Charlo Music

Nokia 6500 Classic– Striking the Right Note

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:29:14 +0000

Two factors contribute to the popularity of any mobile phone handset. First and foremost, a user would look at the way that the handset is designed. A slick and sophisticated profile make for a very good first impression. The second factor that is taken into account while making a purchase is quite obviously the capabilities of the handset. The more versatile a mobile phone model, the greater is the demand for the same. The Nokia 6500 classic is one mobile phone that scores brilliantly in these two different areas.

The 6500 classic from Nokia is empowered with 3G capabilities â?? a fact that makes the handset highly versatile in the way it can be used. For starters, an owner of this Nokia mobile can access the internet at very high speed. He can download material or content from the world wide web at the click of a button, and that too quite easily and efficiently. He can download all hisfavourite tracks and other content as well as stream videos.

And speaking of the multimedia capabilities, one needs to mention the music and imaging options that are present in the Nokia 6500 classic. The handset comes with an integrated 2 megapixel digital camera that can be used for image capture as well as video recording. An owner of this Nokia mobile can be sure of some brilliant images even when the lighting conditions are far from perfect. Moreover, the handset comes with ample storage space to store all the pictures, images, video clips, music files and other content.

The integrated music player can be used to enjoy songs in different file formats. With capabilities to download music from the internet and easy and effective transfer of music from personal computers to the handset â?? there is little more that a music lover could ask for.

To conclude, it can be said that the Nokia 6500 classic is a sleek and sophisticated mobile phone with the back up of 3G â?? a potent combination any way one looks at it.

