Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2nd October, 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat. We all know how Mahatma Gandhi has worked tirelessly for India's freedom from the british rule. He is respected for his efforts across the globe and is an inspiration for many generations to come.
On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, let us have a look at some of the important lessons that all of us can learn from Mahatma Gandhi's life !
1) Ahimsa / Non Violence
Ahimsa or non-violence means the practice of not causing any harm to other being. Ahimsa was adopted as a philosophy by the Bapu and he spread the theory of non violence through all his movements of the freedom struggle.
2) Truth & Honesty
Bapu always led a life of truth. If you tell a lie today, to hide it you may require to lie even more and that becomes a vicious circle. So a person should always speak the truth, no matter whatever the consequences may be. There's a very famous story when during his exams Mahatma Gandhi had wrongly spelled the word Kettle and his teacher asked him to copy the correct spelling from others. But Gandhi ji refused to copy from others and was pretty much convinced that he would rather be wrong than to chest.
3) Be The Change You Wish To See In The World
You must have heard of the saying, " Be the change you wish to see in the world." What it means is that before we wish to change the entire system we must begin with ourselves first and try fixing our faults and change ourselves. If we sincerely wish to see a change in the world, we should start first with our own life.
4) Forgiveness
Gandhi ji said that " An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind". We must learn to forgive others for their faults as no one is perfect in the world. Also anger and seeking revenge will only cause more harm to you rather than the other person.
5) Eat Simple Food
Bapu used to have a simple vegetarian diet. He followed a minimalistic approach towards diet and used to ate his food in a small bowl after measuring, so that he could only take that much quantity that is required for a healthy body.
6) Always Be True To Yourself
While Gandhi ji advocated the principle of truth & honesty during his entire lifetime but he also advocated that we must be true to our ourselves instead of trying to please others. Here's what Mahatma Gandhi said - " a NO uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a YES merely uttered to please, or worse to avoid trouble".
7) Say No To Gender Based Discrimination
Mahatma Gandhi was against gender based discrimination in the Indian society. Gandhi ji believed that woman is the companion of man gifted by equal mental capacity. She has the right to participate in the minutest details in the activities of man and she has equal right to liberty of freedom and liberty with him. At that time when India was under british rule, Gandhi ji was very vocal about women empowerment.
8) Love For Mother Earth
The father of the nation said that, " Earth provides enough resources to satisfy everyman's need but not everyman's greed". By this he meant that nature has provided everything that is sufficient to fulfill the basic necessities of a man but it can't fulfill the endless greediness. He was very much concerned about the environment and believed that everyone should take some steps to protect it.
9) Cleanliness is next to Godliness
Mahatma Gandhi always dreamt of having a clean nation which is quite important for the well being of the people. He maintained cleanliness around him and always inspired others to maintain their surrounding neat & clean.
10) Persistence
During India's struggle for freedom, Mahatma Gandhi proved that how being persistent in your efforts can ultimately lead you to success. He was unwavering, stood firmly for his decisions & actions and never gave up until our nation achieved freedom from the britishers.