Publisher's Synopsis
This book is an exploration into the makings of a man like Gandhi, viewed through a lens colored by the Tao and ancient Chinese philosophy. As I continue my own journey-nonviolence having been the polestar by which I have navigated-I wonder what place it has in the life I have come to live today, whether it is relevant and whether my voice ought to be added to those of the champions of nonviolence, both living and dead.
In his book No Mud, No Lotus, Thich Nhat Hanh said, 'Suffering has its beneficial aspects. It can be an excellent teacher."
In Gandhi's case, the law had to change for an entire nation using specific methods that could not be compromised. Freedom for India could not be obtained with violence for Gandhi to be successful, or he would be like any other despot sitting on his throne under which lay the broken bodies of the oppressed.
That is what makes nonviolence surprising: Those doing the work of nonviolence are freed spiritually in the process of working for external freedom, and that those who work for freedom through nonviolent resistance can enjoy the fruit of their labor without regret.
