ISSN 0975-6035 Volume 10, No.2, July-December 2016, pp.1-17 http://cseaps.edu.in/areastudies/index.html © Centre for Southeast Asian and Pacific Studies, Visit: cseaps.edu.in

Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth () and Non-Violence (): A Vietnamese Perspective

Le Thi Hang Nga *

Abstract

It is said that, everything would fade away under the dust of time, but indeed, there are things which shine more and more with the passing of time, that is the illumination of the virtues of great men like Mahatma Gandhi. There is no doubt about the M. Gandhi‟sleadership role in India‟s freedom movement. Indeed, Gandhiji has led an extraordinary struggle for independence for the Indians. “Extraordinary” because the weapon he used for fighting was not guns, bullets or swords or lathis, but it was “soul-force/ truth force”, it was love or nonviolence. However, M. K. Gandhi was not just a great politician, he was also a social reformer, a sage or a “Saint” – “A Great Soul” as aptly described by R. Tagore, although M.K Gandhi did not want to be called by that epithet. Gandhiji considered himself“a humble searcher after Truth, knows his limitations, makes mistakes, never hesitates to admit them when he makes them and frankly confesses that he, like a scientist, is making experiments about some of the eternal ------

* Dr. Le Thi Hang Nga, Deputy Editor-in-chief, Journal of Indian and Asian Studies, Institute for Indian and Southwest Asian Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. Email: [email protected]

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Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

truths of life…”1 Mahatma Gandhi is not only “the Father of India”, the influence of this tiny man is far beyond India. Perhaps, no other politician or saint before Gandhiji have achieved in his lifetime the worldwide attention that Gandhiji received. Albert Einstein said that, generations to come “will scarcely believe that such a one as this, ever in flesh and blood, walked upon this earth.”2 This paper is to study about Mahatma Gandhi‟s views on Truth and Nonviolence which is the core of Gandhiji‟s thought and is the basis for the understanding of Gandhiji‟s social and political action.

Key words: Eternal Law, Truth, Nonviolence, Satya, Ahimsa

This paper is the result of my personal quest to know and to understand the genius of Mahatma Gandhi, the Great Soul. As far as I know, Gandhiji was not born with great capacity or power. He was born an ordinary, if not very ordinary man as any other human beings, also made serious mistakes when he was young, such as lying, desire for passion (too much passion for his wife), but by self-training, self-purifying, he has become an extraordinary man. He stated “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”Instead of trying to change others, he always tried to change himself. What is most impressive, most encouraging to me is the fact that, from what he calls “a coward boy” who used to be haunted by the fear of thieves, ghosts and serpents, could not go out anywhere or sleep in the dark, as he would imagine ghosts coming from one direction, thieves from another and serpents from a third,3 M. K. Gandhi had become, I think, perhaps, the most brave man that mankind has known.

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Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

In addition, the readers of this paper may be somewhat familiar with the image of the emblem of India, which is the symbol of the four lions‟ heads turning in four different directions. However, they may not notice that there is a small inscription below it which says “Satyameva Jayate” which means “Truth alone Triumphs.” This is a quote from the concluding part of the sacred . This is also the thing that Gandhiji tried to prove throughout his life. Gandhiji not only said “Truth alone triumphs” but he also said “Truth alone exists.”

Among the huge materials writing on Gandhiji, there are some noticeable books about Gandhiji‟s views on Truth and Nonviolence which I referred to. To name a few, they are: Mahatma Gandhi (2016), Tự truyện Gandhi (Gandhi’s Autobiography) (translated into Vietnamese by Venerable Trí Hải), Hồng Đức Publishing House; M. K. Gandhi, An Autobiography or The Story of my experiments with truth, Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmadabad, 2004; Raghavan N. Iyer (2000), The Moral and Political Thought of Mahatma Gandhi, Oxford University Press; M. K. Gandhi (1996), The Essence of , Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmadabad; Erik H. Erikson, Gandhi’s Truth, On the Origins of Militant Nonviolence, W.W. Norton & Company, 1993.

