Satyagraha

[blogslut]

It is never the intention of a satyagrahi to embarrass the wrongdoer. The appeal is never to his fear; it is, must be, always to his heart. The satyagrahis object is to convert, not to coerce, the wrongdoer, He should avoid artificiality in all his doings. He acts naturally and from inward conviction. - Gandhi

The Rules of Satyagraha:

1. Harbour no anger
2. Suffer the anger of the opponent
3. Never retaliate to assaults or punishment; but do not submit, out of fear of punishment or assault, to an order given in anger
4. Voluntarily submit to arrest or confiscation of your own property
5. If you are a trustee of property, defend that property (non-violently) from confiscation with your life
6. Do not curse or swear
7. Do not insult the opponent
8. Neither salute nor insult the flag of your opponent or your opponent’s leaders
9. If anyone attempts to insult or assault your opponent, defend your opponent (non-violently) with your life
10. As a prisoner, behave courteously and obey prison regulations (except any that are contrary to self-respect)
11. As a prisoner, do not ask for special favourable treatment
12. As a prisoner, do not fast in an attempt to gain conveniences whose deprivation does not involve any injury to your self-respect
13. Joyfully obey the orders of the leaders of the civil disobedience action
14. Do not pick and choose amongst the orders you obey; if you find the action as a whole improper or immoral, sever your connection with the action entirely
15. Do not make your participation conditional on your comrades taking care of your dependents while you are engaging in the campaign or are in prison; do not expect them to provide such support
16. Do not become a cause of communal quarrels
17. Do not take sides in such quarrels, but assist only that party which is demonstrably in the right; in the case of inter-religious conflict, give your life to protect (non-violently) those in danger on either side
18. Avoid occasions that may give rise to communal quarrels
19. Do not take part in processions that would wound the religious sensibilities of any community

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. Shortened version

1. Allow yourself to be victimized.
2. Your life has little value.
3. Your beliefs and value system have little value.

There are a few things on your list with which I agree. But by and large... no. I am a pacifist, not a passivist.

[blogslut]

3. It's not my list

While I may never be a practitioner of Satyagraha, I post this as a reminder that there are other ways to protest than picking fights with Senators and throwing blows at campus police. To stand firm while those around you lose control, to me, is the bravest action one can take.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. None of those sounds like Gandhi to me.

[blogslut]

5. Then maybe you need to read more

I suggest you go here: http://www.mkgandhi.org/index.htm

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. I was talking about Techbear.

"1. Allow yourself to be victimized.
2. Your life has little value.
3. Your beliefs and value system have little value."

None of those apply to Gandhi.

[burythehatchet]

9. See my post above

I was going to go off on a rant but cut it short. The polar opposite of those statements is a beginning of an understanding of Gandhi's way.

[blogslut]

10. Sorry

I thought you had directed the statement to me. I apologize. :)

[burythehatchet]

8. I don't think he was replying to your OP

[burythehatchet]

6. It's good that you state your case with authority

otherwise you would betray the paucity of your knowledge about this philosophy. It is understood by very few, so you're in good company.

[EFerrari]

17. I don't think so.

It's more like, "do not allow yourself to become so invested in anything that your oppressors can get their hooks into because then, they have you". (Do not allow yourself to become your reactions?)

It's not about being passive, exactly. It's about becoming a smarter target. About learning to put distance between what is important to you and what presents to your adversaries. About making a space between what you tilt with and what you hold dear.

[lapislzi]

18. Satyagraha is not passive

You should read more about it. It is very active, pro-active...and difficult if practiced properly. Nothing passive about it.

[Annces]

2. This does seem to be from a victim stance

As if the person already realized he was overpowered.

[burythehatchet]

13. Try it this way

The idea is to replace the physical struggle and engage the enemy on the spiritual battlefield. It is a foreign concept to the West, for the most part. But please, do not mistake it for victimization, it is the polar opposite.

[Dob Bole]

11. I should point out the irony that while "the appeal is never to fear," your avatar is Batman!

:)

[blogslut]

12. Yeah, I know

But remember, Batman never kills. Also, my avatar is really more of an homage to Patrick Leahey.

Don't worry. My avatar changes. At first it was Venus DeMilo. Then it was Shiny the 911 Pony. Then it was I Voted. Than it was Molly Ivins. Then it was Nancy Pelosi. Now it's Batman.

[blogslut]

14. A nonviolent kick

For the graveyard shift. ;)

[sandnsea]

15. this is a courageous life

I do not have anywhere near the courage to live my convictions, stand firmly for others, and hold no animosity in the process.

I know someone who does though.

[blogslut]

16. Neither do I

But I can try. I have learned over the years that when you lose your cool, you lose. When you allow the hate of others to posses you, you lose. I am weak. I still lose my cool. I still allow hate to posses me. I am working on it. I am trying to be more brave.

[blm]

19. Yes - and I would submit that those who've faced down machine gunfire and shoulder rockets pointed

at them, prosecuting mob figures and investigating the most dangerous and corrupt of our government's covert operations would barely flinch over insults and lies tossed at them. Too bad fellow party members cannot stand up with truth and run from it themselves.

