life of ahimsa..

MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE - Gandhiji

There is a Q raised on this - "Does it mean that, his message must be carried out in the same way, only with our life" - FB user

Interesting Q. Actually the British never killed him - it was a post independence free indian who killed him. To look at this spiritually - once ShriKrishna's work was over he was felled by a hunters arrow and so was Gandhi by an assassins bullet as his work was over. But these are only "physical" things. The true abiding teaching of both are relevant even today!!

The "munna bhai" movies have rekindled the mahatma's message in a new generation of Indians and citizens of the world who otherwise didnt know HIM or his message other than from history text books.

There is a clamour every year for giving Bapu a Nobel peace prize. I personally feel that he is beyond any committees reach to "honour" him. If however Indians feel a certain lack in not being so honoured - it is their individual and collective lack and not that of Bapu. Just as our Gods dont need any defending when they are painted by MF Hussein, the one true torch bearer of Ahimsa doesnt need anybody's stamp of approval for the way he lived his life! The best approval or award people can give the Mahatma is by remembering him and trying to lead ones life the way he lived his!!

Even Martin Luther King who put in practice so effectively Gandhiji's teachings fell to an assassins bullet. An elephant is worth a million alive as well as dead - it is true of people who tread the path of ahimsa. Gandhi alive made the British get in touch with their inner self. Gandhi dead helped India escape the clutches of divisive Right wing politics. Similarly within 4 decades of Martin luther king's death the US has its first afro-american president. (Btw king was awarded the Nobel peace prize!!)

The other issue that people in the spiritual path find difficult to digest is that "you meet the death the way you led you life" - so how does one reconcile the violent end met by "Ahimsa Gandhi"? Would any other form of death be befitting of great champion warriors? For warrior he was - and very unfair at that too! His choice of weapon was such that there was no counter known to conventional warfare!! The only reply was to surrender!!

In memory of a great World Citizen. Om...