Masahilo Nakazono Aikido Memorial Event Report

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:35:48 +0000

Masahilo Nakazono Memorial Aikido Event 27th – October -2007 The Event In Memory of the Life and Work of Masahilo Nakazono Sensei Organised by The Committee for UK Martial Arts History ( A combined group of students and teachers involved in the preservation of true legacies of the great original teachers) On May the 14th 2005 the committee organised what is considered to be the most successful Martial Arts Event in Britain to date the “ Kenshiro Abbe Jubilee Celebrations “ . It was the intention of the committee to establish the true history and legacies left in our care, not just for the students of today, but for the generations that follow in the future. This Budo event was so successful in establishing the history, legacy and lineage of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei, and the genuine direct students from his arrival to the UK in 1955. As a result of that great event, there are now many more martial arts students who were not aware of the importance of the influence of Abbe Sensei on British Budo, they now have a greater understanding of our proud history which we trust will be passed on to their students. Another important figure from that era was Mutsuro Nakazono ( now Masahilo ) . Committee members once again put their organising skills together to celebrate the memory of this great Budo master who was perhaps one of the most popular of all Japanese teachers. Saturday the 27th of October 2007 was a great day for the history of British Aikido, as approx 250 students gathered to remember one of the greatest names in the origins and development of Aikido in the United Kingdom. The Event was sponsored by Gwynne Jones Sensei of the Shin-gi-tai Aikido Society Wales UK., one of the UK’s largest Aikido organisations. The whole Event went as perfectly as a Harrison clock . The First UK Aikido Dan Grades Kenshiro Abbe Sensei taught the very early style of Aikido as taught to him by O’Sensei Morihei Ueshiba. In 1963 he invited Nakazono Sensei to visit the UK from his base in Paris France. Nakazono Sensei brought with him the then more modern approach to Aikido, which had changed from the pre-war days as taught by Abbe Sensei. Nakazono Sensei left an indelible mark on all those students that had ever studied with him. Of all the Japanese teachers that have ever visited the UK there is no one that the original dan grades respected more than Masahilo Nakazono Sensie. There are now only four students left from that incredible period in the 1950’s & 60’s who had been graded to Yudansha in Aikido by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and Nakazono Sensei. They are Sensei’s K Williams – H Foster – H Ellis – D Eastman. Williams Sensei could not attend the event, the organisers were pleased to receive a letter of support from Williams Sensei. Sensei’s Foster – Ellis and Eastman were there. The Principal Teacher ` Jiro Nakazono Sensei` The acceptance of Jiro Nakazono Sensei the second son of Masahilo Nakazono sensei to attend this Event, to honour his fathers name, was now going to make this event all the more memorable. Nakazono Sensei travelled from his home in Manhatten, USA to attend this one day event at the Neath Sports Centre, Neath, Wales. There was an incredible atmosphere in the large hall of the Neath Sports Centre as the Kodo drums played in the background. The drums were silenced as Henry Ellis went on the mat to speak of the early days of Aikido and the influence that Masahilo Nakazono had on the developmeant of British Aikido. Ellis Sensei then introduced the teaching line up of Jiro Nakazono Sensie – Dang Thang Phong Sensie – Gwynne Jones Sensei – Haydn Foster Sensei – Derek Eastman and not forgetting himself. There were several prominent VIP guests who were then introduced. There were letters of congratulations from N Tamura Shihan and K Williams Sensei for both Foster Sensei and Ellis Sensei as they celebrated their 50th year of Aikido. The introductions were now over and the students sat in total silence as Nakazono Sensei stepped on the tatami to teach his first class of the day. The three old students of his father looked at each other and commented “ It’s just like seeing Masahilo Nakazono Sensei again” It was a touching moment. Sensei then proceeded to demonstrate some of the techniques that his father had been famous for. For the students who had only read and heard stories of Masahilo Nakazono Sensei this was a day they will talk about long into the future. Nakazono Sensei left the tatami to a tremendous round of applause from the appreciative students. Guest Teacher Dang Thong Phong Sensei Dang Phong Sensei had studied with Masahilo Nakazono in South Vietnam in the early sixties whilst training the South Vietnamese Paratroopers during the conflict there. Phong Sensei had studied at the Aikikai with O’Sensei. He had been a prisoner of the Viet cong Army for over 8 years and finally escaped on his 18th attempt. Phong Sensei although well known in the USA and France was relatively unknown to the organisers of this event. After he stepped on the mat and demonstrated just a few techniques we all looked in awe at this incredible man who has left his mark here in the UK. Phong Sensei is a gentle mild mannered man until he steps on the mat where he becomes a human dynamo he is a most impressive Aikidoist. Haydn Foster Sensei Haydn Foster Sensei one of the first Aikido dan grades in the UK and a student of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei – Tadashi Abe Sensei – Masahilo Nakazono Sensei – took the next class and certainly did not look like his 80 years. He still teaches with a passion that has never wavered, his irimi nage looked as powerful to day as it did when we were all at the Hut Dojo in the early days. Derek Eastman Sensei Derek Eastman who will celebrate his 50th year of Aikido next year ( 2008 ) was next, Eastman sensei is unique in his style as he remembers all the different styles of the early teachers and demonstrates them all to the fascinated students. He demonstrated how the various early masters varied in their techniques and with an incredible memory for detail. Henry Ellis Sensei Henry Ellis taught the only way he knows with very powerful nykkyo and techinage projection techniques, explaining to the students that working with a overly compliant uke can damage your technique as one will never learns to adjust to “different“ variations of attack. He also explained that in the early days ukemi was no more than escape or protection for your uke, where as now most uke’s are more like gymnasts or acrobats as they virtually fly around the mat as they are used more to make their teacher look “`fantastic “`. Ellis Sensei said “ Whether you go prettily or ugly, your going ! “….. The Tanto Presentation Jiro Nakazono Sensei was surprised as his second session was politely interrupted to present him with a beautiful hand made tanto to the memory of his father. The tanto had been lovingly created by Dave Rogers Sensei in Albuquerque New Mexico USA . Rogers Sensei makes individual hand made Bowie knives for the USA Special Forces. This tanto for Nakazono Sensei was the most special task he had ever undertaken, including a beautiful carved presentation case. Nakazono Sensei was very pleased and said his Mother would place the tanto alongside his fathers shrine. Presentation of 50 years of Aikido Later in the day Sensei Ellis was also interrupted and he was also presented with a hand made tanto by Sensei Rogers to celebrate his 50th year of Aikido. There were many people involved in the planning of this presentation, yet Ellis Sensei was taken fully by surprise and could not speak for a while. It is rare to see any emotion from Sensei, yet for those that know him he was a very happy man. Gwynne Jones Sensie Jones Sensie is known for his fluid style of powerful but very smooth style of Aikido as he demonstated various Tenchinage movements. Jones Sensei was the host for this Aikido spectacular which will talked about for a long time to come. Spectacular Success There was no doubt that the event was a spectacular success which ended with a raffle with a first prize of an valuable Shinken sword presented by Nine Circles Budo Supplies. Next, a Nakazono family Hakama with embroided kanji presented by Jiro Nakazono Sensei. Phong Sensie presented nine of his books which were all signed. Henry Ellis presented 3 copies of the book Positive Aikido all signed. Billy Doaks Sensie and Keith Morgan Sensei presented several of their DVD’s. All the participants received a high quality souvenir programme designed on the famous Event with Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and Masahilo Nakazono Sensei at the Royal Albert Hall. London, in 1963. There is a DVD available of this event, supplied and produced by Jon Stokoe Sensei of CUA Aikido. The DVD is £10-00 plus £1 postage and packing. Please contact on the email below, dvd@nakazono.aberaikido.aberaikido.org.uk Henry Ellis Co-author of Positive Aikido www.british-aikido.com http://aikidoellisvideo.magnify.net_________________No matter your pretence, you are what you are and nothing more……..Kenshiro Abbe Sensie 1915 – 1985

Baroque Music

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:21:34 +0000

The Baroque period of music is an era that existed from the year 1600 to the year 1750. A Baroque style is a set of styles from European classical music. The music of the Baroque period ranges from a style similar to that of the previous Romantic period, to the style found in the following Classical musical period.

