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Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence. (250-500)
BEING THE CHANGE!
My initial curiosity about Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was aroused by a couple of feature films made on his life that I saw as a child. Later, as a student of history I had a formal exposition of his work and his incredible ways. Clad in a piece of loincloth and living the life of the underprivileged, this skinny yet hardy man led world's most remarkable non-violent mass struggle for freedom. Gandhi was a visionary, a meticulous planner and a brilliant strategist.
Gandhian practices evolved from the simple principle of universal love, and the first-hand experience that he gathered through his 'experiments with truth'. Traditional Indian values and moral principles that he imbibed as a child and liberal education that he received in England contributed significantly to the evolution of his philosophy. I do not agree with all his ideas, but whatever little I have read about Gandhi has influenced the way I look at issues ranging from day-to-day personal matters to affairs having international dimensions...
After reading a few books on his philosophies, I realized that while absence of theoretical rigor makes his ideas easy to comprehend, it is an extremely arduous task to actually put them to practice since it requires immense self-control, hard discipline and strong convictions. For him the means is as important as the end. I admire Gandhi's ability to keep his desires under check and his resolve to never deviate from the path of truth. Modern civilization has made many of us victims of greed and falsehood. Gandhi's simplicity, a result of his self-control, has in some way inspired me to adopt a lifestyle where I hope to seek 'Knowledge' and 'Truth' and not earthly pleasures in order to lead a better life. This is my interpretation of Gandhi's views on morals and values, which, according to him are the real pillars of a civilization.
In Gandhian philosophy, I see a unique mix of faith and humanism, which has universal relevance. I perceive non-violence, also called 'Soul-force' as an effective weapon that can be used to achieve any rightful objective. Gandhi followed the dictum 'hate the sin and not the sinner', which might sound incongruous to many as humans tend to meet violence with greater violence. The objective of non-violence is to destroy enmity rather than the enemy. In Gandhi's own words, the sword of passive resistance blesses the user as well as him against whom it is used. A careful analysis of several incidents that I myself experienced leads me to believe that vengeance does not provide lasting solutions to conflicts.
Living in the 21st century India, I have witnessed a growing tendency among citizens to look away from serious issues confronting the society, expecting the government to sort out every problem. This reminds me of Gandhi's famous quote-"Be the change that you want to see in the world". The statement is endearing. Being the change and not merely expecting others to change has now become my approach to solving problems...
Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence. (250-500)
BEING THE CHANGE!
My initial curiosity about Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was aroused by a couple of feature films made on his life that I saw as a child. Later, as a student of history I had a formal exposition of his work and his incredible ways. Clad in a piece of loincloth and living the life of the underprivileged, this skinny yet hardy man led world's most remarkable non-violent mass struggle for freedom. Gandhi was a visionary, a meticulous planner and a brilliant strategist.
Gandhian practices evolved from the simple principle of universal love, and the first-hand experience that he gathered through his 'experiments with truth'. Traditional Indian values and moral principles that he imbibed as a child and liberal education that he received in England contributed significantly to the evolution of his philosophy. I do not agree with all his ideas, but whatever little I have read about Gandhi has influenced the way I look at issues ranging from day-to-day personal matters to affairs having international dimensions...
After reading a few books on his philosophies, I realized that while absence of theoretical rigor makes his ideas easy to comprehend, it is an extremely arduous task to actually put them to practice since it requires immense self-control, hard discipline and strong convictions. For him the means is as important as the end. I admire Gandhi's ability to keep his desires under check and his resolve to never deviate from the path of truth. Modern civilization has made many of us victims of greed and falsehood. Gandhi's simplicity, a result of his self-control, has in some way inspired me to adopt a lifestyle where I hope to seek 'Knowledge' and 'Truth' and not earthly pleasures in order to lead a better life. This is my interpretation of Gandhi's views on morals and values, which, according to him are the real pillars of a civilization.
In Gandhian philosophy, I see a unique mix of faith and humanism, which has universal relevance. I perceive non-violence, also called 'Soul-force' as an effective weapon that can be used to achieve any rightful objective. Gandhi followed the dictum 'hate the sin and not the sinner', which might sound incongruous to many as humans tend to meet violence with greater violence. The objective of non-violence is to destroy enmity rather than the enemy. In Gandhi's own words, the sword of passive resistance blesses the user as well as him against whom it is used. A careful analysis of several incidents that I myself experienced leads me to believe that vengeance does not provide lasting solutions to conflicts.
Living in the 21st century India, I have witnessed a growing tendency among citizens to look away from serious issues confronting the society, expecting the government to sort out every problem. This reminds me of Gandhi's famous quote-"Be the change that you want to see in the world". The statement is endearing. Being the change and not merely expecting others to change has now become my approach to solving problems...
