Mahatma Gandhi [sanskrit: महात्मा, mahātmā, deutsch: Große Seele] war ein indischer Politiker, Anwalt und Reformator, Freiheitskämpfer. Als Führer der indischen Unabhängigkeitsbewegung war er Verfechter des gewaltlosen Widerstands zur Durchsetzung politischer Ziele. Mahatma Gandhi spirituelle Inspirationsquelle war die Bhagavadgita. Sein Lieblingsmantra lautete: Rama = beständige Freude.

Gandhis Schlüsselerlebnis
1893 wanderte der junge Rechtsanwalt Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in Durban, Südafrika ein.
Auf eine seiner ersten Reisen von Durban nach Johannesburg löste er am eine Bahnfahrkarte 1. Klasse-Ticket. Auf halber Strecke warf ihn der Schaffner aus dem Zug, da die weißen Reisenden der 1. Klasse keine indischen Passagiere duldeten. Er verbrachte eine ganze Nacht im kalten Aufenthaltsraum des Bahnhofs Pietermaritzburg. Er sann dabei über Wege zur Gerechtigkeit nach. Dies führte dazu, dass er eine Doktrin des Passiven Widerstands verfasste.

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Die Strategie des Seins – Essenz

Kurz vor seiner Ermordung im Januar 1948 gab Mahatma Gandhi sein letztes Interview.
Ein junger Reporter der Tageszeitung The Times of India befragte ihn:

"Wie haben Sie die Briten gezwungen, Indien zu verlassen?
Die Briten haben seit mehr als 350 Jahren Indien beherrscht.
Sie hatten keine Armee, kein Geld, keine offizielle Position, keinen Rückhalt durch die Regierung.
Wie haben Sie die Briten zwingen können, Indien zu verlassen?"

Gandhis Antwort lautete:

Ich wiederhole das, was ich bereits der 'Nationalen Kongresspartei' gesagt habe.
Sie verstanden es nicht, doch vielleicht verstehen Sie es.

Es war nicht von Bedeutung, was wir sagten, obwohl das wichtig war.
Es war nicht von Bedeutung, was wir taten, obwohl auch das wichtig war.
Von Bedeutung war das 'Wesen unseres Seins'. Die Essenz dessen, was wir waren, veranlasste die [Kolonialregierung der] Briten zur Entscheidung, Indien zu verlassen."

Quelle: Stephan A. Schwartz, Gandhi on why the British chose to leave India,
Gandhitopia.org, 6. Februar 2009

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Zitate von M. Gandhi

Persönliche Bekenntnisse

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Den Gott im Mitmenschen ehren:

Einer Überlieferung zufolge soll M. Gandhi auf die Nachfrage des theoretischen Physikers Albert Einstein, was der indische Gruß Namaste ausdrücke, so geantwortet haben.

Ich ehre den Platz in dir, in dem das gesamte Universum residiert. Ich ehre den Platz des Lichts, der Liebe, der Wahrheit, des Friedens und der Weisheit in dir. Ich ehre den Platz in dir, wo, wenn du dort bist und auch ich dort bin, wir beide nur noch eins sind.

Ich vertraue allein auf die Kraft der Wahrheit.

Ich bin der Wahrheit verpflichtet, wie ich sie jeden Tag erkenne, und nicht der Beständigkeit.

Und wenn ich verzweifle, dann erinnere ich mich, dass durch alle Zeiten in der Geschichte der Menschheit, die Wahrheit und die Liebe immer gewonnen haben. Es gab Tyrannen und Mörder und eine Zeitlang schienen sie unbesiegbar, doch am Ende scheiterten sie immer.

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Original zitiert in:

Young India, S. 1078-1079, 1925 (nach Hinweis von Radhakrishna)

Wenn mich Zweifel quälen, wenn mir Enttäuschungen ins Gesicht starren und ich keinen Funken Hoffnung am Horizont sehe [...] dann nehme ich mir die Bhagavadgita [BW 910] vor und finde darin einen Vers des Trostes, und sofort beginne ich inmitten des größten Kummers zu lächeln. zitiert in: Louis Fischer, Gandhi, S. 19, Heyne Verlag, München, 1989

Ich zögere nicht zu sagen, dass ich der Existenz Gottes mehr gewiss bin als unserer Anwesenheit in diesem Raum.

Es gibt keinen Weg zum Frieden, Frieden ist der Weg.

Du und ich: Wir sind eins. Ich kann dir nicht wehtun, ohne mich zu verletzen.

Hasse die Sünde und nicht den Sünder.

Das einzige Diktat, dem ich mich in dieser Welt füge, ist die sanfte innere Stimme. zitiert aus: Ausgewählte Texte, Richard Attenborough (Hrsg.)

Der Schwache kann nicht verzeihen. Verzeihen ist eine Eigenschaft des Starken.

Die reine, unverfälschte Liebe eines Einzigen vermag den Hass von Millionen zu neutralisieren.

Liebe ist die stärkste Macht der Welt und doch ist sie die demütigste, die man sich vorstellen kann.

Vergesst die Vorstellung, Anhänger zu sein. Niemand führt, und niemand folgt nach. Niemand ist Führer und niemand Anhänger. Wir gehen alle zusammen in einer Reihe. Ich habe das schon oft gesagt, doch ich sage es noch einmal, um euch daran zu erinnern.

