Mahatma Gandhi, also known as Father of the Nation was a truly inspirational person and a man of action. He accomplished much in his lifetime. Which is why the most popular ‘non-violence’ principle of Mahatma Gandhi along with truth and self-discipline serves as a great way of inculcating great values in our children.
The education system in schools generally focuses on academics, and encourages children to work hard for scoring well. But it should be realised that even if the children are good in Science and don’t show basic respect to others, they won’t likely be able to succeed or make lasting relationships.
That said, it’s high time now that all schools including the best school in Noida should prioritise values and good manners in a curriculum. Though these lessons and values can be best learnt in real-world experiences, they can still be instilled in a classroom setting effectively. After all, a child learns things better in a controlled environment.
What were Mahatma Gandhi’s main teachings?
The teachings of Gandhiji have inspired generations of people that include youngsters and even older generations. He still continues to inspire us in all aspects of life, and his teachings are still valued.
1. Non Violence
Mahatma Gandhi always spread the message to follow the path of non-violence. He believed that every problem could be resolved without using violence. He was of the opinion that Non-violence, empathy and kindness, can be used to win any battle and even wars.
2. Truth and Honesty
Truth and honesty are the basic values taught by Mahatma Gandhi. Through his efforts in the freedom struggle Mahatma Gandhi showed us that truth alone triumphs. This is evident from a lot of his real-life incidents. Gandhiji led a life of truth and seeking only the truth.
3. Forgiveness
Gandhiji taught us that forgiveness is a sign of strong character. Weak people hold grudges and plan revenge. Gandhi believed that forgiveness was a way to create unity. He felt that by forgiving others, we are able to come together and heal the divisions that exist between us.
4. Perseverance
It always seems impossible until it is done. When things get difficult we often give up. Mahatma Gandhi, through his life experiences, showed us that to whatever extent the path is difficult, perseverance can lead us towards our goals. This principle of Mahatma Gandhi kept him determined to free India and never gave up on it.
5. Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a state of being aware and being non-judgmental. It was his mindfulness that helped Gandhi to forgive and pursue his goals. One of the best sayings of Gandhiji states that “You must be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
What are the 11 principles of Mahatma Gandhi?
Mahatma Gandhi was a man of principles. The principles that Gandhiji followed and taught throughout his life are Ahimsa, Satya, Brahmacharya, Asteya, Aparigraha, Sharirashrama, Asvada, Abhaya, Sarva-Dharma-Samanatva, Swadeshi and Asprishyata nirvana.
1. Ahimsa (Nonviolence)
Ahimsa or non-violence was the main principle of Gandhiji. It is the path along which one can reach truth. It not only means not indulging into physical violence but also removing all jealousy, hatred, and desire to harm others.
2. Satya (Truth)
Truth has always been the most important vow, and the very basis of all the other vows. Mahatma Gandhi defines truth as “The word ‘Satya’ is derived from ‘Sat’, which means ‘Being’”. Nothing is or ever exists in reality except Truth.
3. Brahmacharya (Self Discipline or Chastity)
The real meaning of the principle of Mahatma Gandhi- ‘Brahmacharya’ is ‘Moving towards, Brahma’ that is truth. For a person pursuing Brahmacharya, control over all the senses is necessary. Hence, for such a person it is necessary that he keeps himself away from attachment to all social connections.
4. Asteya (Non-Stealing)
According to Gandhiji, people who enjoy luxuries which are not available to the lower strata of the society are thieves. So, if a person wishes to apply Asteya in his life, he ought to lead a simple life. He must take for himself from society only his minimum requirements.
5. Aparigraha (Non-Possession)
Aparigraha means we should not store anything with us that we do not need today. By observing this principle one can lead to a progressive simplification of his/ her own life.
6. Sharirashrama (Physical labour)
Gandhi’s idea was that every person must put in some physical labour to earn his living. An artist, an intellectual person or a person with any other ability must utilise that ability for serving the society, while he must earn bread through physical labour alone.
7. Asvada (Control of Palate)
Asvadawas state that food is meant only to sustain the body for the service of others. Gandhiji believed that observance of Brahmacharya would become easier if taste was conquered. The conquest of taste would be helpful in the conquest of other senses too.
8. Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Gandhiji used to be a timid child who was full of fears. Later on he consciously trained himself and overcame his fears. Likewise, we all are afraid of one or the other things like injury, health, poverty, loss of loved ones, etc. One can progress towards fearlessness by sheer determination and constant hard work.
9. Sarva-Dharma-Samanatva (Equal Respect For All Religions)
This vow is very important in a multi-religious country like India. A person has a natural respect for his/ her own religion. But that respect should not lead one to disrespect other religions. All religions teach ideologies that lead towards an ideal life.