“Misshapen pearl” is the phrase that the original meaning of “baroque” was derived from. This fits into the characterisations on the architecture of this period.

Many famous composers have risen to fame during the Baroque period of music. Well known composers such as the likes of Claudio Monteverdi, Antonio Vivaldi, George Frideric Handel, and Johann Sebastian Bach can attribute some or all of their musical style to the Baroque period.

During the Baroque period, the style of music changed. Composers and performers started to used more elaborate musical ornamentation, made changes to the way music was written and created new ways to play the existing musical instruments. All these changes allowed for the rise of opera as a musical genre, and many of the concepts from this period are still in use today.

The term “Baroque Period” was not conceived until after the Baroque period was over. There is still some disagreement to this day about what the Baroque period encompasses. A few rogue musicologists have argued that the Baroque period should be split into a Baroque period and a Mannerist period so that the periods come in to align with those assigned to the visual arts.

Guitar Effects – Chorus

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:36:20 +0000

This is one you probably already intuitively know! You’re likely familiar with the vocal term “chorus” — as in “many voices singing at once”. A guitar “chorus” pedal does the same thing — it makes your guitar sound like two or more guitars playing in unison at the same time.

What makes chorus work is that it really does try to act like two or more players playing at the same time. In real life, two people playing the exact same thing will never be completely synchronized. They’ll start each note at a slightly different time, perhaps pitch the notes slightly differently, hold them differently, etc. They’ll be really close — but it won’t be exact. This slight “offness” is what makes a chorus sound different from a single voice — the slight variances in the signals make the sound richer and fuller.

A guitar chorus pedal works by splitting the guitar signal into two pieces … and then delaying one of those pieces a fractional amount. The delay is very slight — too much would yield a reverb effect — but it’s enough to shift the wave form of one signal path so that it no longer exactly matches the original signal path.

Consider wave form as a sine wave graph. Now, take the exact same wave form, shift it just a fraction, and place it on the same graph as the original wave form. What will you see?

When one form peaks, the other will be slightly off. When one wave begins to rise, the other will be just a touch behind. The resulting tone will sound much like two guitars playing in unison in real time. The sound will be fuller, richer, and also have a slight “shimmer” to it.

A chorus is effective on a clean guitar signal as well as on a dirty or distorted one. A clean chorus will also fill a room better than a straight unaltered signal.

Note that a chorus effect doesn’t really alter the pitch of the tone — it doesn’t try to sound like two guitars playing in harmony (octaves, fifths, fourths, etc). Again, while the chorus effect is slightly similar to a digital delay or reverb effect, it’s very, very slight … just enough to give the sound that typical chorus “shimmer”. Also, most choral effects only add a second guitar signal to the mix … but some can add the effect or three or more guitars at the same time.

Appreciating Classical Music and the Arts

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:25:36 +0000

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Austrian Culture and Spectacular Scenery – Austrian Holidays

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:11:41 +0000

Austrian Travel Guide

Landlocked in the centre of Europe lays the small, mountainous country of Austria. Famed for its spectacular scenery and picturesque lakes, it is ideally suited to the more outdoors orientated holidaymaker wishing to escape from the busy modern day lifestyle.

Bordering 8 other countries including Germany, Italy, Hungary, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic, Austria has a welcoming atmosphere and a well-run travel network, making it is easy to get around and to see the beauty this country has to offer.

Culture Austria’s past as a European power and its cultural environment have generated a broad contribution to various forms of art, most notably among them music. Austria has been the birthplace of many famous composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, Anton Bruckner, Johann Strauss, Sr., Johann Strauss, Jr. and Gustav.

Eighteenth and nineteenth century composers were drawn to the city due to the patronage of the Habsburgs, and made Vienna the European capital of classical music. During the Baroque period, Slavic and Hungarian folk forms influenced Austrian music. Vienna’s status began its rise as a cultural centre in the early 1500s, and was focused around instruments including the Lute. Ludwig van Beethoven spent the better part of his life in Vienna.Austria’s current national anthem, attributed to Mozart, was chosen after World War II to replace the traditional Austrian anthem by Joseph Haydn.

Among Austrian artists and architects one can find painters Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele and Friedensreich Hundertwasser, photographer Inge Morath and architect Otto Wagner.

Geography

Vienna

The capital Vienna is a cultural marvel, with an array of splendid museums, concert halls, galleries, and architecture. There is a real sense of sophistication and glamour to the city.

