“In Hinduism, incarnation is ascribed to one who has performed some extraordinary service of mankind. All embodied life is in reality an incarnation of God, but it is not usual to consider every living being an incarnation. Future generations pay this homage to one who, in his own generation, has been extraordinarily religious in his conduct. I can see nothing wrong in this procedure;”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: From 'The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi' - on the Hindu concept of incarnation (avatar).
About this quote
Reverence, in this view, is earned by service rather than claimed by title. Every life carries something sacred, but the ones later generations single out are those whose conduct served people on an extraordinary scale. Recognition follows the deeds, and usually arrives long after them.
When to use it
- A town names a hospital after a doctor who spent forty unpaid years treating its poorest.
- Students decades later credit one teacher whose patience quietly reshaped hundreds of lives.
- A neighborhood only grasps how much a volunteer held it together once she's gone.