[caption id="attachment_223" align="aligncenter" width="240"] A2FP81 Rare studio photograph of Mahatma Gandhi taken in London England UK at the request of Lord Irwin 1931[/caption] Mahatma Gandhi, whose full name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was one of the most prominent leaders of India's independence movement. Born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Gujarat, Gandhi is widely recognized for his philosophy of nonviolence (ahimsa) and truth (satya). His approach to social and political struggles was revolutionary, not just for India, but for the world. Gandhi's life was marked by his unwavering commitment to nonviolence and his belief in peaceful resistance as a means of achieving social and political change. He led the Indian independence movement with the principle of "Satyagraha," a method of nonviolent protest. This approach aimed to resist injustice without resorting to violence, and it became the cornerstone of his leadership in India’s fight against British colonial rule. Under his leadership, India fought for freedom, and in 1947, after decades of struggle, India gained independence. Beyond political activism, Gandhi also worked towards social reform, advocating for the removal of untouchability, promoting religious harmony, and encouraging education for all, especially for women and the marginalized. He was also deeply concerned about the economic welfare of the Indian people and emphasized self-reliance through his famous "Swadeshi" movement, which encouraged the use of Indian-made goods. Gandhi’s influence extended beyond India. His philosophy of nonviolent resistance inspired civil rights movements and leaders around the world, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. He taught that the most powerful weapon against oppression was not violence, but the commitment to truth and love. Despite his peaceful approach, Gandhi faced severe opposition and was even imprisoned several times by the British authorities. However, his resolve remained strong, and he continued to advocate for justice and peace until his death. On January 30, 1948, Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist, but his legacy remains immortal. Mahatma Gandhi’s life and teachings have left a profound impact on the world. He believed that change starts with individuals and that one should be the change they wish to see in the world. His ideas continue to inspire movements for social justice, human rights, and peace globally.
  1. "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
  2. "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."
  3. "In a gentle way, you can shake the world."
  4. "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
  5. "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
  6. "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."
  7. "A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes."
  8. "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."
  9. "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
  10. "It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver."
  11. "The best way to predict your future is to create it."
  12. "You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist."
  13. "A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people."
  14. "It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important."
  15. "Live simply so that others may simply live."
  16. "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
  17. "Truth is one, but the paths to it are many."
  18. "I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent."
  19. "You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."
  20. "There is more to life than simply increasing its speed."
  21. "Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."
  22. "Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization."
  23. "A man who was once the king of his kingdom, gave it all up to follow his truth."
  24. "Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong."
  25. "Poverty is the worst form of violence."
  26. "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
  27. "You don’t have to be a politician to serve the country. Everyone can do something for their country."
  28. "Peace is its own reward."
  29. "The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems."
  30. "I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson to conserve my energy. And not to waste it in meaningless, useless thoughts."
  31. "Man can never be a complete man unless he lives in accordance with the fundamental principles of truth."
  32. "To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest."
  33. "The best way to fight evil is not to imitate it."
  34. "I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet."
  35. "The world has enough for everyone's need, but not everyone's greed."
  36. "A true soldier does not fight for the love of violence, but for the love of peace."
  37. "You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind."
  38. "To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer."
  39. "Action expresses priorities."
  40. "No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive."
  41. "The first step in non-violent protest is non-cooperation."
  42. "It is the law of love that rules mankind."
  43. "A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave."
  44. "There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure."
  45. "An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching."
  46. "My life is my message."
  47. "When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won."
  48. "In the end, it is not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years."
  49. "There is no path to peace; peace is the path."
  50. "In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place."
  51. "The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within."
  52. "Nothing has saddened me so much in life as the hardness of the heart of the people."
  53. "To me, every hour is a golden one, every day is a holiday. I am content with what I have."
  54. "God has no religion."
  55. "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves."
  56. "There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed."
  57. "We must become the change we want to see."
  58. "Silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly."
  59. "Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory."
  60. "It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence."
  61. "You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created."
  62. "The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but it is fear."
  63. "There is no god higher than truth."
  64. "I want freedom for the full expression of my personality."
  65. "What do I think of Western civilization? I think it would be a very good idea."
  66. "Self-reliance is the key to a successful future."
  67. "A person who is true to himself will not be afraid to stand alone."
  68. "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today."
