Hinduism p2

• Mohandas K. Gandhi was born in Porbandar, India


  1869
• Mohandas Gandhi's background


  He was from the social cast of tradesmen, his mother was illiterate but had common sense and religious devotion
• As a youngster, Gandhi was a good student, but the shy young boy displayed no signs of leadership
• Gandhi's early life


  1. Travelled to England to gain a degree in law

  2. Became involved with the Vegetarian Society

  3. Was asked to translate the Hindu Bhagavad Gita
• The Bhagavad Gita awakened in Gandhi a sense of pride in the Indian scriptures
• Gandhi also studied the Bible and was struck by the teachings of Jesus Christ especially the emphasis on humility and forgiveness
• Gandhi remained committed to the Bible and Bhagavad Gita throughout his life, though he was critical of aspects of both religions
• Gandhi in South Africa

  1. Returned to India after completing his law degree

  2. Was sent to South Africa to practise law

  3. Was struck by the level of racial discrimination and injustice often experienced by Indians

  4. First experimented with campaigns of civil disobedience and protest, calling his non-violent protests satyagraha

  5. Was imprisoned for short periods of time, but also supported the British under certain conditions

  6. Was decorated by the British for his efforts during the Boer War and Zulu rebellion
• Gandhi returned to India after 21 years in South Africa


  1915
• Gandhi became the leader of the Indian nationalist movement campaigning for home rule or Swaraj
• Gandhi's non-violent protest in India

  1. Instigated a series of non-violent protests including national strikes for one or two days

  2. The British sought to ban opposition, but the nature of non-violent protest and strikes made it difficult to counter

  3. Encouraged his followers to practise inner discipline to get ready for independence

  4. Said the Indians had to prove they were deserving of independence, in contrast to others who argued that Indian independence was a right
• Gandhi clashed with others in the Indian independence movement such as Subhas Chandra Bose who advocated direct action to overthrow the British
• Gandhi frequently called off strikes and non-violent protest if he heard people were rioting or violence was involved
• Gandhi's famous Salt March


  1. In 1930, Gandhi led a famous march to the sea in protest at the new Salt Acts

  2. In the sea, they made their own salt, in violation of British regulations

  3. Many hundreds were arrested and Indian jails were full of Indian independence followers
• Gandhi also protested against taxes on cloth and protested by spinning cotton and making his own clothes
• Some Indian protesters killed some British civilians, and as a result, Gandhi called off the independence movement saying that India was not ready
• This led to radicals like Bhagat Singh carrying on the campaign for independence, which was particularly strong in Bengal
• Gandhi and the Partition of India

  1. After the war, Britain indicated that they would give India independence

  2. With the support of the Muslims led by Jinnah, the British planned to partition India into two: India and Pakistan

  3. Ideologically Gandhi was opposed to partition, but he agreed to it and spent the day of Independence in prayer mourning the partition

  4. Gandhi's fasts and appeals were insufficient to prevent the wave of sectarian violence and killing that followed the partition
• Gandhi was harshly critical of the Hindu Caste system, in particular the 'untouchable' caste, and launched many campaigns to change their status
• At the age of 78, Gandhi undertook another fast to try and prevent the sectarian killing, but ten days later he was shot dead by a Hindu Brahmin opposed to Gandhi's support for Muslims and the untouchables
• Gandhi's concept of Sat

  Sat - 'being' (atman), Satya - truth as way to reach this, God defined as Satya the absolute truth, the truth of one being expressing itself as all living things
• Gandhi's concept of Ahimsa

  The unifying faculty for welfare of all, the negative aspect is not harming any living thing but the positive aspect is love for all
• Gandhi's concept of Satyagraha

  Insistence on truth -- holding firm to truth, a practical expression of Satyagraha, gentle and never wounds, not a result of malice or anger, translates as civil disobedience and non co-operation, the potent final weapon is fasting unto death
• Gandhi's concept of Sarvodaya


  Welfare of all as the outcome of seeing the unity of sat and satya
• Gandhi's views on Untouchability

  Caste has nothing to do with religion, it is harmful to both spiritual and national growth, no one can be untouchables as all are sparks of the divine
• Gandhi's views on Women's rights


  A country where women are not honoured cannot be considered civilised, quoted from Manusmriti
• Gandhi's concept of Seva


  Service to mankind, the idea of unity between God and Man as taught by Vivekananda
• Gandhi's concept of Swaraj

  Self-rule, why should one country rule others, let my nation be the one to teach the world the futility of ruling over others
• Gandhi's lifestyle and beliefs

