I want to reflect on the first principle of yoga, take it apart, so to speak, in parts.
At first glance it seems simple, but if you look more closely there is a lot that is not obvious.
Trying your best is a rather vague definition, probably about the fact that you need to be honest with yourself.
No harm to any living being...
What is a living being and what will be harmful to it and what will not?
Example: if one person cuts another with a knife, does he harm him?
What if it's a surgeon?
What if he steals a kidney?
What if I treated you, but your hand trembled?
I'm silent about microbes...
In addition, there can be many consequences; they can change each time over time; an action may be positive at first, but after some time it turns out that it caused harm. It can trigger a chain of events of varying degrees of harm or benefit at each iteration.
We can evaluate an action differently, depending on the experience that we have lived and the event is one, but the experience has changed.
Or, out of our ignorance, we can do some action that, it would seem, will not harm anyone, but after some time it brings harm, or we can be deceived, saying do this will be good for everyone.
Not causing harm unless absolutely necessary - and what is an extreme necessity?
Also about honesty?
What does it mean to be able to do no harm?
For example, without causing harm to one creature, can I harm myself or another creature?
If on a desert island you have a choice of either killing and eating an animal or not harming the animal but dying yourself?
What if this little animal was the first to start hunting you, and you, for the purpose of, so to speak, self-defense, and eat at the same time?
Do as my duty tells me...
Duty is also a very unclear concept and there is something to think about. For a soldier in an attack, his duty is clear, but ordinary life is more difficult...
It turns out to be such a rather vague, one might say dynamic principle, its understanding, the actions on which it depends can change over time and for everyone it will be perceived differently at different times.
We can probably say that by trying to apply it we get to know ourselves.
You can talk about aspiration and intentions more than precise execution.