On the afternoon of January 30, 1948, Gandhi was shot and killed by a Muslim youth. Before he died, he shouted: "God".
An ordinary body, but the spirit goes a little further, but forever locks the noble soul.
"" The deceased at this grand funeral is the same as when he was alive, a commoner with no wealth, no assets, and no relationship. Mahatma Gandhi was neither a military general nor the ruler of a vast land. He has no scientific achievements to boast of, nor is he a famous artist. However, people from all over the world, including government representatives and high-ranking officials, gathered here to pay their last respects to the small, brown-skinned man in the loincloth. He led India towards independence. Marshall said that Mahatma Gandhi was the voice of human conscience. He is humility, the simple force of truth triumphing over empire. Einstein said that it may be difficult for future generations to believe that such a person has ever appeared in the world.
Go back to 1893, the year Gandhi went to South Africa.
Before that, Gandhi had always demanded himself by the standards of being an English gentleman, wearing a suit, tie, and brushed hair. He devoted himself to studying in the UK, and even got himself removed from the caste, and finally obtained a lawyer's qualification in the UK. If Gandhi hadn't gone to South Africa later, perhaps he would have been an ordinary but well-earned lawyer.
Gandhi spent most of his youth in South Africa. He went to South Africa to fight for the rights of Indian indentured laborers working there. Indentured labour is an Indian who travels from India to South Africa to work under contract with the British government. The duration of the contract is usually five years or even less.
These Indian laborers have a disgusting title in South Africa called "coolies", similar to the "untouchables" and "untouchables" in India, called "devadu" in Gujarati. The coolies lived in ghettos in squalid conditions, and the British did not care about their hygiene.
It's not just workers who are being treated unfairly. All Indians must have a pass to prove their identity in the streets, and it is strictly forbidden to go to the streets after 9 pm, which is obvious racial discrimination. Most Indians here are absentee, or farm workers, most Europeans don't want them to do other things, Indians are not allowed to walk on the sidewalk with Christians.
"All Indians are required to have their fingerprints, just like criminals, male or female. Marriages are void without a Christian ceremony. Under this law our wives and mothers are all prostitutes and all men are Bastards. When the police pass by an Indian house. It's not a home, you can go in and check the documents of any man or woman living there. Understand? He doesn't need to stand at the door and wait, he can just go in.
At a Congress Party rally in South Africa, Gandhi publicly tore down the passports that symbolized slavery and affiliation.
Faced with jail time, he chooses to obey and draws his energy from experiments in pursuit of truth from religion, vegetarianism, and even hunger strikes.
I was surprised at first, but when you fight for justice, all of a sudden there are many people popping up one by one, even if there is danger. The New Testament does not say that when the enemy hits you on the right cheek, the left cheek is also sent to you. I often think of this phrase. I think this may mean that a person must have the courage to be willing to accept blows, many times, to prove that he does not fight back, but also does not back down. Doing so can arouse the human nature, reduce the hatred of the other party, and make the other party have a heart of respect. I think Jesus understood the meaning, and I have experienced it myself.
Perhaps it was a mixture of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism that led Gandhi firmly on the path of "non-violence" and his belief that all people are children of God.
In truth, Gandhi said, the epiphany is usually something as simple as the phrase "love your neighbor as yourself."
To encourage the people of India to pick up their own independent life, Gandhi established autonomous farms in South Africa called Aslang, which means community and also represents village or world.
Self-government is the goal, and self-production is the way. This has always been the purpose of the Congress Party. He took the form of the idea of "non-violence" in the Indian Labour Manifesto in South Africa.
"I need this courage because I am willing to sacrifice for it too. But friends, I will not kill for any ideal. No matter what they do to us, we will never fight back, never kill.
But we also never print fingerprints, not anyone. They would lock us up, fine us money, and confiscate our property. But as long as we persevere, no one can take away our self-esteem.
I beg you to fight against them, against their graves, not to provoke their wrath.
We will never attack them, but we will be attacked. Through the pain we endure, they will see their injustice, which is as deadly as attacking them.
