I just posted this as a comment to Deepak’s blog "Why Not A Pro Peace Vow?" My passion about this subject is prompting me to repeat it here … 
I love the term ahimsa. It feels like a word of wholeness rather than the dark versus the light. How about a vow of Ahimsa?!
I’m torn on the idea of a vow of peace versus a vow of non-violence. The idea of using the word violence does seem as if it would bring energy to violence. When I’m teaching my students to meditate and thinking of their desires for a moment before they begin each meditation, I always tell them to think of the positive outcome they want, rather than something they want to be rid of; because we give life and expansion to where we put our attention. At the same time, violence is a part of being human. it just is, as part of the separateness from spirit we experience in our bodies. So a vow to neutralize those thoughts when they spontaneously appear, to not voice them, and to not participate in a violent act seems to be a positive course of action. And in that, it seems we take action for peace. perhaps a bit clumsy though.
If we could take a moment to explain the essence of the word ahimsa to those we ask to take this vow, and then use this Sanskrit word in the vow, (instead of the words peace or non-violence), wouldn’t that be ideal? I think largely in part to yoga classes becoming mainstream, so many in our population now easily use and answer to the term Namaste. They don’t all know exactly what it means, but somehow they resonate with the word. I think it can be just as easy to bring Ahimsa – the word, its meaning, and the practice – into our everyday thoughts and awareness. What do you think?
I love the term ahimsa as well, however I think more people have resonance with the word peace. We are trying to appeal to the masses here, and the masses understand the word peace. I think if we attempt to get to "airy fairy" here then we won't be able to reach as many. Airy fairy is a phrase Abraham uses via Esther Hicks when discussing law of attraction people and those who live in the ethers in their evolution, and I had to use it…lol. Anyway, the one word we need to get rid of is violence (I dislike even having to type it). It conjures up negative emotions, which is exactly the antithesis of what we are creating. Anyone familiar with law of attaction and creation knows the power of words, then to have emotion attached to those words…OMG, and then to have that word being visualized by 100 million people? That is just something we need to be aware of and change focus away from.
Thank you for your passion on this subject. It is that very passion that is changing the consciousness on this planet, and I am excited to know you
Namaste,
Krissy
Your intent explains that you feel the word 'ahimsa' by heart because I think ahimsa is not possible without having compassion.The hindu tradition of religious progress as per the existing time need was based on discussions on the religion from time to time. Kings used to patronise such meetings of great scholars of the time, to discuss religious needs applicable to the then existing time. Ahimsa has been much talked about subject and there are n number of explanations as per veda,jainism,buddhism etc. When we talk about Ahimsa from Mahtama Gandhi's angle,we forget to think about people who were brutally beaten up or murdered by the British army in the process of nonvoilent protests by those who followed Gandhi's principal of nonvoilence.Some great thinker did have views opposite to that of Gandhi.Gandhi's Ahimsa is viewed today as a tool,which however,in my opinion was a process of discovering the soul and then putting soul to guide mind for better use of individual lives for the casue of national freedom. When gandhi arrived in the scene of freedom struggle,masses were frustrated and looking for new ways of strengthening freedom struggle. Gandhi's ahimsa slogan helped them discover new idnettity with vigour and energy and that is how a mass nonviolent movement could be created.So,sometime I feel, can Gandhi's Ahimsa be generalised for all circumstance;did those people who participated in nonvoilent movement become Ahimsa follower from the core of their heart or they just followed the call of Mahatma Gandhi?
Personally speaking,when I practice Ahimsa,find that it requires sincere effort on continuous basis because it is not a tool to be achieved, rather it is a 'state of being' of our mind.As in the case of any other 'State of being 'situations,this too needs constant altertness and vigilence of our mind to prevent distraction of focus from AHIMSA. This alertness and vigilence of mind calls for concentration and everyone should know that concentration of mind is one step befor practice of meditation. In my opinion and i may be wrong also,we are talking too much of meditation but not as much of concentration of mind.Concentration can be developed only by nourishing our minds with pure knowledge of religious teachings(for me Veda) and then analysing and practicing that on daily basis,continuously without fail-intent of compassion is one among such nourishment for mind.