For Global Peace with Social Justice in a Sustainable Environment
Gandhi and the Climate Justice Fast, COP-15 Copenhagen, 2009: Part 1. Purity of Intention
From the Satyagraha arsenal, Mahatma Gandhi introduced to the world platform of human ethics in action, what he termed, 'the terrible weapon' of the Fast. “Fasting is a potent weapon in the Satyagraha armory. It cannot be taken by everyone. Mere
physical capacity to take it is not qualification for it....It should never be a mechanical effort or a mere imitation.” [Harijan: March 18, 1939. Age 69.]
This year, at the COP-15 , in response to the appalling apathy, and obfuscation by elected and unelected world leaders in arriving at sane solutions that address our collective human responsibility to the Natural creation, four youths have undertaken to use this weapon, coming together as the Climate Justice Fast. Two began the Fast on November 6. Now it is December 7, 2009 – 31 days. One of these is Anna Keenan, from Australia. The other, Sara Svensson, from Sweden. They have been joined by Daniel Lau from Australia on Nov. 12, and Matthieu Balle from France, on November 22.
This article explicates the criterion that Gandhi saw as universally applicable when undertaking the Fast, and examines the ongoing Climate Justice Fast to see if it meets them. The first of these, is purity of intention.
Gandhiji treated the weapon of the Fast with great respect. In a life of 78 years, records indicate he used it only 17 times. For him, it was an appeal to the Truth that he called God. “He who performs a Fast must think deeply. If he hasn’t full faith in God, his Fast has not the slightest value. A Fast presupposes a clear direction from God.” [January 19, 1948. Age 78. To Manubehn.]
Since his departure from the physical body, the weapon of the Fast has become misused, its effect consequently greatly diminished. Many Indian politicians publicize their use of the Fast, as a means to express displeasure, foregoing a meal, or for a day. Gandhi warned:
"I have to guard you against another contingency. It has been recently noticed that whosoever wishes goes on Fast at any time he likes without giving any thought to it. It would seem that Fasts started in this way to get quick results will only bring disappointment. Besides, if an infallible remedy like Fast is misused in this manner, it will cease to have any effect. [January 19, 1948. Age 78. To Manubehn.]
For Gandhiji, the Fast is the natural response of a heart that cannot find relief from the world, mind and hearts of man. He took it in response to the agony of his soul. Before embarking on a 21 day Fast in 1924, due to his distress about Hindu-Moslem violence, he said:
"The recent events have proved unbearable for me. My helplessness is still more unbearable. My religion teaches me that whenever there is distress which one cannot remove, one must Fast and pray." [CWMG 25: 170–171. September 18, 1924. Age 54.]
Gandhi relied upon the call of his conscience. The Fast was as a response to what he heard and saw within himself, it was knowledge, guidance and direction for action that came from beyond the powers of the intellect:
"I see the Fast coming. I have been outwardly engaged in different activities, but inwardly, I have been listening all the time. I have not been able to hear the inner voice clearly, but something within me tells me that I cannot get away from the Fast.” [Mahatma Gandhi’s Last Imprisonment: the Inside Story. Nayar, S. p.186 January, 1943. Age 73.]
He recognized that his decision, his use of human liberty to serve the Truth he could see within himself, would be particularly painful to those who felt close to him.: “I have discussed the subject threadbare. I have delayed embarking on it but I see now that I
cannot avoid it. I want you to prepare yourself mentally for it... so that you could keep your poise and be able to work during the Fast. I shall need looking after. I have not the stamina of those who needs no help even in a prolonged Fast. I am afraid, Ba [his wife] may not be able to stand the strain....Even if all of you break down, I shall still have to go on a Fast, but it will make it harder for me." [Mahatma Gandhi’s Last Imprisonment: the Inside Story. Nayar, S. p.186 January, 1943. Age 73.]
The Fast is a weapon of penance before our universal conscience. We are all bearers of the same Truth. The One who undertakes the Fast must be Truthful, deeply sincere, and humble before the Truth within him or her self. After entering into a Fast, Gandhi said:
“It is a matter between me and my Maker...I am wrestling with Him! If there is pride or defiance in me it is all over with me...Let God keep this body if He has still to make some use
of it. Let it perish if it has fulfilled His purpose.” [CWMG: 182–184. September 19, 1924. Age 54. Discussion with Shankat Ali.]
At the same time, such a penance is punishment for those who can feel their own self-identity with the one who undertakes the Fast. As punishment, Gandhi stated that the Fast is, “A whip administered to lethargic Love.” [CWMG 51:253. 1932. Age 62.]
About using the Fast as corrective, Gandhi said:
"All Fasting and all penance must as far as possible be secret. But my Fasting is both a penance and a punishment, and a punishment has to be in public. It is penance for me and punishment for those whom I try to serve, for whom I love to live and would equally love to die."
[CWMG:22:419. February 16, 1922. Age 52.]
