Gandhi, The Mahatma

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Gandhi, The Mahatma

MAHATMA Gandhi belonged to India and the world. His life was a long

experiment with truth and his name became a synonym for truth and

non-violence—satyam and ahimsa. He embodied in himself an idea and an ideal.

Gandhism is a symbol of the idea of unity among Hindus and Muslims, the

high-caste man and the Harijan, the rich and the poor, the prince and the

peasant. He lived and died for the ideal of service and sacrifice. His was a

dedicated life to the service of mankind.

Though he was preoccupied with the solution of Indian problems, his message

has a universal appeal and was indeed far in advance of his times. He

exerted a spiritual influence in politics, economics, religion, sociology,

industry and in every other field of human activity. He has been rightly

called a saint among politicians and politician among saints. What is the

keynote of this glorious life ?

Real India is rural India. As such, Gandhiji was the true representative of

the Indian peasant. Though intellectually he was more keen and alert than

the average peasant, he had the peasant's outlook in life and implicit faith

in the supremacy of God. The highest teachings of religions crystallised

into action in his life. He led a life of unsurpassed purity, compassionate

love, overflowing sympathy, iron resolution, courtly bearing and exquisite

tact. These shining virtues attracted to him the classes and the masses of

this vast land. Despite his early English training, he retained his noble

characteristic of implicit faith <; and this grew as the years rolled by.

His life became hallowed by his communion with God every moment of his life.

Thus his thoughts, words and deeds were purified and gained added strength

and power because they emanated from his innermost, intuitive spirit.

Gandhiji's glorious life was founded on the bedrock of truth. He examined

his thoughts, words and deeds in the searchlight of truth before he gave

them to the world. He realised that freedom is the inalienable right of

every human being. So he worked for India's freedom with consummate mastery,

dauntless courage and dynamic energy. He had the vision of a prophet that

truth will triumph in the end. Thus truth was a dominating influence in his

life. He solved the various problems applying to them the touchstone of

truth. He was the personification of truth and his life was a long

experiment with truth. He recognised no defeat except failure to stand by

truth.

The two world wars, the butchery in some parts of India strengthened

his firm faith in non-violence as a superior weapon. Violence leaves behind

a spirit of hatred and revenge. On the other hand, non-violence brings

about a lasting change for good in the enemy; overcomes beastial hatred

by divine love. He applied this principle as early as 1906 in South

Africa. This technique was perfected in India and it was through this

superior soul-force of ahimsa that Gandhiji brought freedom to India. He

held that " non-violence implies voluntary submission to the penalty for

non-co-operation with evil."

Again, " there is no half-way between truth and non-violence on the one hand

and untruth and violence on the other hand. We may never be strong

enough to be entirely non-violent in thought, word and deed. But we must

keep non-violence as our goal, and make steady progress towards it.

The attainment of freedom, whether for a man, a nation or the world,

must be in exact proportion to the attainment of non-violence by

each." Such was his strong conviction.

We can pay no better homage to his sacred memory than by trying in our own

humble lives to follow in his glorious footsteps guided by the twin

beacon-lights of truth and non-violence.

I humbly suggest that the authorities arrange to print the Gita and

the Mahatma's teachings in all the languages in pocket-size editions with

picturers of Sri Krishna and the Mahatma and present one copy to all

Government servants so that they can put all his teachings into practice

and tell the public to shun all evil-mindedness and communal bitterness

and also persuade them to turn their activities to the path of

righteousness and universal brotherhood.

 

 

(Adopted from the Book Pearls of Wisdom by His Holiness Swami Kesavaiahji)