Happy Birthday Mahatma Gandhi

Here is a BBC photo of children dressing up in honor of Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi. Today is Gandhi's birthday. This is a guy I would love to have over for dinner. I think he would be a fascinating character. He led an amazing life. He is known for his six principles. The first principle is Truth. Gandhi called it Satya. The title of his autobiography translates to "The Story of My Experiments With Truth." His second principle is non-violence and he is well known for this. The third is vegetarianism. This diet is part of the Hindu religion and it makes sense economically for people

in a poor country to eat lower on the food chain. He drank goat milk but otherwise was a strict vegetarian. He is also known for fasting as a form of political protest. The fourth principle is Brahmacharya which is spiritual and practical purity involving celibacy and abstinence from physical pleasures. I can't really relate to this one. I've been celibate since the last millennium and I don't feel any spiritual enlightenment from it. I think physical pleasures are to be enjoyed but that is just me. The fifth principle is simplicity. Gandhi gave up reading newspapers in the 1920's claiming they confused him and filled his head with worry. I can only imagine what he would think about radio, television, or the Internet. He refrained from speaking one day a week. The sixth principle is faith. He was a Hindu and he believed all religions were equal. He was a tireless social reformer and did much to improve the life of the lowest caste - the "untouchables." Gandhi was an inspiration to others. Today, his birthday, is a national holiday in India and in 2007 the United Nations declared October second to be an "International Day of Non-Violence."