Mahatma Gandhi’s 5 Teachings To Bring About World Peace

"Motivate Thyself" Says:

September 9th, 2008, 20:10 pm

#5 “We must become the change we want to see in the world.”
There’s no doubt that action speak louder than words. You can tell someone the best way to do something, but it is only until they see you do it yourself that they will actually hear you.

Jeff@MySuperChargedLife Says:

September 9th, 2008, 20:15 pm

Gandhi set an example for all of us to follow. He sought peace by being peaceful himself. There are few men that have his strength of character.

Ryan McLean Says:

September 9th, 2008, 20:23 pm

These are some really really good points. I also love point number 5 which says “we must become the change we want to see in our world.”
I run an entrepreneurs blog and I run it not so I can make money but because I want to be able to teach people hw to become wealthy so that they can give more. I want to make a positive difference to the world through finances.
I believe it is possible because I can be the change I want to see. Do you believe it is possible?

JapanDave Says:

September 9th, 2008, 20:42 pm

The quote from Einstein just kind of says it all, doesn’t it?

Kaushal Says:

September 9th, 2008, 20:44 pm

Point no 2 “I shall fear only God.” of the summary conflicts with Teaching no 1 “Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent then the one derived from fear of punishment. ”

Why fear at all?? Why fear GOD?? Why not to love GOD?? “NO FEAR then, ONLY LOVE”….isn’t it?

Shanel Yang Says:

September 9th, 2008, 20:44 pm

Excellent post, Shilpan! Thank you! One of my favorite quotes by Gandhi:

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

Tim Brownson Says:

September 9th, 2008, 20:46 pm

Anybody that can beat back those nasty evil colonizing Brits without recourse to violence has my utmost respect.

Gandhi was a giant amongst giants and there’s some brilliant advice in this.

Having said all that I disagree with one tiny thing in that last bit. I don’t fear God and the God that I think of, wouldn’t want me to be scared.

Evelyn Lim Says:

September 9th, 2008, 20:46 pm

Hey Shilpan, this is one of your best, if not the best, article that I’ve read from you so far!! It is awesome and also befitting that you write it. Gandhi has so much to teach us about loving and non-violence. Thanks for sharing!

Ryan McLean Says:

September 9th, 2008, 20:58 pm

Haha “and eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind”.
This is hilariously true. Why take revenge on someone. Show love back and you make the world a better place.
Paying back evil with evil only makes the world twice as evil

Andrea Hess|Empowered Soul Says:

September 9th, 2008, 21:02 pm

Great article, Shilpan!

I do love how Gandhi makes the distinction in Teaching #2 between “power over” which needs to disempower others and is based in fear, and genuine empowerment, in which all can be equal.

It would be wonderful if our own country could adopt some non-violent principles … I think the world keeps getting blinder by the minute sometimes. But then, we can only be peace, and that’s how we can change the world, right?

I agree with Kaushal and Tim, though. I don’t think God needs to be feared. God is, after all, within each of us.

Blessings,
Andrea

Nathalie Lussier from Billionaire Woman Says:

September 9th, 2008, 21:08 pm

Shilpan, this is a great article. I love Mahatma Gandhi, and you managed to organize his teachings in such a great and touching way.

Here’s to world peace!

Iphigenia Says:

September 9th, 2008, 21:17 pm

Thank you for this post–I’m reading Gandhi’s autobiography, which is truly inspiring (partly because he appears so very human).

Kaushal–I do not think he intended for anyone to fear God in the sense you suggest. I believe he meant that everyone should stand in awe of God, realizing that God alone controls all. And with God in complete control, why should we fear anyone? So his “fear” for God translates to wonder and recognition of God’s power, which does not in any way exclude love.

Shilpan | successsoul.com Says:

September 9th, 2008, 21:27 pm

@Kaushal, Tim and Andrea ~

I agree with Iphigenia that Mahatma Gandhi never feared anyone in his life as he believed that God is omnipresent. His reference is to fear God for not thinking evil and doing evil.