In Vietnam, in recent years, awareness about Mahatma Gandhi has increased, some books about Gandhiji has been translated, including Gandhi‟s Autobiography or “The Stories of my experiments with Truth,” some books on Gandhiji‟s political activities and thought; another book on “The Essence of Hinduism” has also been translated into Vietnamese and is being published soon. Especially, awareness about Gandhiji has increased because since 2007, Vietnam has celebrated International Nonviolence Day on Gandhiji‟s birthday (2nd October). However, it must be admitted that, research about 3 | Area Studies

Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

Gandhiji, comparing to other figures such as Rabindranath Tagore and Jawaharlal Nehru, is still limited. Therefore, this paper on Gandhiji‟s views on Truth and Nonviolence is also a humble effort to promote research interest in Gandhiji in Vietnam.

The following sections will be an attempt to analyze Gandhiji‟s views on Truth (Satya) and Nonviolence (Ahimsa).

1. Mahatma Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya)

First of all, it is perhaps necessary to clarify the term Truth – Satya of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi‟s idea on Truth is derived from the word “Satya” in . Satya is originated from “Sat” which means “being, existent”. The translation of the Indian term into English, and then to Vietnamese, can easily be misleading. Gandhiji is of the view that, nothing really exists except Satya. The word Satya has been translated as “Truth” in English. In Vietnamese, “Truth” has often been translated as “Chân lý” and “Sự thật”. I preferred the translation of “Truth” as “Sự thật” or we should use both the term “Chân lý” and “Sự thật” at the same time. The term “Chân lý” can be abstract to the general readers, the term “Sự thật” is relatively easier to understand to the common people. However, to Gandhiji, the term “Satya” has a variety of connotations which the word “Sự thật” may not be fully conveyed. According to Gandhiji, the most important connotations of Satya are: real, sincere, existent, pure, good, effectual, valid… Satya also means “The Moral Law” – the Eternal Law of existence.

 M.K. Gandhi’s views on Truth: From ‘God is Truth’ to ‘Truth is God’

In one of his thousands of public speeches, Gandhiji addressed the issue of “What is God?” According to Gandhiji, “if it is

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Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

possible for the human tongue to give the fullest description of God, I have come to the conclusion that, for myself, God is Truth.”4 But later, Gandhiji went a step further and said that “Truth is God”. This is a conclusion that he came up to after nearly 50 years of continuous and relentless search after Truth. Before 50 years old, Gandhiji said “God is Truth” but after 50, Gandhiji said the opposite: “Truth is God”. So what is the difference in these two ways of saying?

According to Gandhiji, there is a subtle distinction between the two statements, i.e., “God is Truth” and “Truth is God”. The distinction is not always to be seen clearly. At some point of time, Gandhiji himself did doubt the existence of God, but He never doubted the existence of Truth. Gandhiji is of the opinion that, most religion share the same faith that God alone exists, even if God is called by thousands of different names, like Allah in Islam, Jesus in Christianity, or , , in Hinduism… But in fact, while pursuing the desire to discover God, human beings do not hesitate to deny the very existence of God through their ruthless acts. Millions of people have, in the name of God, committed nameless atrocities. In the name of Truth and science, many untruth and inhuman cruelties have happened when men perform vivisection on animals.

Therefore, according to Gandhiji, instead of saying “God is Truth”, we should say “Truth is God”. This statement gives Gandhiji the highest satisfaction, because when men want to search for Truth as God, the only and inevitable means is Love, which is nonviolence. Thus, Truth is the goal/end and Nonviolence is the means. While the first statement emphasizes the end, the second statement emphasizes both means and end. And Gandhi said that, both means and end are equally important,5 sometimes, means is even more important than end. 5 | Area Studies

Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

So ‘What is Truth?’

In Gandhiji‟s words, this is “a difficult question”, but “it is what the voice within tells you.” 6 But this will lead to another difficult question, i.e., different people think differently about truth, what is truth for one may be untruth for another. Thus, Gandhiji is of the opinion that, the experiments on truth have to meet certain conditions. Just as for conducting scientific experiments there is an indispensable scientific course of instruction, in the same way, strict preliminary discipline is required for making experiments in the spiritual realm. Based on experience, Gandhiji found that, those who want to make individual search after Truth as God, must go through several vows, as for instance, the vow of truth/being truthful, the vow of purity (Brahmacharya), the vow of nonviolence, of poverty and non-possession. Gandhiji is of the view that, unless we impose on ourselves these vows, we may not embark upon the spiritual experiment at all. Thus, it is not proper for everyone to claim to hear the voice of conscience, because at present, everybody claiming the right of conscience without going through any discipline whatsoever and there is so much untruth being delivered to a bewildered world.

