They represent eternal
virtue."
Nonviolence is the natural outgrowth of the law of forgiveness and
love. "If loss of life becomes necessary in a righteous battle,"
Gandhi proclaims, "one should be prepared, like Jesus, to shed his
own, not others', blood. Eventually there will be less blood spilt
in the world."
Epics shall someday be written on the Indian SATYAGRAHIS who withstood
hate with love, violence with nonviolence, who allowed themselves
to be mercilessly slaughtered rather than retaliate. The result on
certain historic occasions was that the armed opponents threw down
their guns and fled, shamed, shaken to their depths by the sight
of men who valued the life of another above their own.
"I would wait, if need be for ages," Gandhi says, "rather than
seek the freedom of my country through bloody means." Never does
the Mahatma forget the majestic warning: "All they that take the
sword shall perish with the sword." {FN44-16} Gandhi has written:
I call myself a nationalist, but my nationalism is as broad as the
universe. It includes in its sweep all the nations of the earth.
{FN44-17} My nationalism includes the well-being of the whole world.
I do not want my India to rise on the ashes of other nations. I
do not want India to exploit a single human being. I want India to
be strong in order that she can infect the other nations also with
her strength. Not so with a single nation in Europe today; they do
not give strength to the others.
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