# My life is my only teaching



## Dupond

Hi!
I'd like to have this quote from Gandhi tattooed in Polish. Someone told me it's : 
Moje życie jest moim jedynym nauczycielem
Is it correct ?
Thank you!


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## jasio

Basically it is correct, although I would rather say: "Moim jedynym nauczycielem jest życie". Other variants are also possible, however, depending on what you are going to emphasise:

* Jedynym moim nauczycielem jest życie
* Jedynym nauczycielem moim jest życie
* Życie jest moim jedynym nauczycielem
* Życie jest jedynym moim nauczycielem
* Moje życie moim jedynym nauczycielem


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## ChipMacShmon

I may be wrong but I think that it should be translated as: 

_Jedyną moją nauką/lekcją jest moje życie.
__Moje życie jest moją jedyną lekcją.__
To czego mogę nauczyć to moje życie.
_


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## Dupond

ChipMacShmon said:


> I may be wrong but I think that it should be translated as:
> 
> _Jedyną moją nauką/lekcją jest moje życie.
> __Moje życie jest moją jedyną lekcją.__
> To czego mogę nauczyć to moje życie.
> _



Thanks for your answer but as I don't speak Polish I can't really see the differences between your propositions.  I think I'll just pick up your first one :"Moim jedynym nauczycielem jest życie".


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## Dupond

jasio said:


> Basically it is correct, although I would rather say: "Moim jedynym nauczycielem jest życie". Other variants are also possible, however, depending on what you are going to emphasise:
> 
> * Jedynym moim nauczycielem jest życie
> * Jedynym nauczycielem moim jest życie
> * Życie jest moim jedynym nauczycielem
> * Życie jest jedynym moim nauczycielem
> * Moje życie moim jedynym nauczycielem



Thanks for your answer but as I don't speak Polish I can't really see the differences between your propositions.  I think I'll just pick up your first one :"Moim jedynym nauczycielem jest życie".


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## jasio

Dupond said:


> Thanks for your answer but as I don't speak Polish I can't really see the differences between your propositions.  I think I'll just pick up your first one :"Moim jedynym nauczycielem jest życie".



There are just nuances between them, and I didn't want to bother you with too many details. 

If you want to focus on your life more than on anything else, you begin with 'życie' ('life'). If you want to focus more that it's your only source of (valuable) expertise, you begin with "jedynym" ('sole', 'only'). The order you selected is probably the most natural, hence balanced and neutral.


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## ChipMacShmon

What do you think does the phrase mean? IMO it says that the only thing that Gandhi could teach was his life. And for me, phrases given by jasio mean that Gandhi only learned from his life.


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## wolfbm1

What about "Moje życie jest jedyną moją ewangelizacją" or "Moje życie jest moim nauczaniem." 

There is a version without the word 'only': 
“My life is my teaching.” Mahatma Gandhi

A proposed meaning: <<It simply means the way we live, is also an example for others to learn from it. To learn how it “should be” or how it “should not be.”>>

Source: My Life is My Teaching BY YANLINGC


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## dreamlike

jasio said:


> Basically it is correct, although I would rather say: "Moim jedynym nauczycielem jest życie". Other variants are also possible, however, depending on what you are going to emphasise:
> 
> * Jedynym moim nauczycielem jest życie
> * Jedynym nauczycielem moim jest życie
> * Życie jest moim jedynym nauczycielem
> * Życie jest jedynym moim nauczycielem
> * Moje życie moim jedynym nauczycielem


We're dealing with Polish here not English where word order doesn't have so big an impact on what we're trying to emphasise as it does in English. Thus, "Moje życie jest moim jedynym nauczycielem" and "Jedynym moim nauczycielem jest życie" don't differ too much to me in where the emphasis lies. 

Dupond, I suggest that you go with "Moje życie jest moim jedynym nauczycielem". "Nauczyciel" is not what "teaching" precisely means in Polish, but it doesn't deviate all that much from the original and sounds good compared to other options.


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## Dupond

Thank you everyone.


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## wolfbm1

Another option is: Nauczam tylko poprzez własne życie.


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## dreamlike

wolfbm1 said:


> Another option is: Nauczam tylko poprzez własne życie.


Where there's a shift of meaning...


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## wolfbm1

I think it matches the explanation: "the way we live, is also an example for others to learn from it."


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## dreamlike

I see. My understanding of the phrase in question was different.


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## wolfbm1

Lama Surya Das, in his work "The Mind Is Mightier Than the Sword: Enlightening the Mind, Opening the Heart", offers a similar interpretation: 

"(...) Gandhi said, when asked by a reporter what was the heart of his teaching, "My life is my teaching. How I live is my teaching." He tried to walk his talk, to practice what he preached. So look at how you live, and you'll know what your teaching is."

"Walk your talk" means "trzymaj się swoich zasad."


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