Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi was, in his own words, a member of the faith of Sanatana Dharma, i.e. Hinduism, and drew many of his concepts of truth, nobility and ethics from the Bhagavad Gita and his personal love of Lord Rama, a Hindu God. However, it is without a doubt that he was greatly influenced by the Jains, whose community in India is far more unified in its strict adherence to ahimsa than the more diverse sects of Hinduism. Gandhi's conceptions of life and ahimsa, which led to his concept of satyagraha (peaceful protest), primarily stem from his association with Hindu and Jain philosophy.
Quotations from Gandhi on the subject:
- Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.
and
- Literally speaking, ahimsa means non-violence towards most life. But to me it has much higher, infinitely higher meaning. It means that you may not offend anybody; you may not harbor uncharitable thought, even in connection with those who consider your enemies. To one who follows this doctrine, there are no enemies. A man who believes in the efficacy of this doctrine finds in the ultimate stage, when he is about to reach the goal, the whole world at his feet. If you express your love- Ahimsa-in such a manner that it impresses itself indelibly upon your so called enemy, he must return that love.
- This doctrine tells us that we may guard the honor of those under our charge by delivering our own lives into the hands of the man who would commit the sacrilege. And that requires far greater courage than delivering of blows.
External links
redirect
Source | Copyright
