High School Second Prize - Karan Kapoor

Gandhiji's memoir is a very lucid corroboration of how dutiful a man he was.  From his youth, Gandhi seemed to be enamored by the concept of duty and he manifested dutifulness in all facets of his life.  Gandhi pursued his duty so passionately mainly out of his desire to become a true "satyagrahi".  A satyagrahi is one to whom victory and defeat are synonymous.  Moreover, a satyagrahi apprehends the unity of beings; all creatures are but drops of water from the same ocean, or Creator.  Thus, a satyagrahi sees the divine potential of all people, and serves them as he would serve the Almighty Himself.

This simple yet remarkably profound philosophy is what had the most trenchant impact on my life.  For example, I realize that my duty, or dharma, as a student is to study and learn as much as I possibly can about the material world, because education is the basis of all services.  Therefore, I never look upon studying and homework as burdens.  Rather, they are tools for me to become better equipped to serve humanity.

I utilize Gandhi's philosophies outside of the classroom as well.  As the captain of my tennis team, I constantly quote his ideas, saying, "Our primary concern should be on doing our jobs as well as possible, and not on the results of our effort."  My teammates and I have learned that if we are to get caught up solely in thoughts of winning, then our minds will never be focused on the actual match.  Needless to say, for the first time in three years, my school's tennis team reached the state's tournament.

However, Gandhi's teachings have been most beneficial to me in my volunteer work.  I am an assistant coach of a Special Olympic swim team, and many of the kids on the team have down-syndrome.  Keeping the ideals of a satyagrahi in mind, I look beyond the differences between me and the swimmers, and see that they are simply a part of the entity that I, and all beings are part of.  I feel as if I have been able to help these children because I am able to go beyond the superficialities, and look directly into their souls, or "atmas."  Each swimmer has the potential of a "maha" atma within him; it is simply waiting to be nurtured by love.

Gandhiji's "experiments in truth" have universal applications, and have molded me into who I am today.  Out of deference, I feel it is my duty to spread these truths.  Only once we learn to accept satyagraha as the only truth can we begin to progress as a society.  Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a gem of a human being, and his ideologies were not only guidelines for a nascent nation, but also for humanity as a whole.  Gandhiji's book taught me the art of duty, but most importantly, of compassion, and I am most grateful for these two blessings.


High School Third Prize - Bhoomi Upadhyaya

Mahatam Gandhi was India's greatest spiritual and political leader who used principles of truth to attain salvation in his life.  His form of living was an exceptionally difficult task for one to meet because he and the Truth stood side by side, no matter what obstacle crossed in their path.  By adapting to his ideas, Gandhi can become a guide for future students like me.

Truth is the sovereign factor; the fundamental element which includes faith, trust, loyalty, courage, love, and other principles distinct from truth.  It is beneficial for me, as a freshman in high school, to be a dedicated student, reliable friend, as well as a civilized daughter.  Truth offers me all the opportunities in life to fulfill my duties.

One experiment I encountered with truth was while playing tennis for my school.  It is important, playing first doubles on the girl's junior varsity tennis team, to have trust and faith in your partner and in your team.  As I was volleying the tennis ball back and forth against my opponent, I noticed that the ball had crossed the boundary line, on my fault.  The girl had missed to notice this and continued playing.  I immediately drew her attention and told her what happened.  Although it would have been advantageous for my team to remain quiet and keep on playing, it would have been considered cheating or lying.  If I really had any hope in winning, God would be on my side and would make our team win.  Though this may have been a small truth, maybe of no value in regard to other people's deeds, but like they say, "a little goes a long way" and in this case, this mere honesty encouraged me to follow the path of truth.  The other team did gain one point that day, but in my heart I had gained the satisfaction, the feeling that I did something right, and this was significant.

I believe that truth is the most important aspect of my life.  It not only brought me pleasure in my life, but I also increased my self-esteem as well as respect in the eyes of my classmates, teachers, and most importantly, my family.  Speaking the truth is not a difficult task when one does not think of the result ahead of them.  The best way to pursue in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi would to make truth a routine, something you would say anywhere, anytime, to anyone.  I think individuals lie because they fear of facing the bitter facts, problems, and their parents, when the most important they should be fearing God, not fearing man.


Middle School Second Prize - Sergio Alvarez

Satyagraha.  This word that means many things, namely passive resistance and noncooperation but also civil disobedience or in Sanskrit "truth and firmness", either way, this word means a great deal of leadership.  The word is what Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi stood up for.  This word was his life and his purpose for being in this world.  For this word, he led all his fellow Indians to independence and influenced others to do so as well.

As you may know, Gandhi is known for leading the struggle for Indian independence from Great Britain through his campaign for passive resistance and noncooperation.  He protested the Rowlatt Acts, which deprived Indians of important civil liberties.  He led a march to sea to collect salt by letting sea water dry to make salt so he can prove the point that they shouldn't pay taxes for salt (extremely similar to the Boston tea party) and ended violence against Hindus and Muslims.

As you see he did many great things and he did it all in nonviolence.  He would get beaten and put in jail, but would never show an ounce of violence.  That is something that only a great man can do.  He was so great that people gave him a new name, Mahatma, meaning "Great Soul".  Many knew him as the greatest leader of the 20th century.

For example, Albert Einstein said, "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood".  He also was admired by Martin Luther King Jr. and was a big part of his success.  He changes the world by having Hammurabi's law of equal violence and punishment to making us realize that "An eye for an eye ends up making the whole world blind."

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