“Gandhi said your power becomes invincible when you have reduced yourself to zero—which means, when you don’t want anything, when you have no more fear looking in the eyes of death, when you’re right here. Then your statement has the power of the universe behind it. It’s coming from a root place of truth, because there’s nothing in it for you. You don’t want anything. To me, that is the power of a Christ, or just one clear person who isn’t vulnerable. I don’t underestimate the power of the human heart. When I look at the human heart, that link, that doorway, I see an institution that makes the Pentagon look like a kids’ toys.”
Ram Dass, via Sunbeams (Page 93)
Mahatma Gandhi Quotes
The Power of Mantra – As Described by Mohandas Gandhi’s Family Servant [Excerpt]
Excerpt: The following is an excerpt from The Great Work of Your Life by Stephen Cope. In it, he describes how Mantra can help settle, calm, focus, and direct the mind in powerful ways.
Read More »The Power of Mantra – As Described by Mohandas Gandhi’s Family Servant [Excerpt]
“You may never know what results come from your actions. But if you take no action, there will be no results.” ~ Mohandas Gandhi, via The Way of the Seal
“He who devotes himself to service with a clear conscience, will day by day grasp the necessity for it in greater measure, and will continually grow richer in faith… If we cultivate the habit of doing this service deliberately, our desire for service will steadily grow stronger, and will make not only for our own happiness but that of the world at large.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
“It’s the action, not the fruit of the 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.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
“When one of his workers asked for help in decision making, Gandhi told him, “I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starved millions? Then you will find your doubts and yourself melting away.” ~ Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
“Gandhi believed in the intrinsic good in every individual – the universality of humankind. He asked individuals to search for the truth that was within them and to act in accordance with their conscience. He devoted a great deal of his life trying to convince people to acknowledge the good in others, to reject differences based on caste, religion, and social position, and to work for the welfare of all.” ~ Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
“Gandhi had power, but he had none of the means we usually associate with power: wealth, official position, military might. His power was based solely on the willingness of people to follow his lead. They were willing to serve him because his life was devoted to serving them.” ~ Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
“Would anybody be offended if we gave a $150 million bonus to Gandhi? How about a $250 million bonus to Mother Teresa? Do we have an issue with that? None at all. Great leaders would never sacrifice the people to save the numbers. They would sooner sacrifice the numbers to save the people.” ~ Simon Sinek, TED
