Thursday, December 18, 2008

Christmas thoughts, from Ghandi

I believe I saw the movie "Ghandi" three times at a movie theater, at least twice on TV. If I ever get around to getting a video player, it is the first video I'll get. Watching it leaves me feel filled up with goodness.

http://www.archive.org/stream/essentialgandhi000071mbp/essentialgandhi000071mbp_djvu.txt

"I do not seek redemption from the consequences of my sin. I seek to be redeemed from sin itself, or rather from the very thought of sin. Until I have attained that end, I shall be content to be restless." (Gandhi’s response after a presentation of the Christian Gospel),

http://www.mkgandhi.org/gquots1.htm

"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her]. Will he [she] gain anything by it? Will it restore him [her] to a control over his [her] own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?
Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

- One of the last notes left behind by Gandhi in 1948, expressing his deepest social thought.

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