The Fast, as penance, has powerful results. It makes a man stand naked in the truest sense, before his Maker, stripped of every falsehood, self-deception, and grand self-delusions. This is purity. Gandhi entered his Fasts in a sense of agony. The Fast placed him into alignment and harmony with the Truth he found in his conscience, and touched that Truth within all around him. Internal purity arose from that 'wrestling dance' between him and his Maker. Without that internal purity of intention, the Fast would be a mere mechanical endeavor, needing excessive corpulence to cope with it. Without purity of intention, we cannot become Love itself.
Gandhi's motto, of 'be the change you want to see' saw that while his purity would positively effect the environment, the hearts of millions, change had to first begin within himself.
The Climate Justice Fast began as an idea, spread over the global network through cyberspace. Many saw it, felt touched, and 4 have felt a strong call. Both Anna Keenan and Sara Svensson began thinking deeply. Both are committed activists to the cause of social awareness about our human impact upon the Earth. Both thought for several months before taking the decision to begin the Fast. They were unable to get away from the scritch in their conscience. They finally responded to that call, and the strength, clarity and veracity of the call has sustained them thus far to date, for a longer period of time than any of Gandhi's Fasts.
The fact that they have been able to to be steadfast speaks to the purity of their intention. And what is that intention? These noble people have no desire to 'twist arms'. Theirs is the agonized repentant call of the Heart before the One Truth that sustains us all, that pervades every atom in existence. The tears of the children for the great damage and desecration done to the Mother, the Earth Mother. Their love is pure, it leaves no one out. They are offering penance for all of humanity, for those, who blinded by greed have unleashed forces of gruesome destruction to the Earth, for those, unable to be aware of or even see the problems, for those whose hearts share some shade of the same feelings of shame and repentance for our participation in the careless cults of consumerism that have brought the Natural systems of the planet into disarray. Their penance is thus a sacrifice for us all, and from us all.
Penance is a subtle knife, that cuts the dross of indifference and distraction away from our hearts, minds, so that we can see and feel our own conscience again. It is through our conscience that we find our way to our true duties here on this Earth, to each other, and to the Creation. Each moment, the call they are making, spreads its sound further and further, into the hearts of millions upon millions who are seeing, feeling and unavoidably watching them. Their ability to respond to the call, is what has made them the ones to be able to offer such intense penance upon the altar of Truth that we all share, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. We are all connected, indivisibly connected by the air we breathe, the land we walk upon, and much, much more.
So, yes. The Climate Justice Fast more than meets Gandhi's observation of the need for the Fast to be a matter of penance, a call from the heart, an act of purification. It exceeds Gandhi's Fast in not only duration, but in the massive intention of repentance before God as Truth, for the actions of ALL of HUMANITY.
Give our precious Fasters your Love, your Prayers, your penance in solidarity with them, in any way that you hear within yourselves. Our awareness of their penance can only benefit us all. They stand before all of us, silent, deeply sincere, and purified down to love for all of us. The Whole Earth.
physical capacity to take it is not qualification for it....It should never be a mechanical effort or a mere imitation.” [Harijan: March 18, 1939. Age 69.]
This year, at the COP-15 , in response to the appalling apathy, and obfuscation by elected and unelected world leaders in arriving at sane solutions that address our collective human responsibility to the Natural creation, four youths have undertaken to use this weapon, coming together as the Climate Justice Fast. Two began the Fast on November 6. Now it is December 7, 2009 – 31 days. One of these is Anna Keenan, from Australia. The other, Sara Svensson, from Sweden. They have been joined by Daniel Lau from Australia on Nov. 12, and Matthieu Balle from France, on November 22.
This article explicates the criterion that Gandhi saw as universally applicable when undertaking the Fast, and examines the ongoing Climate Justice Fast to see if it meets them. The first of these, is purity of intention.
Gandhiji treated the weapon of the Fast with great respect. In a life of 78 years, records indicate he used it only 17 times. For him, it was an appeal to the Truth that he called God. “He who performs a Fast must think deeply. If he hasn’t full faith in God, his Fast has not the slightest value. A Fast presupposes a clear direction from God.” [January 19, 1948. Age 78. To Manubehn.]
Since his departure from the physical body, the weapon of the Fast has become misused, its effect consequently greatly diminished. Many Indian politicians publicize their use of the Fast, as a means to express displeasure, foregoing a meal, or for a day. Gandhi warned:
"I have to guard you against another contingency. It has been recently noticed that whosoever wishes goes on Fast at any time he likes without giving any thought to it. It would seem that Fasts started in this way to get quick results will only bring disappointment. Besides, if an infallible remedy like Fast is misused in this manner, it will cease to have any effect. [January 19, 1948. Age 78. To Manubehn.]
For Gandhiji, the Fast is the natural response of a heart that cannot find relief from the world, mind and hearts of man. He took it in response to the agony of his soul. Before embarking on a 21 day Fast in 1924, due to his distress about Hindu-Moslem violence, he said:
"The recent events have proved unbearable for me. My helplessness is still more unbearable. My religion teaches me that whenever there is distress which one cannot remove, one must Fast and pray." [CWMG 25: 170–171. September 18, 1924. Age 54.]
