Introduction (1/2 Page) Source -http://www.mkgandhi.

org/students/spiritual_politi
cs_project.pdf
Mahatma Gandhi is one of the great figures of the twentieth century. In a centur
y marked bythe excesses of Nazism and Communism, the struggles against Coloniali
sm, and two World
Wars, his theory and practice of nonviolence shined like a beacon of hope. He tr
ied to create a religiously tolerant and inclusive civic nation in his own count
ry, divided
as it was along religious, linguistic and ethnic lines. How to live in peace, ju
stice andprosperity in todays pluralistic societies is a lesson that he never tir
ed of teaching, and from
which people everywhere can learn When Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on Januar
y 30, 1948, the world hailed him as one of
the greatest spiritual leaders, not just of the century, but of all time.Gandhis
legacy includes not just the brilliantly waged struggle against
institutionalized racism in South Africa, the independence movement of India, an
d a groundbreaking
path of interreligious dialogue, but also boasts the first widespread applicatio
n of
nonviolence as the most powerful tool for positive social change. Gandhis nonviol
ence was
not just political: It was rooted and grounded in the spiritual, which is why he
exploded not
just onto Indias political stage, but onto the world stage, and not just temporal
ly, but for all
times. Along the way, he unleashed a new method of social change, which he calle
d Satyagraha
(from the Sanskrit for truth force.) He led a movement against racial injustice
in South Africa
and then brought about a nonviolent revolution in India that secured independenc
e from the
British Empire. In otherwords, he challenges us to become prophets and apostles
of nonviolence.
Life of gandhi ji(1/2 page) Source-(http://www.mkgandhi.org/students/gandhi_f.ht
m)
Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, at Porbandar. Mohandas or Mohan was youngest
of the three sons of Putlibai and Karamchand Gandhi.
The latter had been Prime Minister successively in three Kathiawar States. He wa
s straight and true as steel, known for his steadfastness and loyalty
At school, first the primary at Porbandar, and later the Albert High School, Raj
kot, Gandhi showed no particular brilliance, played no games, avoided company.
He read little beyond text books, but respected his teacher, though, even at his
biding, he would not copy from his neighbours answers
Marriage with Kasturba, at the age of thirteen, was almost play.The other person
he was much attached to was his eldest brother Laxmidas.
When their father was no more, it was Laxmidas who helped to educate him and sen
t him to England for legal studies.After Putlibai let gandhi ji to go abroad in
London
For a while Gandhi was tempted to ape English dress and manners. But soon he ret
urned to simplicity.In 1893, Gandhi went to South Africa to handle a case.
But though his legal work was soon over, he remained there for 21 years, fightin
g for Indian rights and defending indentured labour in low courts against discri
mination.
The Indian relief passed, Gandhi decided to return to India. After receiving far
ewell tributes, the Mahatma left South Africa in July 1914.
The man in South Africa, who had striven valiantly, through satyagraha, for his
peoples honour and human dignity, received a Heros welcome everywhere.
He traveled widely north and south, mostly by third class of the railwaysIn thi

s he was assisted by European staff and associates like Polak and Kallenbach.
Ahimsa Source - (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahimsa)
Ahimsa is a Sanskrit term found in Devanagiri script meaning to do no harm, lite
rally the avoidance of violence (himsa). Ahimsa originated from ancient India an
d is
practiced in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. According to the ancient mythology,
Ahimsa is a binding code of conduct that bans on hunting, butchery, meat eating
and
use of animal products provided by violentmeans.
With Gandhi, the notion of nonviolence attained a special status. He not only th
eorized on it, he adopted nonviolence as a philosophy and an ideal way of life.
He made us understand that the philosophy of nonviolence is not a weapon of the
weak; it is a weapon, which can be tried by all.
Nonviolence was not Gandhis invention. He is however called the father of nonviol
ence because according to Mark Shepard, He raised nonviolent action to
a level never before achieved. His non-violent resistance movement satyagraha had
an immense impact on India, impressed public opinion in Western countries,
and influenced the leaders of various civil and political rights movements such
as the American civil rights movement s Martin Luther King, Jr. and James Bevel
.
In Gandhis thought, Ahimsa precludes not only the act of inflicting a physical in
jury, but also mental states like evil thoughts and hatred, unkind behavior such
as
harsh words, dishonesty and lying, all of which he saw as manifestations of viol
ence incompatible with Ahimsa.[18] Gandhi believed Ahimsa to be a creative energ
y force,
encompassing all interactions leading one s self to find satya, "Divine Truth"
Ahimsa or non-violence is the weapon used by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to free
India from the British Rule.
Gandhi used this principle against the British during the Indian Independence mo
vement. He believed that the best way to resist tyranny is through civil disobed
ience
, which is founded upon Ahimsa. Gandhi started Non-cooperation movement by prote
sting the British-imposed salt tax with the 400 km (kilometer) Dandi Salt March.
Gandhi was able to identify the real motive of the East India Company i.e. trad
e, hence he decided to boycott all foreign goods and products.
He then started the Quit India movement, which became the most forceful movemen
t in the history of the Indian struggle for freedom, with mass arrests and viole
nce
on an unprecedented scale. He wanted his disciples to follow the principles of
Ahimsa. He asked the Indians to be non-violent during the protests and avoid any
violence that are initiated by the British.
The movement brought the entire nation together which left the East Indian Compa
ny paralyzed.
IMPORTANT - Other principples of gandhi ji like Nonviolence (ahimsa) Truth this
includes honesty, but goes beyond it to mean living fully in accord with and in
devotion to that which is true
Not stealing ,Non-possession (not the same as poverty) ,Body-labor or bread-labo
r,Control of the palate,Fearlessness,Equal respect for all religions
Economic strategy such as boycott of exported goods (swadeshi) (except Brahamach
arya here) -http://www.slideshare.net/DiviJadonSengar/principles-gandhi (Some of
them)
Satyagraha
loosely translated as "insistence on truth"or holding onto truth[1] or truth fo
rce is a particular form of nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term

