The Gandhi Project by Nashid Fareed-Ma’at

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Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 323, excerpt from Harijan, October

13, 1940.

Wholistic physical health goes beyond contemporary concepts of being heatlthy. For example, a person

with a manageable illness, like heart disease, would meet contemporary standards of being healthy as long as she or

he continued to take medications and adhere to other conditions. Wholistic physical health goes way beyond this,

moving beyond the absence of illness to the continuing development of bodily strength and well-being.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 321, excerpt from Harijan, October

13, 1940.

141

end, of course, there is only one basis for the whole ideal of

fasting, and that is purification.”

It is important to contemplate whether to take on a fast and for what cause from a place of purity.

And to this point, impurities in the body can affect the clarity (of mind, spirit, emotions, etc.)

needed to make a wise decision from a place of purity. If we have not attained such purity,

including wholistic physical health

, we should not even consider taking a fast. It may be better

to seek the guidance of a spiritually mature person to explore the possibility of modifying our

diets (and lifestyles) to assist in the process of attaining such purity. It’s amazing how much our

perspective of problems and conflicts change when in a place of purity. Words describing such

mean little in place of attaining the purity to realize the truth of this statement for yourself, so I

would encourage you to attain such purity -- which is part of the quest for Truth.

Once such purity has been attained we can then consider the next condition necessary for

a Satyagraha fast to appeal to the hearts of others:

“A fast may only be undertaken by him who is associated with the

person against whom he fasts. The latter must be directly

connected with the purpose for which the fast is being

undertaken.”

Let me use a couple of Gandhi’s experiences to illustrate this point of Satyagraha fasts. He

would engage such fasts when members of his ashram committed moral or character errors. In

one instance, he went on a seven day fast to address such errors made on the part of some child

students at the ashram. He immediately ruled out punishing them because “punishment does not

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 312, excerpt from Young India,

December 3, 1925.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 323, excerpt from Harijan, October

13, 1940.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 312, excerpt from Young India,

December 3, 1925.

142

purify, if anything it hardens children.”

And remember, as stated above: “there is only one

basis for the whole ideal of fasting, and that is purification.”

Instead, he chose a course of

action based in his love for the students that highlighted the connection between their actions and

himself:

“The basis of the action [the fast] is mutual love. I know that I

possess the love of the boys and the girls. I know too that if the

giving up of my life can make them spotless, it would be my

supreme joy to give it. Therefore, I could do no less to bring the

youngsters to a sense of their error.”

Imagine the impact this had on the children: they committed a wrong and Gandhi, whom they

loved, engaged a fast for seven days. For seven days he refrained from eating and other

activities, willingly took on a burden (suffering) and denied himself because of their actions --

and they were not punished for the wrongs they committed. Based on the loving bond they

shared with him, this weighed heavy on any thoughts they had to commit future wrongs -- let

alone act on those thoughts. But the power of this approach can only work where there is mutual

love, and more so when such love is and has been expressed through beneficial and caring

actions. Gandhi’s choice to fast would have had little impact had he not demonstrated his love

for the children by taking time to care, provide for, and teach them, instilling in them how much

he loved them and a corresponding care they developed for him. If they did not care for him,

they would be much less inclined to care that he took on a fast for their wrongs -- they might

even him consider him a fool to do so.

A second example is the fast Gandhi took during the partition of India and Pakistan.

When the British agreed to grant India independence they did so on the condition that part of

India be divided to create a nation for the Muslims in India, which became Pakistan. Gandhi

strongly opposed this, feeling it would only further the long religious conflict among the Hindus

143

and Muslims of Indian ancestry; but he later reservedly consented to the partition, vowing to heal

this ongoing conflict and work toward a reunification of India and Pakistan. During the partition

process, many people from different parts of the formerly undivided India chose to relocate:

Muslims in what was to remain India chose to move to the new Pakistan, and Hindus living in

what was to become Pakistan chose to resettle within the new Indian borders. There were

literally millions of people relocating on foot, horse, and carriage -- and in many instances

passing each other by as they went in differing directions. In the midst of this process,

widespread violence broke out on religious terms: Hindus attacking Muslims, and Muslims

attacking Hindus -- much to the great dismay of Gandhi. For years, these two groups unified to

fight the British for independence using nonviolent means, and now on the verge of such

independence they were fighting each other using brutal violence. In an attempt to end such

violence, Gandhi pledged to fast until death if the violence did not stop. This may seem like a

bold measure, and even in contradiction to the condition of only taking on Satyagraha fasts

against persons one is associated with since Gandhi was virtually taking a fast against the entire

population of India. But he had formed such association with the larger Indian population

through his many years of engaging them in Satyagraha and Swaraj campaigns, constructive

service, and public discussion via his newspapers and writings. He had cultivated, through his

demonstrated love for them, a reputation and concern among the Indian masses. And they, in

turn, admired and loved him -- some even anointing him with the title “Mahatma,” which means

Great Soul. Thus, when he took the fast the violence waned and representatives of the warring

factions pledged to work toward peaceful relations. Concern for Gandhi was cited as a reason

for the termination of violence and he broke his fast.

This last example of a Satyagraha fast is something very few people can even consider

since they have not demonstrated and correspondingly earned the love of a general mass of such

size. But this example is based on the same principles Gandhi utilized with the ashram students:

a loving connection being the basis for engaging a Satyagraha fast. I emphasize that these are

not fasts engaged with compulsive intentions, to force others to comply with one’s wishes. As

Gandhi wrote:

“Non-violence [Satyagraha], if it does not submit to any

restrictions upon its liberty, subjects no one and no institution to

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 224, excerpt from Young India,

February 27, 1930.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 323, excerpt from Harijan, April

21, 1946.

144

any restriction whatsoever, save what may be self-imposed or

voluntarily adopted.”

Any change in behavior by those fasted against must be voluntary on their part. And if mutual

love plays a part in influencing them to voluntarily correct a wrong, then that’s a credit to the

power of love. But those who engage in Satyagraha fasts must be willing to do so even if the

fasts bear no fruit and the persons fasted against refuse to address their wrongs. And if a fast

was taken with certain conditions (i.e. till death), then Satyagrahis accept the fulfillment of such

conditions without blame or anger for the persons fasted against.

Gandhi warned against engaging in fasts on the basis of imitation: that because he or

other notable human figures used fasts, others should also do so. He wrote:

“There is no room for imitation in fasts. He who has no inner

strength should not dream of it, and never with attachment to

success.”

Also, Gandhi was against hunger strikes, which fell below the moral standards he held necessary

for Satyagraha fasts -- including that most hunger strikes were held against one’s opponents. He

viewed hunger strikes as attempts of intimidation and compulsion directed against one’s

opponents and, thus, contrary to the Satyagraha way.

CLOSING WORDS

The scope of suffering and sacrifice in Satyagraha is vast and could be the sole subject of

many books. And much regarding the (spiritual) science of suffering and sacrifice is best

addressed in the context of specific local efforts: study, preparation, and application of

Satyagraha efforts within the specific experience of a local-based effort. To this end, this

chapter sought to provide a broad overview that can be useful to those who take the next steps of

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 382, excerpt from Harijan, March

31, 1946.

145

applying these broad lessons to the specifics of their situations. Gandhi was learning new

aspects about Satyagraha suffering and sacrifice until his last breath. I would encourage those on

the path of Satyagraha to be as open and alert to such continued learning as they “enroll” in the

never-ending school of the willingness to suffer and sacrifice.

“The conditions necessary for the success of Satyagraha are: (1)

The Satyagrahi should not have any hatred in his heart against

the opponent. (2) The issue must be true and substantial. (3)

The Satyagrahi must be prepared to suffer till the end for his

cause.”

˜ ˜ ˜

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 33, excerpt from Young India,

February 4, 1920.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 195, excerpt from Young India,

March 19, 1925.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 246, excerpt from Young India,

April 3, 1930.

