul is indestructible.
- If you fear someone coming towards you. Do not stop, keep moving with a smile on your face and ideals in your mind. That's how you defeat fear consciously and become courageous.
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