John Rocheleau - Zen-Moments Says:

September 9th, 2008, 21:34 pm

“At this hour of greatest unrest and turmoil in our world, the greatest force to be reckoned with lies within our hearts”

That says it all. We must try to get out of heads and all the judgments it harbors, and into our hearts. And if we must involve our head, we might reason that our heart knows the answer.

The difference between Ganhdi and the average person, is that he listened to his heart. Maybe we could listen to ours a bit more than we do.

John

Scott McIntyre Says:

September 9th, 2008, 21:37 pm

I learned so much about Gandhi from this article, Shilpan- both about the man behind the myth and of his guiding principles.

It really is a stunning example to us all that someone with materialistically so little can achieve so much… if we believe in the power of the positive and act accordingly.

Very inspirational.

JJ Says:

September 9th, 2008, 21:47 pm

Ghandi was such a great hero for the power of peace and love. If only we could view the world as he saw it, we could really make a difference on small and large scales.

Arun Says:

September 9th, 2008, 22:05 pm

Good article.

Its a sad situation that Indians and Indian politicians have forgotten Mahatma’s principles; and fight by the name of caste, religion and whatever difference they seem to have!!

Stephen Says:

September 9th, 2008, 22:19 pm

I, like many others, am a huge fan of Gandhi. It is from him that I took the philosophy that now grounds my life - Be the change you want to see in the world. Those words are why I work at letting go of my ego so I can be compasionate and loving unconditionally. It is also why I work on my physical health so that I can be an example for others in this modern world of disease. It is why I started my blog.

Well done Shilpan!

Alison Wiley Says:

September 9th, 2008, 23:04 pm

I, too, am a longtime fan of Gandhi. It would be so cool to have community groups in which we were encouraging each other, face to face, to use some of his principles in our modern daily lives.

Since I don’t yet have a group like that, I write blog-posts that describe how I’m trying to ‘be the change’ as he suggests. This one looks at a healthy way to deal with the U.S. presidential race: http://www.diamondcutlife.org/needing-leadership-not-entertainment/

Vered - MomGrind Says:

September 9th, 2008, 23:05 pm

Thank you for this thought-provoking article. These are beautiful teachings. I wonder if they will ever become our world’s reality. It almost seems against human nature, certainly if we judge by mankind’s history.

FrugalNYC Says:

September 9th, 2008, 23:19 pm

I believe one man can make a difference, but he can only be the trigger. As the saying goes, no man is an island. Once others are inspired enough, will things really change. HELP is always needed whether we admit it or not.

I have Zen Fever! Says:

September 9th, 2008, 23:25 pm

Leo, Great guest Post. World Peace.

Sunil Pathak Says:

September 9th, 2008, 23:32 pm

Teaching # 3: There are many causes that I am prepared to die for but no cause that I am prepared to kill for. — Mahatma Gandhi

this sounds too good to be true in this present world, where every one i looking for a reason to bombard other, where people are killing each other for no reason, If our National Father were alive today, he would have died of shame and shock,

Al at 7P Says:

September 10th, 2008, 0:02 am

I typically have high expectations and look forward to Shilpan’s articles. This article takes it to another level.

In Wall Street, the old adage is that people are governed by two forces: greed and fear. It’s such a pessimistic view of the world but it can be effective in predicting market behavior. Teaching #1 is a more optimistic spin of that view - that power can come from either love or fear, and takes the concept further by saying the power of love is the better of the two.

If there’s going to be peace in this world, we’ll need to start committing senseless acts of beauty and random acts of kindness.

Kelly@SHE-POWER Says:

September 10th, 2008, 0:17 am

Awesome article Shilpan. Ghandi was a phenomenal man who will always have much to offer the world. I love quote number 5 the best. It’s always been my creed for life and I have it written on paper and stuck on my dressing table mirror.

Kelly

Jayadeep Purushothaman Says:

September 10th, 2008, 0:20 am

While I respect Gandhi for his principled approach, I am not so sure if he was so successful in leading India to the peaceful place that he wanted it to be. The violence that followed the independent India and Pakistan blew away all the hype around a a peaceful movement and I would think that the leaders of the movement were responsible for the massacres. And the problem still continues - the poor countries that they are, Pakistan and India still go to war and spend significant money on weapons and defense research when there are people struggling for a day’s meal - very sad state of things for countries that were born out of the peaceful independence movement. And btw, the globalization wave is the one that seems to be taking the country to the next level where there is some ray of hope.