Apart from the above vows, there is another condition that a seeker after truth must have, according to Gandhiji, that is, he must be truly humble, must reduce himself to a zero, “he must be humbler than the dust”, “so humble that even the dust could crush him.”7 The instruments for the quest of truth are both simple and difficult and an arrogant person may not be able to use them but an innocent child may use them easily.

Throughout his life, Gandhiji always tried to follow the call of his inner voice. In his words: “I had long since taught myself to follow the inner voice. I delighted in submitting to it. To act 6 | Area Studies

Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

against it would be difficult and painful to me.”8 The event of Gandhiji coming to Champaran 9 to help the peasants here oppose a British tax is a typical example of Gandhiji‟s action according to the call of conscience/inner voice. When Gandhiji appeared in Champaran, the British local government ordered him to leave Champaran immediately to “maintain law and order.” But Gandhiji could not leave Champaran without understanding the situation and therefore he had to disobey the government‟s order. Then, Gandhiji was brought to court for disobeying this order. At the hearing (at the Court), Gandhiji read a brief statement, which included the following paragraph:

With the permission of the Court, I would like to make a brief statement showing why I have taken the very serious step of seemingly disobeying the order (of the government)… I have entered the country with motives of rendering humanitarian and national service. I have done so in response to a pressing invitation to come and help the ryots (peasants), who urge they are not being fairly treated by the indigo planters. I could not render any help without studying the problem. I have, therefore, come to study it with the assistance, if possible, of the Administration and the planters. I have no other motive, and cannot believe that my coming can in any way disturb public peace and cause loss of life.… As a law-abiding citizen, my first instinct would be, as it was, to obey the order served upon me. But I could not do so without doing violence to my sense of duty to those for whom I have come. I feel that I could just now serve them only by remaining in their midst. I could not, therefore, voluntarily retire… I venture to make this statement not in any way in extenuation/reduction of the penalty to be awarded against me, but to show that I have disregarded the order served upon me not for want of respect for lawful authority, but in obedience to the higher law of our being, the voice of conscience.10 7 | Area Studies

Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

Gandhiji is of the view that, Truth alone exists, we may not wish to admit the existence of God, but we must admit the existence of Truth if we are to evolve as human beings. God is difficult to define, but the definition of Truth is in every human heart.11 Gandhi is of the view that, this is almost a matter of experience, because Gandhiji himself has not seen Truth face to face, he has had only glimpses of it but his faith is indomitable. 12

For Gandhiji, Truth is not only being truthful in words, but also in thought and action.13 Gandhi did not have excellent academic results, but honesty was a prominent characteristic that he expressed since he was a child. In his Autobiography, M.K. Gandhi tells the story that: at the examination during his first year at the high school, his school was inspected by the Educational Inspector. The Inspector had set 5 words to write as a spelling exercise. Gandhi had mis-spelt one of the 5 words. The teacher tried to prompt him with the point of his boot. But M. Gandhi could not see that the teacher wanted him to copy the spelling from the slate of his classmate, he thought that the teacher was there to supervise them against copying, so he was not prompted. The result was that, all the boys, except Gandhi, were found to have spelt every word correctly. Only Gandhi was “stupid” for not copying. The teacher tried later to point out to Gandhi this stupidity but without effect. Gandhiji could never learn the art of „copying.‟14

Another incident being told in Gandhiji‟s Autobiography took place when Gandhi was in the 7th standard. The headmaster of the school made gymnastics and cricket compulsory for boys of the upper standards. Gandhi disliked taking part in exercises at school, partly because of his shyness but a more important reason was his desire to serve as nurse to his father. One Saturday, Gandhi‟s class had to report at school for gymnastics at 4 p.m. As Gandhi had no watch, he had to guess 8 | Area Studies

Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

the time from the clouds and it deceived him. When Gandhi reached the school, the gymnastics was over and all the boys had left. Next day, the Headmaster examining the roll and found Gandhi marked absent. He asked Gandhiji about the reason for absence, Gandhiji told him what had happened. But the Headmaster refused to believe and ordered Gandhiji to pay a fine of one or two annas for lying. Gandhiji wrote: “that deeply pained me… I cried in deep anguish. I saw that a man of truth must also be a man of care.”15

