Contemplative Haven: Satyagraha (Truthforce) 
Satyagraha (Truthforce)
When Pope John Paul II visited India in February of 1986, he described his visit as a, "pilgrimage of good will and peace, and the fulfilment of a desire to experience personally the very soul of your country."
One of his stops was at the funerary monument of Mahatma Gandhi, whom Pope John Paul II referred to as the, "apostle of non-violence." In his address on this occasion, the Pope stated that the, "figure of Mahatma Gandhi and the meaning of his life's work have penetrated the consciousness of humanity." He went on to say this:
"...I wish to express to the people of India and of the world my profound conviction that the peace and justice of which contemporary society has such great need will be achieved only along the path which was at the core of his [Gandhi's] teaching: the supremacy of the spirit and Satyagraha, the "truthforce", which conquers without violence by the dynamism instrinsic to just action."
What is "Satyagraha"? It can be broken down into "Satya" (Truth) and "Agraha" (Firmness). Truth, Gandhi said, implies Love, and firmness can be seen as a force. He stated, "I thus began to call the Indian movement Satyagraha, that is to say, the Force which is born of Truth and Love or non-violence..."
In his address at Gandhi's funerary monument, Pope John Paul II stated that, "leaders of peoples, and all men and women of good will, must believe and act of the belief that the solution lies within the human heart." He went on to recall to the people the words of Jesus,
the Beatitudes, of which he attested that Gandhi, "was very familiar and in which he found the confirmation of the deep thoughts of his heart." It was Pope John Paul II's desire that the Beatitudes, as well as, "other expressions in the sacred books of the great religious traditions" of India, "be a source of inspiration to all peoples."
And so we have Pope John Paul II instructing us that, "the solution lies within the human heart", and we can also call upon another of Mahatma Gandhi's oft-quoted teachings: "Become the change you seek in the world."
Something to ponder - what would I like to see changed in the world? An end to war and other violence, addictions, poverty, sin, disease, pollution, global warming, discrimination and hatred?
How will it happen? Can I,
Become Peace **** Become Freedom **** Become Generosity ****Become Purity **** Become Health **** Become Perfect Creation **** Become Compassion **** Become Love
Become. Become. Become. I must become, or how shall I ask it of anyone else?
[Quotations from Pope John Paul II are found in, "Address of John Paul II on Occasion of the Visit to the Funerary Monument of Raj Ghat Dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi", on the Vatican website.]
One of his stops was at the funerary monument of Mahatma Gandhi, whom Pope John Paul II referred to as the, "apostle of non-violence." In his address on this occasion, the Pope stated that the, "figure of Mahatma Gandhi and the meaning of his life's work have penetrated the consciousness of humanity." He went on to say this:
"...I wish to express to the people of India and of the world my profound conviction that the peace and justice of which contemporary society has such great need will be achieved only along the path which was at the core of his [Gandhi's] teaching: the supremacy of the spirit and Satyagraha, the "truthforce", which conquers without violence by the dynamism instrinsic to just action."What is "Satyagraha"? It can be broken down into "Satya" (Truth) and "Agraha" (Firmness). Truth, Gandhi said, implies Love, and firmness can be seen as a force. He stated, "I thus began to call the Indian movement Satyagraha, that is to say, the Force which is born of Truth and Love or non-violence..."
In his address at Gandhi's funerary monument, Pope John Paul II stated that, "leaders of peoples, and all men and women of good will, must believe and act of the belief that the solution lies within the human heart." He went on to recall to the people the words of Jesus,
the Beatitudes, of which he attested that Gandhi, "was very familiar and in which he found the confirmation of the deep thoughts of his heart." It was Pope John Paul II's desire that the Beatitudes, as well as, "other expressions in the sacred books of the great religious traditions" of India, "be a source of inspiration to all peoples."And so we have Pope John Paul II instructing us that, "the solution lies within the human heart", and we can also call upon another of Mahatma Gandhi's oft-quoted teachings: "Become the change you seek in the world."
Something to ponder - what would I like to see changed in the world? An end to war and other violence, addictions, poverty, sin, disease, pollution, global warming, discrimination and hatred?
How will it happen? Can I,
Become Peace **** Become Freedom **** Become Generosity ****Become Purity **** Become Health **** Become Perfect Creation **** Become Compassion **** Become Love
Become. Become. Become. I must become, or how shall I ask it of anyone else?
[Quotations from Pope John Paul II are found in, "Address of John Paul II on Occasion of the Visit to the Funerary Monument of Raj Ghat Dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi", on the Vatican website.]
Labels: Beatitudes, Gandhi, JPII, Non-Violence, sacred books, Satyagraha, Truthforce
posted by Gabrielle at 3:00 PM
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