WHEN Mahatma Gandhi—whose entire life epitomized anti-violence—died, he was buried with military honors. Ironic, and also probably saddening: even a Gandhi could not escape the protocol he never sought.

When a great person dies, he or she leaves behind a lasting trace, like an elephant leaves its ivory. Occasionally, such a person appears as an icon: a sign giving meaning that stirs the heart because it transcends our own wishes. And sometim