But we will not lose, absolutely not.
They can torture me, break my bones, and even kill me. And all they got was a corpse, not my submission.
We are Hindus and Muslims, all people of God, each one. Let us swear in the name of God and never bow our heads to this law. "
However, even though Gandhi opposed the laws that oppressed Indians, he did not confront British rule head-on in the early days.
At least when working in South Africa, Gandhi espoused the belief: "We are all citizens of the British Empire."
My allegiance to British rule made me choose to take the British side in the war. I believe that if I want to enjoy my rights as a British citizen, I must fulfill my duty to defend the British Empire. I thought then that India could be liberated only within the framework of the British Empire. - "Gandhi's Autobiography"
During the First World War, Gandhi also encouraged the Indian people to participate in the war to help Britain. This move seems to be contrary to the idea of "non-violence", after all, war is the most lethal. But Gandhi did not think so. Instead, he believed that active participation in war to free the world from war was an expression of "non-violence":
"Non-violence" is a very broad concept. At the end of the day, we're just mortals struggling in a world of slaughter.
The saying "Life is born for life" contains profound philosophy. Whether people realize it or not, everyone needs to rely on outside killing every moment to survive. As long as people need food, clothing, shelter and transportation for a moment, certain crimes will be committed, and lives will be harmed, no matter how small.
A man who aspires to non-violence can be said to have remained faithful if all his actions were out of compassion, if he did his best to avoid harm, even the tiniest of lives, and even try to save them. own beliefs, and constantly strive to break free from the cycle of killing. He can be more and more restrained and compassionate, but he can never be completely free from the killings of the outside world.
Any human life is a potential killing. If one makes a mistake, everyone is guilty. It is also impossible for humans to be completely free from killing. As long as he is still a member of human society, an individual cannot escape the inherent killing of this society. When two countries go to war, those who are committed to the pursuit of nonviolence should stop it. If you are not up to this duty, if you do not have the ability and qualifications to stop the war, you should participate in the war and do your best to free yourself, the country and the world from this war as soon as possible.
From a nonviolent point of view, there is absolutely no difference between going to war and not going to war. Volunteering for a robber, whether it's driving them, letting them out while they work, or caring for them when they're injured, is no different than taking part in a robbery in person. By the same token, even just taking care of the wounded is not immune to the brutality of war.
- "Gandhi's Autobiography"
In 1915, Gandhi returned to Bombay, India from South Africa. At this point he stopped wearing English suits, opting instead to wear toti made of Indian cotton.
This little-known lawyer became a national hero in an instant.
This time, Gandhi decided to see the real India, an India made up of cattle, farmland, rice and villages, not the India seen by the British.
"It pains me to see the princes adorned like women. They wear silk toga, pearl necklaces around their necks, bracelets around their wrists, and fringes of pearls and gems on their headscarves. In addition, the swords that were attached to the belt, and the rests made of gold. I found that these were not symbols of dignity at all, but proved that they were only slaves." - "Autobiography of Gandhi"
For this trip to India, Gandhi chose to take the third-class carriage, because the general public in India can only take the third-class carriage. Gandhi found that the third-class carriage was very dirty, and the people did not know that their behavior was dirty and bad. Because they cannot control their own destiny, they simply spurn it.
"The hangar for third-class passengers was undoubtedly caused by the arrogant attitude of the railway authorities. But the rudeness, selfishness and ignorance of the passengers themselves also exacerbated the problem.
It's also hateful that they often have no idea that their actions are bad dirty selfish. They take everything for granted in everything they do, and it all stems from us educated folks because of our indifference to them. "
Also in the same year, May 25, 1915, the practice of "non-violence and non-cooperation" was established.
A very important principle in "nonviolence and noncooperation" is humility and self-purification.
Cleanliness symbolizes the real Indian ownership of the land: "When one is no longer the owner of the land, the health will not be better. Cleanliness is the pride of an Indian."