Doppelsträngiger keltischer Knoten (Lindisfarne Gospels)

Alles steht zum besten mit dir, auch wenn schier alles zu misslingen scheint, solange du nur mit dir selber im reinen bist. Umgekehrt stimmt nichts mit dir, selbst wenn es äußerlich gut zu gehen scheint, solange du nicht mit dir selber im Reinen bist. Ausgewählte Texte, S. 23, Goldmann Verlag, München, 1983

Wer den universalen und alles durchdringenden Geist der Wahrheit von Angesicht zu Angesicht erblicken will, muss fähig sein, auch die geringste Kreatur ebenso zu lieben, wie sich selbst. Und ein Mensch, der danach strebt, darf sich von keinem Lebensbereich ausschließen. So hat meine Ehrfurcht vor der Wahrheit mich in die Politik geführt; und ich kann ohne Zögern und doch in aller Demut sagen, dass ein Mensch, der behauptet, Religion habe nichts mit Politik zu tun, nicht weiß, was Religion bedeutet. Ausgewählte Texte, S. 77, Goldmann Verlag, München, 1983

Wenn Gott in allem wohnt, was im Universum existiert, wenn der Gelehrte wie der Straßenkehrer von Gott sind, dann gibt es keinen, der hoch ist, und keinen, der niedrig ist, alle sind ohne Einschränkung gleich, sie sind gleich, weil sie die Geschöpfe jenes Schöpfers sind.

Auge um Auge, und die ganze Welt wird blind sein.

Die Ausbeutung der Armen kann nicht dadurch beseitigt werden, dass man einige Millionäre zugrunde richtet, sondern, indem man den wirtschaftlich Schwachen Wissen bringt und sie lehrt, mit den Ausbeutern nicht zusammenzuarbeiten.

Bürgerlicher Ungehorsam ist das angeborene Recht jeden Bürgers. Gibt er es auf, hört er auf, ein Mensch zu sein.

Wenn eine Kultur [andere] auszuschließen versucht, wird sie nicht lange überdauern.

Die Welt bietet genug für jedermanns Bedürfnisse, doch nicht genug für jedermanns Gier.

Eine Zivilisation lässt sich danach beurteilen, wie sie ihre Tiere behandelt.

Was man mit Gewalt gewinnt, kann man nur mit Gewalt behalten.

Alle unsere Steitereien entstehen daraus, dass einer dem anderen seine Meinung aufzwingen will.

Das Ziel weicht ständig vor uns zurück. Genugtuung liegt im Einsatz, nicht im Erreichen. Ganzer Einsatz ist ganzer Erfolg.

Sei du selbst die Veränderung, die du dir wünscht für diese Welt.

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Siehe auch Meads Erkenntnis:

Hege nie Zweifel daran, dass eine kleine Gruppe tiefschürfender Bürger die Welt verändern können. Tatsächlich ist dies bisher das einzige Mittel dafür gewesen. Margaret Mead (1901-1978) US-amerikanische Kulturanthropologin, Soziologin, Biologin, Ethnologin, Autorin, Referentin

Eine kleine Gruppe entschlossener Geister, die angefeuert werden durch einen unerschütterlichen Glauben an ihre Mission, können den Lauf der Geschichte verändern.

Wir sollten weder alles dem Schicksal überlassen, noch auf unsere Anstrengungen eingebildet sein. Das Schicksal wird seinen Lauf nehmen. Wir sollten nur darauf achten, wo wir eingreifen können oder wo das sogar unsere Pflicht ist, unabhängig davon, was das Ergebnis sein wird.

Unser Glück beruht darauf, dass wir tun, was wir für richtig und angemessen halten und nicht, was andere sagen oder tun.

Glück ist, wenn deine Gedanken, deine Worte und dein Tun miteinander im Einklang sind.

Was immer du tust, ist unbedeutend, doch es ist wichtig, dass du es tust.

Wenn du im Recht bist, kannst du es dir leisten, die Ruhe zu bewahren, und wenn du im Unrecht bist, kannst du es dir nicht leisten, sie zu verlieren.

Es wächst das, worauf du dich konzentrierst.

Der Mensch wird oft zu dem, was er zu sein glaubt.

Der Zweck heiligt NIEmals die Mittel!

Beten ist nicht bitten. Es ist ein Sehnen der Seele.

Kraft kommt nicht aus körperlichen Fähigkeiten. Sie entspringt einem unbeugsamen Willen.

Unter den vielen Lügenmächten, die in der Welt wirksam sind, ist die Theologie eine der ersten.

Die Wahrheit ist nicht das ausschließliche Eigentum einer einzelnen heiligen Schrift. Die Forderung der Zeit ist nicht eine einzige Religion, sondern die gegenseitige Achtung und Duldsamkeit der Anhänger aller Religionen.

Lebe, als ob du morgen sterben müsstest.
Lerne, als ob du ewig leben müsstest.

Alles steht zum besten mit dir, auch wenn schier alles zu misslingen scheint, solange du nur mit dir selber im Reinen bist. Umgekehrt stimmt nichts mit dir, selbst wenn es äußerlich gut zu gehen scheint, solange du nicht mit dir selber im Reinen bist. Ausgewählte Texte, S. 23, Goldmann Verlag, München, 1983

Und im Wissen, dass die Seele den Körper überlebt, brennt er nicht ungeduldig darauf, den Sieg der Wahrheit im gegenwärtigen Körper zu erleben.

