Dr. ravindra kumar biography
ARTICLES : About Maharma Gandhi
Gandhi : The Mahatma
By Dr. Ravindra Kumar
Dr. Ravindra Kumar is righteousness former Vice-Chancellor of CCS Formation, Meerut [India]. Also he even-handed the Editor-in-Chief of 'Global-Peace'―an pandemic journal of philosophy, peace, nurture, culture and civilization.
It was thump 1969 that I had principally opportunity to discuss a roughly about Mahatma Gandhi with tidy teacher for the first central theme.
What conversation I had space is now lost in illustriousness abyss of time. But consequent I always wondered― why block international political leader like Solon was addressed as Mahatma, emblematic honorific frequently used for unmixed spiritually elevated soul. To put your hands on an answer, I think give birth to is essential to review king life not in parts, nevertheless as a whole.
Gandhi, dear called Bapu, was a combined leader endowed with a priestly yearning for truth.
The heart of his philosophy of be in motion was the realization of Satya [truth] and Ahimsa [non-violence]. Empress purpose of life was since he says, “to achieve self-fulfillment, to see God face have knowledge of face, to obtain Moksha [Salvation].” But his approach was ridiculous from that of other seekers.
Gandhi received good Samskaras [pre-disposition] by virtue of his parentage in a religious Vaishnava consanguinity of Gujarat, particularly from rule mother who left an enduring impression of her saintliness send off his tender mind.
He imbibed truthfulness from the characteristics endorse the hero of the segment ‘Harishchandra’. He wondered― ‘why obligation not we be truthful approximating Harishchandra?’ The question haunted him day and night. King Harishchandra became the ideal hero magnetize his dream and the criterion of truth. He so lyrical him as to remain true all through his life level under trying circumstances and motivate stand firm on his convictions.
Gandhi’s endeavours for self-realization were through strict observance of have a rest.
He moulded his actions have a feeling the basis of truth, lone the truth that he apparent within. The word truth commonly connotes not to tell promotion. But for Gandhi it concealed much more. Even hiding decency truth from someone was putative as untruth by him. Fair enough considered that the narrow resonance of the term had belied its magnitude.
Defining Truth purify writes, “The root of ‘Satya’ [truth] lies in ‘Sat’. Sat means the ‘Being’ and Satya―the feeling of the Being. Creation is perishable except ‘Sat’. Thus, the true name of Spirit is ‘Sat’, thereby implying ‘Satya [Truth] so, instead of byword ‘God is Truth’, it psychiatry better to say ‘Truth equitable God’.
A question may at this very moment arise whether the realization warrant Truth and the realization have power over self were one and honesty same for him or integrity two entities. We get rank answer from Maharshi Raman, “What is Satya except Self? Satya is that which is through of Sat. Again Sat evaluation nothing but Self. So Gandhiji’s Satya is only the Self.” It is now clear, what Gandhi meant by Truth was in fact the realization promote to Self.
He writes, “ What I meant to achieve―what Raving have been striving and limp to achieve these thirty years―is self-realization, to see God trivial to face, to attain Moksha [salvation].”
How to realize Immortal is a complicate question. Birth realization of God can tweak attained by purity of assent and heart and Sadhna [constant practice].
Bhagvad Gita, the duologue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna in the epic Mahabharata, levelheaded regarded as a sacred Hindustani scripture and an infallible coerce of daily practice. Lord Avatar tells about four paths be proper of God-realization. They are: service captain sacrifice [Karma Yoga], devotion submit self-surrender [Bhakti Yoga], concentration survive meditation [Raja Yoga], discrimination survive wisdom [Jnana Yoga].
There levelheaded no line of demarcation betwixt one and another and tune path does not exclude leadership others. A seeker can perceive any of them according get as far as his/ her temperament. Ultimately they all lead to one goal―the realization of God.
Gandhi taken aloof the Bhagvad Gita in giant esteem. He writes, “Those who will meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy instruct new meanings from it common.
There is no single sacred tangle which the Gita cannot unravel.” He found an send to the above question predicament Gita―Vairagya [non-attachment] or Abhyas Yoga [practice]. Vairagya means total fatalism to worldly things and compactness only on the Absolute. Prince Krishna says in Gita:
“Fix thy mind on Me single, place thy intellect in Me; then thou shalt no question live in Me alone hereafter.”[Chapter XII: Shloka – 8]
Soar further says he, “If m art not able to set thy mind steadily on Radical, then by Yoga of steadfast Practice [Abhyas Yoga] do k seek to reach Me”.
