I recently heard someone mocking the Gandhian concept of Ahimsa, by making fun of this commonly invoked phrase - "If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek". What stupid thought and looser's mentality, he argued.
Of course, I disagreed with him but somehow I felt very sympathetic to him. How is he supposed to understand the concept of Ahimsa if it is commonly explained by such a poor phrase? You can't expect everyone to have a Ph.D. in Gandhian philosophy. To make something popular, you need to explain it in short, clear, and precise terms. That is what is missing.
"Turning the other cheek" is a very poor phrase. It does not capture the essence of "Non-compliance" which is the core of Ahimsa. Suppose A is asking you to do X which you don't want to do. If A slaps you on one cheek and tells you do to X then as per Ahimsa you are supposed to refuse to do X and offer your other cheek to A. The key here is not just that you offer your other cheek, but that you refuse to do X regardless of the number and intensity of physical attacks on you. A can hurt you, torture you, and in the end kill you. But A will not have your obedience only your corpse. This is the essence of Ahimsa. It is not meek capitulation but a steadfast non-cooperation.
Violence is a viable option only if you are the stronger party. Injustice does not happen to the stronger party but to the weaker party. This is the reason why Gandhi is famous the world over. His ideas are practical and relevant while the path of violence to achieve political ends has become archaic.
What can be a short phrase to explain/market Ahimsa. I don't know. Let me know if someone has a good idea.
