Quotes and texts about
Gandhi
|
"I found in the
nonviolent resistance philosophy of Gandhi... the only morally and
practically sound method open to oppressed people in their struggle for
freedom."
[Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.] |
Gandhi has been a shining example for many
people, in particular for those who have been determined to do something about
resisting injustice. Many of these personalities are quoted on this page (quotes
about Gandhi). Gandhi's non-violent method of offering resistance was particularly
inspirational to Martin Luther King Jr., to
whom we have also dedicated a section (to
the section on Martin Luther King). King said:
 |
"I had driven to
Philadelphia one Sunday afternoon to listen to Dr. M. Johnson, the
Chairman of Howard University. He had just returned from a visit to
India and to my great delight wanted to talk about the life and
philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. His message was so profound and inspiring
that I immediately bought half a dozen books on his life and work after
the meeting. Like most others, I had heard of Gandhi but had never
studied him seriously. |
As I read his books I was fascinated by his
crusades of non-violent resistance. ...In his theory on love and non-violence I
discovered a method for creating social change. I became convinced that
non-violent struggle represented the only morally and practically sound
method open to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom. While reading
about Gandhi, King began to realize what Jesus of Nazareth had meant when he
said: "Show your enemies that you love them! Ask God to love those who
would persecute you!"
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Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize in 1964 at the age of 35 for his efforts in the
non-violent struggle for civil rights in the United States. The Chairman of the
Nobel Committee, Gunnar Jahn, explained in
his presentation speech:
"Martin Luther King's belief is rooted
first and foremost in the teaching of Christ, but no one can really understand
him unless aware that he has been influenced also by the great thinkers of the
past and the present. He has been inspired above all by Mahatma Gandhi, whose
example convinced him that it is possible to achieve victory in an unarmed
struggle. Before he had read about Gandhi, he had almost concluded that the
teaching of Jesus could only be put into practice as between individuals; but
after making a study of Gandhi he realized that he had been mistaken.
Gandhi" he says, "was probably the first person in history to lift the
love ethic of Jesus above mere interaction between individuals to a powerful and
effective social force..."
In Gandhi's teaching he found the answer to a question that had long troubled
him: How does one set about carrying out a social reform?
"I found " he tells us, "in the nonviolent resistance philosophy
of Gandhi... the only morally and practically sound method open to oppressed
people in their struggle for freedom."
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Other
quotes on Gandhi
"Gandhi's
way of thinking can lead directly to political structures in a future
world, in which a nation is much better protected without nuclear
weapons than it would be with them, structures in which a country's own
interests are better followed by respecting the interests of other
nations rather than ignoring them. This was the unique example given to
us by Gandhi that has shown us that persistent personal commitment
together with total rejection of violence can lead to large-scale
political success. We are all in his debt for showing us this"
[Werner Heisenberg] |
|
"Mahatma Gandhi
will always be remembered as long as free men and those who love freedom
and justice live."
[Haile Selassie I.] |
"The name Mahatma
Gandhi has become synonymous with right and justice; towards this end it
has become an inspiration to millions of oppressed people and has kindled
the light of liberty."
[Haile Selassie I.] |
|
"If humanity is
to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. He lived, thought, and acted,
inspired by the vision of humanity evolving toward a world of peace and
harmony. We may ignore him at our own risk."
[Martin Luther King, Jr.] |
"Gandhi resisted
evil with as much vigor and power as the violent resister, but he resisted
with love instead of hate. True pacifism is not unrealistic submission to
evil power. It is rather a courageous confrontation of evil by the power
of love."
[Martin Luther King, Jr.] |
|
"Many of his
principles have universal application and eternal validity, and I hope
the passing years will show that his faith in the efficacy of
non-violent pressure as an agent for peacful change is as justified
today all over the world as it was in his time in India."
[U Thant] |
"Not since Buddha
has India so reverenced any man. Not since St. Francis of Assissi has any
life known to history been so marked by gentleness, disinterestedness,
simplicity of soul and forgiveness of enemies. We have the astonishing
phenomenon of a revolution led by a saint."
[Will Durant] |
|
"And then the
light of Gandhi shone. He demonstrated that a doctrine of non-violence
was possible."
[Arnold Zweig] |
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Other materials
 |
Movie
about the life of Mahatma Gandhi:
You will find a description of the film by Richard Attenborough on the film
page. |
 |
The Mandela
page contains a text by Nelson Mandela
on Mahatma Gandhi. |
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