10. Swadeshi (Duty towards the neighbour)
The life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi focused on one’s dharma (duty) towards its neighbours. Gandhiji felt that by purchasing foreign goods we were harming Indian workers, artisans and handicrafts men. He suggested that people should use only locally made goods, articles and equipment.
Gandhiji believed that if all the Indian people start following the Swadeshi principle, then people of India will become independent, self-reliant, self supporting and economically, socially, politically, and individually strong.
11. Asprishyata nivarana (Removal of Untouchability)
Gandhiji criticised untouchability and believed it to be the greatest scar or blot on Hinduism. It is a thing of utmost shame that we treat someone as an untouchable and unapproachable person, just because he is born in a specific varna.
What are the 11 basic teachings of Mahatma Gandhi for students?
From Mahatma Gandhi teachings and values of speaking truth and learning to forgive, students can learn many valuable lessons of life. The 11 basic but important teachings of Gandhiji are given below:
Learning 1 (Live life to the fullest)
It is how you lived your life, not how many days you lived. In today’s modern world of technology, everything has begun moving at a fast pace. Hence, teachers must teach the high school students to lead a productive life, rather than just rushing through everyday life’s motions.
Learning 2 (Always speak the truth)
It is important that we teach our children the importance of speaking and standing for the truth, no matter what the consequences. Because, while telling a lie it may save a child from immediate trouble but the price they may have to pay later for it may be too heavy.
Learning 3 (Let change begin with you)
We often complain about the rules or the system that we have to follow. But, it’s important that we check within ourselves first and try to fix our own faults. We must help our children reflect on the little things she/he can do to make some things better, and encourage them to do it. After all, actions always speak louder than words.
Learning 4 (Believe in love)
Love is not what you say, Love is what you do. Most of the sayings of Gandhiji teach loving everyone. As children grow they come across many people from different backgrounds based on language, ethnicity, religion, etc. We must teach them to respect and love every individual and not form biased opinions about someone.
Learning 5 (Think before you act)
The future depends on what we do today. Gandhiji was a strong believer of this. Our actions in the present determine our future. Each simple act or decision matters. Students must be taught that every action has a consequence and thus they must always think and then act.
Learning 6 (Live to learn)
Mahatma Gandhi’s thoughts for students teach them that they should strive to be lifelong learners. He emphasised enjoying every moment of living and learning. All the experiences of life teach us something each day and we must ensure that children utilise every opportunity that comes their way to learn something new.
Learning 7 (Be positive)
Keeping a positive attitude towards life is the key to achieving goals. Gandhiji teachings always depict this. Students must be taught that they may have to face many challenges in life but having a positive attitude can help to get through the troubles.
Learning 8 ( Learn to forgive)
By teaching the life lessons from Mahatma Gandhi we must help our children see that revenge does not right a wrong deed. Even though Mahatma Gandhi suffered a lot under British rule, he chose the weapon of non-violence instead of taking up arms and came out as the winner.
Learning 9 (Be true to yourself)
Like Gandhiji, it is important to be true to yourself, no matter what the consequences. We should teach our children to stand up for what is right and what he/ she believes in, even if it displeases few people.
Learning 10 (Be knowledgeable)
Through the inspirational Gandhi quotes on education-‘ If we want to reach real peace in this world, we should start educating children’, he emphasised on the importance of educating children and creating future leaders who can lead the society with humanity and true wisdom.
Learning 11 (Care for the Mother Earth)
Gandhiji believed that it’s every individual’s responsibility to protect and nurture earth. Teaching students this valuable Mahatma Gandhi lesson will not only make them responsible citizens but also help our mother Earth to be clean and green.
Inculcating the top 10 teachings of Mahatma Gandhi will create individuals with good character and a passion for serving the society.
Sweta Bhatia
I Sweta Bhatia have 17 years of teaching experience of working with Pre –primary grade students and I have been working in GIIS, Noida for past 3 and a half years . I have been awarded the Exceptional teacher Award 2021-2022,GIIS Star Teacher Award 2020-21 and also been elected the Employee of the month 2019 for my sincerity, dedication and passion towards my profession it has been a great experience and I have learnt a lot under the guidance of my great mentors. My task, as an instructor, is to create an atmosphere that fosters learning. I am an instructor because I have a passion for guiding my students through the learning process. In addition to the passion for the subject material I present, I tend to encourage learning by creating a relaxed environment for students.
Vision as a teacher-
My vision is simple. I want what’s best for my students. I want to provide an environment in which they can feel comfortable while they learn. They need to understand that it is through mistakes and gentle correction that they learn. I want the students to genuinely enjoy classes so that they come to class with a smile on their faces.
