ahimsa (lotus).jpg 6 cm round badge

ahimsa, Sanskrit for non-violence, is about not harming other living things. It is practiced in Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist religions, as well as a philosophy for secular vegans and vegetarians. I have combined the Sanskrit script with a picture of a lotus flower, which has similar spiritual significance. To me, it represents freedom from want, deriving from the Hindu meanings of purity and non-attachment. It is associated with the gods Vishnu and Lakshmi. Its unfolding petals suggest the expansion of the soul. The growth of its pure beauty from the mud of its origin holds a benign spiritual promise.