A statue of Gandhi at Union Square in New York City.
It seemed not only a bit surprising but, quite frankly, annoying and highly disappointing that the History.com website had nothing on Gandhi's birthday. At least, it was not listed in the significant events to have taken place on this date in history. I have to admit that it is a completely unjustified source of pride that I share my birthday with such a great historical figure as Gandhi (and the day before, is the birthday of President Jimmy Carter, who I consider a true modern American, and indeed world, hero).
So, I thought I would remedy that a bit by writing my own blog entry honoring one of the most remarkable and inspiring men of history. Specifically, I wanted to get a bit of a biography in there, as well as some of the incredible words that he expressed. So, I started off on a personal note, picking some of the quotes that I have liked best from him, and then explaining what it is about them that speaks to me, specifically.
Here are some of my personal favorite quotes from Gandhi, and what they mean to me:
"My mission is not merely brotherhood of Indian humanity. My mission is not merely freedom of India, though today it undoubtedly engrosses practically the whole of my life and the whole of my time. But through realization of freedom of India I hope to realize and carry on the mission of the brotherhood of man. My patriotism is not an exclusive thing. It is all-embracing and I should reject that patriotism which sought to mount upon the distress or the exploitation of other nationalities. The conception of my patriotism is nothing if it is not always, in every case without exception, consistent with the broadest good of humanity at large. Not only that, but my religion and my patriotism derived from my religion embrace all life. I want to realize brotherhood or identity not merely with the beings called human, but I want to realize identity with all life, even with such things as crawl upon earth. I want, if I don’t give a shock, to realize identity with even the crawling things upon earth, because we claim descent from the same God, and that being so, all life in whatever form it appears must be essentially one."
I really like this one, because he is not denying a patriotism specific to India, but rather merely pointing out one obvious truth: that India, and any country that one "belongs" to, itself "belongs" to (that is, a part of), the greater world in general, and that patriotism and patriotic acts are not necessarily those that we feel would benefit one's country (far too often, to the exclusion of others), but rather, truly great, patriotic acts are those that are, and incorporate a spirit that would be most beneficial to all of the world, to the fullest extent possible.
"Just as the cult of patriotism teaches us today that the individual has to die for the family, the family has to die for the village, the village for the district, the district for the province, and the province for the country, even so country has to be free in order that it may die, if necessary, for the benefit of the world. My love, therefore, of nationalism or my idea of nationalism is that my country may become free, that if need be the whole of the country may die, so that the human race may live. There is no room for race hatred there. Let that be our nationalism."
This one is very important to me, because it helps me to define my own brand of patriotism. I am both French and American, and both countries have, rightly or wrongly, garnered a reputation for arrogance, excessive self-indulgence, and destructive self-love. In particular, I have railed against "American exceptionalism", and the seeming need for far too many Americans to confirm their own superiority over the rest of the world, which has of late (particularly the last decade, where it has become outright stated) has become our de facto foreign policy. I love both countries that I am officially a citizen of, and have even been able to appreciate the prominence that both have been elevated to, and the complicated web of history both have. They both are beautiful countries, albeit often in different ways. And they can still offer the world something. But they both sometimes have trouble getting past the size and weight of themselves, and their own sense of grandeur, stated outright, or simply implied. This Gandhi quote speaks to a greater sense of belonging, a more all-encompassing patriotism that is not relegated to one select group of people, in one geographical corner of the world. This is less "God Bless America" than it is, in the words of Dickens character Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one".
"Individual liberty and interdependence are both essential for life in society. Only a Robinson Crusoe can afford to be all self-sufficient. When a man has done all he can for the satisfaction of has essential requirements, he will seek the co-operation of his neighbours for the rest. That will be true co-operation."
I like this quote, because of it's similarities to the previous one. It dispels the notion of us, our countries, or our communities, as some kind of special or exceptional island, separate from the rest of the world and completely independent. Instead, it acknowledges that we are, all of us, a pat of this greater world, and reinforces the need for a spirit of cooperation for peaceful coexistence.
"I do not believe… that an individual may gain spiritually and those who surround him suffer. I believe in advaita, I believe in the essential unity of man and, for that matter, of all that lives. Therefore, I believe that if one man gains spiritually, the whole world gains with him and, if one man falls, the whole world falls to that extent."