satyagraha was coined and developed by Mahatma Gandhi.[2] He deployed satyagraha

in the Indian independence
movement and also during his earlier struggles in South Africa for Indian right
s. Satyagraha theory influenced Martin Luther King, Jr. s and James Bevel s camp
aigns
during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, and many other social ju
stice and similar movements.[3][4] Someone who practices satyagraha is a satyagr
ahi.
The term originated in a competition in the news-sheet Indian Opinion in South A
frica in 1906.[2] It was an adaptation by Gandhi of one of the entries in that
competition. "Satyagraha" is a Tatpurua compound of the Sanskrit words satya (me
aning "truth") and Agraha ("polite insistence", or "holding firmly to"). Satya i
s
derived from the word sat, which means being. Nothing is or exists in reality except
Truth. In the context of satyagraha, Truth therefore includes a) Truth in
speech, as opposed to falsehood, b) what is real, as opposed to nonexistent (asa
t) and c) good as opposed to evil, or bad. This was critical to Gandhis understan
ding
of and faith in nonviolence: "The world rests upon the bedrock of satya or trut
h. Asatya, meaning untruth, also means nonexistent, and satya or truth also mean
s that
which is. If untruth does not so much as exist, its victory is out of the quest
ion. And truth being that which is, can never be destroyed. This is the doctrine
of
satyagraha in a nutshell." [5] For Gandhi, satyagraha went far beyond mere "pas
sive resistance" and became strength in practising non-violent methods.
This virtue was dearest to Gandhijis heart. As his realisation about the allpervad
ing and everomnipotent dimension of Truth matured, it became his dominant life
force and guiding principle.Gandhiji equated such profound truth with God. He st
arted seeking Truth as a seeker strives to find his God. For him, truth was inde
ed God,
and truthfulness was his religion. In his book Yerawada Mandir, he has written, T
ruth should be Truth in thought, Truth in speech, and Truth in action. To the ma
n who
has realised this Truth in its fullness, nothing else remains to be known, becau
se all knowledge is necessarily included in it. What is not included in it, is n
ot
truth and so not true knowledge.
According to Gandhiji, truth was not a passive but a very active virtue, which w
as to be practiced not only in speech and action, but in thought also. In fact,
all
speech and action emanates from thought, so it was paramount to be truthful in t
hought first and foremost.
It is important to note the intrinsic connection between ahimsa and satyagraha.
Satyagraha is sometimes used to refer to the whole principle of nonviolence, whe
re it
is essentially the same as ahimsa, and sometimes used in a marked meaning to refer
specifically to direct action that is largely obstructive, for example in the
form of civil disobedience.
It is perhaps clear from the foregoing, that without ahimsa it is not possible t
o seek and find Truth. Ahimsa and Truth are so intertwined that it is practicall
y
Asteya (nonstealing):
Gandhiji had an expanded vision of this virtue. Asteya was not a limited practic
e of not stealing as a direct action. The indirect and subtle ways of stealing,

