Wiki-Menu: 2·
A·
B·
C·
D·
E·
F·
G·
H·
I·
J·
K·
L·
M·
N·
O·
P·
R·
S·
T·
U·
V·
W·
Y·
Z
Hawkins-Menu: A·
B·
C·
D·
E·
F·
G·
H·
I·
J·
K·
L·
M·
N·
O·
P·
Q·
R·
S·
T·
U·
V·
W·
Z
Mahatma Gandhi (2. Oktober 1869 – 30. Januar 1948)
Erst ignorieren sie dich,
dann machen sie sich über dich lustig,
dann kämpfen sie gegen dich,
und dann obsiegst du.
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
1. Biografische Daten
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.
2. Die Strategie des Seins – Essenz / The Beingness Strategy – Essence
Kurz vor seiner Ermordung im Januar 1948 gab Mahatma Gandhi sein letztes Interview.
Ein junger Reporter der 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 das auch wichtig war.
- Von Bedeutung war das 'Wesen unseres Seins'. Die Essenz dessen, was wir waren,
veranlasste die [Kolonialregierung der] Briten zu der Entscheidung, Indien zu verlassen."
Source: Stephan A. Schwartz, Gandhi on why the British chose to leave India, Gandhitopia.org, 6. February 2009
↑
3. Zitate zum Thema / von und mit Mahatma Gandhi
3.1 Zitate von M. Gandhi
|
Persönliche Bekenntnisse
- 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... Einer Überlieferung zufolge soll M. Gandhi auf eine Nachfrage von Albert Einstein, was der Gruß Namaste ausdrücke, so geantwortet haben.
- 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.
- Wenn mich Zweifel quälen, wenn mir Enttäuschungen ins Gesicht starren und ich keinen Funken Hoffnung am Horizont sehe [...] dann nehme ich mir die Bhagavadgita vor und finde darin einen Vers des Trostes, und sofort beginne ich inmitten des größten Kummers zu lächeln. zitiert aus: 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.
- Hasse die Sünde und nicht den Sünder.
- Das einzige Diktat, dem ich mich in dieser Welt füge, ist die sanfte innere Stimme.
- 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.
- Eine kleine Gruppe entschlossener Geister, die angefeuert werden durch einen unerschütterlichen Glauben an ihre Mission, können den Lauf der Geschichte verändern.
- Hege nie Zweifel daran, dass eine kleine Gruppe tiefschürfender Bürger die Welt verändern können. Tatsächlich ist dies bisher das einzige Mittel dafür gewesen. Margret Mead (1901-1978) Kulturanthropologin, Soziologin, Biologin
- 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!
- 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 erwecken.
- Demokratie ist ein Ding der Unmöglichkeit, bis die Macht von allen geteilt wird. Achte jedoch darauf, die Demokratie nicht zur Mobokratie verkommen zu lassen.
↑
3.2 Zitate (engl.) von M. Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Mahatma Gandhi, Indian Spiritual/Political Leader and Humanitarian (1869-1948) brought together Jainism's teachings on nonviolence, Henry David Thoreau's idea of civil disobedience, and the Bhagavad Gita's call to “do your duty and fight for this just cause,” and the resulting fusion changed the face of the twentieth century.
|
Personal avowals
- You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.
- 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.
- I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill.
- Almost everything you do will seem insignificant, but it is important that you do it.
- I first learned the concepts of non-violence in my marriage.
|
- 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. Gandhi's truth-seeking strategy [paraphrased]
The four stages of transformation
- First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you succeed.
- The end is inherent in the means.
- A nation's progress can be judged by how they treat their animals.
- We must be the change we wish to see.
- 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 the ideal of man as self-sufficiency. Man is a social being.
- 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.
- Truth, purity, self-control, firmness, fearlessness, humility, unity, peace, and renunciation. – These are the inherent qualities of a civil resister.
- 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.
- There is no God higher than truth.
- 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 stands, even if there be no public support. It is self-sustained.
- 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.
- Aware that the soul will survive the body does result in not becoming impatient to experience the victory of truth in the present embodiment.
- It is possible to live in peace.
- Hate the sin and not the sinner.
- When a culture attempts to be exclusive, it does not last long.
- 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.
- Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly used and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.
- 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.
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. Harijan (newspaper), 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
Christianity
- I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
Extra Source: Wikiquote Mahatma Gandhi
↑
3.3 Zitate von anderen Quellen
↑
3.4 Zitate (engl.) von anderen Quellen
- 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
- 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, Epistemology, Fourth Order Consciousness, and the Subject-Object Relationship or... How the Self Evolves, Elizabeth Debold, WIE magazine, issue 22
- 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
- A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. see Margret Mead
- 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
- 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
- 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
Gandhi often confirmed that the paternal society is the root of inequality. In his autobiography is a touching chapter about when he asked his wife to clean a public toilet and the resulting conflict between him and his wife. He felt ashamed about it, and from then on he took care not to hurt her anymore for the rest of his life.
- 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
Gandhi criticized Indian's passion for male progeny.
- 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, a figurehead of South Africa, Gandhi’s chief antagonist, 30 years later
- 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, a figurehead of South Africa, Gandhi’s chief antagonist, a quarter of a century after the conclusion of the Satyagraha campaign, 1939
- 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; 15 Anv edition November 9, 2004, excerpts from Principle Centered Leadership, chapter 7 Seven Deadly Sins, pg. 87-93, October 1992
- 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. Albert Einstein, United Nations radio interview, recorded in Einstein's study, Princeton, New Jersey, 1950
- 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. Madras Mail, 22. December 1933 quoted by Vishal Arora, Gandhi Showed How Religion Is Used In Politics, Spero News online, 1. February 2008
↑
4. Englische Texte – English section on Mahatma Gandhi
4.1 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
↑
4.2 The Essence of Beingness – M. Gandhi's 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."
↑
5. Links zum Thema / von und mit Mahatma Gandhi
5.1 Literatur
5.2 Literatur (engl.)
5.3 Externe Weblinks
5.4 Externe Weblinks (engl.)
↑
5.5 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/white5 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.
↑
5.6 Interne Links
Englisch
Hawkins
|
