Society and the World

Power is of two kinds: One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment.

Poverty is the worst form of violence.

Poverty is the worst form of violence.

Personally, I hold that a man who deliberately and intelligently takes a pledge and then breaks it, forfeits his manhood.

Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.

Non-co-operation with evil is as much a duty as is co-operation with good.

Non-co-operation with evil is as much a duty as is co-operation with good.

Nobody can hurt me without my permission.

Nobody can hurt me without my permission.

No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.

Morality is the basis of things and truth is the substance of all morality.

Morality is contraband in war.

Morality is contraband in war.

Moral authority is never retained by any attempt to hold on to it. It comes without seeking and is retained without effort.

Man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellow men.

Man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellow men.

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.

I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.

Just as a man would not cherish living in a body other than his own, so do nations not like to live under other nations, however noble and great the latter may be.

Just as a man would not cherish living in a body other than his own, so do nations not like to live under other nations, however noble and great the latter may be.

I will not let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet.

It is the action, not the fruit of action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.

It is easy enough to be friendly to one’s friends, but to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.