"I believe Gandhi does not know what actually happens to
the man's nature when he takes to Satyagraha or non-violence. He thinks that men get purified by it. But when men suffer, or subject themselves to voluntary suffering,
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the man's nature when he takes to Satyagraha or non-violence. He thinks that men get purified by it. But when men suffer, or subject themselves to voluntary suffering,
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what happens is that their vital being gets strengthened. These movements affect the vital being only and not any other part. Now, when you cannot oppose the force that oppresses, you say that you will suffer.
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That suffering is vital and it gives strength. When the man who has thus suffered gets power he becomes a worse oppressor...
What one can do is to transform the spirit of violence. But in this practice of Satyagraha, it is not transformed.
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What one can do is to transform the spirit of violence. But in this practice of Satyagraha, it is not transformed.
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When you insist on such a one-sided principle, what happens is that cant, hypocrisy, and dishonesty get in and there is no purification at all. Purification can come by the transformation of the impulse of violence, as I said.
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In that respect the old system in India was much better: the man who had the fighting spirit became the Kshatriya and then the fighting spirit was raised above the ordinary vital influence. The attempt was to spiritualize it.
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It succeeded in doing what passive resistance cannot and will not achieve. The Kshatriya was the man who
would not allow any oppression, who would fight it out and he was the man who would not oppress anybody. That was the ideal..."
He further adds,
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would not allow any oppression, who would fight it out and he was the man who would not oppress anybody. That was the ideal..."
He further adds,
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"One of the violences of the Satyagrahi that he does not care for the pressure which he brings on others. It is not non-violence it is not "Ahimsa." True Ahimsa is a state of
mind and does not consist in physical or external action or in avoidance of action.
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mind and does not consist in physical or external action or in avoidance of action.
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Any pressure in the inner being is a breach of Ahimsa.
For instance, when Gandhi fasted in the Ahmedabad millhands' strike to settle the question between mill-owners and workers, there was a kind of violence towards others.
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For instance, when Gandhi fasted in the Ahmedabad millhands' strike to settle the question between mill-owners and workers, there was a kind of violence towards others.
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The mill-owners did not want to be responsible for his death and so they gave way, without, of course, being convinced of his position. It is a kind of violence on them. But as soon as they found the situation normal they reverted to their old ideas.
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The same thing happened in South Africa. He got some concessions thereby passive resistance and when he came back to India it became worse than before."
-Sri Aurobindo On Gandhi!
Reference: INDIA'S REBIRTH, Selection from Aurobindo's writings and speeches.
#GandhiJayanti
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-Sri Aurobindo On Gandhi!
Reference: INDIA'S REBIRTH, Selection from Aurobindo's writings and speeches.
#GandhiJayanti
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