“I realised that in refusing to take a vow man was drawn into temptation, and that to be bound by a vow was like a passage from libertinism to a real monogamous marriage. “I believe in effort, I do not want to bind myself with vows,” is the mentality of weakness and betrays a subtle desire for the thing to be avoided. Or where can be the difficulty in making a final decision? I vow to flee from the serpent which I know will bite me, I do not simply make an effort to flee from him. I know that mere effort may mean certain death. Mere effort means ignorance of the certain fact that the serpent is bound to kill me. The fact, therefore, that I could rest content with an effort only, means that I have not yet clearly realised the necessity of definite action. “But supposing my views are changed in the future, how can I bind myself by a vow?” Such a doubt often deters us. But that doubt also betrays a lack of clear perception that a particular thing must be renounced.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“Peace between countries must rest on the solid foundation of love between individuals.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“The Mahabharata was not composed with the aim of describing a battle. The description of the battle serves only as a pretext.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“All your scholarship would be in vain if at the same time you do not build your character and attain mastery over your thoughts and your actions.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“We should be able to refuse to live if the price of living be the torture of sentient beings.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“Disease increases in proportion to the increase in the number of doctors in a place.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“My shyness has been in reality my shield and buckler. It has allowed me to grow. It has helped me in my discernment of truth.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“I can not give you the reference of Ram Chandar or Krishna, because they were not historical figures. I can not help it but to present to you the names of (Hazrat) Abu Bakar (RA) and (Hazrat) Umar Farooq (RA). They were leaders of a vast Empire, yet they lived a life of austerity.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“It was with some difficulty that I got through the multiplication tables. The fact that I recollect nothing more of those days than having learnt, in company with other boys, to call our teacher all kinds of names, would strongly suggest that my intellect must have been sluggish, and my memory raw.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“Only he Who is smitten with the arrows of love, Knows its power.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“I may be a despicable person, but when Truth speaks through me I am
invincible.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi