In 1893 a twenty-nine year old Jain lawyer from Gujarat faced an almost insurmountable problem --- the monks of his tradition could not cross the ocean, yet the Parliament of World Religions was calling. Virchand Gandhi spent six months preparing himself to carry an entire tradition on his shoulders, crossed the water, and introduced the Western world to ahimsa --- the ancient principle of non-violence that would quietly reshape the moral imagination of the twentieth century. From Chicago to Gandhi's Salt March to the streets of Montgomery, the seed he planted grew into a garden that changed everything. This week, as we remember Reverend Jesse Jackson, we pause to recognize the gardeners who came before and the rich soil they left behind.

Read the transcript

Share and read comments.