Wenn ich die Frauen Asiens erwecken könnte, könnte ich Indien in einem Tag retten.

Demokratie ist ein Ding der Unmöglichkeit, bis die Macht von allen geteilt wird. Achte jedoch darauf, die Demokratie nicht zur Mobokratie verkommen zu lassen.

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Personal avowals

My life is an indivisible whole, and all my attitudes run into one another; and they all have their rise in my insatiable love for mankind. Mohandas Karamchand Mahatma Gandhi [LoC 760] (1869-1948) Indian Hindu sage, spiritual activist leader, humanitarian, lawyer, nonviolent freedom fighter

You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.

I have been known as a crank, faddist, madman. Evidently the reputation is well deserved. For wherever I go, I draw to myself cranks, faddists, and madmen. Young India, 13. June 1929; also in All Men Are Brothers. Autobiographical Reflections, edited by Krishna Kripalani, pg. 163, 2005

I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship.
I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings.
My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that Source in you.
Let us work together for unity and love.

When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall, always.

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Positive influence of women

Gandhi's mother Putlibai and his wife Kasturba influenced his path greatly.

The outstanding impression my mother has left on my memory is that of saintliness. She was deeply religious. She would not think of taking her meals without daily prayer. She would take the hardest of vows and keep them without flinching. Illness was no excuse for relaxing them.

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Marriage, the cauldron

I first learned the concepts of non-violence in my marriage.

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Women

I began work among women when I was not even thirty years old. There is not a woman in South Africa who does not know me. But my work was among the poorest. The intellectuals I could not draw [...] you cannot blame me for not having organized the intellectuals among the women. I have not the gift [...] but just as I never fear coldness on the part of the poor when I approach them, I never fear it when I approach poor women. There is invisible bond between them and me.

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Compassion and kinship

Whenever I see an erring man, I say to myself I have also erred; when I see a lustful man I say to myself, so was I once; and in this way I feel kinship with everyone in the world and feel that I cannot be happy without the humblest of us being happy.

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Death and killing

I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill.

I would risk violence a thousand times than the emasculation of a whole race. An Autobiography. The Story of My Experiments With Truth, 1927-1929, 562 pages, Google excerpt, Beacon Press, November 1993

Taking life may be a duty. Even man-slaughter may be necessary in certain cases. Suppose a man runs amuck killing anyone that comes in his way. Anyone who despatches this lunatic will earn the gratitude of the community and be regarded as a benevolent man. Gandhi on Non-Violence. A Selection From the Writings of Mahatma Gandi, New Directions, first printing, worn edition, May 1965

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Truth-seeking strategy

Each person has a piece of the truth, but no one has the whole of it. The first step to a broader truth is to take a stand strongly for our own piece of it, and then to engage in principled struggle with those who disagree. If we listen, more truth emerges from the struggle. [Paraphrased.]

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Truth

Whenever you have truth it must be given with love, or the message and the messenger will be rejected.

There is no God higher than truth.

Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self-sustained.

Only God is truth. I am a human being. Truth for me is changing every day. My commitment must be to truth, not to consistency.

Truth resides in every human heart, and one has to search for it there, and to be guided by truth as one sees it. But no one has a right to coerce others to act according to his own view of truth.

Truth, purity, self-control, firmness, fearlessness, humility, unity, peace, and renunciation. – These are the inherent qualities of a civil resister.

Many people, especially ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking the truth, for being correct, for being you. Never apologize for being correct, or for being years ahead of your time. If you’re right and you know it, speak your mind. Speak your mind. Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is still the truth.

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Soul power

Aware that the soul will survive the body does result in not becoming impatient to experience the victory of truth in the present embodiment.

Soul force is more powerful than brute force.

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Differentiate!

Natural vs. habitual

It's very dangerous to mix up the words natural and habitual. We have been trained to be quite habitual at communicating in ways that are quite unnatural.

Gandhi statue, Tavistock-Square, London, GB

The four stages of transformation
1. First they ignore you.
2. Then they laugh at you.
3. Then they fight you.
4. Then you succeed.

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Kindness

In a gentle way, you can shake the world.

The end is inherent in the means.

Take care of the means and the end will take care of itself. Mohandas Karamchand Mahatma Gandhi [LoC 760] (1869-1948) Indian Hindu sage, spiritual activist leader, humanitarian, lawyer, nonviolent freedom fighter

A nation's progress can be judged by how they treat their animals.

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Need vs. greed

The world has enough for everyman’s need, but not enough for everyman’s greed. Mohandas Karamchand Mahatma Gandhi [LoC 760] (1869-1948) Indian Hindu sage, spiritual activist leader, humanitarian, lawyer, nonviolent freedom fighter

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Trivialised quote

We must be the change we wish to see.

If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. [...] We need not wait to see what others do.

There are no religions in Heaven.

God has no religion.

In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.

No one can attain perfection while he is in the body for the simple reason that the ideal state is impossible so long as one has not completely overcome his ego, and ego cannot be wholly got rid of so long as one is tied down by the shackles of the flesh.