  Lived an austere lifestyle, required self-discipline - Brahmacharya - celibate life in search of truth, used spirituality as a political tool, promoted the ideas of Swadeshi - insistence on using local products supporting local people not imported products supporting foreign powers
• Gandhi: '"In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth."'
• Gandhi: '"When every hope is gone, 'when helpers fail and comforts flee,' I find that help arrives somehow, from I know not where. Supplication, worship, prayer are no superstition; they are acts more real than the acts of eating, drinking, sitting or walking. It is no exaggeration to say that they alone are real, all else is unreal."'
• Gandhi said that it is not Hinduism that he prized above others but that religion which transcends Hinduism that is able to change one's very nature, and that true religion and true morality are interchangeable
• The autobiography Gandhi wrote is called "experiments with truth", describing his experience of celibacy, non-violence and other principles of conduct
• Gandhi said that until we reach the absolute truth, we have to experiment with the relative truths, and that the best definition of God is truth, with Ahimsa being the best tool in search of the absolute
• Gandhi said that to see the absolute truth, one must be able to love the meanest of all creations as oneself, as that has to be the absolute truth - hence God must mean Love
• Swami Dayanand Saraswati


  More than a religious leader of India who left deep impact on the Indian society
• Swami Dayanand Saraswati


  • Founded the Arya Samaj that brought about changes in the religious perception of Indians
  • Voiced his opinions against idolatry and the pointless emphasis on empty ritualism, and man-made dictates that women are not allowed to read the Vedas
  • His idea of denouncing the caste system inherited by oneself in lieu of their birth was nothing short of radical
  • Brought about a complete overhaul of the education system by introducing Anglo-Vedic schools to offer Indian students an updated curriculum teaching both the knowledge of the Vedas along with contemporary English education
  • Although he was never really involved in politics directly, his political observations were the source of inspiration for a number of political leaders during India's struggle for independence
  • Given the epithet of Maharishi and is considered as one of the Makers of Modern India
• Early Life and Education


  • Dayanand Saraswati was born on February 12, 1824 in Tankara, Gujarat as Mool Shankar to Karshanji Lalji Tiwari and Yashodabai
  • His affluent and influential Brahmin family was an ardent follower of Lord Shiva
  • Mool Shankar was taught religious rituals, piety and purity, importance of fasting from a very early age
  • The Yajnopavita Sanskara or the investiture of the "twice-born" was performed, when he was 8 and that initiated Mool Shankar into the world of Brahmanism
  • He would observe these rituals with much honesty
  • On the occasion of Shivaratri, Mool Shankar would sit awake the whole night in obedience to Lord Shiva
  • After seeing a mouse eating the offerings to the God and running over the idol's body, he questioned if the God could not defend himself against a little mouse then how could he be the saviour of the massive world
• Spiritual Indoctrination


  • Mool Shankar was attracted towards the spiritual realm after the death of his sister when he was 14-year-old
  • He began asking questions about life, death and the afterlife to his parents to which they had no answers
  • On being asked to get married following societal traditions, Mool Shankar ran away from home
  • He wandered all over the country for the next 20 years visiting temples, shrines and holy places
  • He met with yogis living in the mountains or forests, asked them of his dilemmas, but nobody could provide him with the perfect answer
  • At last he arrived at Mathura where he met Swami Virajananda
  • Mool Shankar became his disciple and Swami Virajananda directed him to learn directly from the Vedas
  • He found all his questions regarding life, death and afterlife answered during his study
  • Swami Virajananda entrusted Mool Shankar with the task of spreading Vedic knowledge throughout the society and rechristened him as Rishi Dayanand
• Spiritual Beliefs

  • Maharishi Dayanand was a believer in Hinduism just as the Vedas have outlined, devoid of any corruption and embellishments
  • Preserving the purity of the faith was of utmost important to him
  • He strongly advocated the concepts of Dharma which he believed to be free from any partiality and as an embodiment of truthfulness
  • To him Adharma was anything that did not hold true, was not just or fair and was opposed to the teachings of the Vedas
  • He believed in reverence of human life irrespective of anything and condoned the practice of Ahimsa or non-violence
  • He advised his countrymen to direct their energy towards betterment of mankind as a whole and not waste away in unnecessary rituals
  • He revoked the practice of idol worship and considered them a contamination introduced by the priesthood for their own benefit
  • He was against other social evils like superstitions and caste segregation
  • He advocated the concept of Swarajya, meaning a country free of foreign influence, resplendent in the glory of fair and just participants