  69. "I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and Nonviolence are as old as the hills."
  70. "You must not hate those who have done you wrong. This is the first step towards healing."
  71. "When we are successful, we have no time to be critical of others."
  72. "Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier."
  73. "A true democracy is one in which everyone is free, everyone is equally represented."
  74. "You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist."
  75. "Take care to be an example to others in everything that you do."
  76. "You are as much as your thoughts, your ideas, your actions."
  77. "Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good."
  78. "Live simply so that others may simply live."
  79. "Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth."
  80. "There is no true love without forgiveness."
  81. "Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary."
  82. "The future depends on what we do in the present."
  83. "To serve is to live."
  84. "Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes."
  85. "The way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
  86. "A person who is not able to love is not able to live."
  87. "Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self-sustained."
  88. "A person’s true wealth is the good he or she does in the world."
  89. "I believe that a man is the strongest when he is the most gentle."
  90. "The more I read about the lives of great men, the more I realize that they were humble."
  91. "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
  92. "It is my own firm belief that the strength of the soul grows in direct proportion to the number of truths that one can accept."
  93. "The good man is the friend of all living things."
  94. "Truth alone will endure, all the rest will be swept away before the tide of time."
  95. "You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them."
  96. "I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides, and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible."
  97. "The only real failure in life is not to be true to what one knows."
  98. "Be the change that you wish to see in the world."
  99. "What you think, you become."
  100. "True love is not about perfection, it is hidden in the imperfections of a person."
  101. "Nonviolence is the most powerful force ever known to mankind."
  102. "Without action, you are not going anywhere."
  103. "The soul that is within us is pure and knows only love."
  104. "A healthy body is the guest-chamber of the soul; a sick body is a prison."
  105. "One cannot be in a constant state of fear and hatred."
  106. "We must not allow other people’s limited perceptions to define us."
  107. "I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and Nonviolence are as old as the hills."
  108. "Truth is the law of human life."
  109. "You must not give up hope in mankind, for there is always light in the darkest of times."
  110. "To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest."
  111. "Faith is not something that is required from others, but something that we must learn to live with."
  112. "An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching."
  113. "Mankind’s greatest achievements were born from sacrifice."
  114. "The highest form of human excellence is to question oneself and live a truthful life."
  115. "The first and greatest commandment is: Love thy neighbor as thyself."
  116. "People often become what they believe themselves to be."
  117. "I want to see the whole world in peace and happiness."
  118. "Don’t measure a man’s success by his wealth. Measure it by the impact of his work."
  119. "One who does not know how to love will never know how to live."
  120. "To be content with what you have is the greatest treasure."
  121. "A nation’s culture is found in its people, not in its economy."
  122. "Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood."
  123. "The more you simplify, the more you live."
  124. "The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively."
  125. "You may never know what results come of your actions, but if you do nothing, there will be no results."
  126. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
  127. "Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person."
  128. "There is no path to peace. Peace is the path."
  129. "In the attitude of silence, the soul finds the path in a clearer light."
  130. "To the weak, truth is not good enough; they want power."
  131. "We must never forget that there is no privacy in public life."
  132. "When you are right, you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative."
  133. "Love is the strongest force in the world."
  134. "A man’s duty is to contribute to the good of the world, through service to others."
  135. "Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth."
  136. "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it."
  137. "The real test of civilization is not in how well it accommodates the wealthy, but in how it cares for the poor."
  138. "Self-sacrifice is the real test of one’s sincerity."
  139. "Fear is the enemy of love."
  140. "Peace is the only way to end violence."
  141. "I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill."
  142. "Nonviolence is the weapon of the strong."
  143. "The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace."
  144. "Hate the sin, love the sinner."
  145. "I want freedom for the full expression of my personality."
  146. "The law of love could be best understood and learned through little children."
  147. "Truth is the most important thing in life."
  148. "The best way to get rid of your problems is to love them."
  149. "Forgiveness is the quality of the brave."
  150. "If we want to change the world, we must change ourselves."
  151. "You have to live with yourself. Be yourself."
  152. "What is true for one, is true for all."
  153. "An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community, is in reality expressing the very highest respect for law."
  154. "The simplest way to live a life is to be true to yourself."
  155. "Service to humanity is the best work of life."
  156. "If you have no confidence in yourself, you are twice defeated in the race of life."
