Please forgive my comment, for it is not meant to be disrespectful or hurtful to Mahatma Gandhi or anyone else. In fact, I have learnt a lot from Gandhiji in my life and have spent many years with Gandhians who are doing some beautiful work in the villages and slums of India. However, in my years around Gandhiji's teachings and Gandhian communities, I also feel a certain discomfort with the overly strong morality and rigor. The paradox is that rigor is both very nourishing and also very draining. One has to remember that all our bodies are made differently and be very sensitive and respectful to it. We also need to realize that we come from different conditioning and socio-cultural-economic backgrounds over our evolutionary cycle. Hence, it might be beautiful to feel inspired by someone's else love and integrity in life, but at the same time one should be very very aware that one is not "trying to become like someone." For there is nothing more nourishing then being TRUE to our own truth and nothing more draining then trying to ape someone. The greatest violence on ourselves is idealism. To live around "I should do this" or "I should be like that!"
On May 9, 2011 anonymous wrote :
Please forgive my comment, for it is not meant to be disrespectful or hurtful to Mahatma Gandhi or anyone else. In fact, I have learnt a lot from Gandhiji in my life and have spent many years with Gandhians who are doing some beautiful work in the villages and slums of India. However, in my years around Gandhiji's teachings and Gandhian communities, I also feel a certain discomfort with the overly strong morality and rigor. The paradox is that rigor is both very nourishing and also very draining. One has to remember that all our bodies are made differently and be very sensitive and respectful to it. We also need to realize that we come from different conditioning and socio-cultural-economic backgrounds over our evolutionary cycle. Hence, it might be beautiful to feel inspired by someone's else love and integrity in life, but at the same time one should be very very aware that one is not "trying to become like someone." For there is nothing more nourishing then being TRUE to our own truth and nothing more draining then trying to ape someone. The greatest violence on ourselves is idealism. To live around "I should do this" or "I should be like that!"