“I know, to banish anger altogether from one’s breast is a difficult task. It cannot be achieved through pure personal effort. It can be done only by God’s grace.”
- October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948
- British Indian Empire
- Lawyer, religious leader, social activist, political leader
- As a leader of the Indian independence movement, he advocated non-violent resistance (Satyagraha) and contributed to India’s independence from Britain.
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Quote
“I know, to banish anger altogether from one’s breast is a difficult task. It cannot be achieved through pure personal effort. It can be done only by God’s grace.”
Explanation
In this statement, Gandhi acknowledges the difficulty of completely eliminating anger from one’s heart. He recognizes that anger is a deeply rooted emotional response that can be hard to control or eliminate solely through human willpower. The reference to anger being a “difficult task” suggests that it is a natural and powerful emotion that often arises in response to perceived injustices or frustrations.
However, Gandhi takes a spiritual approach by emphasizing that such transformation is not entirely within human control. The idea that anger cannot be overcome by “pure personal effort” suggests that relying solely on one’s own strength or will is insufficient for achieving true inner peace. Instead, he points to the importance of divine grace—the grace of God—as the key to achieving mastery over one’s emotions. For Gandhi, the path to overcoming anger lies not only in human effort but in surrendering to a higher power, a recognition that one’s emotional transformation requires a connection to something greater than oneself.
This aligns with Gandhi’s belief that true inner peace and non-violence are not just about external actions, but about an inner moral and spiritual transformation. Through spiritual discipline, prayer, and cultivating a deep sense of love and compassion, one can move toward a state of non-violence, in which negative emotions like anger are dissolved through God’s grace.
In broader terms, Gandhi’s message also reflects his commitment to the idea that humanity’s flaws, such as anger or hatred, cannot be completely eliminated by individual effort alone but require divine assistance and spiritual strength. By striving for self-control and humility, and by depending on divine support, one can gradually overcome the destructive effects of anger, leading to greater peace both internally and externally.
