Happy Birthday Gandhi

Today is the birthday of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, or Mahatma Gandhi.  "Mahatma" means honored, venerable, or high-souled in Sanskrit.  Through his life's work of non-violent resistance, and promotion of pluralism and justice, he has become one of the worlds greatest spiritual teachers.  He was the inspiration for the civil rights work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, much of the work of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and much more.

So today -- International Day of Non-Violence -- we celebrate him, his work, and some of his most magnificent words of wisdom. His quotes have gotten me through some dark moments and I go back to them often.

"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you were to live forever."

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

"The greatness of a nation can be judged by how its animals are treated."

"You must not lose faith in humanity.  Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."

When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall.  Think of it -- always."

"The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems."

"It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver."

Happy Birthday Bapu!