"Real humility is self-imposed exile, liberation. If humility itself is a little illusory and cannot be a real goal, but in order to achieve humility, there are many other goals that can be achieved through real effort. If one seeks liberation and service to others without any humility, selflessness, then he will never achieve his goals. If there is a lack of humility in the process of serving others, then the behavior is selfish and self-centered. "
Despite the repeal of the £3 poll tax on Natal indentured workers under the Smozs-Gandhi agreement. However, indentured in general, Indian indentured workers have not been spared this unfair clause. In March 1916, Malavia proposed to the Imperial Legislative Council to abolish the indentured labor system. Upon receipt of this proposal, Lord Harding of the United Kingdom declared that he had received a promise from the government that the system would be abolished in due course. The right period is too vague and vague for Gandhi to accept.
"But I think India should not accept this vague promise and abolish the system immediately. The reason why India has endured the system for so long is entirely out of its own ignorance."
At this point something happened, just in time for Gandhi to practice the principle of "non-violence" very well.
before 1917. Indigo tree plantations can be found everywhere in Champalan. Three out of every 20 plots of land, farmers need to plant indigo for the landlords. This system is called the three-kata system. For years, landlords have ordered farmers to grow indigo to dye fabrics, with a portion of the harvest as rent. But later, the British destroyed the local cloth market in India with industrial machinery. Everyone bought cloth from the British, and no one asked for the indigo dye from the farmers. Even if the cloth could not be sold, the British landlords still required the farmers to pay the rent in cash, which caused the local farmers to fall into poverty and famine.
Gandhi actively fought for the rights and interests of local farmers. It also made him realize that only true autonomy and rooted in the countryside can save India. This time, the Indian people should solve their own problems by themselves.
As early as 1908 to 1909, Gandhi stated in the article "Indian Autonomy" that the handloom and the hand-spinning wheel were the best medicines to save India from poverty: "What can lift India out of mass poverty must also It can help India achieve self-government.”
After the end of World War I, calls for Indian autonomy grew louder. In India, the one with the greatest potential to lead India's self-government is the Congress Party. In the Congress Party's view, self-government and self-produced status are equal.
"I've been traveling all over India since I came back. I know that even after traveling for a few years, I can only see a small part of India. It's meaningless to fellow citizens.
Here we speak to each other and maybe publish a few of our words in those British liberal magazines. However, for the Indian people, it is meaningless, and their politics are limited to bread and salt. They may be illiterate, but it's not that they have no reason to pledge allegiance to powerful people who are just taking the opportunity to replace Britain in the name of freedom.
Congress declared to the world that they represented India. Brothers, there are 700,000 villages in India, not just a few hundred lawyers in New Delhi and Mumbai. Unless we are like those who work hard under the scorching sun. Otherwise, we do not represent India and we cannot stand up to Britain in the name of the country. - "Gandhi Biography"
On February 6, 1919, the Anglo-Indian Legislative Assembly passed the Rowlatt Act. The bill allows the police to arbitrarily arrest individuals suspected of officialdom, without a public trial, to long-term prison terms. It was in this harsh legal context that the Amritsar massacre occurred - British General Dale ordered the shooting of Indians.
Maybe the British government just doesn't believe that a small Indian with a sallow face can cause any sparks in India.
They did not expect that Gandhi did it through "non-violent non-cooperation":
“I had an idea last night. We should call for an industry-wide strike across the country. Nonviolent non-cooperation is a process of self-purification. Our struggle is a sacred struggle, a struggle of a self-purification campaign. I think it is very appropriate. That is to say, all Indians stopped their work on that day to go on a hunger strike and pray. Muslims can't go on a hunger strike for more than a day, so the duration of the hunger strike is 24 hours.
It is difficult to say how many provinces will answer our call. But I'm pretty sure Mumbai, Madras, Bihar and Sindh will join us. I think we should be satisfied even if there are only a few places with an industry-wide strike. But who could have predicted the final result? There was an industry-wide strike that night across India, both in towns and villages. It's an amazing sight. "
This light comes from what Gandhi saw and heard in rural India.
The land, the upright and industrious farmers, the herds of animals, the hand-looms, this is the real India.
