Satyagrahi

A satyagrahi is a person who is dedicated to truth (sat, or satya), or more specifically one who offers satyagraha or participates in a satyagraha campaign.

The requirements Gandhi laid down for his satyagrahis include:

  • Having a firm commitment to nonviolence, simplicity, honesty, chastity, and self-discipline in thought, word, and deed.
  • Holding firmly to the truth (Sanskrit a-graha), that all life is interconnected.
  • Rejecting violence in any form, including humiliation of opponents, accepting humiliation of oneself, or the violence toward oneself implied in the use of intoxicating substances.
  • Forgoing material comforts for the greater good of all beings.
  • Relying always on soul-force when it is necessary to resist another’s behavior.

Satyagrahis trust that the opponent can be awakened to compassion, and cultivate an unwavering faith in the goodness of humanity, constantly separating person from deed.