Mary@GoodlifeZen Says:

September 10th, 2008, 0:51 am

Great stuff, Shilpan! You’ve written an inspiring and thought-provoking article. One thing I’ve always been aware of is that Gandhi used peaceful language. Whereas other politicians often use language in order to manipulate and inflame.

Daniel Richard Says:

September 10th, 2008, 1:54 am

Awesome post there Shilpan! It’s nice to see your article here on Zen Habits. :)

Trezker Says:

September 10th, 2008, 2:15 am

“I shall fear only God.”

Why should you fear God? Isn’t it counterintuitive to fear the most important entity when otherwise preaching love?

If anything, God is the first thing you should learn NOT to fear.

Amit B Says:

September 10th, 2008, 3:15 am

Nice article …(as always)…
Non-violence and Truth were the weapons he used throughout his life time…

have you read his book - “My experiments with truth”…
good one….

Indian Says:

September 10th, 2008, 3:42 am

I agree with Jaydeep. Just want to share the way Gandhi is perceived today by most of the Indians..while we respect his contribution to the country immensely, at the end of his years, he took his philosophy to the extreme and lost balance completely. He took many wrong decisions as a leader during his last few years, and the Indians are still paying for those blunders.

Gandhi definitely inspired millions, but his peaceful movement worked because the enemy was a country(Britain) that believed in democracy to a large extent.
But this peaceful approach failed when it came to Muslim fundamentalists. Unlike the British, these fundamentalists did not believe in sitting across the table and reaching a deal. They believed in violence and that resulted in a horrible riot in 1947 in which several Indians were killed by the fundamentalists who were demanding a separate country(Pakistan), which they eventually got. Gandhi was still advocating his ‘peace’ philosophy to those poor Hindus and Christians who had lost innocent kids, old parents, wives and siblings in the riots. They wanted justice, but all Gandhi offered was ‘prayers for the departed souls’. It just doesn’t work that way.
Gandhi was affectionately called ‘Father of the Nation’. What does a father do when his innocent kids are being attacked? He goes out there and fights back and saves his kids, even if it means attacking and harming the person who is attacking his kids. Gandhi would let his ‘children’ die and pray for their ’souls’. He refused to allow violence, even if it were for self- defense. This attitude reduced his popularity drastically and eventually he was killed by a nationalist newspaper editor who held Gandhi responsible for the deaths of thousands of Hindus during the riots. Gandhi was great..but he died as a stubborn old man who had lost common sense during his quest for non-violence and peace.
So, the ‘peace’ movement will work 99 % of times, but not 100 % of times. During that 1 % of situations when innocent lives are stake, you can either still choose peace and let the innocents die(like Gandhi did) or you can choose violence after everything else fails, and save the innocent lives.

Leo S.M Says:

September 10th, 2008, 3:44 am

Take his words, they are insightful and good.

But PLEASE DONOT GLORIFY HIM. He does not deserve that.

Being from India, if we still suffer from all these religious bullshits….he has played a major role in it..
His words were not always put into action and he was just little more than a cunning politician. A majority of today’s Indian youth now realizes this. Thanks for the part played by Web. Mainstream media would never utter a word against him…

Wayne Smallman Says:

September 10th, 2008, 4:01 am

The actions of man are entirely reducible to those more base acts and emotions we share with our fellow animals.

Purity of thought is the exception and will unlikely never be a rule of men.

For any purity to persist in this world, it must be enforced by the rule of man, since that’s the way men make things work.

