"A model of Gandhian journalism. . . . [Shepard] has put his finger on seemingly all of the popular (and some less common) misconceptions of both Gandhi and his philosophy, including some particularly important ones. . . . This book takes little space to cover its topic concisely and well. It would be [some] of the most valuable pages many people could read about Gandhi." -- Global Conscience, July-Sept. 1990
/////////////////////////////////////////////////
SAMPLE
I suspect that most of the myths and misconceptions surrounding Gandhi have to do with nonviolence. For instance, it's surprising how many people still have the idea that nonviolent action is passive.
It's important for us to be clear about this: There is nothing passive about Gandhian nonviolent action.
I'm afraid Gandhi himself helped create this confusion by referring to his method at first as "passive resistance," because it was in some ways like techniques bearing that label. But he soon changed his mind and rejected the term.
Gandhi's nonviolent action was not an evasive strategy nor a defensive one. Gandhi was always on the offensive. He believed in confronting his opponents aggressively, in such a way that they could not avoid dealing with him.
But wasn't Gandhi's nonviolent action designed to avoid violence? Yes and no. Gandhi steadfastly avoided violence toward his opponents. He did not avoid violence toward himself or his followers.
Gandhi said that the nonviolent activist, like any soldier, had to be ready to die for the cause. And in fact, during India's struggle for independence, hundreds of Indians were killed by the British.
The difference was that the nonviolent activist, while willing to die, was never willing to kill.
Gandhi pointed out three possible responses to oppression and injustice. One he described as the coward's way: to accept the wrong or run away from it. The second option was to stand and fight by force of arms. Gandhi said this was better than acceptance or running away.
But the third way, he said, was best of all and required the most courage: to stand and fight solely by nonviolent means.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////
MARK SHEPARD'S BOOKS ON GANDHI, NONVIOLENCE, AND SIMPLE LIVING
MAHATMA GANDHI AND HIS MYTHS: Civil Disobedience, Nonviolence, and Satyagraha in the Real World (Plus Why It's 'Gandhi,' Not 'Ghandi'). Mahatma Gandhi is one of the least understood figures of all time -- even among his admirers. In this Annual Gandhi Lecture for the International Association of Gandhian Studies, Mark tackles some persistently wrong-headed views of Gandhi, offering us a more accurate picture of the man and his nonviolence.
GANDHI TODAY: A Report on India's Gandhi Movement and Its Experiments in Nonviolence and Small Scale Alternatives. What became of the Gandhian tradition in India following the death of Mahatma Gandhi? Did it quietly die away? Or were there still Indians who believed in his philosophy and methods, committed to continuing his work? These were the questions that sent Mark to India in 1978-79, where he found that the tradition begun by Gandhi was very much alive.
THE COMMUNITY OF THE ARK: A Visit with Lanza del Vasto, His Fellow Disciples of Mahatma Gandhi, and Their Utopian Community in France (20th Anniversary Edition). France's Community of the Ark is one of the past century's most successful experiments in utopian living. Founded by Lanza del Vasto, a Christian disciple of Mahatma Gandhi, it offers an inspiring model for a nonviolent society. Mark shared the life of this remarkable community for six weeks in 1979 and reported on what he found.
SIMPLE SOURDOUGH: Make Your Own Starter Without Store-Bought Yeast and Bake the Best Bread in the World With This Simplest of Recipes for Making Sourdough (or Sour Dough). This booklet tells how to make the best bread in the world. And it's made from only wheat, water, and salt! You'll love this tasty, wholesome, easy-to-make bread from a tradition thousands of years old.
GANDHI THROUGH A CHILD'S EYES: An Intimate Memoir. "Gandhi was father to the ashram, leader of the nation, Mahatma to the common Indian. But, to us children, he was above all simply a friend." So says Narayan Desai in this memoir edited by Mark. Son of Gandhi's chief secretary -- and today a major figure in the worldwide nonviolence movement -- Desai spent his first twenty years in Gandhi's ashrams. Drawing on this rich background, he offers a rare, intimate, and revealing portrait of Gandhi and the people around him.
