Religion Practice and Science of Non Violence

Author(s): O P Jaggi
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd

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Religion, Practice and Science of Non-Violence
his persuasive activity, he allows the opponent every opportunity and, indeed, invites him to demonstrate the correctness of his (the opponent's) position. He is, at all times, prepared to depart from his own position and to embrace the opponent's position should he be persuaded, by the opponent, of his error. This may, of course, be total or partial departure; the satyagrahi may be persuaded to abandon certain parts of his original position. He recognizes, and attempts to demonstrate to his opponent that he recognizes, the desirability of a resulting synthesis, and that he is not seeking a one-sided triumph. His effort is to allow for the emergence of the best re-structuring of the situation. He seeks a victory, not over the opponent, but over the situation (fulfilling the total human needs of the situation).
A satyagrahi never forgets the distinction between evil and the evil-doer; he does not harbour ill-will or bitterness against the latter. He does not even employ needlessly offensive language against the evil person, however, unreasonable his act may be. For it is an article of faith with every satyagrahi that there is none so fallen in this world but can be converted by love. A satyagrahi always tries to overcome evil by good, anger by love, untruth by truth, himsa by ahimsa. There is no other way of purging the world of evil.
A person who claims to be a satyagrahi always tries by close and prayerful self-introspection and self-analysis to find out whether he is himself completely free from the taint of anger, ill-will and such other human infirmities, whether he is not himself capable of those very evils against which he is out to lead a crusade. Satyagraha pre-supposes self-discipline, selfcontrol, self-purification.
Analysing the psychology of the satyagraha encounter, Gregg said: If one man attacks another with physical violence and the victim hits back, the violent response gives the attacker a certain reassurance and moral support. It shows that the position of violence on the victim's scale of moral values is the same as that of the attacker. A mere display of either fear or anger by the victim is sufficient to have this effect. It makes the attacker sure of his own savoir faire, of
Gregg R. B., Power of Non-Violence.