essay on gandhiji principles
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The 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi starts today and gives us an opportunity to recall the four fundamental principles that Mahatma Gandhi taught: Truth (satya), non-violence (ahimsa), welfare of all (sarvodaya) and peaceful protest (satyagraha). These principles can hold people together and hence form the backbone of dharma, which means “to hold together”.
Satya means oneness in your thoughts, speech and actions. Gandhi believed that “there is no religion higher than truth”. The Yoga-shastras as well as the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali propagate truthfulness as one of the main components for living a disciplined life.
Gandhi preached the concept of “experimenting with truth”, a phrase that also formed the subtitle to his autobiography. He taught how to learn through trial and error, often admitting to mistakes and changing one’s behavior accordingly. Non observance of truthfulness is the root cause of any corruption in the society.
Ahimsa teaches us the path of non violence. It should be practiced not only in actions but also in thoughts and speech. Ahimsa also forms the basis of Jainism and Hinduism as a religion.
The third principle is sarvodaya or welfare for all. The basic fundamental teaching of the Vedic science is also based on sarvodaya. It talks about “bahujan hitay-bahujan sukhay” – “the good of the masses, the benefit of the masses”. Gandhi found in it a composite concept of social welfare and economic justice. Any action, which is aimed and seems to be aimed at the welfare of the people will be accepted by all.
Satyagraha is protest based on satya (path of truthfulness) and non violence and includes peaceful demonstrations, prolonged fasts etc. i.e. a non violence-based civil resistance. It is based on the law of persistence. Satyagraha is formed by two Sanskrit words satya (truth) and agraha (holding firmly to or firmness). Gandhi said “Satyagraha is a weapon of the strong; it admits of no violence under any circumstance whatsoever; and it ever insists upon truth”. He said that if you are firm in the truth in the long run you are going to win.
These are basic principles that doctors should also follow as doctors not only need to be scientifically and legally correct, they also should be morally and ethically correct. Non-maleficence (do no harm) and beneficence (do good) are the pillars of medical ethics
Even as years roll by, the Gandhian principles remain evergreen and hold power to enlighten the entire world. His simple life, rich values, and enriching wisdom made him uproot the mighty British Empire. On pillars of truth and non-violence, he offers solutions, through his different principles, on issues of society, economy, politics, and human substance.
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind: Gandhiji built his movement of Satyagraha on value premises of truth and non-violence. These proved to be the biggest arsenal to annihilate the empire. The use of brutal force on peaceful and unrelenting non-violent masses exposed the brutality and insensitivity of Britishers. The methodology appealed to the conscience. It is based on the assumption of the basic goodness of humanity.
In a nuclear-armed world of tanks and missiles, the relevance of these values can still not be questioned. They still form the tenants of Indian foreign policy and ‘ their reflection is found in our “no-first-use” clause in the nuclear arena. India believes in remaining prepared as the security challenges accumulate, but aggression fails to find support in our strategies in global interactions. Even on a personal level, being truthful is the most satisfying experience for a conscience-driven person and also ends up as most rewarding in the long run. ‘Satyamev Jayate’ was vindicated when tricolor unfurled in 1947 and brought a new dawn for the nation.
Gandhian Satyagraha proved effective not only due to ideology but also due to their timings. Gandhiji had a knack of sensing the mood of the nation. This connection to the masses emerged from his genuine concern to the pain of every individual – labor, farmer, worker, and students. In present-day society, apathy has become the biggest curse. We are losing sensitivity for fellow human beings by enveloping ourselves in tight schedules and work pressures.
This sensitivity in Gandhian philosophy for all living creatures. On his farms, he would himself attend to injured sheep or goat, even while busy with larger national issues. Humanity can offer no excuses for waiting. The world community must learn this simple Gandhian lesson to fight multiple problems of society. With little efforts and sympathy, we can improve the lives of animals and people around us, by understanding the “peer parai” and rising to the occasion. His successful mass-movements soon elevated him as the most followed mass-leader. In spite of his popularity, he remained grounded. ‘Simple living and high thinking’ was the adage he lived by, undertaking rigorous fasts and largely depending on fruits and nuts; he exemplified the way of living in harmony with nature. He believed in mother earth’s capacity but cautioned, “Earth has enough for everyone’s needs, but not for their greed.