For very much the same reasons as the previous couple of quotes, except the focus here seems to be on spirituality, rather than on patriotism or nationalism.
"The golden way is to be friends with the world and to regard the whole human family as one. He who distinguishes between the votaries of one's own religion and those of another miss-educates the members of his own and opens the way for discord and irreligion."
Again, encouraging us to move beyond the temptation to see ourselves as superior, but rather, to recognize the similarities and the humanity in us all, and reminding us of the universal Golden Rule, of which every major religion has some version or other of it.
"The relation between the body and the mind is so intimate that, if either of them got out of order, the whole system would suffer. Hence it follows that a pure character is the foundation of health in the real sense of the term; and we may say that all evil thoughts and evil passions are but different forms of disease."
This one hints at wonder on how the human body works, how the mind relates to it, and how the baser temptations and "evils", as he puts it, can get in the way of this healthy flow.
"The spinning wheel means national consciousness and a contribution by every individual to a definite constructive national work."
We all know that Gandhi wanted the spinning wheel to become a national symbol of India. He wanted all people to be independent of spending money on fashionable clothes, and for all people, particularly the poor, but certainly not restricted to them, to "spin the wheel" and make their own clothes, rather than relying on more glamorous clothes at fabulous prices, as he put it, imported from foreign lands.
To those ends, here is another quote that is more precise:
"It was the love of foreign cloth that ousted the wheel from its position of dignity."
Again, he is discussing how one's own culture can be relegated to an inferior status because of the seeming beauty and sophistication of foreign goods. I will not specify clothes, because this philosophy is applicable for far more than clothes, but also other things, such as local food, local customs and traditions, and even an entire way of life in general. It becomes far too easy to lose sight of any value that one's native culture has. This was the case in India during Gandhi's day (and perhaps still in India today), as well as in the "New World", which at first, longed for the guiding light of European culture, but which then focused on getting beyond it (and growing a superiority complex to it in the process). It is likely applicable to many parts of the world, including Europe itself presently, where a way of life, and particularly a way of preparing food with local specialties, is being lost underneath an avalanche of cheap American fast food, perhaps most famously symbolized by McDonald's. A whole way of life can be lost, quickly, easily, and very efficiently, and too often, the real value of this is only realized once it is far too late, and that way of life cannot be retrieved. If this is what globalization today means, than no wonder there is such a strong (and justified) backlash against it.
"The economics that disregard moral and sentimental considerations are like wax works that, being life-like, still lack the life of the living flesh. At every crucial moment these newfangled economic laws have broken down in practice. And nations or individuals who accept them as guiding maxims must perish."
This quote provides a glimpse of Gandhi's views on economics, and they are as applicable today, if not more so, than they were in Gandhi's day. Far too often, we seem ready and willing (even eager) to destroy the past, to make way for what we at least believe to be the future. But this is not a healthy approach, and completely lacks balance. Too easily lost also in our rush to modernize economies the world over is the simple fact of exploitation, and our modern, global economic system cannot exist without exploitation. That is to say, it not only creates human suffering, but it relies on it, and could not exist without it. Ignoring this simple truth, or moralizing it and justifying it for our own selfish purposes, does not make this truth go away, or allow it to be more acceptable. It simply makes us blind of the realities of our world, and reinforces the destructiveness of self-absorption and excessive selfishness.
“Machinery well used has to help and ease human effort. The present use of machinery tends more and more to concentrate wealth in the hands of a few in total disregards of millions of men and women whose bread is snatched by it out of their mouths."
Like the warnings about being too taken by foreign clothes, I think this quote, which is likely more applicable today than it was even when Gandhi first uttered them, is a warning about modern technology, and how easily we can get wrapped up with the conveniences that these provide. But this same high end technology can, and too often is, used against us, and has been ever since the Industrial Revolution. Ignoring this fact does not make it untrue, and does not make the exploitation go away. We have to be conscious of it, and always keep our eyes focused on what we should be focused on: making this a better world for us all.
"It is beneath human dignity to lose one's individuality and become a mere cog in the machine."