This is the origin of the Home Cloth Movement, also known as the Boycott of British Products.
Gandhi is an ideal man. The whole world can't wait to step into the dreamland of the industrial world, but he said no, to go back, go back to the countryside, go back to the past, how ideal.
Whenever the people of India deviate slightly from the principle of "non-violence and non-cooperation" or resort to some violence against their beliefs, Gandhi would go on a hunger strike and use self-punishment to stop the riots.
This is not passive confrontation, and he himself has never advocated passive confrontation.
In fact, Gandhi wanted to embarrass people who want to enslave others.
He wants to change the hearts of these people, not kill them, just because they have the same weaknesses as everyone else.
"To hate those who are evil, not those who do evil." This "non-violent" thinking is the basis for the pursuit of truth. Day by day, I became more and more aware that such quests would be fruitless if they were not based on "non-violence". There is nothing wrong with opposing and attacking a system, but opposing and attacking the founder of the system is no different from opposing and attacking oneself.
Because we are all products of the same brush. To despise anyone is to despise divine power.
Therefore, doing so will not only hurt that particular person, but also the entire world. - "The Autobiography of Gandhi"
Churchill said that Gandhi was a half-naked Indian ascetic.
By the end of his life, Gandhi was more like a Jain: abstinent, abstaining from killing, abstaining from wealth, and advocating the equality of all things.
In my opinion, he is also a complete being, and where he is is what he thinks.
Only those who give themselves completely to God can become him.
His views on the partition of India and Pakistan also implemented this idea: Hindus and Muslims are both Indians.
Unfortunately, his god is not the god of all people.
Conclusion (taken from "Gandhi's Autobiography")
It is also painful in my heart to separate from readers, and I feel that these attempts are very important. I don't know if I have explained them clearly. Suffice to say, I did go to great lengths to ensure the veracity of the narrative.
What I've always sought is to have the truth that I experience and the way I experience it truthfully recorded, and in doing so give me an indescribable peace of mind. Because, I have always hoped that those who are at a loss can firmly believe in truth and non-violence. All my experiences have always convinced me that truth is the only God.
Every word of this book is showing the reader that the only way to achieve truth is through nonviolence. If you don't see this, it's safe to say that my labor in writing these chapters was in vain. Even if my efforts to this end are fruitless, I ask readers to understand that it is my method of speaking that is wrong, not the truth itself.
The brilliance of truth is indescribable, millions of times more intense than the sunlight we see all day long. And all I can see is its fleeting light. But through these attempts, one thing I can be sure of is that in order to understand the meaning of truth, nonviolence must be fully realized. To face the breath of truth that is everywhere, you must love the tiniest of beings as you love yourself. Those who seek truth must also understand all aspects of life, and for this reason my pursuit of truth ultimately led me to devotion to integrity.
With all my humility, I can say without hesitation that those who say that politics and religion have nothing to do with religion have no idea what religion means. In order for all things to be one, we must purify ourselves. Without self-purification, achieving non-violence is just an empty talk. Only when the heart is pure can one see the spirit. Therefore, self-purification means purifying all aspects of life.
Self-purification is also highly contagious, and the purity of the individual must bring the purity of the surrounding environment. However, the process of self-purification is full of hardships. To achieve complete purity, one must completely abandon the desire for thoughts and words and deeds, and be free from the torrent of love and hate.
Although I have been searching, even myself have not yet attained complete purity. Because of this, the praise the whole world has given me does not move me, but often causes me pain. To overcome inner desires, in my opinion, is more difficult than conquering the world by force. Ever since I returned to India, I have always felt a desire lurking in my heart, and every time I think about it, I feel ashamed. But I was not discouraged, these experiences and insights supported me and filled me with joy.
I know the road ahead will not be easy. I have to be as low as the dust, a person can only be redeemed if he is truly willing to be at the bottom. Nonviolence is the highest form of humility.
Saying goodbye to readers soon, I would like to invite you all to join me in praying to the God of Truth. Ask him to make us feel the grace of nonviolence in our words and deeds, both physically and mentally.
View more about Gandhi reviews