146

CHAPTER SEVEN

From the Power of One to the Power of Many

“A Satyagrahi depends only on truth and his capacity to suffer

for truth.”

“Much corruption has crept into our religion. We have become

lazy as a nation, we have lost the time sense. Selfishness

dominates our action. There is mutual jealousy amongst the

tallest of us. We are uncharitable to one another. And if I did

not draw your attention to the things I have, it will not be

possible for us to rid ourselves of all these evils. Satyagraha is a

relentless search for truth and a determination to reach truth. I

can only hope you will realize the import of what you are

doing.”

“For me there is no turning back whether I am alone or joined

by thousands.”

At this point, the readers should be familiar with what has been a recurring theme

throughout this book: that Satyagraha is community-oriented as it is individually focused. Thus,

the individual is an essential building block for all Satyagraha work. It is from and within the

power of the Truth-guided individual that the great potency of Satyagraha is unleashed. Without

such an individual, there can be no Satyagraha; and all who imitate the ways (usually tactics) of

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 87, excerpt from Harijan, March

25, 1939.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 386, excerpt from Harijan, April

13, 1940.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 291, excerpt from Harijan, April 1,

1939.

147

Satyagraha will prove to be weak, ineffective (in terms of genuine outcomes), and often

powerless. Therefore, a strong emphasis of Gandhi’s work was to encourage individuals to

become one pure Satyagrahi. To this point he acknowledged:

“In Satyagraha, it is never the numbers that count; it is always the

quality, more so when the forces of violence are uppermost.”

ONE PURE SATYAGRAHI

One of the most important virtues for any Satyagrahi to embrace is that “there is no such

thing as defeat in non-violent resistance.”

This is, in part, based on the previously discussed

pre-conditions that must be fulfilled before embarking on Satyagraha resistance: commitment to

seeking Truth, having a just and valid cause, having an understanding of the cause we stand for,

adequate preparation for any campaigns, and more. But key among these pre-conditions is an

unwavering optimistic commitment. Gandhi explained:

“In Satyagraha there is no such thing as disappointment or

heartburning. The struggle always goes on in some shape or other

till the goal is reached. A Satyagrahi is indifferent whether it is

civil disobedience or some other phase of the struggle to which he

is called. Nor does he mind if, in the middle of the civil

disobedience march, he is called upon to halt and do something

else. He must have faith that it is all for the best.”

This isn’t a call to embrace some “pie-in-the-sky” delusional hope that is removed from a Truth-

based (to see things as they are) observation of reality and present conditions. The concept of

hope has been much abused, even twisted to encourage people to be “hopeful” while accepting

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 284 - 285, excerpt from Young

India, April 2, 1931.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 236, excerpt from Young India,

March 20, 1930.

148

(without resistance or non-cooperation) some of the most brutal forms of oppression -- often

justified in passive whims that proclaim “this” will end eventually. Satyagraha hope is based in

an unwavering commitment to work till the end as guided by Truth. Gandhi acknowledged that

just as (most) humans don’t have absolute knowledge, we will not always see all the forces at

work in efforts to affect just change. He even wrote: “The mysterious effect of non-violence is

not to be measured by its visible effect.”

But as past efforts of Truth-based work proved

victorious, this is evidence to support the validated expectation that present Truth-based work

will also be victorious. Therefore, Satyagrahis should be hopeful about their work, especially

since a hopeful approach can increase the efficiency and impact of such work. This hope doesn’t

minimize or eliminate the need to uphold the other tenets of Satyagraha, such as purity, ahimsa,

humility, soul-based strength, the willingness to suffer, etc. Instead, the Satyagraha approach to

hope reinforces the need to embrace these deeply as these directly affect the efficiency and

impact of Satyagraha work.

