Gandhi 9
Gandhi was married when he was 13 years old. He had been betrothed three times before that, but all of his fiancee’s had died in childhood . Kasturba, his life-long wife and only sexual partner had some unique challenges in her life. I mean can you imagine living with Gandhi?
“A quality which most Hindu wives possess in some measure: willingly or unwillingly, consciously or unconsciously, she has considered herself blessed in following in my footsteps, and has never stood in the way of my endeavor to live a life of restraint.”
Bill, on the other hand, refused to let his wife write the chapter “To Wives” in the Big Book and instead offered it to Anne, Doctor Bob’s wife, who refused.
Lois, Bill’s wife was so incensed…that she started Al-Anon. God bless her…
Gandhi 10
Gandhi was probably the meekest man since Moses, and when you were in his light you couldn’t help but get better in your relationships because you were seeing, with your own eyes, how that was done.
He said something that Al-anon would run with: “Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”
Gandhi 11
As hard as it was to be Gandhi’s wife, being Bill’s wife was harder.
Gandhi would sweetly and courageously say: “The wife, with her matchless powers of endurance, has always been the victor.”
Gandhi 12
One of the great things about being sexually sober, particularly during periods of finite chastity, is the tremendous social resilience and happiness that accompanies it. My sobriety has an effect, as active disease does. Gandhi addresses this in his own pithy way: “My life is my message.”
Gandhi 13
Vows are completely contrary to 12 step belief and practice. We simply can’t think beyond today, or, as we have found in PrayerCall, the next three hours.
Personally, I have only taken two vows in my life. One, having done my childhood abuse work, I decided to be one of the 9% of people who break off all relations with their family of origin, because it is simply too unsafe. I took a vow never to see my mother again and I took one never to see my father again. It was the right thing for me to do…
“The more or less successful practice of self-control had been going on since 1901, but the freedom and joy that came after taking the vow had never been experienced before 1906.”
“Vows...I am able to testify that they have also served as my shield. I am of the opinion that they have added a few years to my life and saved me from many an illness.”
“In about a month of my (taking the vow) the foundation of nonviolent non-cooperation was laid. As though unknown to me, the vow had been preparing me for it.”
“A life without vows is like a ship without anchor.”
Gandhi 14
Gandhi believed, incredibly simply, that “God is Truth” and Bill Wilson taught us that you could get to God by simply being honest.
Gandhi was tough on religion and tougher on Atheists. Bill was more tolerant, forbearing and patient.
“In the time of the Prophet Mohammed, prayer, fasting and keeping awake at night were considered essential for subduing the senses.To the Prophet, fasting brought happiness, for it was an occasion when he could live constantly in the presence of God.
Jesus did likewise. He lived in solitude, fasted for 40 days and subjected his body to the utmost mortification. Those who followed him taught the same thing. There has been a tradition of fasting and prayer in Europe right to the present day. And then came Luther in Germany. He said that the others had misinterpreted the text, and their lives were all deception. The Protestants believed that there was nothing but hypocrisy in the Catholic practices, and so they destroyed the practice of fasting, a most potent means of realizing God.”
“In matters of religion beliefs differ, and each one's is supreme for himself. If all had the same beliefs about all matters of religion there would be only one religion in the world.”
“It is possible to draw any number of ideas from the Bible, the Vedas, the Koran and other scriptures. I have come across persons who justified even murder on the authority of these works.”
“My message to the Christians would be to cultivate humility instead of arrogating to themselves the exclusive possession of absolute truth
“The priest has ever sacrificed the prophet.”
“Atheism is merely a pose.”
Gandhi 15
Gandhi and Bill Wilson both believed in the immortal soul. (If you don’t think this is true, see the last line in the AA 12x12, Step Eleven)
“The soul exists, and is distinct from the body.”
“The soul is imperishable.”
If these lines are true…then it is a complete game changer.
Gandhi 16
Here is something for all the workaholics who are listening:
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”
“I believed then and I believe even now, that, no matter what amount of work one has, one should always find some time for exercise, just as one does for one's meals. It is in my humble opinion that, far from taking away from one's capacity for work, it adds to it.”
Gandhi 17
Of all Gandhi’s writings the below is the most repugnant and abhorrent for a sex addict…Beware!
“I have an impression that at the moment his words (the poet who first suggested this idea) sounded harsh, but they gripped me irresistibly.”
“What then, I asked myself should be my relation with my wife? Did my faithfulness consist in making my wife the instrument of my lust? So long as I was a slave of lust, my faithfulness was worth nothing.”
“I had been wedded to a monogamous ideal ever since my marriage, faithfulness to my wife being part of the love of truth.
But it was in South Africa that I came to realize the importance of observing chastity even with respect to my wife.”
Jesus says the exact same thing in Matthew 19:12
Gandhi 18
Here is some likable wisdom about getting along with other people:
“Tolstoy said, "If we would get off the backs of our neighbors the world would be quite alright without our help."
“I greatly value those who abuse me. For they are candid and if I can convince them, they work wonders.”
Gandhi 19
Gandhi valued his body, but not only his…and he didn’t take himself too damn seriously:
“I wanted to improve and train my body.”
“Today I know that physical training should have as much place in the curriculum as mental training.”
“It was my desire to teach these little ones physical exercise and make them hardy.”
“I must have taken about six dance lessons. But it was beyond me to achieve anything like rhythmic motion…”
Gandhi 20
“It became my conviction that procreation and the consequent care of children were inconsistent with public service.”
“If I wanted to devote myself to the service of the community in this manner, I must relinquish the desire for children and wealth.”
“Those who want to perform national service, or those want to have a glimpse of the real religious life, must lead a celibate life, no matter if married or unmarried.”
Saint Paul says the same thing in 1st Corinthians 7
Gandhi 21
Here are some pithy little epithets that sound like something out of a Hallmark Greeting Card:
“God is Truth”
“Truth is love and love is truth”
“Truth cannot exist without love”
“Where there is love there is life”
“Truth is the substance of all morality”