Quote collection
3.2K quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"How do you know if the next act you are about to do is the right one or the wrong one? Consider the face of the poorest and most vulnerable human being that you have ever chanced upon, and ask yourself if the act that you contemplate will be of benefit to that person; and if it will be, it's the right thing to do, and if not, rethink it."
"We are less than atoms, I say, because the atom obeys the law of its being, whereas we in the insolence of our ignorance deny the law of nature. But I have no argument to address to those who have no faith."
"Today I know that physical training should have as much place in the curriculum as mental training."
"It is beyond my power to induce in you a belief in God. There are certain things which are self proved and certain which are not proved at all."
"If India adopted the doctrine of love as an active part of her religion and introduced it in her politics. Swaraj would descend upon India from heaven. But I am painfully aware that that event is far off as yet."
"I have even seen the writings suggesting that I am playing a deep game, that I am using the present turmoil to foist my fads on India, and am making religious experiments at India's expense. I can only answer that Satyagraha is made of sterner stuff. There is nothing reserved and nothing secret in it."
"I had learnt at the onset not to carry on public work with borrowed money."
"Had we adopted non-violence as the weapon of the strong, because we realised that it was more effective than any other weapon, in fact the mightiest force in the world, we would have made use of its full potency and not have discarded it as soon as the fight against the British was over or we were in a position to wield conventional weapons. But as I have already said, we adopted it out of our helplessness. If we had the atom bomb, we would have used it against the British."
"A convert's enthusiasm for his new religion is greater than that of a person who is born in it."
"In the days of democracy there is no such thing as active loyalty to a person. You are, therefore, loyal or disloyal to institutions."
"Democracy demands patient instruction on it before legislation."
"Democracy can only represent the average if not less than the average."
"Democracy necessarily means a conflict of will and ideas, involving sometimes a war of the knife between different ideas."
"I came alone in this world, I have walked alone in the valley of the shadow of death, and I shall quit alone when the time comes."
"Where death without resistance or death after resistance is the only way, neither party should think of resorting to law-courts or help from the government."
"Death on the battlefield is welcome to a soldier."
"Running away for fear of death, leaving one's dear ones, temples or music to take care of themselves, is irreligion; it is cowardice."
"If we are to make progress, we must not repeat history but make new history. We must add to inheritance left by our ancestors."
"A man of character will make himself worthy of any position he is given."
"I believe in trusting. Trust begets trust. Suspicion is foetid and only stinks. He who trusts has never yet lost in the world."