Gita 13.28

Sadhak: "'Not harming the Self by the self'—isn't harming always done to others, not to oneself?"

Guru: "That's the ego's view: 'I harm someone else; I'm unaffected.' But if the same Self is in all, there is no 'someone else.' When you harm another body, you harm the Self that dwells there—and that Self is your Self. Moreover, the very act of harming darkens your own mind, creating more tamas, more karma, more bondage. So on both counts—the universal Self injured and the individual mind degraded—you harm your Self by harming."

Sadhak: "Does 'not harming' include all beings—animals, insects?"

Guru: "The principle extends to all beings, though practical application requires wisdom. The sage walks carefully to avoid stepping on insects, eats mindfully to minimize harm, but doesn't become paralyzed. Some harm is unavoidable in embodied life. The key is intention and awareness: minimize harm where possible, be conscious where you can't. The same Lord is in the ant and the elephant; let your conduct reflect this."

Sadhak: "If vision alone leads to non-harming, why do I sometimes understand this intellectually but still lose my temper or act harshly?"

Guru: "Because intellectual understanding is not 'seeing' in the verse's sense. Seeing here is perceptual, immediate—like seeing the color blue. You don't have to remind yourself blue is blue; you just see it. Similarly, when the equal vision is established, you don't have to remind yourself not to harm; you simply can't harm what you perceive as your own Self. Until that perceptual shift happens, the mind can override intellectual understanding. Keep practicing; the shift will come."