Sitting astride the river Danube, Vienna is the countries largest and most populated city with over 1.7 million inhabitants, as well as being the cultural and economic centre of Austria. At the heart of the city is the Innere Stadt, where you will find parliament, the cities university and the great Imperial Palace of the Habsburg court and its various empires.

River Danube

The Danube has its source near Donaueschingen in south-western Germany and flows through Austria before emptying into the Black Sea. It is the only major European river that flows eastwards, and its importance as an inland waterway has been enhanced by the completion in 1992 of the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal in Bavaria, which connects the Rhine and Main rivers with the Danube and makes barge traffic from the North Sea to theBlack Sea possible.

The Alps

Three major ranges of the Alps – the Northern Calcareous Alps, Central Alps, and Southern Calcareous Alps – run west to east through Austria. The Central Alps are the largest and highest ranges in Austria. The Central Alps run from Tyrol to the Austria border. The Northern Calcareous Alps, which run from Vorarlberg through Tyrol into Salzburg along the German border and through Upper Austria and Lower Austria toward Vienna. At 3,797 m, Grobglockner is the highest mountain in Austria.

Bohemian Forest

The granite massif of the Bohemian Forest, a low mountain range with bare and windswept plateaus and a harsh climate, is located north of the Danube Valley and covers the remaining 10% of Austria’s area. Notable is the Manhartsberg a granite ridge which separates Waldviertel from Weinviertel.

Climate

Austria has a temperate continental climate. Summers last from early June to mid-September and can be hot in some years and rainy in others. Day-time temperatures in July and August are around 25C (77F), but can often reach 35C (95F). Winters are cold in the lowlands and very harsh in the Alpine region with temperatures often dropping below -10C (14F).

Winters last from December to March (longer at higher altitudes). In the Alpine region large temperature fluctuations occur all year round and nights are chilly even in high summer. The northern Alps are generally a lot wetter than the rest of the country. The South East (Styria and Carinthia) is dry and sunny. The area aroundVienna often experiences strong easterly winds.

Cuisine

Austria’s cuisine is derived from the cuisine of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Austrian cuisine is also the tradition of Royal-Cuisine (“Hofkuche”) delivered over centuries. It is famous for its well-balanced variations of beef and pork and countless variations of vegetables. There is also the “Mehlspeisen” bakery, which created particular delicacies such as Sachertorte, “Krapfen” which is fine soft bite cookies and “Strudel” such as “Apfelstrudel” and “Topfenstrudel” filled with sweetened sour cream.

In addition to native regional traditions, it has been influenced above all by Hungarian, Bohemia Czech, Jewish, Italian, Balkan and French cuisine, from which both dishes and methods of food preparation have often been borrowed. The Austrian cuisine is therefore one of the most multicultural and transcultural cuisines in Europe.

Typical Austrian dishes include Wiener Schnitzel, Schweinsbraten, Kaiserschmarren, Knodel, Sachertorte and Tafelspitz. There are also Kasnockn, a cooked filled dough-bag with cheese on it and parsley, and Eierschwammerl (chanterelle) dishes. The Eierschwammerl are native yellow, tan mushrooms.

The candy PEZ was invented in Austria, also “Mannerschnitten”. Austria is also famous for its Mozartkugeln and its coffee tradition.

Holidays in Austria

Holiday Homes in Austria are easy to come by, whether you prefer the thrill and adventure of the Austrian Alps, or the tranquility and serenity or the pure fresh water lake.

Austria is already well established as one of Europe’s most popular destinations for winter sports holidays. But Austria holidays are becoming increasingly recognised as a great alternative to the typical summer destinations.

The winter Ski resorts, particularly around the area of Tyrol boast some beautiful Alpine scenery and the provincial capital of Innsbruck has some of the best skiing and snowboarding facilities in the world.

In the summer Austrian vacation homes in the Tyrol area attract many visitors seeking a back to nature experience with breathtaking views and attractive walking trails.

Nokia 6124 Classic:

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:36:37 +0000

Nokia 6124 Classic is a latest mobile phone of Nokia. From communicating to messaging, from Internet to downloading, from memory to camera and from music to news all the latest features and technologies are the features of the Nokia 6124 Classic. Beautiful moments of the life can be captured easily with the help of the camera of Nokia 6124 Classic. Nokia 6124 Classic is a very latest and attractive mobile phone of Nokia. All the latest and newborn technologies are available in Nokia 6124 Classic. Nokia 6124 Classic has 2G and 3G networks with GSM and HSDPA. Nokia 6124 Classic has a TFT display with 16M colors and downloadable wallpapers and screen savers are the features of the display of Nokia 6124 Classic. Nokia 6124 Classic has good ring tone option with polyphonic, MP3 and AAC ring tones. Nokia 6124 Classic houses a good option of phone book with unlimited entries. With unlimited entries Nokia 6124 Classic houses a photo call option too. Nokia 6124 Classic houses a powerful memory option with multiple memory uses. 35MB user memory, 64 MB SDRAM, 128 MB ROM and ARM 11, 369MHz CPU are the options of the Nokia 6124 Classic’s memory. You can store your important files and data with the help of the memory of the Nokia 6124 Classic. Technical features of the Nokia 6124 Classic are data GPRS Class 11, HSCSD 43.2 kbps, EDGE Class 32, 296 / 177.6 kbits, 3G HSDPA, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB, minibus, OS Symbian OS v9.2, S60 rel. 3.1. Messaging with Nokia 6124 Classic is also attractive because SMS, MMS, Email, and instant messages makes message box useful. Users can use Internet too with the help of the browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML. Nokia 6124 Classic has 2MP camera. 1600×1200 pixels, video, flash and secondary video call camera are the features of the camera. Video calling, Java MIDP 2.0, FM stereo radio, Push to talk, MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player, Office applications (Excel, PDF, PowerPoint, Word, Zip), Voice memo, T9, Calculator, and Built-in handsfree are the features of the Nokia 6124 Classic. Users are to search over Internet and they will find many dealers who are providing Nokia 6124 Classic with easy and simple process.

Did Beethoven Need Beginner Piano Lessons?

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:10:57 +0000

So, the question arises, do geniuses need lessons or are they simply born with innate ability to play any instrument and express themselves freely, almost from birth? Well, history shows us that there have been a select few people who didnâ??t need much tutoring before being able to recite, note for note, nearly any tune they wanted. Some even could play the piano with both hands competently, but these are the extremely rare exceptions.Â The rest of us (as well as the geniuses) needed lessons.

Beethoven gave his first performance at age 8 on the harpsichord but this was under duress from his father who exerted great pressure on his young son to develop quickly.

At the age of 16, Ludwig already had somewhat of a reputation in Bonn, the city he was born in. He taught music lessons and held concerts at aristocratic residences, as well as at court. His fervent harpsichord improvisations held his audience in complete awe.Â His keyboard playing ability fused with his genius in composition generated impromptu variations on a theme that must have seemed otherworldly at the time.

Beethoven needed more and he sought the guidance of one of his famous contemporaries, Mozart, in Vienna. In 1787 Mozart found time to listen to him although at that time he was completely absorbed by his work on the composition of Don Juan. The not-yet mature Ludwig brilliantly improvised on a theme suggested by Mozart, astonishing his entire audience. After having listened to him, Mozart said: ” watch out for that boy. One day he will give the world something to talk about”. Beethoven then began taking lessons with Mozart, and later on studied with Haydn.

History shows us that Beethovenâ??s facility on the keyboard was every bit as developed as his creative compositions would later be revered. But, without intensive training and hours of practice even Beethovenâ??s genius would have faltered, and the world might not have benefited from the volumes of pieces he wrote.

Think about that the next time you hear one of Beethovenâ??s nine symphonies or the sonata in C sharp, opus 27, number 2, better known as â??The Moonlight Sonata.â?

How To Learn Voodoo Spells

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:58:52 +0000

Okay, youâ??re reading this article because you want to know how to go about learning Voodoo spells. Because there are so many spells to learn, it would be impossible to go over each one in detail, so what you are going to learn in this article are general preparatory things you should do before learning any spell. I think you will find this information most helpful.

At the top of the list, you want to make sure you are in the right frame of mind. Learning any spell takes lots of concentration. So if you are tired, donâ??t even try it. You probably want to wait until you are wide awake and refreshed or when your concentration is at its best. Some people are day people and others are night people. Pick a time that is best for you.

You want to look at the spell that youâ??re attempting to learn and place it either in the black magic or white magic category. The reason for this is because each type of spell requires a different ritual and mindset. Black magic is much darker and, if not done properly, a lot more dangerous, whereas white magic, as a rule, is easier and not nearly as dangerous if something goes wrong.

You want to make sure that you have all the items that you need for learning any spell prepared in advance. This includes any dolls, powder, pins and so on. You donâ??t want to go around scrounging for these things while youâ??re in the actual process of learning the spells. Itâ??s not good for the concentration.

Finally, you want to start with the easy spells first. As with anything else, you donâ??t want to begin with things that are more difficult. For example, when learning to play the piano, you donâ??t try playing a Chopin Etude before you even learned to play a simple C major scale. Some spells, especially black magic spells, are especially difficult. You donâ??t want to start with these for two reasons. The first is that there is a greater probability that something will go wrong. The second is that you want to build up as much confidence as possible. By starting with the easier spells, you give yourself the best chance to do this.

In my signature, youâ??ll find a review of a great resource for Voodoo spells. I think you will find it interesting reading and quite helpful.