Interdependence is and ought to be as much as the ideal of man as self-sufficiency. Man is a social being. Without interrelation with society he cannot realize his oneness with the universe or suppress his egotism. His social interdependence enables him to test his faith and to prove himself on the touchstone of reality. Mahatma Gandhi [LoC 760] (1869-1948) Indian sage, spiritual activist leader, humanitarian, lawyer, nonviolent freedom fighter, Young India, pg. 93, 21. March 1929

Providence has its appointed hour for everything. We cannot command results; we can only strive. And so far as I am concerned, it is enough satisfaction for me to know that I have striven my utmost to discharge the duty that rested on me. Mahatma Gandhi

Keep your thoughts positive
because your thoughts become your words.
Keep your words positive
because your words become your behaviors.
Keep your behaviors positive
because your behaviors become your habits.
Keep your habits positive
because your habits become your values.
Keep your values positive
because your values become your destiny.

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Being – Doing – Having

Almost everything you do will seem insignificant, but it is important that you do it.

Our philosophy is as dry as dust, unless immediately translated into some type of living service.

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.

How do we rate a society? By evaluating how they treat their minorities.

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Women

If I could awaken the women of Asia, I could save India in a day.

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Love

Love never claims, it ever gives. Love never suffers, never resents, and never revenges itself.

The unadulterated love of one person can nullify the hatred of millions.

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Peace

It is possible to live in peace.

Hate the sin and not the sinner. An Autobiography. The Story of My Experiments With Truth, 1927-1929, 562 pages, Google excerpt, Beacon Press, November 1993
Original saying: Love the sinner but hate the sin.
Derived from: With love for mankind and hatred of sins.
''Latin'': Cum dilectione hominum et odio vitiorum.-'
Saint Augustine, letter 211 (c. 424)

When a culture attempts to be exclusive, it does not last long.

The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection, that one is sometimes willing to commit sins for the sake of loyalty, that one does not push asceticism to the point where it makes friendly intercourse impossible, and that one is prepared in the end to be defeated and broken up by life, which is the inevitable price of fastening one's love upon other human individuals. Cited by Petri Liukkonen and Ari Pesonen, Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), 2008

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No long-term action plans

One step [at the time] is enough for me.

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

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.

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Prayer

Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly used and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.

Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the universe is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear enough request, and everything your heart desires must come to you.

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Finding solace in Holy Scriptures

I find a solace in the Bhagavadgītā [LoC 910] that I miss even in the Sermon on the Mount [LoC 955]. When disappointment stares me in the face and all alone I see not one ray of light, I go back to the Bhagavadgītā. I find a verse here and a verse there and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming tragedies – and my life has been full of external tragedies – and if they have left no visible, no indelible scar on me, I owe it all to the teaching of Bhagavadgītā. Cited in: Young India, pp. 1078-1079, 1925 (according to Radhakrishnan)

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Violence

The Roots of Violence are:
- Wealth without work,
- Pleasure without conscience,
- Knowledge without character,
- Commerce without morality,
- Science without humanity,
- Worship without sacrifice,
- Politics without principles.

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Wealth versus morality
Jesus the noblest economist:

Gandhi hinted that he could quote even stronger passages from the Hindu scriptures. The lesson here is: If we could clean our houses, palaces and temples of the attributes of wealth and show in them the attributes of morality we could fight all hostile forces without military strength. He recommended to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and everything will be added upon the seeker.

St. Mark has vividly described the scene. Jesus is in his solemn mood. He is earnest. He talks about eternity. He knows the world about him. He is himself the greatest economist of his time. He succeeded in sermonising time and space – He transcends them. It is to him at the best that one comes running, kneels down and asks, "Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said unto him, "One thing thou lackest. Go thy way, sell what thou hast and give it to the poor, and thou shall have treasure in heaven – come, take up the cross and follow me." Here you have an eternal rule of life stated in the noblest words the English language is capable of producing. […] These are real economics. May you and I treasure them and enforce them in our daily life. Mohandas Karamchand Mahatma Gandhi [LoC 760] (1869-1948) Indian Hindu sage, spiritual activist leader, humanitarian, lawyer, nonviolent freedom fighter; cited in: Editorial by Fr. Benny Aguiar, Gandhi 's view of Jesus Christ, Examiner, official organ of the Bombay (Mumbai) diocese of the New Church, 26. September 1992

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Politics:

The greater the institution, the greater the chances of abuse. Democracy is a great institution and therefore it is liable to be greatly abused. The remedy therefore is not avoidance of democracy, but reduction of the possibility of abuse, to a minimum.

Democracy is an impossible thing until the power is shared by all, but let not democracy degenerate into mobocracy.

The spirit of democracy is not a mechanical thing to be adjusted by abolition of forms. It requires change of heart.

When anybody finds any inconsistency between any two writings of mine, if he has still faith in my sanity, he would do well to choose the latter of the two on the same subject. Cited in: Indian ewspaper Harijan, 29. April 1933

I contemplate a mental, and therefore, a moral opposition to immoralities. I seek entirely to blunt the edge of the tyrant’s sword, not by putting up against it a sharper-edged weapon, but by disappointing his expectation that I would be offering physical resistance. Young India, 8. October 1925

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Touching Gandhi's feet:

The dignity approach: At the occasion of the Indian independance day, 15. August 1947, cheering people tried to touch Ghandi's feet in respect. He, however, never allowed such gestures of reverence.
Gandhi had learned "Don't bow before another person" from the Quaker William Penn.

