Notes from Nonviolence: Gandhi and King

The evening program on Day Four of the 12th International Nonviolence Summer Institute involved two guest speakers: Gandhi student & scholar Prasad Gollanapalli and Alex Supron, the 2013 winner of the Gandhi Essay Contest.

Mr. Gollanapalli is the Managing Trustee of the Gandhi King Foundation and an esteemed educator & practitioner of Gandhian Nonviolence.

Prasad Gollanapalli speaks about Gandhi with evening program participants.

He spoke to us first about Gandhi's life, so that we would know his start as a shy, scared, deemed-unintelligent child as well as his journey to developing his philosophy and framework of nonviolence.

A key message he shared was the eleven principles of Nonviolence, sometimes called "Gandhi's Vows," that he encouraged all to follow with humility care, and commitment:

• Ahimsa - Nonviolence 
• Satya - Truth
• Asteya - Nonstealing
• Brahmacharya - Celibacy/Sacred Sexuality
• Aparigraha - Nonconsumerism
• Sharira-Shrama - Physical Work
• Asvada- Avoidance of Bad Taste
• Abhaya - Fearlessness
• Sarva-Dharma-Samanatya - Respect for All Religions
• Swadeshi - Local Economy
• Asprishyataniyarana - Respect for All Beings (not just human beings)