non-violence revisited
A lot of people and particularly Indians feel that non-violence is cowardice. I believe its important to note that according to the below article, Gandhi has said that violence is better than cowardice.
Non-violence is not cowardice, it takes far greater courage and strength to be non-violent than it takes to be violent!! 🙂
Gandhi pointed out three possible responses to oppression and injustice. One he described as the coward’s way: to accept the wrong or run away from it. The second option was to stand and fight by force of arms. Gandhi said this was better than acceptance or running away.
But the third way, he said, was best of all and required the most courage: to stand and fight solely by nonviolent means.
~ Mahatma Gandhi and His Myths
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One should try to read the entire article above – its very hard to digest and requires a lot of lateral thinking. I’d say its a major paradigm shift… especially the last para. One metaphor that helps in understanding the last para: “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”
Some quote by a Sensei of Aikido (the Art of Peace): “Aikido is all about the relationship between you and your partnerâ€. Afaik, the partner (Uke) in Aikido also represents the Universe. Its basically about harmony, about establishing a synchronization with the partner.
What really attracted me to Aikido compared to any other martial arts, was a very interesting story about the founder Sensei Morehei Ueshiba: When attacked by any number of people, he would
defend himself from all of them – in such a way as to disarm them. They would all be on the mat in minutes… But without any injury to any of them!
Maybe this illustrates the idea of non-violence more clearly. It means to be strong – and defend oneself non-destructively! 🙂
From Eknath Easwaran’s Thought for the Day
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September 7
Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.
– Martin Luther King
All of us can play an important part in the conquest of violence. We can do this by throwing our full weight behind peaceful, effective programs for eliminating the situations from which violence arises. But just as importantly, we need to do everything we can to remove every trace of hostility in ourselves.
The violence that is flaring up on our streets and in many corners of the world is the inevitable expression of the hostility in our hearts. Hostility is like an infectious disease. Whenever we indulge in a violent act or even in hostile words, we are passing this disease on to those around us. When we quarrel at home, it is not just a domestic problem; we are contributing to turmoil everywhere.
A teacher of meditation in ancient India, Patanjali, wrote that in the presence of a man or woman in whom all hostility has died, others cannot be hostile. In the presence of a man or woman in whom all fear has died, no one can be afraid. This is the power released in true nonviolence, as we can see in the life of Mahatma Gandhi. Because all hostility had died in his heart, he was a profound force for peace.
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From Eknath Easwaran’s Thought for the Day
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July 18
I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson to conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmuted into energy, even so our anger controlled can be transmuted into a power that can move the world.
– Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi provides a perfect example of how anger can be harnessed. As a young, unknown, brown-skinned lawyer traveling in South Africa on business, he was roughly thrown from the train because he refused to surrender his first-class ticket and move to the third-class compartment. He spent a cold, sleepless night on the railway platform.
Later, he said this was the turning point of his life: for on that night, full of anger because of this personal injustice, as well as the countless injustices suffered by so many others every day in South Africa, he resolved not to rest until he had set those injustices right. On that night he conquered his anger and vowed to resist injustice, not by violence or retaliation, but through the loving power of nonviolent resistance, which elevates the consciousness of both oppressed and oppressor.
We may never be called on to liberate a people or lead a vast nation, but Gandhi’s example can apply in a small way in our own lives, when we decide to return good will for ill will, love for hatred, in the innumerable little acts of daily life.
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A forwarded email on the day of Gandhi Jayanthi containing some good quotes and ideas…
Mahatma Gandhi
Sanjay,
That’s a beautiful article!
Gandhi’s words of wisdom are timeless. If only the world should listen to him today half the conflicts will end instantly.The problem with nonviolence is that it is not tried enough.
And Sanjay,thank you verymuch for your great support on my blog..And me back with a couple of posts too.. 🙂
Thanks Gangadhar. I finally saw Lage Raho Munna Bhai recently…
What about the other half of teh conflicts? 😉 (Just kidding) Anyway I’d written a blog entry long ago… on whether anyone would listen if Gandhi spoke in today’s world… but I think the movie managed did a good job of the almost impossible task 🙂 !
Glad you continue blogging Ganga… cheers!