Don't bow before another person or another nation.

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Mankind

The problem with the world is that humanity is not in its right mind.

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Christianity

In my humble opinion, what passes as Christianity is a negation of the Sermon on the Mount [LoC 955]. [...] I am speaking of the Christian belief, of Christianity as it is understood in the west.

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Christianity

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.

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Happiness

Levels: Thinking – Doing – Being

Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony. Mahatma Gandhi

Fish live in the sea, and they are silent. Animals on earth below, bark and pray. But the birds who inhabit the heavens sing.
Silence is proper to the sea, braying is proper to the earth, and singing belongs to heaven. But man has a share in all three, for within himself he bears the depths of the sea, the burden of the earth and the heights of heaven. Hence he possesses all three properties: silence, bellowing and singing.

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War

An armed conflict between nations horrifies us. But the economic war is no better than an armed conflict. This is like a surgical operation. An economic war is prolonged torture. And its ravages are no less terrible than those depicted in the literature on war properly so called. We think nothing of the other because we are used to its deadly effects. [...]
The movement against war is sound. I pray for its success. But I cannot help the gnawing fear that the movement will fail if it does not touch the root of all evil — man's greed. cited in: Non-Violence – The Greatest Force, presented by The World Tomorrow, 5. October 1926

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Poverty: The problem is [social] inequality.

Poverty is not the symptom. Poverty is the symptom of the problem. Video presentation by Thom Hartmann thomhartmann.com (*1951) US American progressive political commentator, author, radio host, former psychotherapist and entrepreneur, The more equality a society has, the better it does, ref. to income inequality researcher Richard Wilkinson, Ph.D. (*1943) British professor emeritus of social epidemiology, University of Nottingham, YouTube film, minute 1:37, 9:01 minutes duration, posted 28. July 2009

The deadliest form of violence is poverty. Mahatma Gandhi

Extra Source: Wikiquote Mahatma Gandhi

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Satyagraha vs. Duragraha

War in relation to the larger scheme of things

Disiciple: He says that war is avoidable.
Aurobindo: There is no objection to that, but how is war to be avoided? How can you prevent war when the other fellow wants to fight? You can prevent it by becoming stronger than he, or by a combination that is stronger than he, or you change his heart, as Gandhiji says, by passive resistance or Satyagraha.
And even there Gandhiji has been forced to admit that none of his followers knows the science of passive resistance. In fact, he says, he is the only person who knows all about Satyagraha. It is not very promising for Satyagraha, considering that it is intended to be a general solution for all men. What some people have done at some places in India is not Satyagraha but Duragraha. Sri Aurobindo [LoC 605] (1872-1950) Indian Hindu mysctic, Evening Talks, recorded by A.B. Purani

Nonviolence is not necessarily pacifism. Pacifism suggests that we do not retaliate in any way at all, but nonviolence is a very active philosophy. It means that we nonviolently stand up against injustice, and it means that we sacrifice our lives if necessary. Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson leader of Indian independence, director of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence

Taken on the whole, I would believe that Gandhi's views were the most enlightened of all the political men in our time. We should strive to do things in his spirit. [...] not to use violence in fighting for our cause, but by non-participation in what we believe is evil. Radio interview Albert Einstein [LoC 499] (1879-1955) German-born US American theoretical physicist, developer of the theory of general relativity, Nobel laureate in physics, presented by United Nations, recorded in Einstein's study, Princeton, New Jersey, 1950

Gandhi [LoC 760] is probably the first person in history to lift the love ethic of Jesus above mere interaction between individuals to a powerful and effective social force on a large scale. The intellectual and moral satisfaction that I failed to gain from the utilitarianism of Bentham and Mill, the revolutionary methods of Marx [Fallen LoC 135] and Lenin [Fallen LoC 80], the social contract theory of Thomas Hobbes, the 'back to nature' optimism of Rousseau [LoC 465], and the superman philosophy of Nietzsche, I found in the non-violent resistance philosophy of Gandhi. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) US American clergyman, activist, leader of the African American civil rights movement

Gandhi resisted evil with as much vigor and power as the violent resister, but he resisted with love instead of hate. True pacifism is not unrealistic submission to evil power. It is rather a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) US American clergyman, activist, leader of the African American civil rights movement

Besides, Gandhi was not like some of his contemporaries, who too were using religion in their respective struggles for independence. What set him apart was the fact that while others highlighted worldly interests of religious communities — which created hatred and jealousy, he introduced tenets of various religions in politics with a vision that was broad enough to respect the needs of all communities. Religion, he said, in its broadest sense governs all departments of life, including politics. Vishal Arora, Gandhi Showed How Religion Is Used In Politics, Madras Mail, 22. December 1933, issued by Spero News online, 1. February 2008

