Gandhi on Ahimsa

I thought it might be interesting to look at Gandhi's idea of ahimsa. He says that his conception of it is a result of his studies of many different faiths. What I found especially interesting about his view is that he claims that even if he were to discover that the spiritual works that influenced his understanding of the term (such as the Gita or the Sermon on the Mount) held a different interpretation of the concept than the one he had formulated and applied to his life, he would not make any change to his version. It seems that this is a result of Gandhi valuing practice more than theory.

He describes ahimsa:

"In its negative form, it means not injuring any living being, whether by body or mind." (On Ahimsa, Selected Political Writings)

"In its positive form, ahimsa means the largest love, the greatest charity. This active Ahimsa necessarily includes truth and fearlessness... A man cannot then practice ahimsa and be a coward at the same time. The practice of ahimsa calls forth the greatest courage." (On Ahimsa, Selected Political Writings)

Gandhi also has some interesting things to say about non-violence in relation to human destiny (or dharma). For example, I will simply quote him again:

"Non-violence is a perfect state. It is a goal towards which all mankind moves naturally though unconsciously. Man does not become divine when he personifies innocence in himself. Only then does he become truly man... We pretend to believe that retaliation is the law of our being, whereas in every scripture we find that retaliation is nowhere obligatory but only permissable. It is restraint that is obligatory. Retaliation is indulgence requiring elaborate regulating. Restraint is the law of our being. For, highest perfection is unattainable without highest restraint. Suffering is thus the badge of the human tribe." (Non-Violence, Selected Political Writings)

The conclusion of this excerpt reminded me of the anecdote that Easwaran tells in the introduction to his translation of the Gita. That is the one where the yogi is sitting next to the river and faithfully saving the scorpion in the water although it stings him every time that he does so. I just think it is worthwhile to consider what is true about Gandhi's view of human dharma, which seems to be in addition to or in place of a "professional" dharma, whatever that means. But it might not be so wrong to say that in the West we tend to view our purpose in life in a "professional" way rather than a spiritual way.