I have always been facinated by the person of Gandhi particially because he changed the world but mostly by the fact of how he accomplished this goal.  Few men in world history can stand claim to the title of father of a nation, much less father of a world wide movement and even fewer can make such a claim without firing a bullet or lifting a sword.  This incredible feat was accomplished by his pure will and those that were willing to give up their lives rather than take another life, a truly selfless act.

 

So how did Gandhi accomplish this task when he did not start off his professional life as a mystic or spiritual leader but rather as a practical attorney steeped in western legal theory and down to earth problem solving?

 

Gandhi was educated in law schools in England and arrived in South Africa as a commercial lawyer to work with clients, wealthy Indian and Muslim merchants. He soon learned that in this part of the world people of color were not seen the same, under the law. In fact, laws were written to specifically discriminate against persons of color. His deep belief in the law as an arbiter of truth an equalizer of the powerful vs. those without power and his belief that this was the natural order of things, led him to fight against injustice. The questions

of how to fight was an easy one for Gandhi to resolve. He was a Hindu and knew the concept of ASHIMA, that is a renoucing violence against anyone. His training as a lawyer taught him that the Pen could be mightier than the sword and his belief that Western society was a society of law not men would prevail against those willing to oppress people.

 

He felt that if he followed “justice” it would be the oppressors that would have to resort to violence and thus lose their authority under the law.

 

Gandhi  thus was a man of action  not someone who placed himself in a monestary to seek self introspection,