We loved Jesus, Socrates, and Gandhi—after we murdered them. While they were alive, they were a tremendous pain in the ass. Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr.— these people died relatively young. You don't often live a long life being too far out ahead of your culture. Interview with Robert Kegan (*1946) US American professor in leadership studies, William and Miriam Meehan professor in adult learning, Harvard University, co-director for the Change Leadership Group, author of The Evolving Self, 1982, Epistemology, Fourth Order Consciousness, and the Subject-Object Relationship or... How the Self Evolves, Elizabeth Debold, WIE magazine, issue 22

Mahatma Gandhi said that seven things will destroy us. Notice that all of them have to do with social and political conditions. Note also that the antidote of each of these "deadly sins" is an explicit external standard or something that is based on natural principles and laws, not on social values.
- Wealth Without Work
- Pleasure Without Conscience
- Knowledge Without Character
- Commerce (Business) Without Morality (Ethics)
- Science Without Humanity
- Religion Without Sacrifice
- Politics Without Principle

Dr. Stephen R. Covey, one of the world's leading management consultants and author of the best selling book, The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People, Free Press, 15th anniversary edition, 9. November 2004, containing excerpts from Principle Centered Leadership, chapter 7 Seven Deadly Sins, pg. 87-93, October 1992

Civil disobedience: Passive (i.e. nonviolent) resistance to state power, usually involving mass defiance of unpopular laws or passive noncooperation with the authorities. Such methods can cause considerable difficulties for the state, which may be reluctant to use force against nonviolent protestors for fear of inflaming the situation or alienating world opinion. Civil disobedience was first developed as a concerted strategy by Gandhi, who pioneered his techniques of satyagraha first in South Africa and then in British India. Similar methods were subsequently adopted by supporters of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the 1950s, by Martin Luther King and the US civil rights movement of the 1960s, and by large crowds demanding reform in Czechoslovakia and other countries in the weeks before the collapse of communism in 1989. History suggests that such techniques are most likely to succeed when the regime is relatively liberal, when its authority is already crumbling, or when peaceful protests are backed by the implicit threat of mass violence should their demands not be met. The Macmillan Encyclopedia, 2001

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead (1901-1978) US American cultural anthropologist, sociologist, biologist, popular writer, lecturer
In reference to Gandhi's quote: A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.

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Women

Gandhiji struggled very hard to understand a woman's physical and mental pain. From a young age he introduced his wife and children to social sacrifice and service. Jyotsna Kamat, Gandhi and Status of Women on Gandhi's efforts to involve women in all phases of development, including the struggle for India's freedom, last update 7. October 2009

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A touching chapter in Gandhi's autobiography:

Gandhi often confirmed that the paternal society is the root of inequality. When he ordered his wife Kasturba to clean a public toilet it resulting in a severe spousal conflict. He felt ashamed about his behavior. From then on he took care not to humiliate her anymore for the rest of his life.

Intellectually, mentally, and spiritually, woman is equivalent to a male and she can participate in every activity. Jyotsna Kamat, Gandhi and Status of Women, last update 11. May 2008

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Gandhi criticized Indian's passion for male progeny.

Womanhood is not restricted to the kitchen. Only when the woman is liberated from the slavery of the kitchen, that her true spirit may be discovered. Jyotsna Kamat, Gandhi and Status of Women, last update 11. May 2008

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Gandhi’s chief antagonist, 30 years later

It was my fate to be an antagonist of a man [Gandhi] for whom even then I had the highest respect. [...] He never forgot the human background of the situation, never lost his temper or succumbed to hate, and preserved his gentle humor even in the most trying situations. His manner and spirit even then, as well as later, contrasted markedly with the ruthless and brutal forcefulness which is the vogue in our day. [...] His method was deliberately to break the law, and to organize his followers into a mass movement ...large numbers of Indians had to be imprisoned for lawless behavior. General Smuts, South African figurehead, Gandhi’s chief antagonist

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Gandhi’s chief antagonist, 25 years after the conclusion of the Satyagraha campaign, 1939

Gandhi himself received what no doubt he desired a short period of rest and quiet in goal [when put to jail]. For him everything went according to plan. For me the defender of law and order – there was the usual trying situation, the odium of carrying out a law which had no strong public support, and finally the discomfiture when the law had to be repealed. For him it was a successful coup. General Smuts, South African figurehead, Gandhi’s chief antagonist

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Englische Texte – English section on Mahatma Gandhi

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Mahatma Gandhi's Top 10 Fundamentals for Changing the World

Change yourself.
"You must be the change you want to see in the world."
If you change yourself you will change your world. If you change how you think, then you will change how you feel and what actions you take. And so the world around you will change.
You can recontextualize, view it differently.
"Nobody can hurt me without my permission."
What you feel and how you react to something is always up to you. You can choose your own thoughts, reactions and emotions.
Forgive and let it go.
"An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind."
Fighting evil with evil won't help anyone. Forgiving and letting go of the past will do you and the people in your world a great service.
Action takes the lead.
"An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching."
Without taking action very little will be done. However, taking action can be hard. And so you may resort to preaching, or reading and studying endlessly. But you have to take action and translate that knowledge into results and understanding.
Care for this moment.
"I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following."
Stay in the present as much as possible, and be accepting. When you are in the present moment you don't worry about the next moment. And the resistance to action comes from imagining negative future consequences or reflecting on past failures.
Everyone is human.
"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err."
When you start to make myths out of people, you run the risk of becoming disconnected from them. Keep in mind that everyone is just a human being no matter who they are.
Persist.
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
Be persistent. In time the opposition around you will fade and fall away.
See the good in people and support them.
"I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won't presume to probe into the faults of others."
If you want improvement then focusing on the good in people is a useful choice. It also makes life easier for you as your world and relationships become more pleasant and positive.
Be congruent, be authentic, be your true self.
"Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well."
When words and thoughts are aligned then that shows through in your communication. People tend to really listen to what you're saying. You are communicating without incongruence, mixed messages or phoniness.
Continue to grow and evolve.
"Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position."
You can pretty much always improve your skills and habits, or re-evaluate your evaluations. You can gain deeper understanding of yourself and the world.

