Essays

Few men have ever had as much of an effect in our world as Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948), as he used the message of peace and love, rather than war and destruction. One time a prominent lawyer in South Africa, Gandhi gave up practicing law and returned to India in order to help ea the suffering of the repressed people of his homeland. Gandhi's love for people and his religious fervour made him a revolutionary in many of his ideas and actions. He desired to see India freed from British rule in a bloodless revolution, similar to the Glorious Revolution of Seventeenth Century England. Knowing that violence only begets violence, he began practising passive resistance, or as he called it, 'Satyagraha' which means holding onto truth In his famous Salt March of 1930, Gandhi and thousands of others marched to a coast where salt lay on the beaches, to protest the British Governments' prohibition against the Indians making their own salt. Though many were beaten  arrested and killed, no one fought back.                

Over the course of his life he led three major crusades rallied support for non-violent strikes, urged Indians to boycott anything British, and championed women's rights. Gandhi exemplified many characteristics of a great leader. His is love for the people of India was boundless, he wanted milling more than to serve and help them. Always putting others above himself, he sought to make himself even lower than the lowest member of the Hindu caste system. He even humbled himself to the point of sweeping up excrement left behind by others, hoping to teach that disease was spread in filth. One of his most admirable qualities was that he led by example and never preached that which the was not willing to do himself.

A common thread between Gandhi and many other great leaders was that no matter what he did, he did it to the best of his ability. He gave up his life and material possessions, Listed, toiled and suffered for his people and their cause. He showed that passiveness is not synonymous with weakness, and became a leader in the truest sense of the word.

Perhaps Gandhi's greatest contribution to the world continued long after his assassination in 1948. Few realize that had it not been for his influence, we may have never witnessed Martin Luther King Junior, the lunch counter Sit-ins, Rosa Parks, or Nelson Mandela's struggle against apartheid oppression in South Africa. These people and many more who have followed in his footsteps bear witness to Gandhi's leadership ability and his legacy that will continue for many centuries to come.

The most important quality that he possessed was the a tributes of knowledge and common sense. These attributes made him a very level headed man who knew how to treat his opponent with respect while stating the issue at hand. Gandhi achieved many accomplishments throughout his life. The most significant was that one man could make a difference within his own country that received worldwide recognition.

One of the reasons why Gandhi was such a success is that in order to be a great leader, one must possess a great deal of inner peace. He was very capable of doing so, and in return, the opposing side listened to what this man had to say.

One of the main terms used in Gandhi's philosophy is Satyagraha, which is the force of truth and love. This term can be applied to many different situations. Satyagraha has many different meanings, which is good because it allows people to interpret it in their own way. Webster's dictionary defines Satyagraha as 'insisting on' or 'the strong and obstinate inclination for'. Satyagraha can be used in both political as well as domestic situations. The individual must use his or her inner soul to achieve peacefulness, which is brought on by Satyagraha.

The term 'Ahisma' is the second principle of Gandhi's philosophy, which means 'non-violence to all living things.' The term is also associated with truth. Ahisma also means having no intention to kill. This is what gave Gandhi and those who followed him, the ability not to strike back. They were able to look within themselves and find peace. An example of how this philosophy played out can be found in an example story told by Gandhi to help others understand how not to fight back with force. The story said that a man was trying to save a scorpion that kept biting him. When asked why did he keep trying to save the scorpion, the man stated that he was a human being and that it was his nature to save, just as it was. the nature of the scorpion to bite Gandhi was able to declare that he applied true non-violence to every part of his life. Domestic, institutional, economic, and political problems could all be dealt with by using Satyagraha. Satyagraha can be looked at as a method for resolving conflict. One of the main points is to try and win the trust of the other side. When this is accomplished, the two opposing sides can talk out their differences and try to put an end to them.

Satyagraha also uses the readiness to suffer and not fight back. The citizens of India were successful in doing so. Gandhi's followers were repeatedly beaten and abused by authorities in the struggle for freedom. They were able to search within their own souls and find the strength to resist violence.

The four main weapons used by the satyagraha are sympathy, trust, patience, and the willingness to suffer. The relationship with the opponent can later become one that is full of trust, respect, and cooperation. When this type of relationship is obtained, conflict and tension will be resolved. Although this idea seems almost impossible to accomplish, Gandhi did succeed in getting his followers to put in extreme amounts of effort to achieve peace.

In today's world, three different types of situations can be aided through the practice of Satyagraha. They are. self, family, and work. Once the true understanding of the term Satyagraha is developed, it becomes possible for conflicts within these situations to become resolved. Gandhi's hunger strikes, marches, and civil disobedience acts were crucial towards his accomplishment of peace. His followers were very faithful and were able to make a statement that got the attention of the British government.

Gandhi had a great deal of success in showing to the world exactly how non-violent resistance could make a difference. He was a very educated man and possessed the qualities necessary to be a great leader.

The term Satyagraha is very complex and is accompanied with great dedication. To fight back without violence takes a huge amount of inner self control, a certain peace of mind, and the physical ability not to strike back. The country of India was able to show to the world that non-violent resistance can make a difference.

In conclusion, the works of Gandhi were very successful. He was able to prove that the country of India, which was thought not to have power, did indeed possess an enormous amount of power. He showed that this power was different, because India's power did not lie in the use of weapons or money. Rather India's power was found within Satyagraha, the 'soul-force' power. What Gandhi accomplished was inspiring and he showed Westerners a new way to deal with conflict.