Even when Gandhiji was nearly in his 60, he continued to feel that the path to Truth is very hard, like “walking on the sword‟s edge”, and in every moment, he see the necessity for eternal vigilance.”16 Each day went by he discovered a new beauty of the Truth. The path to Truth had often meant endangering his life and incurring the displeasure of friends. But as Gandhiji said: “Truth is hard as adamant and tender as a blossom.”17 And he who would be friends with God as Truth must remain alone or make the whole world his friend.18

For Gandhiji, Truth is the service for the community. He stated: “I have made the religion of service my own, as I felt that God could be realized only through service. And service for me was the service of India…” 19 Since he was a child, he was fond of serving his parents, and the story about the devotion to the parents of Shravana, who carried his blind parents on a pilgrimage, left an indelible impression on his mind, and he thought that this is the example for him to copy.20 The truth of service has been thoroughly performed by Gandhi during his stay in South Africa. In Gandhiji‟s words: “the service of the Indians in South Africa ever revealed to me new implications of truth at every stage. Truth is like a vast tree, which yields more and more fruit, the more you nurture it. The deeper the search in the mine of truth, the richer the

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Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

discovery of the gems buried, here, in the shape of openings for an ever greater variety of service.”21

Mahatma Gandhi was a lawyer. It was his law practice in South Africa that brought him to Truth and made him persistent on his path to pursue Truth. Although Gandhiji heard that lawyer is a lie profession, it did not affect him as he did not have the intention to earn a position or a fortune through a lie. Deep inside Gandhi‟s heart, he always wanted to win if his client was right. He told every client right from the beginning that, they should not expect him to deal with a wrong case or to train the witnesses… Therefore, some clients usually gave him clean cases and took suspicious cases elsewhere.22 Each time he could help the right cases, his joy was no bound.23 It was the time of one year in Pretoria, South Africa that Gandhiji learnt the secrets of being a successful lawyer. In his words “I have learned the true legal practice. I learned to find the good nature of people and go into their hearts. I realized that the true task of a lawyer is to unite the opposing parties. That lesson is so deep inside me that much of my time in 20years of law practice has been devoted to making private arrangements for hundreds of cases.”24

Thus, Gandhiji is of the view that, truth is to listen to the small inner voice within you, to be truthful, honest, to have the prudential conviction that honesty is the best policy in the long run, and that we must rule our life by this law of Truth at any cost.25 Living truthful is not always easy. But if the observance of truth were easy, there would be no beauty about it. Untruth and dishonesty often seem to win, but in reality, truth win in the end… Those who observe it may be few but they are the salt of the earth, it is they who keep society together, not those who sin against truth. Moreover, in Gandhiji‟s view, it is not merely that Truth is certain of eventual victory but also that it is absolutely essential to 10 | Area Studies

Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

survival. Untruth is founded in fear and insecurity, and no man, according to Gandhiji, can be really happy or stable in such a state.26 In Gandhiji‟s view, Truth in its most transcendental sense is identical with God or the Divine Reality and is a proper object of worship and total devotion. One thing took deep root in Gandhiji‟s mind was the conviction that “morality is the basis of things, and that truth is the substance of all morality.” Therefore, Truth became Gandhiji‟s sole objective which was growing in magnitude every day, and Gandhiji‟s definition of it was ever widening. 27

2. Mahatma Gandhi’s views on Non-violence (Ahimsa)

If Truth is the highest goal that Gandhiji look up to, Nonviolence is the best means to realize it. Gandhiji admitted that, “my uniform experience has convinced me that there is no other God than Truth.” And “the only means for the realization of Truth is Ahimsa (Nonviolence, Love).” 28

The word “Ahimsa”originate from the Sanskrit root “hims” meaning to strike; himsa means to injure/ to harm and a- himsa is the negative form of himsa, meaning making no injury/ no harm to other and this applies to all creatures, including animals, in ancient Indian religions. “Ahimsa” has been translated into English as “Love”, “Charity” or “Nonviolence.” Each translated word has its own advantage, while the word “Love” implies the great love for all creature, the word “Charity” implies pity or for the wrong- doer, and the word “Nonviolence” implies a deliberate negation against all ill-wills, a method of action based upon self-restraint.29

