Quotes from Arun Gandhi

Use your anger for good. Anger to people is like gas to the automobile - it fuels you to move forward and get to a better place. Without it, we would not be motivated to rise to a challenge. It is an energy that compels us to define what is just and unjust.

This world is what we have made of it. If it is ruthless today it is because we have made it ruthless by our attitudes. If we change ourselves we can change the world, and changing ourselves begins with changing our language and methods of communication

A 'no' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.

Every time you feel great anger, stop and write down who or what caused your feelings and why you reacted so angrily. The goal is to get to the root of the anger. Only when you understand the source can you find a solution.

Respect and humility go together. Humility is not meekness, but the opposite of arrogance. A wise old Indian man once said, "Empty drums make the loudest noise." Grandfather often repeated this phrase to indicate that those with the least understanding are the most arrogant.

Your mind should be like a room with many open windows," Bapuji told me. "Let the breeze flow in from all, but refuse to be blown away by any one.

A man of few words will rarely be thoughtless in his speech- he will measure every word.

Religions are different roads converging upon the same point. What does it matter that we take different roads so long as we reach the same goal?

Nonviolence is not just a state of being where violence is absent or invisible. It is a conscious, active effort not to harm anyone morally, spiritually, physically, mentally, economically, socially, or in any other way.

The basis of Gandhi's nonviolence is to appeal to the good in others and evoke sympathy to one's cause through self-suffering.

Not only is this teacher educating her children in violence, she also has to continuously escalate her own violence to keep control. Her method of teaching breeds disrespect and prejudice. Her students have been dehumanized.

Since our understanding of Truth itself does not remain constant, one who is determined to pursue it diligently must constantly test and reexamine his or her views.

The trouble between Hindus and Muslims, which has continued to this day, is not generated by the people's inability to get along, but by those in positions of power and influence who seek to exploit religious differences for personal gain.

When people are forced to respect civil rights and human rights or face legal consequences, they don't like it. Civil rights laws will be scrupulously observed only when people accept that it is morally wrong to oppress or discriminate against fellow human beings. That awareness can come only through education. A law will enable integration in public places, but it does not foster understanding or appreciation in the hearts of people who continue to live with their prejudices.

For generations, the Gandhi family has been more spiritual than religious. This may seem to be a contradiction, but it is not. The Gandhis have drawn a clear distinction between two terms. Spirituality refers to the aspiration of our true nature, and ultimate realization of the Self. Religion, on the other hand, as in many cases come to mean a dogmatic observance of rituals that one practices at specified times of the day or week.