Ahimsa

In Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism, ahimsa (Sanskrit for 'nonharm') is the ethical principle of not causing harm to other living beings. Although one of the ten commandments of Christianity is thou shalt not kill, a majority of Christian clergy interpret their commandment as applying only to other human beings, but not necessarily to the animals (and thus, adherents may eat meat).

Ahimsa's precept that humans should 'cause no injury' to another living being includes one's deeds, words, and thoughts. Classical Hindu texts like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, as well as modern scholars, disagree about what the principle of ahimsa dictates when one is faced with war and other situations that require self-defence, as reflected in theories of just war. While both the Buddha and Jesus advocated complete non-violence even when personally attacked, Buddhist and Christian leaders and followers have often chosen to stray from those teachings.