The AA 12 and 12 says that a primary cause of our addiction is our “defective relations with others“.

As women are half the population of the earth, I might want to learn to get along with them, too.

Here’s what Gandhi has to say about women:

Women

To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is man’s injustice to woman. If by strength is meant brute strength, then, indeed, is woman less brute than man. If by strength is meant moral power, then woman is immeasurably man's superior. Has she not greater intuition, is she not more self-sacrificing, has she not greater powers of endurance, has she not greater courage? Without her, man could not be. If nonviolence is the law of our being, the future is with woman. Who can make a more effective appeal to the heart than woman?"

Here are some of his thoughts on boundaries:

Relationships

Nobody can hurt me without my permission.

Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love.

It is easy enough to be friendly to one's friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.

The 1982 Richard Attenborough movie “Gandhi” opens and closes with this incredibly famous line about truth, love and faith. Personally, it gives me courage.

Faith

When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.

Gandhi was very difficult to get along with financially. On the one hand he had a vow of poverty so he always went third class rail railway when he traveled. I road third class railroad throughout the length of Thailand…and it is not pretty. He also insisted on walking whenever he could. So, Gandhi was a constant source of perplexity and frustration to his many friends who were doing everything they could to rise out of the bone-crushing poverty that India has historically been known for.

On the other hand, people gave him enormous gifts. Hermann Kallenbach gave him 1000 acres of land to start his first chaste community. Gandhi was scrupulously honest and accurate with his money and tallied it every night.

Sarojini Naidu, then president of the Indian National Congress, famously remarked about Gandhi that "it costs a lot of money to keep this man in poverty."

Still, Gandhi died with only six possessions…quite happy materially.

Poverty, Greed and Wealth

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs but not every man’s greeds.

There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.

Poverty is the worst form of violence.

Seek not greater wealth, but simpler pleasure; not higher fortune, but deeper felicity.

Gandhi had some tough things to say about all religions, particularly the Christians:

Religion

God has no religion.

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.

I call him religious who understands the suffering of others.

Still, Gandhi knew how to love people, probably better than anyone in 2000 years.

Random thoughts on Love

I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings.

Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.

To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.

A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.

There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent.

If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide.

The way to help people heal, which was not Gandhi’s “primary purpose”, is to help willing people to surrender their addictions, then one feeling at a time, discover their beliefs and then let them choose whatever belief makes them healthier. That is freedom…

Belief

Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.

To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.

It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.

Truth is one, paths are many.

But, like AA, Gandhi believed that “Talk is cheap”….action is what counts:

Taking Action

Let the first act of every morning be to make the following resolve for the day:
- I shall not fear anyone on Earth.
- I shall fear only God.
- I shall not bear ill will toward anyone.
- I shall not submit to injustice from anyone.
- I shall conquer untruth by truth. And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering.

Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.

Gandhi finally wondered whether or not his work truly impacted people, but he had hope.

The Future

A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.

The future depends on what you do today.