E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi’s Non-violence… 35conventional political relationships based on power and selfinterest,and makes love a way of a sharing common life. Heequated ahimsa with compassion and the latter with active love.For Gandhi ahimsa meant both passive and active love,refraining from causing harm and destruction to living beingsas well as positively promoting their well-being. Love impliesidentification with and service of all living beings. Its oppositesare malevolence and selfishness. 7Love for Gandhi meant identification with and serviceof all sentient and non sentient beings. Selfishness meansputting oneself over others and pursuing one’s gains at theexpense of others. Therefore, violence means inflicting harmupon others out of selfishness or ill will. According to Gandhi,“Non-violence in its positive aspect as benevolence is thegreatest force because of the limitless scope it affords for selfsufferingwithout causing or intending any physical or materialinjury to the wrong-doer.” 8 One can convert the opponents byreaching out to them through self suffering. In Gandhi’s words,“Suffering is infinitely more powerful than the law of thejungle for converting the opponent and opening his ears, whichare otherwise shut, to the voice of reason.” 9 It entails personalengagement and defies fatalism.Gandhi nurtured self-confidence among his countrymensuffering from the humiliation and also coaxed them to take acritical look at themselves. His concept of non-violence asactive love leading to service of fellow-men presented a radicaldeparture from Indian traditions.Non-violence as a Way of LifeFor Gandhi, the pursuit of non-violence is a way of lifewherein constant self-examination and rigorous discipline arerequired. It demands the existence of virtues like humility,sincerity and selfless service to others. Non-violence is not justan idea but something like a scientific instrument that can be,