If the person reacts with hatred or anger, he gets no immediate relief and instead develops a negative attitude and feeling, which will lead to his own downfall. The generation of hatred and hateful thoughts produces undesirable forms of existence in future lives and also creates a distorted image of the person who harbors that hatred. Others can sense it and even experience steam of hostility coming out of him. Even animals can feel it and avoid that person. Hatred also takes over the best part of the brain, which judges right from wrong and evaluates long-term consequences against short-term ones. No one and nothing can protect a person from anger or hatred. Education, the law, weapons or money cannot protect him from it and its consequences. Only tolerance and patience can. Gandhi was well aware of the disadvantages of feeling hatred for his tormentors that was why he avoided it within him and in his campaigns and dealings. Ahimsa was at the base of his Jainism influence and it emphasized the relevance of nonviolence, believing that the densest karmic defilement of the soul happens when a person hurts another. His major beliefs in truth, nonviolence and satyaghara evolved from Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism. He was convinced that man must not be disturbed and diverted from the pursuit of the truth.
Stephen Murphy pointed out in his book, Why Gandhi is Relevant in Modern India, that what Gandhi advocated was not passive resistance but active love. He was influenced by Shrimad Rajchandra, a Jain householder-ascetic as well as his spiritual mentor, Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, and the Sermon in the Mount of the New Testament. He was especially affected by John Ruskin's Unto This Last, translated it into Gujarati and called it Sarvodaya or the well-being of all. It changed him instantaneously, impressing upon him that the good of an individual is contained in the good of all.
Gandhi read Henry David Thoreau as a student in London and learned civil disobedience from the author-poet. They, however, deviated at one point. Thoreau believed in individual action and protests, while Gandhi would use civil disobedience only as a last resort and show respect for the law. But like Thoreau, Gandhi believed that people had the right to disobey laws they considered unjust and were willing to go to jail for violating these laws.
Henry David Thoreau was an American essayist, poet and practical philosopher, who was best-known for his autobiographical account in the woods under the title, Walden, published in 1854. His essay, Civil Disobedience, published in 1849, exerted influence on Gandhi's passive resistance campaigns, on martin Luther King, Jr. And the politics of the British Labor Party. His famous essay was an account of an overnight visit in 1846 in jail for refusing to pay his taxes in protest against the Mexican War and the extension of slavery. Thoreau also lectured and wrote about the evils of slavery and helped escaping slaves. He exemplified one with the courage to live and stand against the trend of his own time. He had a deep passion for natural surroundings. In his work, Resistance to Civil Government, Thoreau recommended disobeying unjust laws, saying that men should be men first and subject afterwards and that it was not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law so much as for the right (Thoreau 1849). He also warned that working for money alone would never bring happiness and advocated that individuals must resist conformity in the search for truth and bewailed his contemporaries' fascination for news and gossips.
Money and happiness were the subjects of the book on the private conversations between the Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler with the title the Art of Happiness (2003). Cutler asked the Tibetan leader about practices, which can help others become happier, stronger and less afraid. In discussing...
Gandhi accounted the fear of losing a comfortable life not equal to the goal of universal freedom. In a world where "working-class" politicians get $400 haircuts, where "people's" advocates live in penthouses, where our President is considered down-to-earth because he only owns one outrageously expensive home, how refreshing would it be to find a leader who not only identifies with, but also lives the lives of his constituents as
Gandhi also possessed this leadership skill. People listened to Gandhi even when they were not in agreement with what he was trying to convey. Law of respect-Gandhi respected others even when they did not respect him. In return, people respected Gandhi, even many of the people responsible for his many persecutions came to respect him. Law of Navigation- Gandhi had an ability to organize people and delegate responsibilities and he had
In 1934, they created the Government of India Act, "which allowed large areas to govern themselves with a degree of local independence" (Leathem 8). During the war, the government reduced many freedoms, and Gandhi and his followers continued to protest British intervention. During the war, Gandhi was jailed several times, and once, his wife protested so she would be jailed alongside her husband. Gandhi's health began to deteriorate as
Reflective Essay on the Autobiography of GandhiThe story, "My experiment with Truth," an autograph on Gandhi, is marked with humility and truthfulness. Gandhi displayed his major principles of experiments with the truth, among other principles (Bhatt, n.d). Gandhi exempted impurities on his end and strove to realize the truth. He practiced and applied his knowledge of truth in everyday living. He also utilized spiritual principles in practical experiences as well
He encouraged self-sufficiency and education, and started the homespun wool movement. He even showed foresight in foreign policy: When Hitler started World War II, Gandhi actually halted the Indian freedom movement, and asked the Indians to support the British rather than take advantage of their weakness. His theory - correct - was that Hitler was a much more evil foe. The British could be dealt with later. I'd want to
Affects of Imperialism on the Former Colonies in Africa, Asia and the Middle EastAfter obtaining independence, post-colonial countries found themselves in dire circumstances; these newly liberated nations had to deal with the harsh realities left by colonial rulers. Colonizers had distorted traditional political systems, leaving emerging leaders caught between the past and future of their countries, while simultaneously dealing with high expectations from citizens who wanted tangible improvements in their
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