Mahatma Gandhi was the leader of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India employing nonviolent civil disobedience to lead India to independence. Through his actions, he inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

Gandhi famously led Indians in challenging the British-imposed salt tax with the Dandi Salt March in 1930, and later in calling for the British to Quit India in 1942. As with all great leaders calling for a fundamental change in consciousness, he was falsely imprisoned for many years, upon many occasions, in both South Africa and India.

Gandhi practised nonviolence and truth in all situations, no matter the injustice he suffered, and advocated that others do the same. He ate simple vegetarian food and also undertook long fasts as a means of both self-purification and social protest.

Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, 2 October, is commemorated in India as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and worldwide as the International Day of Nonviolence. In India, he is often called Bapu, a Gujarati term of endearment for “father”, “papa”, and also Gandhiji.

Today, Gandhi’s words are as relevant as ever before. These 10 quotes are given for self-reflection. First, seek to apply them to your own life, especially challenging situations whenever and wherever they arise. Then seek to embrace these insights as you influence your family and friends, and your wider community.

10 Gandhi Quotes Everyone Needs

1. The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed. Ask yourself, how you can feel abundant with less, not more?  This seems paradoxical but it’s true that the less you want ‘stuff’, the more you will truly enjoy the ‘here and now’.
2. You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.  Repeat this when you see war, national tragedies or any other form of suffering caused by human ignorance.
3. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
   Do you struggle with this one?  Repeat this quote when you are tempted to lash out, and ‘punish’ the other person for their wrongdoing, whenever you hold hatred in your heart and mind.
4. Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent then the one derived from fear of punishment. 
   Always ask yourself, “am I operating from love, or from fear?” Spend some time in silence each day to reflect on your actions.
5. The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.  When you are self-centred and needy, remind yourself of this quote.  When you focus on others, you find your true calling.
6. Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. Can you think of something you are putting off until tomorrow that you really need to get done today?
7. Hate the sin, love the sinner. Try not to judge a person – they are doing the best they can with their level of awareness, and their desire to meet a particular need.  Their actions reflect their state of consciousness. You can say ‘no’ to ignorance, you can educate others, you don’t have to accept abuse – but do it with kindness and compassion.  We have to remember that we are all human and what we dislike in someone else is actually the wrong they are doing, usually unconsciously.
   
8. One needs to be slow to form convictions, but once formed they must be defended against the heaviest odds.  Many times people know right from wrong but they don’t say anything when there is an obvious wrongdoing. They let bad things happen to avoid getting into conflict. We must do better. The reason the world is in the state it is in is down to our inability to act with integrity in all situations. 
   
9. Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.  Your ability to stay consistent in your actions is the one thing that will determine whether you succeed or fail.   
   
10. An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind. By lashing out at others, does it really ever change things in our lives?  Apart from temporary relief? The challenge is to find a way to express ourselves peacefully, without adding fuel to the fire.

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