Gandhi: On the 62nd Anniversary of His Death

Dear Collegaues:

Sixty-two years ago today, Mahatma Gandhi was murdered.

Let us meditate for several minutes today on Gandhi’s fundamental teaching of Ahimsa, or nonviolence.

Gandhi said many things worth meditating upon. Two of my favorites are:

You must be the change you want to see in the world.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

Remember that violence is the problem; it is not ever going to be the solution. If we want real change, we must change. We must experience a revolution of the heart in which we realize that peace is the only path to pursue. Every other path will lead us astray.

Practice peace and nonviolence in your everyday life; in every interaction that you have. That does not mean that you do not speak the truth. Gandhi was insistent on satyagraha, or holding firmly to truth. But he believed that we should always express that truth without violence in our thoughts, words, and deeds.

Gary L. Francione
©2010 Gary L. Francione