Gandhi Jayanti 2018: 5 life lessons we can learn from the great Mahatma

MK Gandhi assumed leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, and led the Swaraj campaigns across India. Here are some simple life lessons from him to make our lives better.

Today, on October 2, India shall celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi’s birth anniversary is commemorated every year as Gandhi Jayanti to celebrate the ideals which he stood for, such as peace and non-violence along with his vast contribution to India’s freedom struggle.

Lovingly addressed as the ‘Father of the Nation’ or bapu, Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 in a Hindu merchant caste family in Gujarat, India. He was trained to become a lawyer at Inner Temple, professional associations for barristers and judges in London after which he went to South Africa at the age of 24, to practice law.

After returning to India in 1915, he started to get together farmers and urban labourers to protest against discrimination and various other issues such as untouchability, casteism and the poor and always followed the path of non-violence.

Gandhi assumed leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, and led campaigns stretching all across India on Swaraj or self-rule. On June 15, 2007 the United Nations General Assembly announced that October 2 shall also be celebrated each year as the International Day of Non-Violence.

Follow these 5 simple rules by Gandhi and make life better:

1. Eat simple food

Gandhi had a simple vegetarian diet and would often cook his food himself. This is an important lesson in today’s scenario, where we keep wanting to try out some fancy food at the latest restaurant on a regular basis. Or we skip our home made food and order food from outside.

Simply put, the more home-made food we have, the lesser health issues we would face, and it also helps in weight management.

2. Exercise

Before it became cool to take part in marathons, Gandhi made walking for a cause an integral part of our culture. For instance, the Dandi March also known as the Salt March, which was undertaken to protest against the salt tax imposed by the British Raj. The march took 26 days from March 12, 1930 to April 6, 1930 to finish. Not only was this a unique form of protest, at the same time, regular long walks ensured his good health and stamina.

3. Don’t be vengeful

Anger and bitterness end up harming the person who harbours these feelings. Next time you feel resentment, try going back to what he said, “An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.”

4. Live in the present

Gandhi emphasised that we need to learn to be in the present and not worry about the future. If we dwell too much on what lies ahead, we end up spoiling what we have now. Of course, it is imperative that we do plan for the future, but keep in mind what he said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

5. Positive thinking

If you think negative, consider what Gandhi had said- “A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.”

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