Unless someone can make a profitable business case for peace, then it is only an idea and an ideal shared by the very few, hoped for by the very many, since that too is how men make things work…

Mike Foster Says:

September 10th, 2008, 4:50 am

Teaching #5: We must become the change we want to see in the world. — Mahatma Gandhi

This one quote says it all for me. As usual, this is a well written, thourough, and very inspiring post about a topic that the world needs to take a long, hard look at.

peace,
mike
livelive365
Just Do It? Ten Tips to Get You Started

Ajai Fish Says:

September 10th, 2008, 6:54 am

Peacefulness is more than “doing no harm” and philosophizing about a world without enemies. It’s true that people can change, and it’s true that cultures and societies can change … but as long as there is evil, it must be resisted, and often with force.

True peacefulness is not refusing to do anything against evil and violence. Sometimes the peace “must be kept” … that’s why law enforcement personnel used to be called “Peace Officers” … if no one will stand and fight to maintain order and justice, peace won’t prevail … evil and violence will.

The head-in-the-clouds dreaming typified in this post sounds very good when reading it on a blog in the glow of your computer … coffee at hand … but it doesn’t get the job done out in the nitty-gritty real world.

Sorry, Shilpan. I’m not buying.

You sit there and wax eloquent about peace.

I’ll keep on DEFENDING peace … and if I have to, I’ll use force to do it.

Stephen Smith Says:

September 10th, 2008, 7:02 am

Very thought-provoking article, Shilpan. I agree that peace needs to be he goal, but as mentioned above there are times that some people do not believe in peace, or in negotiation, or in compromise.
There are some groups that are impossible to deal with in any way other than violence. When these groups seek power, thousands and millions die. It happens over and over in history, and good, peace-loving men and women must take up arms to protect civilization from tyranny.

Roy Says:

September 10th, 2008, 8:15 am

There are several things we can learn from Gandhi Ji, no doubt abt that.

His motto to all Indians to fight against British Empire was simple:

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

And yes, we Indian win. But he never needed to depend on any weapon for that.

Hats off Mr. Shilpan

Jeff Hess Says:

September 10th, 2008, 8:24 am

Shalom Y’all,

I just wanted to say to Kaushal that mistranslations of ancient Hebrew have gotten us all into a great deal of trouble over the centuries.

When the Torah speaks of fearing god it does not mean to react in terror, but rather to love with such intensity that disapproval is abhorrent in the way a child so loves a parent that to disappoint the parent is unthinkable and repugnant.

This is the sense of fearing god that I believe Gandhi was using.

B’shalom,

Jeff Hess

Betty Says:

September 10th, 2008, 8:25 am

#2 means to me that there is no difference between the consequences of actions of dictators or “liberators” when it comes to reaching their goals by violance. The examples written under that teaching can be extended to and actually should include some great (!) leaders of our time too…And not only dictators.

Dave Says:

September 10th, 2008, 9:12 am

Yes, #2 extends to more than just the dictators listed in the commentary. It would also apply to the US liberators of Iraq, for a contemporary example, just as well as it would to Saddam Hussein. This one is very difficult for most people. It’s that sort of “turn the other cheek” thing from Christianity that so many pro-war Christians ignore. Not because they want to, but because it requires a higher understanding of love and compassion than most people can comprehend.

Dot Says:

September 10th, 2008, 9:26 am

Hi Shilpan,

I really enjoyed learning more about Gandhi from your well-organized and inspirational article. At one point I started to think about John Lennon’s song “Imagine.”

I agree with the others who pointed out that nonviolence in absolutely every situation means not defending oneself against violent attacks — something a country can’t afford to do. I see Gandhi’s words as ideals, ideals that even he may not have reached in practice.

I wish we could get our crazy world to listen to his advice. One of my favorite quotations from him is “There is more to life than increasing its speed,” something that we Zen Habits readers are very well aware of.

@Scott McIntyre - I’ve noticed your posts here and elsewhere and found them to be very interesting. You should have a blog.

Pete Says:

September 10th, 2008, 9:34 am

Ghandi is one of the best examples of the power of the spirit. The spirit is the balance between the mind & body, and when they work together as a team, the true beauty of the human spirit shines through. Such was the case with Ghandi. His spirit still shines on, and will for a long, long time.