Mahatma Gandhi extended the meaning of Ahimsa beyond mere non-killing or non-injury. He is of the view that, the principle of Ahimsa is “hurt by every evil thought, by undue

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Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

haste, by lying, by hatred, by wishing ill to anybody, and by our holding on to what the world needs.”30

Mahatma Gandhi made distinction between the negative and the positive meanings of Ahimsa. In its negative form, it means not injuring any living being whether by body or mind. In its positive form, Ahimsa means the largest love, the greatest charity. This active ahimsa means that a follower of Ahimsa must love his enemy or stranger as well as his wrong- doing father or son.31

The story of Gandhiji‟s wrong doing and the love and forgiveness given to him by his father when he was about 15 years old, was probably the first concrete lesson on Ahimsa or Nonviolence he learnt. By then, he had learnt the habit of smoking from his cousin and because there was no money to buy the cigarettes, he and his cousin had to steal coppers from the servant‟s pocket money. But a much more serious incident took place a little later when Gandhi had stolen a piece of gold from his brother‟s armlet to pay off a debt of about 25 rupees. But this incident became more than what he could bear and decided never to steal again. But Gandhi initially did not dare to confess to his father, not that because he was afraid of his father beating, but because he was afraid of causing pain to his father. Finally, Gandhi decided to write the confession on a slip of paper. He not only confessed all his guilt, but also asked for adequate punishment for it, and closed it with a request to his father not punish himself for his son‟s offence. In the letter, Gandhi also pledged never to steal again.

Upon reading Gandhi‟s confession, his father cried, and “the pearl-drops trickled down his cheeks, wetting the paper.”32 Gandhi also cried. In Gandhiji‟s words, “those pearl-drops of love cleansed my heart, and washed my sin away. Only he who has experienced such love can know what it is.” 33 That is 12 | Area Studies

Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

pure Ahimsa expressed in the love of the father to his son. When Ahimsa as Love becomes all-embracing, it transforms everything it touches and there is no limit to its power.”34 Thus, Gandhiji is of the view that, Ahimsa as the greatest love and forgiveness is the weapon of the strong, not of the weak or coward, the weak can never forgive. Forgiveness if the attribute of the strong.35 After this incident, Gandhiji also realized that, “a clean confession, combined with a promise never to commit the sin again… is the purest type of repentance.” 36

According to Gandhiji, the saying “Hate the sin and not the sinner” is a precept which is easily enough to understand, but is rarely practiced, and that is why the poison of hatred spreads worldwide. Gandhi is of the view that, man and his deed are two distinct things. Whereas a good deed should be appreciated and an evil deed being discouraged, the doer of the deed, whether good or bad, always deserves respect or pity as the case may be.37 Similarly, it is quite proper to attack a system, but to attack its author/creator is tantamount to attacking oneself. Because, as Gandhiji said, “we are all tarred with the same brush, and are children of one and the same Creator, and as such the divine powers within us are infinite. To slight a single human being is to slight those divine powers, and thus to harm not only that being but with him the whole universe.”38

According to Gandhiji, Ahimsa is a comprehensive principle. He understood that, man cannot for a moment live without consciously or unconsciously committing outward violence. The very fact of his living – from eating, drinking to moving about – necessarily involves some violence, destruction of life, be it ever so minute. Therefore, in Gandhiji‟s view, a votary of Nonviolence remains true to his faith if the spring of all his actions is compassion, if he shuns to the best of his ability the 13 | Area Studies

Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

destruction of the tiniest creature, tries to save it, and thus incessantly strives to be free from the deadly coil of violence.39

And so, for Gandhiji, Nonviolence is a process of self- purification – “a hard and steep path.” “To attain to perfect purity, one has to become absolutely passion-free in thought, speech and action; to rise above the opposing currents of love and hatred, attachment and repulsion.”40 Gandhiji confessed that, he himself had not had those in him, and that is why the world‟s praise fails to move him, it even stings him. For Gandhiji, to conquer the subtle passions seems to be far harder than the physical conquest of the world by the force of arms.41

