A Context for Organizing: Reflections on Gandhi’s Approach to Satyagraha (Non-violence) Volume 1a Nashid Fareed-Ma’at A Context for Organizing: Reflections on Gandhi’s Approach to Satyagraha (Non-violence) Volume 1a (April 2012) by Nashid Fareed-Ma’at Copyright © 2012 (PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK) A Context for Organizing: Reflections on Gandhi’s Approach to Satyagraha (Non-violence) TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction. 8 THE ROOTS OF SATYAGRAHA Chapter One: Transcending Historical Amnesia . 14 Chapter Two: The Spiritual Foundation (of Satyagraha). 29 Chapter Three: Walking the Path of No Harm . 44 THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SATYAGRAHA Chapter Four: Swaraj (Self-rule) is Part of the Search for Truth . 69 Chapter Five: A Force More Powerful than Violence . 98 Chapter Six: The Satyagraha Approach to (Self-)Suffering. 125 Chapter Seven: From the Power of One to the Power of Many . 150 Chapter Eight: The Satyagraha Approach to Education . 172 A MEANS OF LAST RESORT: CIVIL RESISTANCE AND DISOBEDIENCE Chapter Nine: The Temperament of Civil Resistance . 194 Chapter Ten: In Search of a Comprehensive Definition of Civil Disobedience . 238 Chapter Eleven: Civil Disobedience: Application of a Last Resort - Part One . 255 Chapter Twelve: Civil Disobedience: Application of a Last Resort - Part Two . 297 Chapter Thirteen: The Closing . 318 É where there is Truth, there can be no harm É all (genuine) strength emanates from humility the deeper the humility, the more pure and potent the strength É a soul that knows its strength can conquer all the violence in the world without lifting a single finger how much more can be accomplished when that soul commits to act when many such souls form a community to live the collective strength of their souls É Preface to Volume 1a If we find (realize) Truth within, what can bind us. With the force of the essence of all, all that is in disharmony with Truth can be transformed and brought into harmony with Truth by the power of Love. Life presented many unforeseen and daunting challenges which delayed my ability to complete this update. But these experiences have also reaffirmed the value of much found in Gandhi’s approach. Thus, Volume 1a is a fine tuning of the previous version, to clean up some typos and grammatical errors and better attune some of the language. I’ve also replaced my use of the term “Hinduism” with the term “traditional Indian spirituality:” although Gandhi used “Hinduism” at times, the span of teachings encompassed in traditional Indian spirituality is not limited to the Hindu ethnic group. After completing this update, I encourage readers to a more mystical sensitivity of what this book addresses: there are layers of depth beyond the words and points that lead to the heart, wherein dwells Love, Truth, and the essence of that which manifests and sustains the outer changes many of us seek. The realization of these is more profound than any words this book shares. The deeper I find myself within that which is mystical and spiritual, the more I realize these are the means that affect lasting change. And these are certainly within Satyagraha (non- violence). I won’t delve too much into my own transformation which has led me deeper into the realm of the mystic, but I do see Gandhi’s work more as a bridge to that realm. He was never content with Satyagraha remaining merely in the political and social realms, that these are bridges to an intrapersonal spiritual transformation that would extend to affect the world we live in, if not the entire universe. And for him, his spiritual service (which embraced his activism but wasn’t limited to it) continued to draw him deeper and deeper into the mystical and transforming embrace of traditional Indian spirituality. Although he constantly rejected being called a saint or Mahatma (Great Soul), once he committed his life to Satyagraha, the path of the saints became 6 his path. Reflecting on the state of modern activism and political / social / community organizing, many of us in these fields would benefit from remembering this aspect of his journey: that freedom and justice are not separate from Truth and the spiritual quest and commitment to surrender one’s life to the will of Truth. April 2012 Nashid Fareed-Ma’at ˜ ˜ ˜ 7 A Context for Organizing: Reflections on Gandhi’s Approach to Satyagraha (Non-violence) Volume 1a INTRODUCTION “Far be it from me to claim any degree of perfection for these experiments. I claim for them nothing more than does a scientist who, though he conducts his experiments with the utmost accuracy, forethought and minuteness, never claims any finality about his conclusions, but keeps an open mind regarding them. I have gone through deep self-introspection, searched myself through and through, and examined and analysed every psychological situation. Yet I am far from claiming any finality or infallibility about my conclusions.” 