And as for #1: Love is longer lasting than power, b/c love grows over time, whereas power gets harder & harder to maintain over time.

http://yinvsyang.com/

Shilpan | successsoul.com Says:

September 10th, 2008, 10:17 am

@Everyone - Thank you for your heartwarming response.

For those of you who disagree with the notion that non-violence is a means for peace, I respect your opinion. There are tyrants and dictators who do evil but diplomacy should always be exerted before waging a war.

Success Professor Says:

September 10th, 2008, 11:20 am

Thank you for this post.

It’s amazing to me how close many of the teachings of Gandhi are to the teachings of the historical Jesus.

Another Indian Says:

September 10th, 2008, 11:35 am

@Indian: I think you are not well-informed about the pre and post independence violence that broke in India and Pakistan and Gandhi’s role in it. Gandhi never supported division of India, neither is he the cause of the suffering of thousands of common people during the partition. The riots were incited by fundamentalists, both Hindu and Muslim. Gandhi tried his best to bring peace to the violence-stricken areas. While the entire nation was celebrating the independence, he was touring Noakhali to end the communal riots there.
Gandhi was killed by Hindu fundamentalists, who, in many cases, helped British government during the freedom struggle!

dollar Says:

September 10th, 2008, 11:45 am

He is a India . How do you all know about Gandhi ?

Bill Joe Pruett Says:

September 10th, 2008, 12:07 pm

C’mon … the guy wouldn’t even be remembered if he’d had an ordinary name. Can you imagine such talk about someone named, say, “George Smith”?

MAHATMA GHANDI … oooooooo … sounds so … NOBLE.

deepali Says:

September 10th, 2008, 12:25 pm

This was a good post. I think if you believe the road to peace is through non-violence, then you must follow through with that to the end. “Defending” peace through violence is something of a paradox, I think.

We know, on an individual level, that you cannot force someone to change. They must change themselves. So how will using force or violence ever bring about something sustainable? You will only incite continued resentment and anger. And so the cycle of violence continues.

Gandhi’s TRUE legacy was not in beautiful quotes. It was in in understanding that true change comes from sacrificing oneself to break the cycle of violence.

Jennifer Says:

September 10th, 2008, 13:09 pm

We can learn so much from Gandhi. My favorite is how exemplified what he taught.

Helping people to find peace is also what gives me life.

Todd S Says:

September 10th, 2008, 13:24 pm

While Ghandi was a wise man that was all he was…a man. Most of the ideals that he lived and professed were taught two thousand years before by one who was more than just a man. He told us to love God and love our neighbors, to do unto others what we would have them do to us and to forgive as the Father has forgiven us.

I realize of course that the God Ghandi refers to is not the same One that I worship and believe. I know this because the God I worship is perfect in love and justice. This is the God that commanded “life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” But Ghandi knows better than God. He knows that “an eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.” How sad.

An eye for an eye was a power in the hands of the authorities not the individual. It required that justice be done for willful injuries and injuries resulting from negligence. It required that compensation be made for the suffering and loss incurred by those injuries. An eye for an eye is tempered by love and justice. It is not a license for personal retribution, i.e., for violence.

In a world where everyone fears God and loves his neighbor there would be no need for an eye for an eye. But in a fallen world, there will always be those who place their wants above the needs of others and their will before the Will of God. These are the ones who should fear the justice required by “an eye for an eye”.

Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:

September 10th, 2008, 15:14 pm

“If a man is respectful he will not be treated with insolence. If he is tolerant he will win the multitude. If he is trustworthy in word his fellow men will entrust him with responsibility. If he is quick he will achieve results. If he is generous he will be good enough to be put in a position over his fellow men.” - Confucius

Haji Ben-hadad Says:

September 10th, 2008, 15:23 pm

Todd:

Finally! Someone who understands the true principle behind corrective authority and restraining and punitive force. Your understanding is entirely correct. I didn’t expect to see it expressed on this blog!

Congratulations, my friend. Good to see you use your mind.

deepali Says:

September 10th, 2008, 18:02 pm

“But Ghandi knows better than God.”

How so? God told us to practice “ahimsa”, or non-violence.
It is the core of everything Gandhi taught and believed.

