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"Satyagraha is based on soul-force and stands for vindication of Truth not by the infliction of suffering on the opponent but on one's own self. In Gandhi's Satyagraha there is no scope for cowardice. It has to be cultivated following a discipline, a way of life."160 Thus Satyagraha proved itself to be the most powerful weapon to resist violence and secure social, economic or political emancipation. In this sense the doctrine of Satyagraha is strictly rigorist. In fact Satyagraha appears to Gandhi almost as a religious pursuit. It rests on a religious belief that there is one God behind everything and being, and as such the same God resides in every one of us. This is the basis of love, and unless one has this basic love for mankind he cannot practice the technique of Satyagraha. It, like Ahimsa, is conscious suffering by the practitioner. Gandhi has mentioned a number of qualities and characteristics which a Satyagrahi (Practitioners or followers of the tool Satyagraha) must possess like living faith in God, honesty and sincerity, open minded, disciplined, fearless, loving, unselfish, firm in his dealings with others, have an attitude of humility and simplicity, practice self restraint and so on. Gandhi said, “Nations, like individuals are built through the agony of the cross and in no other way joy comes not out of infliction of pain on others, but out of pain voluntarily borne by one self.9162 That is why Satyagraha has been described by him as a method of conversion rather than a method of coercion. Satyagraha is said to be the most potent nonviolent social transformation tool invented by Gandhi to bring about change of heart of masses and establish the Truth/ peace, harmony and their sustenance.
A deep analysis of the philosophy, method of practicing Satyagraha and the qualities of the practitioner (Satyagrahi) as prescribed by Gandhi is almost based on the method as practiced and propagated by Mahavira for his spiritual beneficiation and social welfare.163 Mahavira experimented the technique first on
Gandhi & Jainism
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