Mahatma Gandhi
"When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it – always."
We have all heard his name. Westerners for the most part don’t know about him fully though. We see him as just a peace-monger and Hindu who helped overthrow the British occupation in India.
But little do people know he did that. Without once firing a shot, without once even using force. He won through his use of peace and non-resistence to violence.
Gandhi also had some tyes to Africa as well, and played a part in the Zulu war of 1906 in South Africa. This early time for him shaped his thoughts and life later in India.
Gandhi stated that the most important battle to fight was overcoming his own demons, fears, and insecurities. Gandhi summarized his beliefs first when he said “God is Truth”. He would later change this statement to “Truth is God”. Thus, Satya (Truth) in Gandhi’s philosophy is “God”.
As many Hindu roots as Gandhi held he also was a very big fan of Jesus the Christ. He would always have a copy of Jesus’ famous sermon on the mount. This is the sermon where Jesus also laid out his belief in non-violent tactics, and essentially his philosophy on life and spirituality. Gandhi is reported saying,
I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians. They are nothing like your Christ.
His echoes still resound today in social reformers like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Desmond Tutu. Like Jesus influenced Gandhi, then Gandhi influence others to stand for non-violent revolution.
In a world where war is a prevalent act of agression, but also an act of fear. I hope that one day we can come to a day when neither fear or aggression drive us, but like Gandhi we are driven by Love and Truth.
CAclubindia