Source: 10 Fundamentals for Changing the World, Positivityblog.com, May 9, 2008

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The essence of beingness

Mahatma Gandhi's insight conveyed in his last interview

Shortly before he was assassinated Mahatma Gandhi gave his last interview in January 1948.
A young reporter sent by The Times of India asked him these questions:

"How did you force the British to leave India?
The British have been in India for more than 350 years.
You had no army, you had no money, you had no official position, you had no government sanction.
How did you force the British to leave India?"

Gandhi's response was,

"Well, I will tell you what I told the National Congress Party. They didn't understand it, but maybe you will.
It was not what we said that mattered, although that was important.
It was not what we did that mattered, although that too was important.
What mattered was the 'nature of our beingness'. The essence of who we were,
that is what made the British choose to leave India."

Source: Stephan A. Schwartz, Gandhi on why the British chose to leave India, Gandhitopia.org, 6. February 2009

Often people attempt to live their lives backwards. They try to have more things or more money in order to do more of what they want so that they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse.

You must first be who you really are
then do what you need to do in order
to have what you want.

Margaret Young (1891-1969) US American singer, comedienne

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Keeping one’s own counsel

Spiritual views are not very popular in society in general. It is not necessary to impose one’s views on others. Proselytizing is best done by example rather than by coercion and lapel grabbing. We influence others by what we are rather than by what we say or have. To express views that are contrary to public opinion may be sociologically praiseworthy, but to do so leads to conflict and enmeshment in the arguments and discord in the world. The pursuit of ‘causes’ is the role of the social and political reformer, which is an activity different from that of the seeker of enlightenment. […] Embroilment in the issues of society is a luxury which the seeker of spiritual enlightenment needs to forego. […] We change the world not by what we say or do but as a consequence of what we have become. Thus, every spiritual aspirant serves the world. Dr. David R. Hawkins, The Eye of the I. From Which Nothing Is Hidden, S. 68-69

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The transmissions of the nonviolence meme

The Indian Hindu sage and spiritual activist leader Mohandas Karamchand Mahatma Gandhi brought together

the Jainist teachings on nonviolence,
Henry David Thoreau's idea of civil disobedience, and
the call to "do your duty and fight for the just cause" issued by the Bhagavad Gita [LoC 910].

The resulting fusion of all three elements changed the face of the twentieth century.

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The Quakers contribution to social change

Following the Eight laws of social change the Society of Friends was successfully involved in six US reformation movements.

Quakers [LoC 550+] were relatively strict Christians in the seventeenth century. They refused to bow or take off their hats to social superiors, believing all men equal under God, a belief antithetical to an absolute monarchy [LoC 200] which believed the monarch divinely appointed by God. Therefore, Quakers were treated as heretics because of their principles and their failure to pay tithes. They also refused to swear oaths of loyalty to the King. Quakers followed the command of Jesus not to swear, reported in the Gospel of Matthew, 5, 34 (NT).
en.wikipedia entry on William Penn

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Anecdote on Gandhi's refusal to have his feet touched:

The dignity approach: At the occasion of the Indian independance day, 15. August 1947, cheering people tried to touch Ghandi's feet in respect. He, however, never allowed such gestures of reverence.
Gandhi had learned the maxime "Don't bow before another person" from the Quaker William Penn.

Don't bow before another person or another nation. Mohandas Karamchand Mahatma Gandhi

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Anecdote on Gandhi and Einstein:

Albert Einstein was inspired by Mohandas Gandhi. Newsreel after newsreel he watched of Gandhi's doings in India. Having seen Gandhi greet people in the street with his hands placed together, as if in prayer, and with a bow, he wondered what Gandhi was saying.

Einstein in a letter to Gandhi: "What are you saying?"
Gandhi replied: "Namaste."
Einstein follow-up letter to Gandhi: What is the meaning of this Hindu word "Namaste"
Gandhi replied: "I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides. I honor the place in you of light, love, truth, peace and wisdom. I honor the place in you where, when you are in that place, and I am in that place, there is only one of us."
Source: thefourprecepts.com

The chain of nonviolent social reformers
Stage	Historical group Change agent	Procession
1.	The Quakers [LoC 505-550] Represented among others by William Penn (1644-1718) English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania	They found and held the concept of nonviolence originally.
2.	Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) US American author, poet, historian, philosopher, naturalist, leading transcendentalist, abolitionist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor Ralph Waldo Emerson [LoC 485] (1803-1882) US American philosopher, poet, essayist, lecturer, Unitarian Walt Whitman (1819-1892) US American Quaker, poet, essayist, journalist	They learned the nonviolent approach from the Quakers.
3.	Mahatma Gandhi [LoC 760] (1869-1948) Indian Hindu sage, spiritual activist leader, humanitarian, lawyer, nonviolent freedom fighter	Gandhi learned the practical side of the nonviolent approach from Thoreau, Emerson and Whitman.
4.	Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) US American clergyman, activist, leader of the African American civil rights movement	MLK travelled to India to learn the nonviolent approach from Gandhi.