Mahatma Gandhi: Peaceful Revolutionary

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:06:59 +0000

PREFACE “THE LIGHT has gone out of our lives,” said Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, in an impromptu radio address upon Gandhi’s martyrdom; “there is darkness everywhere.” Could it really be that Gandhi’s light ceased to shine since he was no longer with us in his puny bundle of flesh and bones? Correcting himself, Nehru continued: “I was wrong. For the light that shone in this country was no ordinary light. The light that has illumined this country for these many years will illumine this country for many more years; and a thousand years later, that light will be seen in this country, and the world will see it and it will give solace to innumerable hearts. For that light represented something more than the immediate present; it represented the living truth . . . the eternal truths, reminding us of the right path, drawing us from error, taking this ancient country to freedom.”1

Gandhi may truly be said to be the prophetic voice of the twentieth century. Violence inflicts upon its practitioners physical and spiritual wounds; the way of non-violence, said Gandhi, “blesses him who uses it and him against whom it is used.”2 Again, “non-violence is the law of our species as violence is the law of the brute. The spirit lies dormant in the brute and he knows no law but that of physical might. The dignity of man requires obedience to a higher law — to the strength of the spirit.”3

Let us be sure we do not misunderstand the philosophy of non-violence embodied in Gandhi’s life and teachings. A practitioner of the non-violent way of life, far from being passive, is the most active person in the world. He is ready to join the fray -non-violently — wherever and whenever there is injustice or wrong. He neither tolerates nor compromises with injustice, wrong, tyranny, authoritarianism, totalitarianism, dictatorship. His task in life is not to destroy the evildoer but to redeem and to convert the evildoer by love. ” ‘With malice toward none, with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right,” he is ever ready to “bind up” humanity’s “wounds,” to minister to the underprivileged and to the misguided. The constant concern of the follower of non-violence is, in the words of Lincoln, to “achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

The spirit of India’s Gandhi as well as of America’s Lincoln is today sorely needed by a generation madly dancing over a precipice. We have learned to fathom the secrets of the atom, we have learned to master nature, but we have not yet learned to master our inner selves. Our scientists can predict with accuracy the long-range behavior and movements of stars and planets millions of miles away — but we are unable to foretell our nextdoor neighbor’s behavior and movements the very next moment.

The world has become a small neighborhood. Therefore, we are called upon to understand and appreciate our neighbors across the Atlantic and the Pacific, as well as across the Great Lakes and the Gulf. To understand other nations, we must know their values and their historical development. This requires a sympathetic approach to other nations, cultures, and religions. By understanding Gandhi we may build a bridge of understanding between ourselves and India, between ourselves and the Orient, between ourselves and noble free spirits the world over.

What is Gandhi’s message for our small neighborhood world divided into two camps — democratic and totalitarian? First of all, Gandhi would have us set our course by the twin stars of Truth and Non-Violence; which means, we must approach other peoples with charity and sympathy. Second, Gandhi would have us stand on a platform of values to which we must be faithful unto death; which means, we must act in accordance with principles, not expediency. Appeasement, even for the sake of peace, must be ruled out, because appeasement implies sacrifice of principles. Third, Gandhi would have us work ceaselessly for the realization of “common-human” values, as the sociologists say, for the triumph of the common-human way of life.

Click here to read the complete version of Mahatma Gandhi: Peaceful Revolutionary and get more sources on this subject at Questia.com.

Gandhi did not believe in imposing his values or his way of life upon others; by the same token, he resisted even to death the attempts of others to impose upon him or his people their values and way of life. To be true to the Gandhi spirit, we may not, we cannot, think of imposing our democratic values and way of life upon the nations behind the iron curtain; nor would we permit those nations to impose their totalitarian values and way of life upon us. At the same time, the Gandhi way of life imposes upon us the obligation to share our democratic values and way of life with the peoples behind the iron curtain by open and non-violent methods.

According to Gandhi, there are three types of human beings: (1) the coward, (2) the brave, (3) the superior. The coward, in order to save his skin, supinely acquiesces in injustice and wrong. The brave hero, on the other hand, violently resists injustice and wrong in order to re-establish justice and right. The superior person is he who, in the fullness of his strength, forgives the wrongdoer and tries to redeem him and convert him to the ways of doing good.

As Americans we hold the first type — the despicable, cowardly type — in low esteem. Our choice today and tomorrow must be between the second and third alternatives. Let each one decide, in the light of his conscience, in terms of his definition of the situation, which alternative he must adopt in the present crisis.

Our generation is doomed to live in a state of perpetual crisis. You and I are called upon to be on the alert every moment of our lives. Truly, the price of liberty is eternal vigilance; but ceaseless effort and continuous vigilance, untempered by inner poise, are apt to lead to nervous prostration. Hence inner serenity in the midst of crisis must be cultivated if we are to safeguard our personal integrity, national freedom, and universal human values.