like
lying stealing of truthfulness, cheating stealing others rights, conspiring steal
ing of others legacy, waging of war stealing of others territories,
these were also forms of stealing, according to Gandhiji.
Mankinds greed and craving for artificial needs are also stealing, as per Gandhij
is dictum. When we compound our needs and wants, we actually steal from others
right to basic requirements. A wealthy man residing in a mansion steals a poor m
ans land for his hut. In due consideration of this idea, Gandhiji has written in
Yerawada Mandir, One who follows the observance of Nonstealing will bring about a
progressive reduction of his own wants. Much of the distressing poverty in
this world has risen out of the breaches of the principle of Nonstealing.
Aparigraha (nonpossession):
The sentiment of nonpossession has several dimensions in Gandhijis perception. The
terms overriding connotation is that one does not hoard, one does not store for
future what one does not need today. In this way, one helps to meet the present
need of countless lesser privileged people who can barely eat one square meal a
day.
By hoarding, we are essentially snatching away this square meal of the poor.
Secondly, lesser possessions lead to lesser aspirations and wants. And the lesse
r one wants, the better off one is, because then one is not in a stage of greed
for
what one does not have but in a stage of contentment with whatever one has.
The ultimate stage of nonpossession is no possession. In this state, there are no
material possessions, which lead to cultivating detachment. When one doesnt
possess any worldly possessions, there is nothing for him that ties him down to
worldly affairs. This clears his path of spiritual pursuits. Only by relinquishi
ng
the worldly does one get the sublime.
Sharirshrama (Bread Labour):
Gandhiji has emphasized the importance of physical labour in many of his ideals.
In Nayi Talim, he related labour to coordinated and balanced personality develo
pment. Herein, he emphasises the inevitability of manual work in earning ones liv
ing Earn thy labour by the sweat of the brow, the saying from Bible, is the guidin
g principle herein. Given the known belief of Gandhiji that intellectual activit
y is interrelated with physical activity, he could not perceive any one activity
in isolation. Hence, in earning ones living, one had to employ both the activitie
s in equal measure.
Secondly, the urge not to earn more than necessary, and to devote some amount of
physical activity towards selfless social cause, is intrinsic to the notion of
bread
labour. By not earning more than required, the resources are distributed more eq
uitably. And by devoting some amount of labour by ablebodied people towards the
society, the lesserabled or the disabled are also benefited. In this manner, the
concept of bread labour benefits both the monetarily as well as physically
underprivileged.
Aswada (Control of the Palate)
Food is energy for body, and what is this body? A machine and a means to serve t
he self and the selfless purposes. Overenergising of the body in any form will le
ad
to its abuse, and when the body is abused, the abuse of mind and soul cannot be
far away.
Gandhiji thus conceived the negative impact of wrong dietary habits. He stressed
on the nutritive aspects of food rather than those that just titillate the tast
e

buds. In fact, he advocated total avoidance of spicy, over nutritious food that
would be counterproductive to the very aim of utilising the body for noble purpo
ses.
We become less than animals and brutes by eating wrong foods in the wrong way;
that is what Gandhiji felt fervently.
Control of palate is also intimately related with observance of celibacy and ove
rall restraint.
Sarvatra Bhayavarjana (Fearlessness)
As in the case of each of these vows, fearlessness is projected as a multidimensi
onal feature. On one hand, Gandhiji opines that fearlessness in all walks of
life; from fear of ghosts, to fear of enemy, to fear of poverty, should be erad
icated. On the other hand, he also cautions that fearlessness must not result in
brashness, arrogance or inconsiderate attitude towards the less fearless.
Sarva Dharma Samantva (Equality of the religions)
Gandhiji visualised the different faiths as different rivers that ultimately con
verged with one ocean. But, just as the waters of all the rivers are the same, s
o is
the basic substance of all the religions. The tenets of all religions have simi
lar ethos and essence. It was this ethos that Gandhiji emphasised upon, without
dwelling in the intricacies of individual preachings. He himself having read th
e philosophies of all major religions, Gandhiji firmly believed that sectarian a
nd
partisan divides between religions were the nefarious creation of vested, ignor
ant or hardline sections present in all religious institutions, and dismissed the
ir
narrow views as deterrents to true values of their respective faiths.
Gandhijis belief of ideal religion thus points towards a universal belief system
that converges all the great religious philosophies, rather than the structured,
organised religious institutions. This, he advocated even while respecting the
individual preachings of all religions.
True religious equanimity and tolerance would be born from the seeds of such a b
road, incorporative and inclusive perspective of religion, and a compassionate
understanding of it.
Swadeshi (Use Locally Made Goods)
Swadeshi, in the literal sense, means homemade, or domestically produced. Gandhij
i strongly advocated use of swadeshi products and services in line with his
idea of boosting domestic productivity with domestic demand. He has said in the
periodical Young India dated April 20, 1919, that his foremost loyalty and sens
e
of alliance is with his nextdoor neighbour, and this, he would bear in mind at a
ll times. He would never think of adopting anything produced by faraway lands,
no matter how fine or superior in quality, at the cost of his neighbours produce
, may it be wheat or wool. It is only in this manner that he would serve his
neighbour rightly and dutifully, by helping him sustain a life of dignified sus
tenance.
Patronising a faraway friend at the expense of the neighbouring brethren was a mo
ral and ethical sin, Gandhiji felt.
Sparshbhavna (Untouchability)
Gandhiji was so repelled with the practice of untouchability in India that he co
ndemned it in strong words in December 1920 issue of Young India, I consider
untouchability to be a heinous crime against humanity. It is not a sign of selfrestraint, but an arrogant assumption of superiority.

Untouchability is a sectarian social custom of India, in which the upper caste c

onsidered themselves polluted, blemished, demeaned and declassified if they came
in slightest physical contact with the lowest caste, the Hairjans. If this happ
ened, they would have to purify their body, mind and soul through special ritual
s.
The barbaric practice is deep-rooted in the Indian social and caste system, and
various social reformers including Gandhiji have worked tirelessly to abolish it
.
Removal of untouchability was one of the priorities of Gandhijis social reforms a
genda. He considered it a curse which had polarised the Indian society. He liken
ed
the abolishment of this custom with spreading love, compassion and equality amon
g all.
Source- http://www.gandhifoundation.net/about%20gandhi2.htm