'An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.'
The Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi
Born as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most influential spiritual and political leaders of his time. During his life, until his passing in 1948 as a 78-year-old man, Gandhi lead a life based on the Hindu faith, yet encouraged all paths to God. Gandhi is honored as the "father" of India, and was a great thinker.
He studied to become a lawyer at University College London, and attempted to practice law in India. His practice there was unsuccessful, however, he joined an Indian firm in South Africa, where he began to inspire change.
Political Influence
When Gandhi reached his mid-twenties, his experiences with discrimination against Indian people in South Africa marked a turning point in his life. He helped to lead a civil rights movement among the Indian people in South Africa, leading them in peaceful protest. Although the group was met with resistance, Gandhi was eventually able to negotiate a compromise with the South African General.
His stance on nonviolence was that everyone, even those in government, law enforcement and the military should hold to a principle of nonviolence. Gandhi dreamed of a democracy that was based on peaceful negotiation and alternative forms of ensuring order in society.
Gandhi called himself a philosophical anarchist, as he believed that everyone should govern himself or herself. Nonviolent conflict mediation and resolution would be the way that society is maintained in his ideal world.
His radical view of self-rule, peace and nonresistance is honored all over the world on October 2nd, annually as the International Day of Nonviolence.
When Gadhi was asked what he thought of Western civilization, his reply was "I think it would be a good idea".
Gandhi's beliefs
Mahatma Gandhi was a practicing Hindu. He felt that all religions were valid and equal, however, he also felt that Hinduism was the most satisfying religion for him. He believed that everyone had a path that was right for him or her, and he refused to convert to any other religion, although some had tried to persuade him.
He was raised Hindu and, as most Hindu people are, his family were vegetarians. While he did try meat at a young age out of curiosity, he followed a strict vegetarian diet as an adult. This is not only because of his religious beliefs, but also because he felt that it was more economical and therefore practical.
Gandhi dedicated his life to the pursuit of a greater understanding of truth. His autobiography was titled 'The Story of My Experiments With Truth'. He used to say that God is Truth. Then he went a step further, in his own words, to say that for himself Truth is God. There is a fine, but brilliant distinction between these two great statements.
He was significantly influenced by the philosophy of Brahmacharya. Brahmacharya is related to spiritual and practical purity, and his vegetarianism helped him stand firm in his belief and practice of complete self-control.
Brahmacharya was a path towards self-realization for Gandhi. He practiced, and tested, celibacy following his father's death so that he could learn to love and control his lustful urges. He was about 36 years old, and still married when he took this vow. In his later years, he would share his bed with young women, often nude women, as a test of self-control and part of his practice of Brahmacharya principles.
Gandhi also believed in simplicity. He felt that anyone who was in public service should also lead a life of simplicity. His clothing was homemade, and he encouraged others, in India especially, to make their own clothing. This idea caught on, as much of the Indian clothing worn today is custom fabrics that are often handmade. He spent one day per week in complete silence, and refused to read the newspaper for three and one-half years to preserve his inner peace.
His Influence
His nonviolent tactics were used by civil rights leaders in the United States such as Martin Luther King Jr. and James Lawson during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Ferdinand Marcos or the Philippines also lead a movement against the dictatorship of his time inspired by the life of Gandhi.
He has many followers during his life, and still influences many people through his many published writings today. Gandhi left more than 50,000 pages of writings, later published in over one hundred volumes by the Indian government.
Maria Lacerda de Moura, of Brazil, wrote a book on pacifism in which she wrote about Gandhi. Romain Rolland, from Europe, was the first to write a book, Mahatma Gandhi, discussing his life.
The daughter of a British Admiral, called Mirabehn, born as Madeleine Slade, moved to India as an adult and followed his teachings.
Albert Einstein, John Lennon, Al Gore, and Barack Obama have all respectfully made mention of the impact that Mahatma Gandhi had made on each of them. Einstein communicated through letters directly with Gandhi and noted his potential as a role model. Obama explained that he was influenced and inspired by Gandhi's influence on the world as just one man, how he influenced Martin Luther King Jr., and by Gandhi's ethical code.
Today, he is honored in many countries with national holidays. The date of his assassination, January 30th, is observed in India as Martyr's Day, and the country honors him and all of those who died serving India. Many other countries, primarily in the Southern Hemisphere, observe his death on March 30th as part of the school calendar. Spain also observes his death as a school holiday.
There have been many depictions of him in film, theater and literature that describe his life and portray his beliefs.
Recognition
In 1930, Time magazine named him the Man of the Year.
Today in India, there is an annual Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize awarded. It was once given to Nelson Mandela, a South African Leader against racial discrimination.
On the year of his death, which was 1948, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He was killed before the winner was determined.
Mahatma Gandhi was perhaps the most influential Indian spiritual leader of this generation. He continues to inspire nonviolence, change, and peace today, over fifty years after his death.
Videos with Mahatma Gandhi
The first video shows a rare film footage in which Gandhi speaks.