In Mahatma Gandhi we have a sure guide to a happy, rich, and meaningful life. A self-disciplinarian, he embodied the Hindu concept of the superior man — of the Mahatma, the Great Soul.Any one of us can become a Mahatma if we make a vocation of living the good life — putting principle above expediency, duty above pleasure, service above profit, God above the world, conscience above fleeting rewards.

Throughout the text, except in quoted passages, the word Hindese (derived from Hinda or Hind anglicized into India) has been preferred to the word Indian in order to obviate confusion between the Indians of India and the Indians of America.

The literature on Gandhi is growing apace. The very first biographical sketch of Gandhi to appear in any language was a work by Rev. Joseph J. Doke, entitled M. K. Gandhi: An Indian Patriot ( London: London Indian Chronicle, 1909). My book, Gandhi the Apostle ( Chicago: Universal, 1923), was the first full-length portrait of the Mahatma to appear in any language of the world. My second book, Gandhi Versus the Empire ( New York: Universal, 1932), was banned from India by the British Raj. In Gandhi Triumphant ( New York: Universal, 1939), I set forth Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of the fast and the story of his victorious struggle with the Prince of Rajkot. Sermon on the Sea, sometimes entitled Indian Home Rule or Hind Swaraj, written by Gandhi in South Africa in 1909, and edited by the present writer in this country ( Chicago: Universal, 1924), reveals Gandhi’s views on civilization and on soul force.

For a comprehensive biography the reader may refer to The Life of Mahatma Gandhi by Louis Fischer ( New York: Harper and Brothers, 1950). For a commendable interpretation of the mystic in Gandhi, read Lead, Kindly Light by Vincent Sheean ( New York: Random House, 1949). C. F. Andrews’s trilogy: Mahatma Gandhi — His Own Story ( 1930), Mahatma Gandhi’s Ideas ( 1930), Gandhi at Work ( 1931), all published by The Macmillan Co., New York, are indispensable to an understanding of the man. Nehru on Gandhi ( New York: The John Day Co., 1948) is a splendid little book which everyone should be familiar with. Mahatma Gandhi: A Biography for Young People by Catherine Owens Peare ( New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1950) should be helpful especially to High School teachers and pupils. The Navajivan Press, Ahmedabad, India, is getting out a uniform series of topical books containing the Mahatma’s voluminous writings over the past forty years. The two volumes containing Gandhi’s writings in Young India, Ahmedabad, published in this country by B. W. Huebsch, Inc., New York, and by The Viking Press, New York, respectively, as Young India 19191922 ( 1923), and Young India 1924-1926 ( 1927), are a veritable gold mine for the researcher. Gandhi’s autobiography: My Experiments with Truth, recently published in full in this country ( Washington: Public Affairs Press, 1948), is a must reading. Two books published in India have been particularly helpful to me: Gandhiji, edited by D. G. Tendulkar and others ( Bombay: Karnatak Publishing House, 1944, 2nd ed., 1945), and The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi by R. K. Prabhu and U. R. Rao ( Madras: Oxford University Press, 1945, 2nd ed., 1946). To Messrs. K. R. Kripalani, Gulzarilal Nanda, and M. R. Masani I am indebted for fresh material, respectively, on “Gandhi and Tagore,” “A Charter for Labor,” and “Is Gandhi a Socialist?” appearing in Gandhiji. Portions of my chapter on “Gandhi’s Pedagogy” had appeared in School and Society ( Lancaster, Pa.), Unity ( Chicago), and The Social Frontier ( New York). I am indebted to the authors and publishers named, to Dr. Hiram Haydn, editor of this series, and to countless others not named. Full credit is given in footnotes. So far as possible, references, listed at the end, have been made to books published in America. In addition to my three books on Gandhi mentioned, I have drawn freely from my book, The United Nations of the World ( New York: Universal, 1942; 2nd ed., 1944), especially for material embodied in Chapters III and VII.

When all is said and done, my greatest debt is to the Saint of Sabarmati, my association with whom at the Satyagraha Ashram, on the Dandi March, and in London, I count among the greatest privileges in life.

HARIDAS T. MUZUMDAR.

CORNELL COLLEGE MT. VERNON, IOWA MAY, 1952 CHAPTER ONE A CHILD OF ONE WORLD 1. THE UNIVERSAL IN GANDHI MAHATMA GANDHI belongs not to India alone but to the whole world. He belongs not to our generation alone, not to the twentieth century alone, but to posterity as well. In life as in death Gandhi has been revered by millions of his compatriots in India and millions abroad. Most of us of the present generation look upon him as a great political leader. As such, Gandhi would no doubt be classified with the great makers and moulders of nations — Cromwell, Napoleon, Mazzini, Washington, and Lincoln. Future generations, however, will, I believe, recognize in Gandhi one of the greatest spiritual forces of all times.

