Mahatma Gandhi
Life lessons from a philosopher and pacifist
Mahatma Gandhi needs no introduction. As a legendary figure who championed peace and a philosophy of non-violence, he led India to independence from British rule in 1947. On his birthday, we reflect on the life advice of this spiritual leader whose words have inspired generations across the globe.
- An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.
- If you want to see change in the future, be that change in the present.
- The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
- Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.
- The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
- A small body of determined spirits, fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission, can alter the course of history.
- Love never claims, it ever gives. Love ever suffers, never resents, never revenges itself.
- The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
- It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err
- Conquer hate with love, falsehood with truth, and violence with patience.
- God is love, and this is the only truth I fully accept. Love equals God.
- True beauty lies in the purity of the heart.
Many films have been made about Gandhi; one of the most notable is “Gandhi,” a 1982 collaboration between Indian and British filmmakers that won 8 Academy Awards. In his honor, countless postage stamps and monuments have been created across the world. Gandhi is often referred to as the "Man of the Millennium."