Customer Reviews

Mohandas Gandhi: Essential Writings (Modern Spiritual Masters Series)

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Promoting simple ideas to find profound action is the fundamental objective of this book. It is great to read Gandhi's main writings in such a useful volume. I find myself referring to it again and again.

Mahatma Gandhi, or the Great Soul, remains known some 62 years after his death by assassination for his steadfast forwarding of non-violence as a political and spiritual movement, and accredited with gaining India's independence from British rule in 1947. Gandhi's legacy is rooted in his moral authority by acting in concert with his beliefs. John Dear in the introduction to Mohandas Gandi Essential Writings describes Gandhi as an "apostle of non-violence" Though considered an agitator by the British government and imprisoned multiple times for civil disobedience, Gandhi never wavered from his ideals of racial equality, religious tolerance, eradication of poverty among them, despite the heavy cost to him (e.g., loss of freedom, death of his wife who was also imprisoned). Mocked by some in the British government (Winston Churchill reputed as one) for his eccentricities in clothing, his extreme emaciated form, and his rigidness in thought, Gandhi's example of gentleness and peaceful opposition to unjust laws remains an influence to all today.
Dan Smee
Author, "Totally American"
Totally American: Harnessing the Dynamic Duo of Optimism and Resilience to Achieve Success

Excellent first text on Gandhi, perhaps best for high school students and college freshman. Well chosen excerpts with some commentary

I'm really loving this book. I've been skipping around and simply enjoying the "nuggets" of wisdom spread from cover to cover.

Interesting edition, as well. Printed in India, as opposed to the Orbis Books printing.

I am a fan of Gandhi and this book helped to satisfy my interest. It arrived within a few days of my purchase and great condition

We are very fortunate to have available this compilation of Gandhi's word collected by the Jsuit Father John Dear in this excellent publication by the longstanding and highly qualified Catholic Publishing House Orbis Books, an organ of the MAryknoll MIssionary Society, for whom my uncle served as priest overseas forty yaers until a debilitating stroke struck him down five years ago.

Father JOhn DEar is best known for not only his actions for peace, including as the head of Pax Christi and the Fellowship of REconciliation, but also for the many works he has written, including Disarming the Heart: Towards a Vow Of Non-Violence (which for a Christian shoudl be redundant anyways!). In this ADvent season we do well to contemplate his Mary of Nazareth: Prophet of Peace. And in the midst of all this activity he found time to compile the writings of Gandhi, in the year 2002 when surely he felt the call to more direct actions.

What more lasting and direct action for peace and Christian love could he possibly take than this collection of Gandhi? Now at this discount how can we afford in this fallen day and age not to take it to heart?

Please take advantage of the excellent amazon Search Inside feature to study at least the Table of Contents and you will find everything you have wanted to know. Not only does he provide an excellent summary of the life and impact of Gandhi, but then develops along the essential themes his thought and prayer. There is of course and obviously to many the parallels with the Sermon on the Mount which helps us CAtholics the more to understand our call as Catholics to peaceful action in this violent world.

Especially important to us as Americans as our nation sinks under its exponentially increasing inequities brought on by the current administration is the pages devoted to "Steadfast Resistance", in particular the chapter entitled, "Obeying the Divine Law, Resisting Unjust Laws (pages 152 ff.)" which find echo sixty years later in the COnciliar document Gaudium et Spes, which describes why no Catholic can support our Iraqi involvement directly nor indirectly:

Gaudium et spes gives the specific admonition:

"Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and humanity, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation."

Thus must we Catholics condemn absolutely our war against Iraq which goes back though the long war of attrition to papa Bush in 1990, which has caused over a million Iraqi deaths, women and children in their bloodied beds, and carpet bombing wiping out the ancient city of Fallujah, etc. all for profiteering privateering petroleum piracy.

Further Gaudium et spes states unequivocally:
"If civil authorities legislate or allow anything that is contrary to the will of God, neither the law made nor the authorization granted can be binding on the conscience of the citizens since God has more right to be obeyed than man."

God commands: Thou shalt not kill.

We cannot kill a million Iraqi citizens, women and children in their beds, for the sake of privateering petroleum piracy. We cannot be involved in this genocide in any way shape or form. We in fact are obligated to work and speak strongly against it. Pope John PAul II was first in condemning the aggressive invasion of Iraq.

I cannot urge you enough to consider this substantial volume for your spiritual and Catholic library, as the Reverend Father John Dear so well and intelligently and spiritually interprets for us directly from the primary sources the life and philosophy, the love and non-violent action of this Great Soul. I can think of no finer book on Gandhi available today. I can think of no more crucial message for us today, who have grown deaf and blind by the brilliance of the Sermon on the Mount and need to see it through refractions from a similar source to find our own Faith and grace-filled Action.

Do unto others what you want them to do to you.
Sounds like something you never have to think about while it is all you need to think about.