Understanding the Mahatma

The Mahatma is perhaps one of the few personalities whom the masses love and hate in the extreme, each according to his own temperament. He is also perhaps one the most misunderstood. I for one idolize him. He is a true Mahatma – I say ‘is’ because he is immortal.

It is easy to criticize him, difficult to follow. Why would anyone dislike the Mahatma? Some accuse him of being meek; others condemn his preaching of Ahimsa or non-violence as impractical. Many are the labels stuck on the Mahatma. But do the detractors of the Mahatma truly understand him? Only a mahatma can. He was not born a mahatma. It is the path he chose that made him one. This is amply evident in his autobiography ‘My experiments with truth’. What makes me sad is that people speak about him without actually trying to understand what he stood for, especially today’s generation. Unfortunately they believe aggression to be a virtue.

Ahimsa is not just refraining from physical violence, it means abstaining even from thoughts of violence. Bravery is not the mere display of physical strength. It is the strength of the soul, the strength of character that connotes true bravery. It is ignorance to believe that violence should be reciprocated with violence. It is easy commit acts of violence in the guise of bravery but it is very difficult to forgive someone who has wronged you. Fighting the enemies without is easy, killing a person even more so, all it needs is a moment of madness. Practicing restraint is very difficult. The true strength of character lies in conquering the enemy within. I have often heard people say that it is foolish to turn the other cheek when someone hits you. But then on the flip side when will it end? A blow for a blow, an eye for an eye it never stops. Someone hits you; you hit him back it goes on and on turning into a lifelong enmity, to the extent killing each other. Then the question arises should I silently suffer injustice at someone’s hand? There are several analogies in answer to this question. Do we bark back at a dog barking at us? Do we get angry at the utterings of a mentally retarded? Then what makes us angry at the tirades of fellow human beings. Is it not our own shortcomings that makes us react?

These are all the questions which need deep introspection for nobody can give you anything if you refuse to accept it. In reacting to the aggression of other people we are accepting their insinuations as true. Would we react otherwise? I very well understand that it is not easy to practice non-violence

I am not absolutely condemning the use of physical force. It is required in extreme situations, to maintain law and order and to protect the country from aggressors. However it is to be exercised with utmost caution and eschewed at all other times.