Wake up call : Satyagraha

Its August 15, the day India was declared Independent, 68 years ago. The freedom struggle was never easy, the British ruled India for over 150 years. Mahatma Gandhi was the pioneer of Indian Independence via his Satyagraha Movement. Gandhi used satyagraha in the Indian independence movement and also during his earlier struggle in South Africa. Alongside Gandhi, there were countless other patriots who stood for the nation and sacrificed their lives.

India is Independent Now, but are we, the citizens of India really independent? And unless we are free within how would we be in a position to live peacefully in an Independent India? How can we actively participate in the development of India, if we lack control in our own lives? To be free within means to be happy, to be content/in peace  with "what is", free from regrets of past and worries of future. Free from greed and arrogance. Whether it is for the nation or for a individual citizen, the pathway to freedom is very much the same, Satyagraha!

So let us take an oath, on this glorious day, to imbibe the Principles of Satyagraha in our lives and become truly Independent. Be the Change!

"The word Satya (Truth), is derived from Sat, which means being. And nothing is or exists in reality except Truth."
M.K. Gandhi, Young India, July 30 1931

I. "Sat" --- which implies openness, honesty, and fairness: Truth.

A) Each person's opinions and beliefs represent part of the truth.
B) In order to see more of the truth we must share our truths cooperatively.
C) This implies a desire to communicate and a determination to do so, which in turn requires developing and refining relevant skills of communication.
D) Commitment to seeing as much of the truth as possible means that we can not afford to categorize ourselves or others.

II. "Ahimsa" --- refusal to inflict injury on others.

A) Ahimsa is dictated by our commitment to communication and to sharing of our pieces of the truth. Violence shuts off channels of communication.
B) The concept of ahimsa appears in most major religions, which suggests that while it may not be practiced by most people, it is respected as an ideal.
C) Ahimsa is an expression of our concern that our own and other's humanity be manifested and respected.
D) We must learn to genuinely love our opponents in order to practice ahimsa.

III. "Tapasya" --- willingness for self-sacrifice.

A) A satyagrahi (one who practices satyagraha) must be willing to shoulder any sacrifice which is occasioned by the struggle which they have initiated, rather than pushing such sacrifice or suffering onto their opponent, lest the opponent become alienated and access to their portion of the truth become lost.
B) The satyagrahi must always provide a face-saving "way out" for the opponents. The goal is to discover a wider vista of truth and justice, not to achieve victory over the opponent.

Satyagraha is utter self-effacement, greatest humiliation, greatest patience and brightest faith. It is its own reward.

Satyagraha is a relentless search for truth and a determination to reach truth.
It is a force that works silently and apparently slowly. In reality, there is no force in the world that is so direct or so swift in working.
Such a universal force necessarily makes no distinction between kinsmen and strangers, young and old, man and woman, friend and foe. The force to be so applied can never be physical. There is in it no room for violence. The only force of universal application can, therefore, be that of ahimsa or love. Love does not burn others, it burns itself. Therefore, a satyagrahi, i.e., a civil resister, will joyfully suffer even unto death.

The training for Satyagraha is meant for all, irrespective of age or sex. The more important part of the training here is mental, not physical. There can be no compulsion in mental training.


Source: http://www.quietspaces.com/satyagraha.html