The immature TV raised crowds want verbal crossfire and can't see beyond that empty approach - and those who claim to speak for us go along with it.

This is why someone as bankrupt of integrity as a Karl Rove and a George Bush could go as far as they did.

[Democrafty]

22. Hear, hear! n/t

[satya]

20. Thanks for this very timely post. And here are another 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action:

198 Methods of Nonviolent Action

[H2O Man]

21. Thank you.

Martin Luther King Jr used a variation of this theme in his campaign. Here is a copy of it:


Commitment Card

Martin Luther King, Jr.
1963

I hereby pledge myself—my person and body—to the nonviolent movement. Therefore I will keep the following ten commandments:

1. Meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.

2. Remember always that the non—violent movement seeks justice and reconciliation — not victory.

3. Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love.

4. Pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free.

5. Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all men might be free.

6. Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.

7. Seek to perform regular service for others and for the world.

8. Refrain from the violence of fist, tongue, or heart.

9. Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.

10.Follow the directions of the movement and of the captain on a demonstration.

I sign this pledge, having seriously considered what I do and with the determination and will to persevere.

http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1130

[blm]

25. Today, the spinners would attack a Ghandi, JFK, MLK, and Rosa Parks as spineless

because they used quiet actions and elegantly spoken language instead of red meat attacks on those opposing them.

Some in our party want to emulate the Rove and GOP on their absolute worst traits and call it 'tough'....and hound out those who show courage in their every day actions in support of the citizenry and its right to open government.

[MH1]

23. Thanks. Kicked, recc'd, and bookmarked. n/t

[Hydra]

24. Pretty words

but in today's world of non-reporting, these people will be the ones who are killed without ceremony and the press won't be there.

Remember the pre-war protests here in America? HUGE protests? Instead, the press refused to show them, and put up polls saying that 70%+ were in favor of it.

Our enemies have learned from the past.

[blm]

26. Our fascist enemies spent the 80s and 90s buying control of most broadcast media

and the last ten years forcing print media to knuckle under, too.

[blogslut]

27. Have they learned?

I am not so sure. If they have learned then why are they repeating the ways of fascists and tyrants - people who failed and will always fail?

We all have our path to follow and our leaders to emulate. I choose Gandhi. If you wish to choose Marat, I will not stop you. :)

[Hydra]

28. They learned how to keep better control of us

and they are testing how far they can push us before they have to start locking us up.

I'm more of a Jeffersonian:

"God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ... What country before ever existed a century and half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."

Thomas Jefferson

[blogslut]

31. Well, between the two extremes

Of Gandhi versus Marat, I guess Jefferson would be a nice middle ground - perhaps a bit closer to the Marat end of things.

What I would like others to realize is that revolutions can be waged without violent action. And that we are all participating in a people-driven revolution right now - The Internet. A recent study showed that more people are turning to the web than they are to other forms of media:

"NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. consumers this year will spend more of their day surfing the Internet than reading newspapers or going to the movies or listening to recorded music, according a study released on Tuesday.

The findings are part of a new report from private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson that shows advertisers are paying close attention to the shift in consumer behavior and putting more money into areas like digital marketing.

<snip>

For the first time in a decade, the study found, consumers spent less time with media in 2006 than they did in the previous year. Usage per person dropped 0.5 percent to 3,530 hours annually, according to the study, which said digital media typically requires less time than traditional media.

For instance, consumers usually watch broadcast or cable TV for at least 30 minutes per session, but spend as little as five to seven minutes watching consumer-generated video clips online, it said..."

link: http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN0721570920070807?feedType=RSS&rpc=22&sp=true

Slam the corporate controlled MSM - they deserve it. But do not discount the revolution that is not being televised. :)

[Hydra]

32. And we are part of that revolution

But there have to be teeth somewhere, and people have to know that by following those principles that they may die for nothing.

I may die for nothing as well, but I will have died in the attempt to make freedom possible.

[blogslut]

33. If you die for your beliefs

then how can you say you died for nothing?

Let's just hope that things don't come to that. We still have opportunities to change perception before America is completely lost. The pendulum has already begun to swing our way. 75% of this country want this war over. Barely 30% approve of the president. He's lost his Rumsfeld, his Rove and his Gonzales. All he has left is a horrid man with a bad heart. He is basically alone and fighting for his life. Keep up the pressure. Call your Senators and Representatives every chance you can. Vote Vote Vote.

[Hydra]

34. Feel free to try that

I'm here for when that doesn't work. I personally believe that this is more than just a few old fools that stole some elections. There is something fundamentally WRONG in our system, and I believe it needs a violent correction to salvage even the memory of what it might have been.

[etherealtruth]

29. I haven't thought about Satyagraha in years ....

I'll admit more than a little shock at some of the interpretations (above) ... I've never seen well reasoned criticisms that came to the conclusions above ... and I still haven't (well reasoned, that is)

Thanks for posting.

[The Vinyl Ripper]

30. I had never heard of this before, thank you for posting..

The rules of conduct make a great deal of sense to me..

I do have a couple of quibbles though..

I don't think property is worth anyone's life.

#15 Would seem to bar those with family responsibilities from participation.