Conclusion

In brief, according to Gandhiji, there is no other God than Truth. And the only means to realize Truth is Ahimsa/Nonviolence. Truth, inter alia, is “what the voice within tells you,” is being truthful, honest, sincere, is the moral law imbued in everything, is the only thing that is eternal, immutable. Nonviolence is not just non-killing, non-injuring, non-hurting other creatures in thoughts, words, actions but also the great love, charity and forgiveness toward our enemy, strangers and the wrong doers…

In Gandhiji‟s view, “to see the universal and all-pervading Spirit of Truth face to face, one must be able to love the meanest of creation as oneself. And a man who aspires after that cannot afford to keep out of any field of life.”42 That is why the devotion to Truth has drawn Gandhiji into politics. And that is why Gandhiji affirmed that “those who say that religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion means.”43

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Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

Even though Gandhiji had made sincere and persistent strivings after Ahimsa, he thought that they had been still imperfect and inadequate. Therefore, the little fleeting glimpses that Gandhiji had been able to have of Truth can hardly convey an idea of the indescribable luster of Truth, a million times more intense than that of the sun we daily see with our eyes. What Gandhiji had seen is “only the faintest glimmer of that mighty effulgence”, and that a perfect vision of Truth can only follow a complete realization of Ahimsa/Nonviolence.44

These above contents are just some aspects Gandhiji‟s views on Truth and Nonviolence that I have perceived. Although Gandhiji once said that he had nothing to teach the world, “Truth and Nonviolence are as old as the hills”, he did throw a new light on many an old Truth.”45 It is said that India is great because of its vast territory, large population, strong economic and defence potentials, but I would say that India is great because it is the birthplace of great people like Mahatma Gandhi.

Notes

1. Raghavan N. Iyer, The Moral and Political Thought of Mahatma Gandhi, Oxford University Press (2000), p. 6. 2. Raghavan N. Iyer, p. 4. 3. Mahatma Gandhi (2016), Tự truyện Gandhi (Gandhi’s Autobiography) (Ni sư Trí Hải dịch), Nxb. Hồng Đức, tr. 31. 4. M. K. Gandhi (1996), The Essence of Hinduism, Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmadabad, p. 46. 5. Ibid., p. 47. 6. Ibid. 15 | Area Studies

Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

7. Ibid., p. 11. 8. Ibid., p. 147. 9. Champaran is a district in Bihar, northern India. During the British period, the first nonviolence struggle inspired by Mahatma Gandhi took place in Champaran in 1917. 10. M.K. Gandhi, An Autobiography or The Story of my experiments with truth, (Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, 2004), p. 380. 11. Raghavan N. Iyer, n.1,p. 155. 12. M. K. Gandhi (1996), pp. 48. 13. Raghavan N. Iyer, n.1, p. 156. 14. Mahatma Gandhi, n.3, p. 16. 15. Ibid., p. 26. 16. Ibid., p. 222. 17. Ibid., p. 161. 18. Ibid., p. 30. 19. Ibid., p. 171. 20. Ibid., p. 6. 21. Ibid., tr. 231. 22. Ibid., Sách đã dẫn, tr. 377. 23. Ibid., tr. 146. 24. Ibid., tr. 147. 25. Raghavan N. Iyer, n.1, p. 157. 26. Raghavan N. Iyer, n.1, p. 171. 27. Mahatma Gandhi, n.3, p. 46. 28. Ibid., tr. 488. 29. Raghavan N. Iyer, n.1, p. 182. 30. Ibid., p. 180. 31. Ibid. 32. Mahatma Gandhi, n.3, p. 38. 16 | Area Studies

Relooking at M.K. Gandhi’s Views on Truth (Satya) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa): A Vietnamese Perspective

33. Mahatma Gandhi, n.3, p. 38. A hymn in Hinduism also says: „Only he Who is smitten with the arrows of love, Knows its power.‟ 34. Mahatma Gandhi, n.3, p. 38. 35. Mahatma Gandhi, South Africa and Satyagraha, http:// www.mkgandhi.org/articles/gsouthafrica_satyagraha.ht m. Accessed on 8/9/2017. 36. Mahatma Gandhi,n.3, p. 39. 37. Ibid., pp. 287-288. 38. Như chú thích trên. 39. Mahatma Gandhi, n.3, p. 364. 40. Ibid., p. 521 41. Ibid. 42. Ibid. 43. Ibid. 44. Ibid. 45. Raghavan N. Iyer, n.1, p. 3.

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