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*Quill pen drawing where every line is the Gandhi's mantra Ram by Mrs. Saroja Nagarathnam.

Living Truthfully

For Gandhi, Truth was not a concept, but was a way of life.

Mahatma Gandhi's life exemplifies the power and possibilities of practicing Dharma (living truthfully). Experiencing the injustice of racial prejudice, Gandhi saw that moral and political injustice were based on ignorance of the sacredness and unity of life. He became convinced that it is not enough for the individual merely to do good, but that we had a duty to actively face evil. A duty to practice the truth... that life is sacred. A duty to affirm the dignity of life and honor the sacred in all creation.

Gandhi hurled himself into the battlefield of life. He taught satyagraha, "clinging to Truth." Truth was Ghandi's method and Truth his goal. For Gandhi, Truth was not a concept, but was a way of life. For the Mahatma (one in touch with the Oneness of Being), the means were as important as the end. His every action was based on the knowledge of the unity of all life. In a state of realization of the unity of all life, Gandhi cared for each being as his own Self.

Gandhi taught by example. He dealt with all beings in a spirit of humility with the deepest respect for their Divinity. He insisted on seeing the Divine in his most ignorant adversaries. The Truth behind his action was a profound experience for everyone whose life was touched by this Knowledge.
He described his life as "my experiments with truth." As he matured in this experiment, he came to the realization that Truth is God. In the practice of his life he experienced that as he cared for the life around him in a "truthful," unselfish way, he experienced the sacredness of all life. As he cared for people and nature in a nonviolent (Ahimsa), unexploitive way that honored the divinity of all life, he experienced a life where every relationship was service to God. Through practicing Dharma, his every action was an experience of the sacred.

Namaskar . . . Honor to the Divine within

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