Chris Bradley Says:

September 10th, 2008, 18:11 pm

One thing about Gandhi’s law practice (and I write this because I’m a lawyer) is that he writes, in his autobiography, that he learned the true practice of law was to unite hearts riven asunder. So even in his law practice, which may or may not have been lucrative, he sacrificed not money, nor even his soul, so he says, by bringing about private settlements between disputing parties.

Bambi Weavil Says:

September 10th, 2008, 23:43 pm

Thank you so much for sharing Ghandi’s wisdom with your in-depth coverage. This is something I think the masses should read so I’m submitting it to digg.com. You should add Digg buttons to your blog.

Have a great day,
Bambi Weavil
CEO/Publisher of Out Impact, Inc.
OutImpact.com-Making a positive impact in the gay community. Make yours.

J.D. Meier Says:

September 11th, 2008, 2:12 am

My favorite part is be the change you want to see.

Heather Says:

September 11th, 2008, 12:30 pm

“I first learned the concept of non-violence in my marriage” - Gandhi

chris Says:

September 11th, 2008, 17:10 pm

Has violence ever brought any real change? Initially I would say, no. However, if you look at this question closely, the answer would be a resounding YES!

One example would be the American Revolutionary War. Or World War II.

Will resistance through non-violence bring about real change? Of course it will but only if you are willing to submit yourself completely to your enemy and hope for the best that your enemy will show you pity.

In today’s world, true peace can only be achieved two ways. You either sacrifice yourself, submit, and accept defeat or you can totally and completely annihilate your enemy.

YogaforCynics Says:

September 12th, 2008, 0:13 am

Wonderful. Many, including in this comments section, say that Gandhi was admirable but unrealistic in his steadfast belief in the power of non-violence and rejection of violence. Perhaps they’re right. However, how realistic is it to keep going the way we are–always finding “good reasons” for violent solutions? Hasn’t that path brought us to the brink of doom? As Gandhi himself wrote “freedom won through non-violence will mean the inauguration of a new order in the world. There is no hope for mankind in any other way.”

Gandhian Says:

September 12th, 2008, 3:12 am

A nitpick with everyone who spelled “Gandhi” as Ghandi.

Mis-spelling a well known name like Gandhi is reflects poorly on your attention to detail and there is a good chance that your message will not be taken seriously.

Please READ the name in the title of the post.

Peace.

dancingcrane Says:

September 12th, 2008, 4:20 am

I love Gandhi’s words, and seek to live by them myself. However, with deep regret, I recognise that Gandhi only succeeded, and could only succeed, among relatively civilized people.

Words of peace, even the ‘Law of the Talon’ (which means to take NO MORE THAN an eye for an eye), are laughed to scorn among rabid fundamentalists of any stripe or creed, and power-mad psychopaths like Hitler or Stalin. To such men, such words are a sign of weakness, a green light to their dreams of not only domination, but the final devastation of any who oppose them. Most of the millions killed by just those two mentioned (never mind Pol Pot and a host of others), were not casualties of war, but peaceful people, who were ‘inconvenient’ and easy to eradicate.

From our positions of peace, prosperity and comfort, what do we say to those millions? To those who face the same torment today? How do we face their tormentors, with more than the heartfelt but impotent wish that they would finally ‘get’ Gandhi’s message? Do we pine for an ideal world, while they plunder this one? Praying for their souls is good…but I would be ashamed before my God, to say that that was all that I would do….

anand Says:

September 14th, 2008, 1:28 am

celebrating gandhi :-) and all that he stood for…
thanks, zenhabits and shilpan.

fuseini w. a.razak Says:

September 14th, 2008, 9:56 am

i have been following the story of ghandi since childhood. anytime i hear his story it sounds like a new story. his is similar to kwame nkrumah

Jwalant Natvarlal Soneji Says:

September 14th, 2008, 23:34 pm

Very good post.
Peace is archived only by observing it ourselves.
One himself should be the source of change, and then the good change can be communicated to the whole society.