  157. "The best use of life is to invest it in something that will outlast it."
  158. "The only lasting truth is the law of love."
  159. "The first step in the nonviolent way is not to harm anybody in any way."
  160. "Nothing is more frightening than the fear of the unknown."
  161. "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts."
  162. "My life is my message."
  163. "A happy family is but an earlier heaven."
  164. "The world is the way we see it; if we change our perceptions, the world changes."
  165. "You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."
  166. "I want freedom for all the people of the world."
  167. "Life is a collection of moments; make them count."
  168. "Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice."
  169. "The world will be saved by the poor in spirit."
  170. "When the mind is pure, the world will be pure."
  171. "You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."
  172. "Nothing is impossible for a willing heart."
  173. "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
  174. "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."
  175. "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
  176. "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."
  177. "In a gentle way, you can shake the world."
  178. "Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory."
  179. "Live simply so that others may simply live."
  180. "It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver."
  181. "Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes."
  182. "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
  183. "I believe that a man is the strongest when he is the most gentle."
  184. "The more I read about the lives of great men, the more I realize that they were humble."
  185. "You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them."
  186. "You must not give up hope in mankind, for there is always light in the darkest of times."
  187. "Truth is the law of human life."
  188. "An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching."
  189. "The first and greatest commandment is: Love thy neighbor as thyself."
  190. "The only real failure in life is not to be true to what one knows."
  191. "One cannot be in a constant state of fear and hatred."
  192. "People often become what they believe themselves to be."
  193. "I want to see the whole world in peace and happiness."
  194. "Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood."
  195. "You may never know what results come of your actions, but if you do nothing, there will be no results."
  196. "I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides, and my windows to be stuffed."
  197. "The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively."
  198. "Nonviolence is the most powerful force ever known to mankind."
  199. "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it."
  200. "To the weak, truth is not good enough; they want power."
  201. "A man’s duty is to contribute to the good of the world, through service to others."
  202. "Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth."
  203. "The law of love could be best understood and learned through little children."
  204. "Fear is the enemy of love."
  205. "Peace is the only way to end violence."
  206. "I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill."
  207. "Nonviolence is the weapon of the strong."
  208. "The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace."
  209. "Hate the sin, love the sinner."
  210. "I want freedom for the full expression of my personality."
  211. "The best way to get rid of your problems is to love them."
  212. "Forgiveness is the quality of the brave."
  213. "If we want to change the world, we must change ourselves."
  214. "You have to live with yourself. Be yourself."
  215. "What is true for one, is true for all."
  216. "An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community, is in reality expressing the very highest respect for law."
  217. "The simplest way to live a life is to be true to yourself."
  218. "Service to humanity is the best work of life."
  219. "If you have no confidence in yourself, you are twice defeated in the race of life."
  220. "The best use of life is to invest it in something that will outlast it."
  221. "The only lasting truth is the law of love."
  222. "The first step in the nonviolent way is not to harm anybody in any way."
  223. "Nothing is more frightening than the fear of the unknown."
  224. "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts."
  225. "My life is my message."
  226. "A happy family is but an earlier heaven."
  227. "The world is the way we see it; if we change our perceptions, the world changes."
  228. "You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."
  229. "I want freedom for all the people of the world."
  230. "Life is a collection of moments; make them count."
  231. "Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice."
  232. "The world will be saved by the poor in spirit."
  233. "When the mind is pure, the world will be pure."
  234. "You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."
  235. "Nothing is impossible for a willing heart."
  236. "A person who is not able to love is not able to live."
  237. "The soul that is within us is pure and knows only love."
  238. "One cannot be in a constant state of fear and hatred."
  239. "We must never forget that there is no privacy in public life."
  240. "When you are right, you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative."
  241. "Love is the strongest force in the world."
  242. "A man’s duty is to contribute to the good of the world, through service to others."
  243. "Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth."
  244. "The simplest way to live a life is to be true to yourself."
  245. "Service to humanity is the best work of life."
  246. "If you have no confidence in yourself, you are twice defeated in the race of life."
  247. "The best use of life is to invest it in something that will outlast it."
  248. "The only lasting truth is the law of love."
  249. "The first step in the nonviolent way is not to harm anybody in any way."
  250. "Nothing is more frightening than the fear of the unknown."