Ahimsa Lotus Bumper Sticker, Single Design

Ahimsa, spelled out. The word is the whole message. Anyone who knows it reads it instantly; anyone who does not gets a reason to look it up, which is its own small act of spreading the idea.

The lotus. In Hindu and Buddhist art the lotus rises out of muddy water without a speck of mud on it. Paired with ahimsa, it says that a gentle life is possible even in messy conditions, including traffic.

A single design you can place anywhere. It works as a bumper sticker, but it also works on a laptop, a journal cover, or the side of a cauldron shelf where you keep your daily practice tools.

• Design: the word Ahimsa with lotus artwork, single design
• Quantity: one sticker
• Weight: about 0.3 oz
• Size: contact Plentiful Earth for exact measurements

Ahimsa means non-harm, and it is a shared ethic across several living traditions. In Jainism it is the first of the five great vows and shapes daily life down to diet and how one walks. In Buddhism it underlies the first precept, to abstain from taking life. In Patanjali's Yoga Sutras it is the first yama, the first restraint a practitioner takes on. Gandhi carried the word into political life, and from there it entered the wider world.

For witches and pagans, ahimsa sits comfortably beside the Wiccan Rede, an it harm none, do what ye will. The sticker is used as a daily reminder of that ethic in eclectic pagan practice: a visible vow rather than a spell. If you want to go deeper into ahimsa as a spiritual discipline, that path is best learned from practitioners within the Jain, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions that hold it.

1. Wash the spot first. A little dish soap and water, or a wipe of rubbing alcohol, takes off the road film and wax that keep stickers from gripping. Let it dry completely.
2. Apply when the surface is somewhere near room temperature. Cold metal and blazing-hot metal both make the adhesive fussy, so a shady afternoon or a garage is ideal.
3. Peel back one end of the backing, line the sticker up, and press it down from the center outward with the flat of your hand or a credit card. That pushes the air out as you go instead of trapping it.
4. If you like, say a short intention as you press it on, something as simple as: may I do no harm today. Then run your thumb along the edges and give the adhesive a day before the next car wash.
5. When it is time to take it down, warm it with a hairdryer, lift a corner, and peel slowly at a low angle. A dab of cooking oil or citrus adhesive remover clears any leftover residue.

Where it goes is up to you. Some people want it facing traffic; some want it where only they will see it. Both are right.

• Ahimsa Bumper Sticker, 5 3/4" x 3": the text-only version of the same vow, for a second car or a friend who prefers a smaller sticker.
• Om Bumper Sticker, 3 x 3 Inches: Om and ahimsa come from the same Sanskrit world and sit naturally side by side on a bumper.
• Buddha Wheel bumper sticker: the dharma wheel marks the Buddhist path where non-harm is the first precept.
• What Would Buddha Do bumper sticker: a lighter companion that asks the same question ahimsa answers.
• Lotus Goddess Amulet, 1.5": carries the lotus from the bumper to your pocket or altar.

What does ahimsa mean?

Ahimsa is a Sanskrit word meaning non-harm or non-violence. It is the first great vow in Jainism, the basis of the first Buddhist precept, and the first yama in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. In everyday use it means choosing not to cause harm in thought, word, or action, toward any living being.

Is the Ahimsa Lotus Bumper Sticker appropriate for a witch or pagan to display?

Yes, many witches and pagans display it. Ahimsa is not a pagan symbol, but the ethic behind it lines up closely with the Wiccan Rede and with the harm-none values of most eclectic paths. Displaying the word with respect for the traditions it comes from is the whole point.

Can I put this sticker somewhere other than a car?

You can put it almost anywhere flat and clean. Laptops, water bottles, journals, toolboxes, and the inside of a cabinet door all work. Any surface you would trust a bumper sticker on will hold it; porous surfaces like raw wood or fabric are the ones to skip.

How do I remove the sticker without damaging paint?

Warm it first with a hairdryer for thirty seconds or so, then lift one corner and peel slowly at a low angle. Any gummy residue comes off with a little cooking oil or a citrus-based adhesive remover on a soft cloth, followed by a rinse with soapy water.

Should I cleanse or consecrate a bumper sticker?

You can if it feels right, but nothing about the sticker requires it. Some practitioners pass a new sticker through incense smoke or set it in moonlight before applying it, then speak a short intention as they press it down. Others simply stick it on. Both approaches honor the vow equally.