“Hinduism is a living organism. One and indivisible at the root, it has grown into a vast tree with innumerable branches. Knowledge is limitless and so also the application of truth. Everyday we add to our knowledge of the power of Atman (soul) and we shall keep on doing so.”
Share this quote
Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: On Gandhi's Wikiquote 'Posthumous publications (1950s and later)' section with only a weak web citation (onlinedarshan.com); no dated primary (Young India/Harijan/CWMG) located.
About this quote
A living tradition stays one at its root while branching endlessly, each branch a different expression of the same source. Because understanding of the deepest things is never finished, the growth never stops; there is always more to learn about the inner life, and the work is simply to keep at it.
When to use it
- A language that splits into many dialects yet still shares one grammar at its root.
- A craft like woodworking branching into many schools that all trace back to a few basics.
- A person who keeps discovering new things about themselves well into old age.