“I realised that in refusing to take a vow man was drawn into temptation, and that to be bound by a vow was like a passage from libertinism to a real monogamous marriage. “I believe in effort, I do not want to bind myself with vows,” is the mentality of weakness and betrays a subtle desire for the thing to be avoided. Or where can be the difficulty in making a final decision? I vow to flee from the serpent which I know will bite me, I do not simply make an effort to flee from him. I know that mere effort may mean certain death. Mere effort means ignorance of the certain fact that the serpent is bound to kill me. The fact, therefore, that I could rest content with an effort only, means that I have not yet clearly realised the necessity of definite action. “But supposing my views are changed in the future, how can I bind myself by a vow?” Such a doubt often deters us. But that doubt also betrays a lack of clear perception that a particular thing must be renounced.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“We must be ever courteous and patient with those who do not see eye to eye with us. We must resolutely refuse to consider our opponents as enemies.”
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Mahatma Gandhi
“I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the culture of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“There are many causes that I am prepared to die for, but no causes that I am prepared to kill for.”
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Mahatma Gandhi
“Peace between countries must rest on the solid foundation of love between individuals.”
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Mahatma Gandhi
“Words like aparigraha (non-possession) and samabhava (equability) gripped me. How to cultivate and preserve that equability was the question.”
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Mahatma Gandhi
“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“to believe in something and not live it is dishonest.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
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Mahatma Gandhi
“I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown of my feet by any.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“I cannot conceive of a greater loss than the loss of one's self-respect.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
