125
A lone protestor defies tanks near
Tiananmen Square in Beijing, in an
image that became a global icon for
the principle of passive resistance.See also: Self-denial leads to spiritual liberation 68–71 ■ Selfless action 110–11 ■ Let kindness and compassion rule 146–47
■ Dying for the message 209 ■ Striving in the way of God 278
HINDUISM
nonviolence. He also saw the
self-destructiveness and futility
of opposing violence with violence.
He believed that an individual
could only genuinely seek the
truth by discounting his or her
social position and self-interest.
He therefore argued that the way
to oppose injustice was to have the
courage and strength to hold on to
the truth, whatever the personal
consequences—and for him that
included years spent in prison. He
regarded noncooperation and civil
disobedience as “weapons of truth”
that an individual or society should
not be afraid to deploy, provided that
negotiation had failed. To accept
the consequences of our actions is
a sign of strength, if accompanied
by the moral certainty of the truth.Love all, hate no one
Gandhi emphasized that ahimsa
(nonviolence) should be taken in
its most positive sense: in other
words, that it should mean the
cultivation of love toward all, as
opposed to simply abstinence from
killing. This philosophy had further
social and political consequences,
since it must entail support for
the oppressed. So, for example,
Gandhi championed the cause of
those who were outside the caste
system and called “untouchables”
since they were considered to
be ritually impure. He regarded
“untouchability” as a crime against
humanity. It was later outlawed
in India. He also argued strongly
for religious freedom and against
all forms of exploitation.Unfortunately, the last year of
Gandhi’s life saw bloodshed and
mass displacement as Muslim
Pakistan was separated from Hindu
India. However, his teachings,
notably his legacy of nonviolent
protest, spread globally, inspiring
many of the world’s leaders and
political movements, including
antiapartheid in South Africa
and civil rights movements in
the US, China, and elsewhere. ■Mohandas Karamchand
(“Mahatma”) GandhiBorn in 1869 in Porbandar, India,
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
(known as “Mahatma” or “great-
souled”) qualified as a lawyer in
London. After a brief time back in
India, he spent 21 years in South
Africa giving legal support to the
Indian community, during which
time he launched a program of
passive resistance against the
compulsory registration and
fingerprinting of Indians.
In 1914, he returned to India,
where he opposed injustices
imposed by the British rulers.
During the 1920s, he initiated
civil disobedience campaigns forwhich he was imprisoned for
two years. He continued to
promote similar campaigns, and
suffered a further term in jail.
He wanted to see an India free
from British rule, in which all its
religious groups could have a
stake, and when independence
was finally agreed in 1947, he
opposed the partition of India
because it conflicted with his
vision of religious unity.
Gandhi was assassinated
in Delhi in 1948 by a Hindu
fanatic who accused him of
being too sympathetic to the
needs of the nation’s Muslims.God is truth. The way
to truth lies through
nonviolence.
Mahatma Gandhi