1 Welcome! Peace and Blessings! This book is an in-depth examination of Gandhi’s approach 2 to Satyagraha, more often translated as “non-violence” in English. As indicated in the above quote, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi approached Satyagraha as a science: a spiritual science that moved him to conduct social 1 Mohandas K. Gandhi, An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth , 1957, p. xxvii. 2 Throughout the book I use the term “Gandhi’s approach,” but it should be understood that his approach was not arrived at in a vacuum. His approach was definitely influenced by others, including fellow seekers of Truth who contributed to his understanding of Satyagraha (non-violence). Please keep this mind as you read the book, that these unnamed persons may be remembered -- even if not by name. 8 actions, which he deemed as experiments, in the political and social realms. But do not let the humility of his scientific approach fool you: although he refrained from making many final conclusions about Satyagraha, I, as an observer and student of Satyagraha, firmly declare that there are many definitive lessons to be learned from Gandhi’s approach. Looking at the state of the community organizing, peace, and social justice fields, and their significant decline in influence and impact upon communities throughout the world, I have been moved to write this book as a way to encourage today’s (and future) activists to look back to Gandhi and his approach for useful guidance. Many contemporary presentations and applications of “non-violence” have departed drastically from Gandhi’s approach, even as many modern activist streams point back to or have been significantly influenced by his work in India and South Africa. Some contemporary approaches to “non-violence” have even ignored or omitted key fundamental elements of non- violence (Satyagraha) while claiming to still be “non-violence” or “non-violent.” Instead of writing a book that bashes the arrogance and foolishness of such approaches, I follow Gandhi’s example of his never ending work of educating the masses about what Satyagraha truly is and how it can be lived. Satyagraha is a way of life , not a set of tactics to be employed to wage protests, resistance, or discontent -- or to garner media attention. Its foundation is clearly spiritual, not political. It is a way of life that demands its followers to embrace it completely, not partially in certain aspects of life that wade between Truth and delusion. I have no doubt that if readers genuinely understand what this book conveys, there will be a major shift in our approach to community organizing, peace, and social justice work. We will embrace, as Gandhi did, a way of life that seeks Truth in complete humility, empowered by the genuine strength of our souls, that transforms ourselves and others to expand the blessings of beneficence and justice in ways that honor ahimsa (no harm) and shed all forms of delusion, compulsion, violence, fear, and weakness. This book is written primarily for people in America, but this doesn’t render it useless for people in other parts of the world. As I witness the unfolding realities that shape our embrace of the second decade of the twenty-first century, Gandhi’s lessons call to me like a candle flame flickering in the wind. American culture has become so increasingly violent that even many who proclaim to be “peaceful” do so in very violent ways. This issue is addressed repeatedly throughout the book, so I won’t go into it now, but as Gandhi taught: it is virtually impossible to realize Truth living a life that is immersed in violence and harm. If we do not remove violence 9 and harm from our lives, it is extremely unlikely that we will see Truth. And without Truth, it is extremely difficult -- if not impossible -- to be peaceful. There is a pressing need for people in America to re-evaluate and examine our cultures and values. (The same applies to many people throughout the world, particularly with the exportation of American culture via globalization.) This evaluation and examination of our cultures and values are very important aspects of Satyagraha (non-violence), aspects often removed from contemporary presentations of it. But even when these aspects are acknowledged, some ignore Gandhi’s approach to actualizing these: for Gandhi, his first aim was to radically transform who he was as he sought Truth, and then seek to extend this transformation outward to others, beginning with his family and neighbors in quest of reaching all people within India. His approach was based in humility and enduring patience, which informed his great willingness to suffer for others that they may realize the power and beauty of transforming to live and seek Truth.