This one should resonate with the individual, although it can apply to a society as well. It is an answer to the cynicism of the old "you think you're too good for this" mentality of not wanting to conform, and answers it by saying, essentially, that the system that we live under, and rely upon, is itself demeaning and degrading to people in general. It is far too easy to be lazy, and simply fit in, get as comfortable a job that provides us as much money and benefits as humanly possible, and then merely to individually (or culturally) wrest on our laurels and turn off our minds to the rest of the world. He is not saying that he is better than anyone else, but simply pointing out that we are all above a system and a way of life that dehumanizes.
"In my humble opinion, non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good."
Another short, simple quote, that actually says a lot more than it may seem to. Simply put, when we see evil (and when we truly and honestly look, where will we not find some form of evil or another these days?), we need to do something about it, rather than conveniently turning a blind eye. We need to resist, and he is advocating a non-violent way of going about it: non-cooperation. Did it work? Well, India gained it's independence by this method, and Gandhi's approach inspired millions, including Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as Nelson Mandela. And those are yet more examples that this approach can, and must, work. We probably cannot build a truly better and more just world without it.
"The goal ever recedes from us. The greater the progress, the greater the recognition of our unworthiness. Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Full effort is full victory."
This quote especially resonates with me, because it is so true. So often, our goal seems to pull further away, the seemingly closer we get. We work hard, try to stay focused and disciplined, and yet, that dream goal may appear farther away then ever before. It is an illusion, and we cannot afford to get taken in by this, our own self-deception. Here, he is reminding us, also, that one of the best ways to dispel this particular myth of our own making, is to keep in mind that the journey and effort itself is what is important. We have to give it everything we have, and that effort is what makes it worthy. Throwing up our hands and giving up because the destination appears unattainable, or like it is, indeed, getting farther away, makes achieving our goals an impossible task. Trying to adjust to appreciate our own efforts, and recognizing the value of what we are doing (or at least trying to do) can provide the crucial sustenance.
"All of your scholarship, all your study of Shakespeare and Wordsworth would be vain if at the same time you did not build your character and attain mastery over your thoughts and your actions."
This quote essentially forces us to recognize that education, while possessing a definite value, does not make us better people. Many educated people, even highly educated, are not better people for it. Here, he is reminding us of this simple fact, and that education works best when it is employed in the service of helping people, and trying to do our part to make this a better world.
"To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves."
This one is pretty self-explanatory, isn't it? It reinforces the connection between humans and the physical world itself, literally. When we lose sight of this, as so many of us have, then we lose something crucial to a self-delusion of our own creation, and our own choosing.
"I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson: to conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmitted into energy, even so our anger controlled can be transmuted into a power which can move the world."
This quote is not denying that anger itself exists, or is never justified. That is a misinterpretation of Gandhi's words and thinking. It can be made to be useful to serve our purposes and as a motivating force to help create that better world, rather than allowing it to control us, and thus to lash out and become part of the problem, rather than part of the solution.
"It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow beings."
This has long been one of my favorite quotes from Gandhi. Hardly any explanation is needed, but as I said in regard to some other quotes earlier, these words seem to resonate and ring true today, as at any other time in history. The more things change, the more they stay the same. A lot of changes have been good in the world, but fundamentally, we still rely on debasing and dehumanizing others, if we are to prosper. And this itself is an evil. Far too many of us rely on improving our own standing and self-worth by lowering that of others, rather than on lifting everyone up, and in so doing, lifting ourselves up as well, and far higher than we would do if we try to artificially lower others.
"I have not the shadow of a doubt that any man or woman can achieve what I have, if he or she would make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith."
No words or explanation necessary.
Let us also not forget the seven blunders of the world, according to Gandhi:
The Seven Blunders of the World:
1. Wealth without work
2. Pleasure without conscience
3. Knowledge without character
4. Commerce without morality
5. Science without humanity
6. Worship without sacrifice
7. Politics without principle
Biography, taken from www.biography.com, as well www.hitlatest.com (below):
Synopsis
Born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, India, Mahatma Gandhi studied law and came to advocate for the rights of Indians, both at home and in South Africa. Gandhi became a leader of India's independence movement, organizing boycotts against British institutions in peaceful forms of civil disobedience. He was killed by a fanatic in 1948.
Spiritual and Political Leader
Indian nationalist leader Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, more commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Kathiawar, India. He studied law in London, England, but in 1893 went to South Africa, where he spent 20 years opposing discriminatory legislation against Indians. As a pioneer of Satyagraha, or resistance through mass non-violent civil disobedience, he became one of the major political and spiritual leaders of his time. Satyagraha remains one of the most potent philosophies in freedom struggles throughout the world today.
