Swamiji speaking on Gandhi’s non-retaliation.
This is a brief audio clip in which Swamiji addresses the issue of retaliation, if someone has insulted, hurt or otherwise injured us. In which he uses Mohandas, known as Mahatma [meaning: great soul] Gandhi as a good example. Gandhi's principle and implementation of his Ahimsa [non-violence or injury] and 'Satyagraha' [non-co-operation] campaigns were a great contributor to bringing down the British Raj in India.
[Yes, there's been, and still is, in some quarters, controversy about Gandhi's condescension over black African people when he lived in South Africa. But unless we deny that people can and do change, then we must accept that his life ended in great holiness. To die with the words of your deity, 'Ram, Ram, Ram', on your lips, is a privilege not given to many.]
Swamiji gives sage advice here on the one principle that removes the impulse and need for us to 'avenge' ourselves, or 'get back' at the perceived deliverer of an insult or injury to us. Implemented, this can and will be life-altering.
The joy of an aphorism or maha vakya like this, is its transformational nature in one simple sentence. To listen to it, please click on the link below. Jai Sri Ramakrishna!
Duration 02:21
The original audio recordings of these posts were made by close Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa and Swami Shivapadananda devotee, Mother Radha. The audio editing and noise reduction of the original 1970s-onwards tapes, has been lovingly engineered, over many years, by her son and our dear gurubhai, Brother Tim. May Sri Ramakrishna and Swamiji bless them both.
Admin tip: Underlined words are links. If you click on them, they'll take you to an explanation of the particular word or term. [In these overviews, Admin comments are typically in a smaller green font, and square bracketed, like this statement.]
Dear reader, if you spot typos or or other errors, please feel free to email the site admin on info@imbizo.com with your suggested correction/s.
Context: As always, care should be taken to remember that what Swamiji was saying, may have been very specific to the needs of people with him at the time. Please bear this in mind.
Links to our Guruparampara (spiritual lineage) organisations, which will broaden your knowledge base: Ramakrishna Math and Mission and our alma maters, the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa and the Sri Sarada Devi Ashram in Durban.
Today's post image borrowed from (then) Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal.
