Gandhiji was no emperor, not a military general, not a president nor a
prime minister. He was neither pacifist nor a cult guru. Who was Gandhi? If
anything, Mohandas K. Gandhi was a constant experimenter. His thoughts when
appeared in the form of talk or article became official words of action with the
masses of India.
He was a man who did what he said and led an exemplary
and a transparent life. Born in
Gujurat, fluent with Hindi and English, and residing in the minds of millions,
Gandhiji was able to unite India like none other. An adamant idealist,
courageous fighter, a deep thinker, and a great leader of men and ideas, it was
possible for him to do that because he identified himself with struggles and
pains of the common Indians. He quickly became the sole voice of the downtrodden
and the exploited. They completely believed that Gandhiji understood their
difficulties and would provide justice for them. Among Gandhiji's disciples were
kings, royal, untouchables, rich, poor, foreigners, and women. When this
selfless and pure man became leader of the nation, he gave a clear and
unambiguous direction to the Himalayan problems facing India. Most important of
them were poverty, religious conflict, exploitation, ignorance and colonization
by the British.
Gandhi was one of the humblest human
beings ever to walk the earth. Here are few quotes about him and the rest by him that you may appreciate:
Albert Einstein: Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.
Martin Luther King, Jr: Gandhi was inevitable. If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. He lived, thought and acted, inspired by the vision of humanity evolving toward a world of peace and harmony. We may ignore Gandhi at our own risk.
Nelson Mandela: He is the archetypal anticolonial revolutionary. His strategy of noncooperation, his assertion that we can be dominated only if we cooperate with our dominators, and his nonviolent resistance inspired anticolonial and antiracist movements internationally in our century.
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances. It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence. Morality which depends upon the helplessness of a man or woman has not much to recommend it. Morality is rooted in the purity of our hearts. Where choice is set between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence. I prefer to use arms in defense of honor rather than remain the vile witness of dishonor. Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy. To forgive is not to forget. The merit lies in loving in spite of the vivid knowledge that the one that must be loved is not a friend. There is no merit in loving an enemy when you forget him for a friend. Even as wisdom often comes from the mouths of babes, so does it often come from the mouths of old people. The golden rule is to test everything in the light of reason and experience, no matter from where it comes. My effort should never be to undermine another's faith but to make him a better follower of his own faith.... Even as a tree has a single trunk but many branches and leaves, there is one religion-- human religion--but any number of faiths. There are times when you have to obey a call which is the highest of all, i.e. the voice of conscience even though such obedience may cost many a bitter tear, and even more, separation from friends, from family, from the state to which you may belong, from all
that you have held as dear as life itself. For this obedience is the law of our being. Your character must be above suspicion, and you must be truthful and self-controlled. The truest test of civilization, culture, and dignity is character, not clothing. A language is an exact reflection of the character and growth of its speakers. Men of stainless character will easily inspire confidence and automatically purify the atmosphere around them. The real property that a parent can transmit to all equally is his or her character and educational facilities. All your scholarship would be in vain if at the same time you do not build your character and attain mastery over your thoughts and your actions.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - Mahatma Gandhi for millions of Indians - the
life and thoughts were two sides of the same coin - a life which was dedicated
for human liberation. In his life of truth and non-violence he
could melt the differences between individuals, countries and
continents.
" I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and
Non-Violence are as old as the hills. " , Mahatma wrote. But these words
derived their strength from the life of Mahatma who epitomized these values.
Mahatma's words came alive with the wisdom he found in confronting personal and
social problems and now for many they are not just the words but the power of
life. Mahatma's struggle was not against any individual but against the system
of operation.
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