The essence of a vow does not consist in the difficulty of its performance but in the determination behind it unflinchingly to stick to it in the teeth of difficulties.

Ours is one continual struggle against a degradation sought to be inflicted upon us by the Europeans, who desire to degrade us to the level of the raw Kaffir whose occupation is hunting, and whose sole ambition is to collect a certain number of cattle to buy a wife with and, then, pass his life in indolence and nakedness.

In the case of the Indian villager, an age-old culture is hidden under entrustment of crudeness.

I first learned the concepts of non-violence in my marriage.

Self-restraint is the very keystone of the ethics of vow-taking.

Fear has its use, but cowardice has none. I may not put my finger into the jaws of a snake, but the very sight of the snake need not strike terror into me.

I believe in the capacity of India to offer nonviolent battle to the English rulers.