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Gandhi has much to teach us. His ideas were a response to his time and need adapting for our time. They continue to inspire. He influenced Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Aung San Suu Kyi and others who inspire us today. Ghandhi illuminates the situation we are in today and how we can respond to the environmental crisis, poverty, violence and international conflict. Gandhi’s movement was called Sarvodaya or “All rise.” It means remaining firm on the Truth and resisting the Untruth actively but using only Non-violent means. Sarvodaya is Sanskrit for 'the welfare of all.” Gandhi’s Eleven Principles are the core of his thinking and provide the basis for what today we would call a sustainable society and lifestyle. If all leaders received a Gandhian education, what a difference it would make to the world! The Eleven principles are: Non-violence or love (Ahisma): resisting oppression non-violently through love, non-violence in thoughts, words and deeds. Nelson Mandela said in a world full of violence and strife, Gandhi’s message of peace and non-violence holds the key to human survival I the 21st century. If ever there was a time to have the courage to try non-violence it is now. It may be difficult but it is it impossible. Truth (Satyagraha) : Truth and integrity are vital for bringing about change non-violently. Pursuit of truth is an open-ended journey requiring respect for all points of view, however hard to articulate. It requires exceptional courage, especially in politics and business organisations. Satyagraha is a way of life: “Life is a continuous conversation with the universe” – dialogue not monologue, then change will occur. The lessons for change agents are patience, learn to spot the opportunity, learn to endeavour, endure, and face difficulties and be fearless. Fearlessness (Saravatra Bhaya Varjana) : Non-violence requires us to speak our truth and that requires courage; fear causes violence. Gandhi was not afraid of death. We can become fearless by seeing each situation as an opportunity for learning; and developing confidence that we will overcome difficulties. Self-organisation or self rule (Swaraj) : Self regulation means self-knowledge and taking responsibility. We need to start on a small scale, applying self- organising first to our selves; then in our families; our village or community. This maximises the potential for creativity, innovation and diversity. The roots need to be intimate, giving maximum power at the bottom, co-ordinated at the top. Non-stealing (Asteya) : Part of this is non-consumerism (Asangraha). This requires ecological humility; realising that waste is a sin against nature and that nature’s cycle should be followed. It is about having enough. Sacred Sex (Brahmacharya) : Sacred sex is based on commitment, responsibility, celebration and joy (Kumar, S, 2000). Physical work (Sharirashram) : Making things by hand, creating, doing ordinary things like cleaning, working with the soil and growing things is embedded in the human psyche. When affluence, industrialisation and technology take us away from using our hands, this separates intellectual from manual workers and does us physical and spiritual harm. Separating mind and body, denies us our identity as human beings. Avoidance of bad taste (Aswada) : Three qualities of life are Sattva- simplicity, Rajas – glamorous, Tamas – depressing There is much here for leaders, so easily corrupted by power, celebrity, wealth and honours. All three qualities are present in everything and you can appear one way but in your heart be something else. Respect for all religions (Sarava Dharma Samanatva). Self economy or Local economy (Swadeshi decentralisation) : Gandhi saw that industrialisation was sweeping the world. He predicted that it would destroy creativity, diversity, culture, agriculture and replace it with industrial farming. Under this principle, whatever is made or produced locally is produced first and foremost for people of that locality. The primary motivation of business and entrepreneurs must be not to damage society or the environment but to serve the community by meeting needs, rather than creating wants. Respect for all beings (Sparsha) - Satish Kumar says: Gandhi held the view that we all rise together and we are completely interdependent. Over 20 billion years we are all made of each other, all the food we have eaten, the air we breathe, our parents, ancestors and all our teachers. The wellbeing of one is dependent on the wellbeing of all. Gandhi’s philosophy is about synthesis and integration. The Indian idea is to bring together after analysis, the outer and inner together - matter and spirit – leading to cohesion. Western tradition analyses and separates. This is illustrated by the contemporary lack of joined up thinking, which constantly gets in the way of efforts to tackle climate change and the successful implementation of sustainable strategies. Another example is not recognising the importance of feeling at work. When feeling, intuition, joy and spirit are brought into work, everything fits together. Gandhi stood for integration and cohesion The two biggest threats we face today are violence and destruction of planet earth on which life depends. Gandhi provides insights and guiding principles to help us avoid these disasters and create a sustainable, fairer, less violent world and a new world order fit for our time. Bruce Nixon is the author of Living System – making sense of sustainability. Through his works he aims to increase understanding and help bring about a change of consciousness leading to more aware action. His book is intended as “a people’s book” on the basis that it is people that change the world. His book “weaves together the radical changes needed at the global level with the changes each of us can make today in our own lives and shows how both are part of the same living system.” Photo copyrighted to www.brucenixon.com This is one of many stories available from Positive News newspaper. For more stories like this please visit: www.positivenews.org.uk (In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.) |
Gandhi
was a whole system, living systems thinker. His systemic analysis of the
world’s problems is as relevant today as when he lived. He offers a
systems approach to tackling these problems rather than “fixes” that
don’t work. Gandhi is a guide to those who wish to work to change things
for the better. Gandhian thinking is essentially about a sustainable way
of life, an economic system based on trusteeship or servant leadership
for universal welfare and a society in which everyone gains rather than
the few become rich at the expense of the many. It is a complex,
inter-related system of thought.