Although I've always thought of Ghandi in respect to India's fight for liberation from English rule, I was surprised to learn that one of his main tenets was the need for Indians to take better care of themselves before gaining independence. How would an Indian led government rule any better than an English one unless Indians could first stop doing themselves harm. He cites Hindu prejudice against untouchables as a potent example of Indians' need to look inward before blaming the British for their troubles.
Ghandi amassed great authority during his lifetime through hard work, a dedication to the betterment of Indians, and self-sacrifice beyond almost any other standard. And a major part of this was his personal fasts, used at strategic moments to achieve social change. When all else failed, Ghandi would begin a fast that brought people to their senses. No one wanted Ghandi to die, and certainly no one wanted to be seen as the cause of his death. When Ghandi fasted, people altered their behavior and Indians benefited. That in turn improved everyone's respect for Ghandi, which gave him even more authority to utilize moving forward.
He also pioneered the use of several techniques for social change: Satyagraha, civil disobedience, hartal and non-cooperation are all distinct methods of exercising influence on the powers-that-be that were repeatedly used by Ghandi.
Ghandi amassed great authority during his lifetime through hard work, a dedication to the betterment of Indians, and self-sacrifice beyond almost any other standard. And a major part of this was his personal fasts, used at strategic moments to achieve social change. When all else failed, Ghandi would begin a fast that brought people to their senses. No one wanted Ghandi to die, and certainly no one wanted to be seen as the cause of his death. When Ghandi fasted, people altered their behavior and Indians benefited. That in turn improved everyone's respect for Ghandi, which gave him even more authority to utilize moving forward.
He also pioneered the use of several techniques for social change: Satyagraha, civil disobedience, hartal and non-cooperation are all distinct methods of exercising influence on the powers-that-be that were repeatedly used by Ghandi.
Ghandi's overriding ideals were that of the quest for truth and a total dedication to non-violence. All of his actions can be understood by looking through his actions with those lenses.
Ghandi was completely overt about the fact that his thinking, his philosophy, his beliefs and his methods were constantly changing. People often pointed out contradictions in his actions and he would point out that his perspective had changed based on new experiences and new facts. I found that refreshing.
Lastly, Ghandi was the leading Hindu of his times, but he embraced and advocated all religions. He saw the similarities between them, the common themes and threads, and went out of his way to support Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Parsi and Jewish causes throughout his life. He did not see much distinction between them. Again, I found this refreshing and largely in line with my own personal views.
Ghandi was completely overt about the fact that his thinking, his philosophy, his beliefs and his methods were constantly changing. People often pointed out contradictions in his actions and he would point out that his perspective had changed based on new experiences and new facts. I found that refreshing.
Lastly, Ghandi was the leading Hindu of his times, but he embraced and advocated all religions. He saw the similarities between them, the common themes and threads, and went out of his way to support Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Parsi and Jewish causes throughout his life. He did not see much distinction between them. Again, I found this refreshing and largely in line with my own personal views.
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