Whether we knew much or little about him, this man in a loin-cloth somehow reminded the men of the present generation, and will continue to remind future generations, of the great heights which the spirit of man can scale. In him we see an image of our higher self, of that nobler self which recognizes nonviolence and truth as the law of our species.

A proper understanding of Gandhi requires recognition of two strands woven in the makeup of his personality as of every human being: the universal and the particular.

Every human organism is subject to the universal biophysical processes of birth, growth, maturation, senescence, disintegration. Every human being, endowed with original nature, becomes human only as the original nature is transformed into human nature through socialization, through social interaction within a cultural context. This, too, is a universal process in which all human beings become involved immediately upon birth. Mind, intelligence, intellect, emotion, insight, all rooted in the organism, come to flowering as a result of interaction with nature, with fellow human beings, with culture. In this process, the heart, a physiological organ, is spiritualized into a special instrument of insight; notice, for instance, Gandhi’s frequent use of the idea: “Ultimately we are guided not so much by the intellect as by the heart.” He made that statement upon our arrival at Dandi Beach, a forlorn, forsaken place, with few trees or habitations to relieve the monotony of the open, sun-baked landscape. In this process of interaction, too, the human potential, in contrast to the subhuman potential, becomes realized as the soul or spirit of man. Upon man’s animal ancestry is superimposed a certain attribute, which distinguishes the world of human beings from the animal world. To the extent that man, by deliberate effort, achieves a way of living in which animal traits are subordinated to the distinctively human, to that extent does he realize his entelechy, his implicit destiny, a Greek concept — or his dharma, a Hindu concept. Such a way of living brings man near unto God. The realization of his soul, his self, becomes tantamount to realization of the Supreme Soul, the Supreme Self, or God.

This mode of reasoning, implicit in Hindu thinking, should not be unacceptable to social scientists. At any rate, Gandhi accepted the theory of the distinctively human traits differentiating man from the subhuman creation. “Non-violence,” he affirmed, “is the law of our species as violence is the law of the brute. The spirit lies dormant in the brute and he knows no law but that of physical might. The dignity of man requires obedience to a higher law — to the strength of the spirit.” 1

The distinctively human, or rather common-human, nature of man is succinctly described by Hindu seers in the formula: Tat-Twam-Asi — That thou art. You are part of That, part of the Godhead. You have within you some of the divine attributes. In. deed, you have, as the Quakers say, that of God within you. Thus man is a complex of animal-human-divine attributes. In some the animal traits predominate, in others the human, and in others again the divine: in the language of the Bhagavad Gita, some men are dominated by the Tamas quality, some by the Raids quality, and some by the Sattva quality.

Man, a specific person, as a complex of animal-humandivine attributes, may be best understood if from his behavior patterns we get a clue to the dominant and recessive qualities of his being. Gandhi belonged to the company of those in whom Sattva or the divine attribute is dominant and the other two attributes are recessive.

Gandhi made much of conscience. He used to quote with approval a verse from the Mahabharata:

The individual may be sacrificed for the sake of the family;

The family may be sacrificed for the sake of the village;

The village may be sacrificed for the sake of the province;

The province may be sacrificed for the sake of the country;

For the sake of conscience, however, sacrifice all.

What is this thing called conscience? The unsophisticated Polish peasant defined conscience as one’s own voice but somebody else’s words. We may look upon conscience as a highly developed instrument in the inner recesses of man’s heart, a subtle part of evolving human nature specializing in sensitive reactions to the world round about oneself. Conscience manifests itself in terms of sensitivity to sufferings and injustices, to right and wrong. Thus conscience is the internalized experience of the mores of a given society. Non-totalitarian societies exalt freedom of conscience alike for atheists and for theists; for non-conformists as well as conformists; for Catholics, Protestants, and Jews; for Hindus, Muslims, Parsees, Christians, Jews, and Sikhs.

The history of the human species eloquently bears testimony to the fact that those who are especially sensitive to the sufferings of others and, being sympathetic, are impelled by an inner urge to redeem their sufferings, are peculiarly exalted not only by those who benefit from the ministry of service but also by society at large. At the age of 24, when Gandhi landed in South Africa as legal retainer for a Muslim Hindese firm, he was no better and no worse than many a contemporary barrister-at-law, Hindese or non-Hindese. But when his conscience was shocked by the injustices done to his people, when he espoused the cause of the underprivileged and the downtrodden with utter abandon, without the slightest notion of monetary reward, he began to enmesh himself in a process that was to give him inner satisfaction and raise him to the pinnacle of glory successively as “our Bhai,” our Brother; as “the Mahatma,” Great Soul; as “Gandhiji,” revered Gandhi; as “Bapuji,” Dear Father.