Aura Says:

September 17th, 2008, 10:55 am

I don’t quite agree with Gandhi that power based on love is more effective than power based on fear. Isn’t power based on fear more effective because a person who fears you will be more likely to obey your exact commands? If someone loves you, won’t that person put your best interest ahead of your commands?

dancingcrane Says:

September 17th, 2008, 16:58 pm

Power based on fear only works in the short term, and is never more effective, either short- or long-term, than power based on love.

Fear-based power can get an immediate response, true, but that response will only last as long as the threat of harm remains active. Fear-based power breeds fear in the wielder, who must never show the slightest weakness. Indeed, the wielder must continue escalating the threat to maintain the same level of effectiveness over time, which tends to deteriorate due to the growth of hatred in the victims, and their desire to escape the intolerable situation.

Further, if you define effectiveness as successful furtherance of a goal, fear-goaded people are far from effective. They are more concerned with escaping punishment than with the order’s actual fulfillment, because they do not share the wielder’s vision. The order may be poorly followed, any failures hidden or blamed on an ever-widening circle of people who must then be punished. No initiative will be expended to seek to follow the wielder’s will more perfectly, except by those who want a piece of the action, and are willing to go to even worse extremes than originally mandated. Even then, such people will often be seeking not to serve, but to usurp the wielder’s power. Fear-based tyrannies invariably impoverish the peoples they govern, and not only physically. They only last as long as those who stand to benefit from them can keep the fear burning - and keep the power to themselves.

By contrast, love-based power empowers and enriches those it governs. Even when it appears to fail, even when a beloved leader dies, it is impossible to destroy entirely. It will grow against all reason to the contrary.

And best of all, when your best interests, and the furtherance of your goals, means that a command is examined for its effectiveness before being blindly followed, then you have the best world possible. A growing community of not slaves or even servants, but equals, family. And you can kill a family, but you can never defeat it.

Aura Says:

September 18th, 2008, 18:09 pm

@dancingcrane: Great counterpoints! I especially like your points on the quality of fear-induced action and defining effectiveness as successful furtherance of a goal, not merely completing a single action.

fathersez Says:

September 20th, 2008, 15:53 pm

Everyonce in a while a truly great person is born. Gandhi was one of them. We can offer our theories now, but I think the issue of civil disobedience with which he got India’s independence is more than enough toi give him his permanent place in the history of mankind.

singh Says:

October 2nd, 2008, 8:20 am

Gandhi, Father of India. In his autobiography My experiments with Truth Gandhi

rcalls that his childhood and teen age years were characterized by education in a

local school, marriage to Kasturba at the age of 13 and an intrinsic love for ‘truth’
and ‘duty’.Gandhi Jayanti is national holiday celebrated in India to mark the

occasion.

Gandhi Friend.
http://www.desievite.com/Desi-Indian-ecards.asp

ANANTH CHELLARAM Says:

October 27th, 2008, 6:02 am

Excellent post, Shilpan! Thank you! One of my favorite quotes by Gandhi:

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

Thats absolutely true,
ananthchellaram@yahoo.co.in

Huda Says:

November 2nd, 2008, 5:06 am

Ghandi is one of the greatest peace makers,his teachings have inspired the whole world

KET Says:

November 13th, 2008, 8:07 am

IF THIS WORLD WAS FULL OF GANDHIS THEN THERE WOULD ME NO WORLD WARS, ATTACKS ETC.

ITS FUNNY HOW A MAN WHO WAS A SUCCESSFUL LAWYER SACRIFICED SUCH A CAREER TO HELP A NATION IN NEED OF SOMEONE LIKE HIM..

HE DIDNT CARE ABOUT MONEY, MATERIALISTIC DESIRES OR POWER ETC. ONLY IF THE CURRENT WORLD LEADERS CAN LEARN FROM THIS, IM SURE EVERYONE WOULD BE LIVING IN PEACE AND HARMONY. BUT BEFORE ANY RESULTS IN THIS WORLD THERE HAS TO BE BLOOD SHED AND VIOLENCE.

IM SURE THERE WILL COME A TIME WHERE THE WORLD SHALL BE FULL OF PEOPLE WITH GANDHI’S CHARACTERISTICS.