THOUGHTS

 

THOUGHTS

1. Before you do anything, stop and recall the face of the poorest most helpless destitute person you have seen and ask yourself, Is what I am about to do going to help him?

2. It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.

3. Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good.

4. Consciously or unconsciously, everyone of us does render some service or another. If we cultivate the habit of doing this service deliberately, our desire for service will steadily grow stronger, and it will make not only for our own happiness, but that of the world at large.

5. A person who is worried about the outcome of his work does not see his goal; he sees only his opposition and the obstacles before him.

6. Service that is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures as possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.

7. An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.

8. Truth quenches untruth, love quenches anger, self-suffering quenches violence. This eternal rule is a rule not for saints only but for all.

9. In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.

10. I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.

11. Non-violence, which is the quality of the heart, cannot come by an appeal to the brain.

12. Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.

13. Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit.

14. To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being. The more helpless the creature, the more that it is entitled to protection by man from the cruelty of man.

15. Non-violence and cowardice are contradictory terms. Non-violence is the greatest virtue, cowardice the greatest vice. Non-violence springs from love, cowardice from hate. Non-violence always suffers, cowardice would always inflict suffering. Perfect non-violence is the highest bravery. Non-violent conduct is never demoralising; cowardice always is.

16. A “No “ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a Yes merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.

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

18. A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.

19. Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

20. My work will be finished if I succeed in carrying conviction to the human family that every man or woman, however weak in body, is the guardian of his or her self-respect and liberty, and that this defence prevails though the world be against the individual resister.

21. There are times when you have to obey a call which is the highest of all, i.e. the voice of conscience even though such obedience may cost many a bitter tear, and even more, separation from friends, from family, from the state, to which you may belong, from all that you have held as dear as life itself. For this obedience is the law of our being.

22. The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within.

23. Morality which depends upon the helplessness of a man or woman has not much to recommend it. Morality is rooted in the purity of our hearts. ( in respect to freedom)

24. The moment there is suspicion about a person’s motives, everything he does becomes tainted.

25. It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow beings.

26. Gentleness, self-sacrifice and generosity are the exclusive possession of no one race or religion.

27. Hatred ever kills, Love never dies, such is the vast difference between the two. What is obtained by love is retained for all time. What is obtained by hatred proves a burden in reality, for it increases hatred.

28. The test of friendship is assistance in adversity, and that too, unconditional assistance, Co-operation which needs consideration is as a commercial contract and not friendship. Conditional co-operation is like adulterated cement which does not bind.

29. Capital as such is not evil; it is its wrong use that is evil. Capital in some form or other will always be needed.

30. When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall — think of it, always.

31. First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

32. Public opinion alone can keep a society pure and healthy.

33. Adaptability is not imitation. It means power of resistance and assimilation.

34. The only virtue I want to claim is truth and non-violence. I lay no claim to super-human powers. I want none. I wear the same corruptible flesh that the weakest of my fellow beings wears, and am therefore as liable to err as any. My services have many limitations, but God has up to now blessed them in spite of the imperfections.

35. Literary education is of no value, if it is not able to build up a sound character.

36. I worship God as Truth only. I have not yet found Him, but I am seeking after Him. I am prepared to sacrifice the things dearest to me in pursuit of this quest. Even if the sacrifice demanded by very life, I hope I may be prepared to give it.

37. Non-violence requires a double faith, faith in God and also faith in man.

38. Excel in your work, produce wealth, take the minimum which you need, leave the rest to the welfare of the community.