Mahatma Gandhi's litmus test. |
LITMUS TEST What is normal, what is not, And, what is abnormal; What is noble, what is not, And, what is ignoble; We waste too much of our time Deliberating this, We forget how important, In fact, the action is. Rather than morality, Ethics or religion, In our own conscience we should Find the voice of reason. When in doubt, we should apply The Gandhi’s litmus test: It will help in deciding Which action is the best. It’s the action that relieves The travails of the one Who is the most downtrodden, Poorest of His children. Those who help the underdog Will have the upper hand When they quit this mortal world And in His kingdom land. • Written in abcb, 7-6-7-6 format. • Initially written as entry 422104 in the book FAITH, NATURE & INSPIRATIONAL, {item: 959448}. Posted as the present item on 17 May 2008. • "Mahatma Gandhi's litmus test for undertaking any social action was predicated on asking and answering the following question: “Will my action help alleviate in any way the suffering of the poorest of the poor, the downtrodden, the most vulnerable, and the most marginalized?” If it was negative, he shelved the idea. --Ref: “Organizing for Social Change: A Dialectic Journey of Theory and Praxis” - by Wendy H. Papa, Arvind Singhal - 2006 – http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&q=%22social+action+was+predicated%22+&btnG=... • Featured as Editor’s choice in Spiritual Newsletter dated 19 November 2008. M C Gupta 25 April 2006 |