Fight for Indian Liberation
In 1914, Gandhi returned to India, where he supported the Home Rule movement, and became leader of the Indian National Congress, advocating a policy of non-violent non-co-operation to achieve independence. His goal was to help poor farmers and laborers protest oppressive taxation and discrimination. He struggled to alleviate poverty, liberate women and put an end to caste discrimination, with the ultimate objective being self-rule for India.
Following his civil disobedience campaign (1919-22), he was jailed for conspiracy (1922-24). In 1930, he led a landmark 320 km/200 mi march to the sea to collect salt in symbolic defiance of the government monopoly. On his release from prison (1931), he attended the London Round Table Conference on Indian constitutional reform. In 1946, he negotiated with the Cabinet Mission which recommended the new constitutional structure. After independence (1947), he tried to stop the Hindu-Muslim conflict in Bengal, a policy which led to his assassination in Delhi by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu fanatic.
Death and Legacy
Even after his death, Gandhi's commitment to non-violence and his belief in simple living--making his own clothes, eating a vegetarian diet, and using fasts for self-purification as well as a means of protest -- have been a beacon of hope for oppressed and marginalized people throughout the world.
Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated in India and is mark the occasion of the birthday of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, born on 2nd October 1869, who is known as Mahatma Gandhi or Bapu, who led India into freedom from the British rule and inspired movements for non-violence, civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated every year in India, this day is declared a National Holiday after Independence day(15 August) and Republic day(26 January) and observed in all Indian States and union territories. Even United Nations General Assembly declared 2nd October will be celebrated as International day of non violence on 15th June 2007.
Biography
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2nd October 1869 in Porbandar, which is a coastal town and was also a part of the Bombay Presidency, British India. His father, Karamchand Gandhi (1822–1885), senior government official and belonged to the Hindu Modh community.
He got married in May 1883, at the age of 13 years to Kasturbai Makhanji who was 14 years old in an arranged child married according to the custom of the region. Remembering the day of their marriage, he said once, “As we didn’t know much about marriage, for us it meant only wearing new clothes, eating sweets and playing with relatives.”
In 1885, when he was 15, his first child was born but before that he lost his father. Mohandas and Kasturba had four more children all were sons: Harilal, born in 1888; Manilal, born in 1892; Ramdas, born in 1897; and Devdas, born in 1900. He cleared the matriculation exam from Samaldas College in Bhavnagar, Gujrat, with some difficulties. Gandhi’s family wanted him to be a barrister so that he could get his father’s post.
Gandhi went to London, England, in 1888 to study law from University College London, where he studied Indian law and jurisprudence. When Gandhi was in London his mother died, he then left London after had the degree of law in 1891.
In 1915, he joined Indian National Congress and introduced himself to Indian issues, politics and the Indian people primarily by Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Gandhi took leadership of Congress in 1920 and began a steady escalation of demands (with Intermittent compromises or pauses) until on 26 January 1930 the Indian National Congress declared the independence of India. The British did not recognize that and more negotiations ensued, with Congress taking a role in provincial government in the late 1930s.
During the latter part of World War I in April, 1918, Gandhi was invited by Viceroy to a war conference in Delhi. Actually he need Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was agreed to recruit Indians for the war effort.
During the partition of India and Pakistan Gandhi was against the partition, but Mahatma Gandhi advised congress and muslim league to cooperate and form provisional government, while the muslim league decided for the partition.
On 14 August 1947 Pakistan got independence and India got independence on 15 August 1947. It was decided that muslims whoever wants to live in India they can and hindu’s can also live in Pakistan if they want.
On 30 January 1948, he was shot dead by hindu nationalist Nathuram Godse who had link with extremist Hindu Mahasabha, he shot him because Gandhi ask to give financial help to Pakistan. Later Nathuram Godse and his partner were proved convicted and hang to death on 15 November 1949.
Here are some other cool websites where you can learn more about Gandhi, or get acquainted with his words and way of thinking:
http://www.mkgandhi.org/momgandhi/chap91.htm
http://meditationandspiritualgrowth.com/?p=189
http://www.gandhi-manibhavan.org/gandhiphilosophy/philosophy_economics_ideals.htm
