Prayer - living one's sadhna

[Guest guest]

"I'd like to illustrate this connection between the spiritual and

the political with an episode from the civil rights movement

struggle here in the United States. It was Birmingham, Alabama, in

1964. A peaceful march was making its way towards city hall to

protest the lack of voting rights, when it was suddenly stopped by a

cohort of police and firemen with dogs and hoses ready. Taken

unawares, the marchers decided to kneel down and pray. After a short

while, in the words of one witness, they became "spiritually

intoxicated". Acting as one, they got up on their feet and started

moving again, right into the blockade. The sheriff, a notorious

segregationist, yelled, "Turn on the hoses!" but strangly the

firemen did not-- could not-- obey. The marchers passed right

through them unobstructed. "How do you feel about what are you

doing?" someone said to the police and firemen. Winesses say even

the dogs were quiet."

 

Extract from Forward to "Book Of Prayers", M.K. Gandhi

 

_/\_ Tat twam asi

 

Uma