Gandhi relied upon the call of his conscience. The Fast was as a response to what he heard and saw within himself, it was knowledge, guidance and direction for action that came from beyond the powers of the intellect:
"I see the Fast coming. I have been outwardly engaged in different activities, but inwardly, I have been listening all the time. I have not been able to hear the inner voice clearly, but something within me tells me that I cannot get away from the Fast.” [Mahatma Gandhi’s Last Imprisonment: the Inside Story. Nayar, S. p.186 January, 1943. Age 73.]
He recognized that his decision, his use of human liberty to serve the Truth he could see within himself, would be particularly painful to those who felt close to him.: “I have discussed the subject threadbare. I have delayed embarking on it but I see now that I
cannot avoid it. I want you to prepare yourself mentally for it... so that you could keep your poise and be able to work during the Fast. I shall need looking after. I have not the stamina of those who needs no help even in a prolonged Fast. I am afraid, Ba [his wife] may not be able to stand the strain....Even if all of you break down, I shall still have to go on a Fast, but it will make it harder for me." [Mahatma Gandhi’s Last Imprisonment: the Inside Story. Nayar, S. p.186 January, 1943. Age 73.]
The Fast is a weapon of penance before our universal conscience. We are all bearers of the same Truth. The One who undertakes the Fast must be Truthful, deeply sincere, and humble before the Truth within him or her self. After entering into a Fast, Gandhi said:
“It is a matter between me and my Maker...I am wrestling with Him! If there is pride or defiance in me it is all over with me...Let God keep this body if He has still to make some use
of it. Let it perish if it has fulfilled His purpose.” [CWMG: 182–184. September 19, 1924. Age 54. Discussion with Shankat Ali.]
At the same time, such a penance is punishment for those who can feel their own self-identity with the one who undertakes the Fast. As punishment, Gandhi stated that the Fast is, “A whip administered to lethargic Love.” [CWMG 51:253. 1932. Age 62.]
About using the Fast as corrective, Gandhi said:
"All Fasting and all penance must as far as possible be secret. But my Fasting is both a penance and a punishment, and a punishment has to be in public. It is penance for me and punishment for those whom I try to serve, for whom I love to live and would equally love to die."
[CWMG:22:419. February 16, 1922. Age 52.]
The Fast, as penance, has powerful results. It makes a man stand naked in the truest sense, before his Maker, stripped of every falsehood, self-deception, and grand self-delusions. This is purity. Gandhi entered his Fasts in a sense of agony. The Fast placed him into alignment and harmony with the Truth he found in his conscience, and touched that Truth within all around him. Internal purity arose from that 'wrestling dance' between him and his Maker. Without that internal purity of intention, the Fast would be a mere mechanical endeavor, needing excessive corpulence to cope with it. Without purity of intention, we cannot become Love itself.
Gandhi's motto, of 'be the change you want to see' saw that while his purity would positively effect the environment, the hearts of millions, change had to first begin within himself.
The Climate Justice Fast began as an idea, spread over the global network through cyberspace. Many saw it, felt touched, and 4 have felt a strong call. Both Anna Keenan and Sara Svensson began thinking deeply. Both are committed activists to the cause of social awareness about our human impact upon the Earth. Both thought for several months before taking the decision to begin the Fast. They were unable to get away from the scritch in their conscience. They finally responded to that call, and the strength, clarity and veracity of the call has sustained them thus far to date, for a longer period of time than any of Gandhi's Fasts.
The fact that they have been able to to be steadfast speaks to the purity of their intention. And what is that intention? These noble people have no desire to 'twist arms'. Theirs is the agonized repentant call of the Heart before the One Truth that sustains us all, that pervades every atom in existence. The tears of the children for the great damage and desecration done to the Mother, the Earth Mother. Their love is pure, it leaves no one out. They are offering penance for all of humanity, for those, who blinded by greed have unleashed forces of gruesome destruction to the Earth, for those, unable to be aware of or even see the problems, for those whose hearts share some shade of the same feelings of shame and repentance for our participation in the careless cults of consumerism that have brought the Natural systems of the planet into disarray. Their penance is thus a sacrifice for us all, and from us all.
Penance is a subtle knife, that cuts the dross of indifference and distraction away from our hearts, minds, so that we can see and feel our own conscience again. It is through our conscience that we find our way to our true duties here on this Earth, to each other, and to the Creation. Each moment, the call they are making, spreads its sound further and further, into the hearts of millions upon millions who are seeing, feeling and unavoidably watching them. Their ability to respond to the call, is what has made them the ones to be able to offer such intense penance upon the altar of Truth that we all share, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. We are all connected, indivisibly connected by the air we breathe, the land we walk upon, and much, much more.
So, yes. The Climate Justice Fast more than meets Gandhi's observation of the need for the Fast to be a matter of penance, a call from the heart, an act of purification. It exceeds Gandhi's Fast in not only duration, but in the massive intention of repentance before God as Truth, for the actions of ALL of HUMANITY.
Give our precious Fasters your Love, your Prayers, your penance in solidarity with them, in any way that you hear within yourselves. Our awareness of their penance can only benefit us all. They stand before all of us, silent, deeply sincere, and purified down to love for all of us. The Whole Earth.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by GOPI KANTA GHOSH on
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Great...Gandhi was ahead of time...
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