Will China Realise Gandhi’s Leadership of Service to Humanity?

This came into my inbox this morning. The true power of leadership is not in controlling the population it is in knowing thyself and being true. Leadership is self governance it is not power over it is the power within. The old paradigm we have seen in operation over centuries is the notion of power over others to retain power and gain wealth. As the populations of the world become internet savvy those days of ‘power over’ are definitely coming to a close. Movements are springing up all over the planet as people remember their true power and through communication expand their perceptions of what is possible.

There have always been leaders over the ages to help shine a light into the darkness of ignorance. Gandhi was one of those leaders, as was Lao Tzu (famous Chinese philosopher), they were able to tap into universal wisdom and use this as the guiding light for their own leadership. They are known today because they made a real impact. In the closing stages of Gandhi’s life he felt he had failed. Yet in my own intuition I feel his work was about the current times we are in. He did indeed show the world a way out of madness, it was the way of nonviolence. It was to find that the only devils running around in our own minds were our own negative thoughts. When you understand that service is not servitude that it is springing from a love of people and desire to give or contribute to the whole (unity), you will see the great strength of leading by serving.

True service needs nothing itself, some call this is the emptiness, this means that the greed and grasping has gone and an inner spaciousness exists. Eckhart Tolle and Byron Katie speak of this. Both Lao Tzu and Gandhi had no possessions at the end of their lives, they had found their real wealth in higher knowledge. They walked alone even amongst people as their inner guidance was what informed their direction. For those who are currently in power they are distracted by conventional thinking and modern distractions, many do not have the time to deeply look within for guidance. So what we see in our world is decisions by committee or forceful personalities looking at what is in it for them, what is in their nation’s national interest, where will they profit. They are yet to learn that when all nations of the world come together as one voice to solve the most pressing problems nonviolently, then we can move forward as a civilisation of universal human beings rather than looking at the differences through adversarial eyes that seek to divide and conquer.

The new world that is emerging is about cooperation, peace and truth. We are indeed moving towards our true nature which embodies self leadership and people will come together for the highest good of all as they will understand ‘what I do to another I do to myself’. Why will that happen? Consciousness is shifting or evolving to higher perspectives, people no longer want the old paradigm, they are seeking change as they are seeking positive outcomes for their children. Moreover, the continuance of the old paradigm is expensive, counterproductive and not possible and has an end date. If you want a planet that survives and populations to thrive (a symbiotic relationship), you must lead through example and live the freedom you say you represent and were indeed born with. When you think a thought that is free will that cannot be rescinded. Freedom is not a political statement it is inherent in the natural human condition and cannot be programmed out. It is natures way of seeking equilibrium as when people are tuned into nature they naturally live in harmony, when they are living unnatural lives they are out of harmony and suffering occurs.

The leaders of countries who perceive leadership as control will indeed fall as the rigid break. A quote from Lao Tzu in his book the Tao De Jing highlights the point “…So it is said that the hard and rigid are the companions of death, while the supple and soft are the companions of life. So if a fighter is rigid, he will not win, If a tree is rigid it will come to an end. The rigid and powerful are inferior, The supple and soft are superior. (ch 76)” This is why the soft are not weak they are the strongest and the rigid and unbending always fall as they cannot see further than self interest, they work against the unity of nature, naturally they fall. Gandhi states this point in another way “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.” Mahatma Gandhi …

The rigid in my view are those living in conservative mindsets and in my own experience I have found them to be people who have not had a great deal of experience of life outside of their professions. Much of their learning is either book learning or unquestioned conventions. They do not take risks, they require adherence to power and anyone outside of the box is seen as ‘the other’ or ‘enemy’. They are fixed in their views and not open to alternatives, diversity or indeed change. The reason they are rigid is that they feel more secure in creating order as their inner world is not in order. Without the external order they are in disarray. Projection is a term which means that people deny their own unacceptable qualities and project them onto the world, they see the negative outside of themselves without realising it is themselves they see outside. In truth they are not deeply reflecting on why they feel fear, why they hate or why they must oppress, as to examine these feelings reveals that they are seeking to protect their own vulnerable ego in order to justify cruelty and oppression over others often stated as for the higher good. In truth it is insecurity and control paraded as power.

Those who are soft are flexible and bending, they are able to see many viewpoints, they have had many experiences and found themselves to become strong inside and open to change outside. They are unafraid of expressing their feelings and being fully human. They are open to diversity as this is life changing. They recognise that you cannot control life you can only flow with it and that higher virtues become the guiding light as distinct from rigid beliefs that brook no challenge. The soft welcome critique and challenge which is the basis for democracy not as a political configuration but a philosophy of openness as the sum of the parts is the whole. The soft feel love for others and seek to serve as an outpicturing of their love. Their joy comes from others finding joy and peace. Those who have found higher levels of truth (perspectives) recognise that they are the creator of their reality, they take full responsibility for thoughts, words and actions and they allow life to be what it is, knowing that there are no mistakes in life. Those situations that appear negative are gifts that help us to define and know who we are and what we choose next. We are here to learn who we are and awaken. Many sages across the world have sought to show this. The statement by Jesus “the meek for they shall inherit the earth” is another way of expressing the soft are in harmony with the earth. Real leadership is not embodied in the masculine or the feminine, it is found in universal virtues of service and gratitude. Those persons who take up this light will be the leaders of the future. Something to consider outside of political and academic forums.

A book on Gandhi’s leadership is being published in China, may this be the light in the dark for China’s leadership is at a choice point.

 Book on Gandhi’s Leadership to Hit Stands in China

A book written by veteran Indian diplomat Pascal Alan Nazareth on Mahatma Gandhi’s outstanding leadership qualities, which have great relevance in today’s world plagued by violence and terrorism, has been translated into Mandarin and will soon hit the stands in China.

The Mandarin edition of Nazareth’s book entitled “Gandhi’s Outstanding Leadership” will be published in China at a time when the new generation of Chinese intellectuals is showing interest in the Gandhian principles despite being influenced by Chairman Mao Zedong’s revolutionary ideals.

An MoU in this regard was signed today by Indian Ambassador S Jaishankar and Yu Dianli, CEO of the Commercial Press China, at a function at the Indian embassy here.

Nazareth has written extensively on Mahatma Gandhi. His book on Gandhi’s leadership published in 2006 was translated into Spanish and Portuguese, besides several Indian languages.

Incidentally, this is the second book on Gandhi in Mandarin to be released in China. It will come out in markets next year.

‘The Gandhi Memories‘, written by American journalist William L Shirer, recently hit the stands in China.

Speaking on the Nazareth’s book, Jaishankar said the publication of the Chinese edition is timely as it would highlight the importance of soft power and the limitations of hard power.

The book also highlights the distinction between progress, modernisation and westernisation, dwells on the role of ethics in leadership and how national leaders acquire universal relevance, he said.

Shang Quanyu, the history professor of the South China Normal University who translated the book, said it was a trail blazer because it was a rare book that highlighted Gandhi’s leadership qualities and Mahatma’s ideas on leadership, which have great relevance today.

Shang, who has done his doctoral thesis on Gandhi and Nehru and visited India, believes that the book would provide new thoughts on leadership qualities to the Chinese and how rigid Gandhi was when it came to standing up to his ideals and principles.

Though Gandhi and Mao were contemporaries who led the respective movements in their countries, the Mahatma’s ideals of truth and non-violence are just catching on in Communist China.