Metaphysical ideas shape the sociological and physical behaviors of societies. Within the Hindu religion, there is a general purpose in life that can be affected by participation in the religion's code of ethics. Ahimsa is a metaphysical ethic that affects the practicing individual's connection to the overall purpose of life, as well as their connection to society. The social aspects of this ethic shaped the society of its origin and eventually spread to affect and shape ideas in other societies around the world, as they were passed down from generation to generation. An ethic is a set of honorable standards, or a moral code, that governs the behaviors of a particular group based on opinions about what is morally acceptable within that society. Ahimsa is an ethic that initially existed within Hinduism, or Sanatana Dharma. Himsa is a Sanskrit word meaning to harm or inflict injury. An “a” is added to the beginning of the word to counteract the meaning, creating the word ahimsa, meaning to do no harm. Ahimsa refers to doing no physical, mental, or emotional harm to any living being (“Ahimsa: To Do No Harm,” 359). This idea suggests that by harming another living creature, you are actually harming yourself. This idea is the result of the belief in karma. Karma, if accumulated, is the force that fuels the continuity of the cycle of life, birth, old age, illness and death, or samsara. The more karma one accumulates, the less successful his samsara will be; that a consciousness can no longer have the opportunity to be born humanly. Instead, consciousness can receive life from a rock, a tree, an ant, or even water. Not practicing ahimsa is a way of accumulating karma, and therefore,... middle of paper ...... demand independence for India. Ghandi's actions and teachings influenced American Martin Luther King Jr. in his efforts to relieve African Americans of harm in their quest to achieve civil rights in the United States in the 20th century. Vegetarianism around the world is influenced by the ethic of ahimsa, which frowns upon cruelty to animals. The victories won by these movements have had a tremendous impact on the world in the 21st century. African Americans gained civil rights, India became a powerful nation free from English control, and vegetarianism fostered the formation of animal rights groups, largely because of the ideology behind it. ethics of ahimsa. » Chapter 45 in What is Hinduism: Modern Adventures in a Deep Global Faith. New Delhi: Himalayan Academy Publications, 2007. 358-363. Print.