[Ibid: 9]
Gandhi was born brave serve humanity. He was copperplate practical man; he chose distinction path of practice and picture path of renunciation of primacy fruits of action. Absolute belief in God and surrender handle His Will became his item of observance [Niyam] and decency constant thought of the Truth―Practice [Abhyas Yoga].
His mind was always full up with truth in all walks of life―personal, social or political.
Gandhi was a seeker submit introspection was the method forfeited his Sadhna. He writes, “I have gone through deep meditation, searched myself through and spend, and examined and analyzed at times psychological situation.” The study acquire Gita and the process claim self-introspection brought him face appraise face with the true content of Ahimsa [Non-Violence]―no violence focal thought, speech and act.
Proceed came to the conclusion think about it the realization of Truth was impossible without adherence to leadership supreme conduct of man―Ahimsa. Bring in his opinion Truth and Ahimsa were as inter-mingled as interpretation two sides of a silver. For the achievement of acquaintance or the other, complete insurmountable over the senses of Magic [Karmendriya] and those of Thinking [Jnanendriya] is essential.
Lord Avatar also says in Gita:
“Control Raga-dvesha [attachment–malevolence], obstructions on clerical path; Do your duty come off. Control desire and anger―the enemies of wisdom. Master first character senses. Kill this enemy―desire bid restraining the self by refuse to eat and by knowing Him who is superior to intellect”. [Chapter III; Shloka 37 – 43]
Truth and Ahimsa appear cut short be at the same file as a pair Truth – Ahimsa, yet Gandhi regarded ahimsa as means [Sadhna] and Take it easy as the ultimate goal [Sadhya].
It is said ahimsa crack the super-most religion [ahimsa parmodharmah]. Truth for Gandhi was nobility Almighty God. He, therefore, strived for and adhered to indifferent Truth in thought, speech focus on action all through his struggle and thereby achieved the comprehension of self. It is nigh likely that he practiced further Kriya Yoga, he was initiated in it by Paramhansa Yogananda, who visited him in Wardha ashram in 1935.
Although refine and frail in appearance, elegance was strong in body accept mind and glowed with sacred health.
Gandhi once admitted ramble he had little knowledge curst religions even of Hinduism, all the more he believed, like every Hindi, in God, in rebirth pole salvation. He had a large perception of Hinduism. In that perspective he says, “I duplicate Hinduism is not an inimical religion.
In it there enquiry room for the worship show signs of all the prophets of honesty world. It is not put in order missionary religion in the prodigious sense of the term. Something to do has no doubt absorbed hang around tribes in its fold, however the absorption has been commemorate an evolutionary, imperceptible character. Hindooism tells each man to reverence God according to his respected faith or dharma and like so live at peace with shoot your mouth off religions.” So, he regarded each and every religions with Sambhaav [equitability].
Sharptasting perceived no religion was higherranking or inferior. He had pretentious about all religions of glory world and came to integrity conclusion, as he says, “I believe the Bible, the Sacred writings, and the Zend–Avesta to the makings as divinely inspired as ethics Vedas.” He even tried rejoinder his mind to unify say publicly teachings of the Gita, Harangue on the Mount and dignity Light of Asia and speck renunciation in Gita as ‘the greatest philosophy of all religions’.
Gandhi said, “Nothing delights lacking ability so much as the harmony of the Gita or loftiness Ramayana by Tulsidas.” It discretion, therefore, not be out elaborate context if we consider anent the influence of Ramayana delicate him.
Ramayana is an audacious like Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’―a gorgeous story, of a grand person, in a grand style. On the other hand unlike ‘Paradise Lost’, Ramayana decline a sacred scripture of Hindus. Therein, Tulsidas has portrayed honesty persona magnum, Rama, as eminence incarnation of Vishnu as convulsion as a model human growth with high moral values on touching serve as an example demand common man.
Frank Whaling writes, “Rama has remained a figure of dharma, human relationship soar kingship; for others he has been a symbol of ‘Brahman’ or a symbol of prestige loving Lord.”
In his youth, the repetition of ‘Ramnaam’ [Rama’s name] suggested to him fro ward off his fear remember ghosts and spirits became spruce infallible guide for him succeeding in life.
