Gandhi insisted function of religion was to unite rather than divide people

[Guest guest]

shriadishakti , " jagbir singh "

<adishakti_org> wrote:

>

> We have to understand that His Ruh (Adi Shakti) Shri Mataji was

> thus sent to announce and explain the Last Judgment and Al-Qiyamah

> in detail to all, and the technique to attain Self-realization.

> That is why we humans are now able to comprehend for the first time

> in history the relationship between the Islamic Resurrection,

> Christian Last Judgment and Vedic Sanatana Dharma. It applies to

> all traditions and none (of their followers) are accorded special

> status, regardless of what religion they follow. Those who have

> surrendered and submitted to Allah's (SWT) Will to commence the

> Resurrection are the true Muslims.

>

> The opening lines of Surah 75 Al-Qiyamah declare:

>

> LAA UQSIM BI-YAWM AL-QIYAMAH:

> WA-LAA UQSIM BI-AN-NAFSAL- LAWWAAMAH

> I do call to witness the Resurrection Day

> And I do call to witness the self-reproaching Spirit.

>

 

" Religion

 

During his childhood, Gandhi's family practiced Vaishnavism, but he

was also exposed to Jainism. While in England studying law, he was

introduced to Theosophy and Christianity. He did not realize his

sentimental bond to Hinduism until his Hinduism was challenged by

Christian missionaries in South Africa. Gandhi had read the Bhagavad

Gita in an English translation in England, but it did not become

his " spiritual dictionary " [6, 14] until he read several different

translations of it in South Africa. Reading the Bhagavad Gita

reinforced Gandhi's connection to Hinduism. Gandhi eventually

became " one of the greatest innovators in the history of Hinduism. "

[6, 17] His Hinduism revolved around " a few fundamental beliefs: in

the supreme reality of God, the unity of all life, and the value of

ahimsa as a means of realizing God. " [6, 17]

 

With these as his central beliefs, it is easy to see how Gandhi was

able to find an underlying unity in all the world's religions. While

in South Africa, Gandhi undertook a comparative study of religions,

which gave rise to the all-embracing nature of his religious outlook.

He had faith that " religions are different roads converging to the

same point. " [3, 27] To Gandhi, " the various religions were 'as so

many leaves of a tree'; they might seem different but 'at the trunk

they are one.' " [6, 21] He had confidence in " the absolute oneness of

God and therefore of humanity. " Based on this, he believed, " We have

but one soul. The rays of the sun are many through refraction. But

they have the same source. " [1, 198]

 

Because he saw all religions as essentially the same, he

advocated " mutual tolerance and respect between different religions "

[6, 23] Gandhi " insisted that the function of religion was to unite

rather than divide people. " [6, 11] Because of this belief, Gandhi

was deeply distraught by the religious conflict between Hindus and

Muslims in India. He contended, " In reality, there are as many

religions as there are individuals, but those who are conscious of

the spirit of nationality do not interfere with one another's

religion…The Hindus, The Mahomedans, the Parsis, and the

Christians…will have to live in unity. " [3, 26]

 

Gandhi believed that religion must be applied to everyday life. To

him, religion was " an ethical framework for the conduct of daily

life. " [6, 24] " He did not know… any religion apart from human

activity; the spiritual law did not work in a vacuum but in the

ordinary activities of life; religion which took no account of

practical problems and did not help to solve them was no religion. "

[6, 19] Within his own life, Gandhi " endeavored to enforce the

teachings of the Gita…[and came] to the conclusion that perfect

renunciation was impossible without perfect observance of ahimsa in

every shape and form. " [6, 14]

 

For Gandhi, applying religion to daily life necessitated applying

religion to politics as well. Many people criticized Gandhi for

mixing religion and politics, however, these critics did not fully

understand what Gandhi meant by religion: " It is not the Hindu

religion, which I certainly prize above all other religions, but the

religion which transcends Hinduism, which changes one's very nature,

which binds one indissolubly to the truth within and which ever

purifies. It is the permanent element in human nature

which…leaves the soul restless until it has found itself. " [6,

24]

 

Gandhi's religious philosophy is essentially what Leibniz called the

Perennial Philosophy. In the introduction to The Essential Gandhi,

the Perennial Philosophy is characterized as follows:

 

" First, underlying everything in the phenomenal world is a changeless

reality, which most religions call God. Second, this changeless

reality is present in every living creature and can be personally

discovered by following certain strenuous disciplines that remove the

layers of conditioning that cover it. And third, this discovery is

the real goal of life. Whatever else we may accomplish, nothing will

satisfy us until we realize God in our own consciousness. " [1, xviii]

Gandhi expressed this Perennial Philosophy in his own words:

 

" I do dimly perceive that whilst everything around me is ever

changing, ever dying, there is underlying all that change a Living

Power that is changeless, that holds all together, that creates,

dissolves, and re-creates. That informing Power or Spirit is God. And

since nothing else I see merely through the senses can or will

persist, He alone is. And is this power benevolent or malevolent? I

see it as purely benevolent, for I can see that in the midst of death

life persists, in the midst of untruth truth persists, in the midst

of darkness light persists. Hence I gather that God is Life, Truth,

Light. He is love. He is the supreme Good… God to be God must

rule the heart and transform it…. This can only be done through a

definite realization, more real than the five senses can ever

produce… " [1, xviii]

 

Religion

http://www.wildewildeweb.com/gandhi/religion.html