“Let it be granted, that according to the letter of the Gita it is possible to say that warfare is consistent with renunciation of fruit. But after forty years’ unremitting endeavour fully to enforce the teaching of the Gita in my own life, I have in all humility felt that perfect renunciation is impossible without perfect observance of ahimsa in every shape and form.”
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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 warfare vs. renunciation of fruit and ahimsa after forty years' effort.
About this quote
You can read a sacred text narrowly and find loopholes — even a blessing for harm done without attachment. Long practice tends to close those gaps. Genuine letting-go of the ego, this argues, can't sit comfortably beside hurting others; the two pull against each other until one gives way.
When to use it
- A negotiator admits she can't claim to want peace while quietly hoping the other side loses.
- An activist drops a tactic that technically works but leaves people bruised, because it betrays the goal.
- A coach stops motivating through humiliation once he sees it contradicts everything he preaches.