“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” (The Quotations Page) These words were spoken by the famed Indian freedom fighter, Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi believed that revenge was immoral and a lot of the times led to hate. Religion offers individuals a framework to help people make moral choices. It was because of his framework of base beliefs that Gandhi did what he did in a peaceful and non-violent way. He helped India help become independent by using his morals to protest in a peaceful way. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2 1869 in the town of Portbander, a small town in the western state of Kathiawar. He was born to the Vaishya caste. His father was a Dewan - or leader - in his town. Gandhi’s mother was a very religious woman who left a deep impression in his mind. It was because of her that Gandhi was such a devoted Hindu. He is also famous for his way of protesting in South Africa and India. Since he was a young boy, Gandhi wanted to study law in Great Brittan and become a lawyer, which he later did. Later, he was inspired to help fight for freedom of Indians in South Africa from the discrimination of the British, who were in rule then. When he was in South Africa, Gandhi once experienced the unfairness when he was travelling in a train. A foreign man came into the first-class compartment and found Gandhi sitting there. He later returned with a constable who told Gandhi to move to the compartment car. Gandhi protested and was thrown out of the train. Gandhi was amazed by the unfairness the Indians were facing in South Africa and dedicated his time to organize the Indian community there. These actions and others later in his life in battling racial and religious injustice would transform the world.
Throughout his life, Gandhi displayed a significant amount of honesty that later became one of his true virtues. One incident to prove this happened in his childhood. When he was at school, a British inspector came and tested his class on their spelling. Gandhi got all but one word wrong. His teacher noticed this and motioned Gandhi to copy the answers from his classmate. Gandhi refused and was later scolded for his ‘stupidity’. (D@dalos) The morals that he was taught through his religion helped him make the right choice to not lie and to be honest.
Gandhi had a large amount of determination throughout his life. He later used this value when he led the famous Salt March of 1930 to protest on the British tax on salt. It was a 23-day 400-kilometer march to the coast where they made their own salt from seawater. (BrainPOP) This protest was to boycott British made goods that had heavy taxes and were unfair to the poorest of Indians at that time. This determination later helped free India from British rule.
Gandhi is remembered for his tolerance and acceptance of those different than him. He was taught by his parents to be tolerant of others that were different than him. He used this moral to protest for the unfairness of the caste system, in which Brahmins and Kshatriyas were at the top, Vaishyas, such as Gandhi himself, were in the middle and the “untouchables”, who were thought by the higher castes to be “spiritually impure”. (BrainPOP) Gandhi thought that this was unfair, so he had a twenty-one day fast to protest against the unfair treatment of the “untouchables”. His tolerance and religious acceptance of all kinds of people, whether they are black or white; rich or poor; male or female, has been admired to this day.
Mahatma Gandhi’s religious beliefs influenced him by helping him make moral decisions and also helped to shape his personality. His traits also came from his religious beliefs and morals. Gandhi was brought up to be honest and tolerant, which also came from his Hindu beliefs. His religious and moral beliefs helped him to become “the man of the millennium’.
Throughout his life, Gandhi displayed a significant amount of honesty that later became one of his true virtues. One incident to prove this happened in his childhood. When he was at school, a British inspector came and tested his class on their spelling. Gandhi got all but one word wrong. His teacher noticed this and motioned Gandhi to copy the answers from his classmate. Gandhi refused and was later scolded for his ‘stupidity’. (D@dalos) The morals that he was taught through his religion helped him make the right choice to not lie and to be honest.
Gandhi had a large amount of determination throughout his life. He later used this value when he led the famous Salt March of 1930 to protest on the British tax on salt. It was a 23-day 400-kilometer march to the coast where they made their own salt from seawater. (BrainPOP) This protest was to boycott British made goods that had heavy taxes and were unfair to the poorest of Indians at that time. This determination later helped free India from British rule.
Gandhi is remembered for his tolerance and acceptance of those different than him. He was taught by his parents to be tolerant of others that were different than him. He used this moral to protest for the unfairness of the caste system, in which Brahmins and Kshatriyas were at the top, Vaishyas, such as Gandhi himself, were in the middle and the “untouchables”, who were thought by the higher castes to be “spiritually impure”. (BrainPOP) Gandhi thought that this was unfair, so he had a twenty-one day fast to protest against the unfair treatment of the “untouchables”. His tolerance and religious acceptance of all kinds of people, whether they are black or white; rich or poor; male or female, has been admired to this day.
Mahatma Gandhi’s religious beliefs influenced him by helping him make moral decisions and also helped to shape his personality. His traits also came from his religious beliefs and morals. Gandhi was brought up to be honest and tolerant, which also came from his Hindu beliefs. His religious and moral beliefs helped him to become “the man of the millennium’.
