On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, re-posting a humble tribute to the Father of the Nation by my dear friend, Aam Aadmi (@MeMangoMan) that was written 2 years ago… with due permission from the author. [Link to the original: http://memangoman.blogspot.in/2011/10/gandhian-gleanings_01.html]
02 October 2011. 142nd Birth Anniversary of Shri Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. To us in India, he is the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. The day is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti. The day is also celebrated as International Day of Non-violence across the globe.
There is so much written about this Mahatma or ‘Great Soul’ and so many interpretations about his words of wisdom, that it would be futile to add more chapters on him. This is just a small attempt at a bit of gleanings from the life of Gandhi that would perhaps be of some help to those who seek just that.
‘Gandhi’ means Grocer. He belonged to a family who were grocers by profession.
As a child, Gandhi was not very good at studies and had particular difficulty in learning to multiply.
He got married to Kasturba at the age of thirteen. Kasturba too was 13 then.
Gandhi’s political mentor was Gopal Krishna Gokhle.
A few golden quotes from the Great soul:
"Yes I am (a Hindu). I am also a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist and a Jew."
"There are many causes that I am prepared to die for but no causes that I am prepared to kill for."
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
"As long as you derive inner help and comfort from anything, keep it."
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”“An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”
"I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one even at the cost of your life."
“An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.”“I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.”“I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps.”“It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.”
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”“I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won’t presume to probe into the faults of others.”“I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.”
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”“Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.”
These sayings by the Mahatma hold good in today's selfish and brutal world and would be worthwhile to put into practice. Surely, if applied in good measure and with patience, it would make the world a better place to live in?
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