Yoga Sūtra 2.35 – ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhāyām tat-sannidhau vaira-tyāgaḥ
When one is firmly established in non-violence, then all hostility ceases in their presence.
Today, we reflect again on ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhām—being firmly established in non-harming. Patanjali teaches that this is not a casual virtue but a transformative power: when someone has deeply integrated non-violence into their being, conflict and aggression fall away in their presence.
We see examples of this principle embodied in historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Fred Rogers, and Thich Nhat Hanh. Their gentle yet unwavering commitment to peace created fields of harmony around them. But we must also honor the matriarchs of ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhām, whose compassion and moral clarity disarmed hostility and invited collective healing.
St. Teresa of Calcutta radiated a love so palpable that even a brief encounter could leave an imprint of peace. Jeff recalls feeling this light firsthand. Her words remind us: “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten we belong to each other.”
Maya Angelou, American poet, civil rights activist, and towering voice for justice and dignity, gave us this stark truth: “Hate—it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not yet solved one.”
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and champion for gender equality, once said: “Acting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.” Her restraint and reason were forms of silent, disarming strength.
Pema Chödrön, an American Buddhist nun and teacher, has created a body of work that encourages gentleness amid difficulty. In When Things Fall Apart, she writes: “You are the sky. Everything else—it’s just the weather.” This stillness in the storm is a lived ahiṁsā.
These women, like their male counterparts, cultivated a presence so grounded, so free of confrontation, that aggression could not take root around them. Their lives are examples of the inner discipline Patanjali is pointing to—a practice of becoming unshakable, non-reactive, and deeply compassionate.
And so, today’s question for contemplation is this:
“Can you become a sanctuary of peace? Can you let non-violence be your default setting and radiate that into the world?”
