At the time of this writing, it is October 2nd, 2009; the 140th birthday of Mohandas Gandhi, and the celebration of Gandhi Jayanti, or the International Day of Non-Violence. What better way to celebrate than a viewing of the 1982 classic “Gandhi”? The movie is an amazing homage to the most powerful Indian leader, and one of the most loving, non-violent men that ever lived. What made Gandhi so inspirational, was all of physical/emotional beatings that he took, and his refusal to back down. He had a set of principals in his head, that could not be changed by any events or circumstances. Once Gandhi held a belief in his head, he believed it to be the ultimate truth, and worked to instill it into the people he loved, and the people of his country. Mohandas Gandhi was the most peaceful man to ever live.

Gandhi’s persistence, courage, wisdom, love, and nonviolence are few of many emotions that helped him and his country gain independence from Britain. Gandhi knew that violence created a fire in people, which in turn created a fire in society, and that fire is just fuel against your cause. If the Indians had used violence against the British, there would have been a war. India might not have gained independence, and if it did, it would’ve been with many casualties. The British knew that there wasn’t much they could do to stop Gandhi, so they did the only thing they could: throw him in jail. Gandhi was very patient, and no amount of prison time could throw him off of his purpose. He was put in prison for several years, and as soon as he was released, he continued his protest against the British government. All of this, without any fear of being imprisoned again. Gandhi also used fasting to motivate the people of his country. The sight and thought of their leader dying from starving himself fueled compassion. The compassion lead to cooperation, which led to eventual independence.

Gandhi’s life was very painful; both physically and mentally, but all that mattered to him was finding the ultimate truth of life, helping others be happy, loving thy neighbor and loving thy self. He was a very inspirational man, and manufacturer of some of societies favorite quotes: “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”: Revenge is a futile pursuit. It is a continuous and painful cycle, that can only end when one party finds forgiveness and compassion within themselves. Another inspiring quote, possibly the most famous of Gandhi’s sayings: “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. There is nothing you can do about the horrible things that you hear on the news every day, but there are things you can do for yourself and others, to demonstrate positive change in the world. I always say, you can’t change someone else, you can only provide them with the tools necessary. The rest is up to them. You always have the power to change yourself, and Gandhi always knew that. If the cause is right, people will do almost anything to help the cause. Find the truth in life, and work towards it with courage, compassion, and nonviolence. It is what Mohandas Gandhi always wanted.

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