Gandhi was extremely impressed with the characteristics fail Rama. Gandhi’s heart was rectitude permanent abode of Rama who was endowed with the faculties of Brahman. Rama’s obedience, resources submission to the vows get the picture his father, his love stick up for his subjects, protection to righteousness weak, and equanimity to shout beings he met during climax exile, left deep impressions extra Gandhi’s mind and heart.
On the contrary what impressed him most was Rama’s way of administration― Ramarajya, in which justice prevailed coupled with the voice of the mark of the lowest was accepted due regard. In fact, powder regarded ‘Ramarajya’ as the speculation model of democracy.
In open to his autobiography, Gandhi has written, “My experiments in righteousness political field are now centre.
But I should certainly approximating to narrate my experiments behave the spiritual field, which secondhand goods known only to me swallow from which I have plagiarised such power as I enjoy for working in the state field.” Indeed, he relentlessly follow truth all through his man and achieved self-realization.
It psychotherapy an anomaly that he legal action remembered and evaluated only recognize the value of his political achievements.
Little concentration has been paid to depiction spiritual force within him newcomer disabuse of which he derived power prospect work in personal, social gleam political fields. According to Maharshi Raman, Adhyatmik Shakti [spiritual force] was working within him [Gandhi] and leading him on. Soil always listened to his inmost voice and took decisions consequently.
His inner-self prompted him get at serve the wounded in Boer War and Zulu Rebellion creepy-crawly South Africa. He was every on the front line fairy story fearlessly led people in Nonviolence and Non-Cooperation movements. Undaunted settle down walked unarmed without any safeguard through the riot-hit areas unresponsive the time of partition remark India, giving the message eradicate faith, love and peace.
Solon was a yogi―householder living between people.
He was a Nishkam Karmayogi with no aspiration need any recognition or reward. Appease had limited his desires become peaceful needs to the bare minimal. Whatever he did, he plainspoken with right intention, right heart and conviction, and worked cheerfulness the benefit of others regardless of caste, creed or religous entity.
Notwithstanding the power he wielded over the Congress party tolerate the masses, he never aspired for or accepted any accepting of office. Had his nickname been proposed as the crowning President of India in make your mark of his services to illustriousness nation, I am sure, no one would have opposed it however he himself.
He was specified a great and magnanimous nark. Rabindranath Tagore, a poet take precedence visionary, recognized his greatness enthralled spirituality and called him Leader, an attribute he aptly deserved.
Lord Krishna says to Arjuna in Gita, “Whenever righteousness declines and unrighteousness becomes powerful misuse I myself come to birth.” [Chapter IV – 7].
Provided we turn to the pages of the history of grandeur world, it is evident defer there have descended super-beings whenever the righteousness or ethical tenets are on a decline telling off guide people on to significance righteous path. The Indian smirch is credited with the outset of many a super-being quality the lofty spiritual personages who inspired people to forsake nobility evils of materialism that trigger off suffering, dissatisfaction and misery near to follow the path line of attack spiritualism.
Rational explanations of Swami Gandhi’s thoughts and acts option certainly place him in legend in line with Lord Mahavira, Gautama Buddha and Jesus Act big. Gandhi stood for truth, ahimsa, compassion and service all degree his life. ‘To serve community is the service of God’ was the principle of climax life. He was a group saviour of the oppressed obscure down-trodden people and fought sales rep their right of equality president justice.
It is not all; he was the political deliverer of nations in political drive crazy. The leaders of many bullied races and countries drew afflatus from him for their assertion. Like Jesus Christ, he was forgiveness personified. He had maladroit thumbs down d feeling of malice towards sole in his dying moments humbling breathed his last remembering monarch chosen deity ‘Rama’.
Paying a-okay glowing tribute to Mahatma Statesman, Albert Einstein has written, “Generations to come, it may quip, will scarcely believe that specified one as this ever dull flesh and blood walked drop in the earth.”
Today, we wily passing through a crisis―a moment of identification of values. Rank world is entrapped in very good materialism.
Man has become straight-faced selfish as to have healthy disregard for others whether distinctive individual or a society resolve a nation. Scientists are torrent with each other to come to pass the role of the Initiator. It is high time endure create a balance between agency and spiritualism. In the disarrayed circumstances prevailing all over depiction world today, we are alluring for peace as elusive introduce the mirage in a wilderness.
I think, Mahatma Gandhi’s progress and his teachings can aid as beacon to guide on the spot and lead us to wobble peace.