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Links zum Thema / von und mit Mahatma Gandhi

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Literatur

Louis Fischer (1896-1970) US-amerikanischer Journalist, Gandhi. Prophet der Gewaltlosigkeit, Heyne Verlag, München, 1. Auflage, 1989, 6. Auflage, Juli 1995

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Literatur (engl.)

Mahatma Gandhi, Thomas Merton, editor, Gandhi on Non-Violence. A Selection From the Writings of Mahatma Gandi, New Directions, first printing, worn edition, May 1965
Mahatma Gandhi, Mahadev Haribhai Desai, Sissela Bok, An Autobiography. The Story of My Experiments With Truth, 1927-1929, 562 pages, Google excerpt, Beacon Press, November 1993
Louis Fischer (1896-1970) US American journalist, The Life of Mahatma Gandhi, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd., 4. August 1997

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Externe Weblinks

Wikipedia-Einträge Gewaltloser Widerstand, Satyagraha [Kraft der Wahrheit], Ziviler Ungehorsam,

Gandhiservestiftung.de

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Externe Weblinks (engl.)

Wikipedia entries Civil disobedience, Mahatma Gandhi, Nonviolent resistance, Satyagraha [power of truth],

Wikiquote Mahatma Gandhi
Vikas Kama, Mahatma Gandhi Album, last entry 7. March 2007
Petri Liukkonen and Ari Pesonen, Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), 2008
Gandhi's views on non-violence: Between Cowardice And Violence, presented by mkgandhi.org

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Audio- und Videolinks (engl.)

Audio interview with Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi Spiritual Message to the World, Kinglsey Hall, London, presented by BBC Four, Realplayer 17. Oktober 1931
Video film on Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) MAHATMA – Life of Gandhi, presented by The Gandhi National Memorial Fund, presented by Gandhiserve.org, script, commentary and direction by Vithalbhai Jhaveri, produced by The Gandhi National Memorial Fund in cooperation with the Films Division of the Government of India, 1968, 33 reels (14 chapters), black/white, 5 hours 10 minutes duration, Google video posted 2. February 2006
2nd source: Learn out loud
Gandhi doesn't refer to pacifism. His approach towards a regime of colonialism is non-violent non-cooperation.
Video presentation by Mahatma Gandhi, God is Life, Truth, Light, Love and The supreme Good, YouTube film, 5:19 minutes duration, posted 12. April 2007
Audio recording by Albert Einstein (1879-1955) theoretical physicist, developer of the theory of general relativity, Albert Einstein on Gandhi, YouTube film, 0:26 minutes duration, 26. May 2008

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Filmlinks (Audio- und Video)

Video TV-Dokumentation Biografische Dokumentation über Mahatma Gandhi, ausgestrahlt vom TV-Sender ZDF, Original-Dokumentation des History Channels, YouTube Film, eingestellt 3. Januar 2010
- Biographie – Mahatma Gandhi – Die große Seele, Teil 1 von 4, 10:18 Minuten Dauer
- Biographie – Mahatma Gandhi – Die große Seele, Teil 2 von 4, 10:32 Minuten Dauer
- Biographie – Mahatma Gandhi – Die große Seele, Teil 3 von 4, 9:52 Minuten Dauer
- Biographie – Mahatma Gandhi – Die große Seele, Teil 4 von 4, 3:22 Minuten Dauer
Audiospur aus dem Film Gandhi, Regisseur Richard Attenborough, 1982, Mahatma Gandhi – Gewaltloser Widerstand, YouTube Film, 3:25 Minuten Dauer, eingestellt 8. Februar 2010

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Filmlinks (engl.)

Gandhi – His Triumph changed the World Forever, excerpted from the movie Gandhi, produced by Richard Attenborough, 1982, YouTube film, 4:58 minutes duration, posted 12. October 2006
Trailer to the biopic of one of the most powerful people in the world starring Ben Kingsley as Gandhi
Some men change their times. One man changed the world for all time.
Through his ultimate trial he was the conscience for all mankind.
Gandhi: In this cause I too am prepared to die. There is no cause for which I am prepared to kill.
Gandhi: I want to document coldly, rationally what is being done here. You must make the injustice visible.
Gandhi: The function of a civil resister is to provoke response.
Fan to Gandhi: I am just an admirer. Gandhi: Nothing is more dangerous.

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Interne Links

Englisch

Hawkins

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Englische Texte – English section on Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi's Top 10 Fundamentals for Changing the World

The essence of beingness

The transmissions of the nonviolence meme

Links zum Thema / von und mit Mahatma Gandhi

Literatur

Literatur (engl.)

Externe Weblinks

Externe Weblinks (engl.)

Audio- und Videolinks (engl.)

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Mahatma Gandhi BW 760
(2. Oktober 1869-30. Januar 1948) indischer Anwalt, Freiheitskämpfer, Weiser