But Satyagraha hope doesn’t guarantee victory, and complete failure is possible under

limited circumstances. Gandhi explained:

“A Satyagrahi, whether free or incarcerated, is ever victorious. He

is vanquished only when he forsakes truth and non-violence and

turns a deaf ear to the Inner Voice. If, therefore, there is such a

thing as defeat for even a Satyagrahi, he alone is the cause of it.”

The Inner Voice Gandhi referred to is the voice of Truth: a voice that develops within as we

mature along the quest for Truth -- and I stress the word mature. It is a clearly understood

spiritual “mandate” in Indian (as well as other) cultures that what one hears from the Inner Voice

one is required to do. (But just because it is a mandate doesn’t mean it is always fulfilled.) This

requirement highlights the importance of humility and soul-based strength to fulfill this mandate.

To this point, Gandhi made remarks such as:

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 178, excerpt from Young India,

April 24, 1924.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 58, excerpt from Young India,

January 12, 1921.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 293, excerpt from Harijan, June 3,

1939.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 81, excerpt from Young India,

April 30, 1931.

149

“Indeed he is no Satyagrahi who is not humble.”

“The spirit of non-violence necessarily leads to humility. Non-

violence means reliance on God {Truth}, the Rock of Ages. If we

would seek His {Its} aid, we must approach Him {It} with a

humble and a contrite heart.”

“A Satyagrahi does not depend for his strength on external means.

His strength comes from within, from his reliance on God

{Truth}.”

“A Satyagrahi’s surrender has to come out of his strength, not out

of weakness.”

If the dictates of Satyagraha are fulfilled, the Satyagrahi is assured victory -- and

Satyagrahis do not confuse worldly concepts of victory (often power, money, and material

things) with Truth’s victory: such as justice and beneficence, and the transformation of one’s self

and others. In fact, any failures along the way indicate a shortcoming on the part of the

Satyagrahi, not necessarily a victory by the opponent. A careful study of history reveals that

even many evil (destructive) persons and groups are aware of this principle of Truth-assured

victory. Endeavors to combat Truth-based efforts often involve attempts to corrupt, cause fear,

use immoral “incentives” (money, sex, ego-centered fame), and other means to move Truth-

guided people to forsake Truth and, thus, be disconnected from the undefeatable victory they are

assured by living and seeking Truth. Many evil forces know (and knew) that even brutal

violence does little to prevent the assured victory of Truth-based efforts, such violence only

sometimes delays it. But for Satyagrahis, such delays can often be diminished by utilizing the

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 279, excerpt from Young India,

March 19, 1931.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 183, excerpt from Young India,

May 1, 1924.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha), 1961, p. 298, excerpt from Harijan, July 8,

1939.

150

spiritual science of Satyagraha; and when such delays will not be diminished, patience and

commitment will suffice to progress toward victory. As Gandhi wrote: “A Satyagrahi has

infinite patience, abundant faith in others, ample hope.”

And to reiterate relevant points made in previous chapters: Satyagrahis never seek to

bring about change or reform by compulsion and never seek to embarrass their opponents (those

who do wrong). These are utterly unnecessary tactics for those who walk the path of assured

victory.

To be pure Satyagrahis, we must place more emphasis on the propriety of our actions

than the desired impact of such actions. In other words, it’s more important that our behavior be

proper than doing whatever it takes to get what we want. Gandhi explained:

“A Satyagrahi’s first concern is not the effect of his action. It must

always be its propriety. He must have faith enough in his cause

and his means, and know that success will be achieved in the

end.”

One of the ways of ensuring proper behavior is to act from a cultivated pure heart: a heart

cultivated by the quest for Truth that abounds in love and beneficence. This requires humility to

let Truth shape our hearts (and whole beings) so they may be pure by Truth’s design and, thus,

be the basis for all our actions. To this point, Gandhi said: “As a seeker of truth and non-

violence, however, I must not be satisfied with mere action if it is not from the heart.”

Chapter

3 on ahimsa explored the connection between the heart and mind, which speaks to the following

quote:

“Non-violence to be a potent force must begin with the mind.

Non-violence of the mere body without the co-operation of the