Gandhis Views on Christianity and Buddhism - Coursework Example

Gandhi’s Views on Christianity and Buddhism Roll No: Teacher: 28th November 2008 Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Gandhi’s Views on Christianity and Buddhism 3 Introduction 3 Gandhi 3 Christianity 4 Gandhi’s Views on Christianity 5 Buddhism 8 Gandhi’s Views on Buddhism 8 Conclusion 11 Works Cited 12 Gandhi’s Views on Christianity and Buddhism Introduction Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi kept his own views about different religions of the world and considered that all religions should be considered equally. He also acknowledged that all the great religions are true. He found the founders and preachers of all religions as inspirational persons. He showed liking for Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad (P.B.U.H) and all others. For him, the religions of the world give message of love, peace, nonviolence and indiscrimination. The paper describes Gandhi’s views about Christianity and Buddhism. Initially, Gandhi is described as a person, after this description, Christianity is defined briefly after which, Gandhi’s views about Christianity are described. Later on Buddhism is described briefly and then Gandhi’s views on Buddhism are described. In the end, the topic is concluded. Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian leader who struggled for the independence of India along with other leaders1. Gandhi was a Hindu by religion. Gandhi held his own opinions about other existent religions. He considered all the religions equally. According to him, he belonged to all religions and also said that all religions of the world helped him in self-realization. According to Gandhi, all religions consist of positive values that should be considered and followed in order to be a good human being2. Along with keeping good opinions about different religions, he also held some misconceptions about other religions. For him, Hinduism was a religion that he knew better than other religions and he found it non-violent and peaceful3. One aspect that Gandhi used to search in religions was their nonviolent attitude towards different aspects of life. He found nonviolence in Christianity, Buddhism and other religions. Gandhi once said, “I am also a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist, and a Jew”4, which describe about his neutrality towards other religions except Hinduism. As far as, the followers of other religions are concerned, they do not consider Gandhi as a person who had correct conceptions about their religions. Buddhists and Christians regard some of Gandhi’s views regarding Buddhism and Christianity as accurate but reject others as misconceptions. Christianity It is the biggest universal religion in the world, founded by Jesus, the Christ in the first Christian Century. It is practiced mainly in Europe, North America and South America. The Christians also reside in other parts of the world. It has three main sects, the Roman Catholic, the Protestant and the Eastern Orthodox Church5. The holy book is Bible which consists of Old Testament and New Testament. Most Christians profess belief in the statements of the three creeds—the Apostles, the Nicene and the Athanasian. Belief in God, the father, who is all good, all wise and all powerful is the fundamental concept combined with the doctrine of Trinity i.e. of the union, of the three persons of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost in one Godhead. They say that God redeemed the sins of humans when Jesus Christ was crucified and died on the cross6. Gandhi’s Views on Christianity Gandhi was able to understand Christianity on the basis of his interactions with Christians. Gandhi also interacted with Christian missionaries who were his source of knowledge about Christianity. Gandhi regarded Jesus Christ as a person who was peace loving. According to Gandhi, Jesus did not have any miracles or showed any miracles but just magic7. Gandhi assumed that Jesus Christ kept some psychic powers. According to him Jesus was not perfect as God and is not necessarily believable because of his existence nearly two thousand years ago. He also had no belief on Virgin Mary8. Biblical verses indicate that Jesus Christ was able to do miracles and he was born as a miracle9. God gave Jesus the power of miracles and he was able to conduct them with the support of God. Gandhi informed in his speeches that he did not believe in redemption and also that all the men on earth are like Jesus Christ. He rejected the Christian concept that all human beings are born sinners10. According to Gandhi, we human beings should try to keep our heart pure and we could follow Christ for making our heart pure. He considered Christianity as dogmatic. Gandhi was against the style of proselytizing that Christian missionaries used to conduct for converting Indians into Christians11. According to him, every human being has full right to exercise his/her religion without the interruption from any other human being. Also he used to consider that the faith of one person should not be forced on other persons by making show off of faith12. Religion should be exercised with free will. According to Gandhi, people do not describe the true faith but their own versions of faith according to their thinking13. He also felt that a person should exercise his/her religion and should become an example for others to follow and there is no need to describe a religion. Gandhi had his own opinion about Christianity and he used to describe it. According to him, all religions are the same and should be considered equal14. He further explains that God would judge every person under his/her own religion and it is not necessary that Christianity is the religion of God. He considered all human beings like Jesus Christ and found equalities between human beings and Jesus Christ15. Gandhi added that all the religions of the world that have a great number of followers exercising them are true and should be considered likewise. According to Gandhi, every person has an inner voice that keeps the capability of informing him about right and wrong16. According to Gandhi’s perceptions, the inner voice is the strongest voice and only those people can hear it who try to listen it. He found Christianity as a true religion but he found it as imperfect. From his inner voice, he got the knowledge that all religions in the world are correct and accurate. One cannot regard Christianity as a religion that is the only true religion17. After acknowledging that there are many biblical writings, Gandhi rejected the notion that Bible is a scripture because according to him, Bible is not only a single book and is a work of human beings not God Himself18. The sermon that Jesus Christ gave on the mount is regarded by Gandhi as a true sermon because he finds messages of peace and anti-hostility19. Gandhi had negative opinions about other sermons and teachings of Jesus because he finds faults in them according to his own understanding and comprehension. According to Gandhi, a person should be allowed to read and understand religious writings according to his/her own perceptions and experiences20. Gandhi was against the religious teachings by missionaries because he regarded the method of teaching as forceful and overpowering21. According to him, people should be allowed to adopt the faith of their choice, which they experience or percept to be correct and true according to their own understanding. Religion should not be imposed on people. According to Gandhi, there should be reason and truth behind a religious writing or of a religious writing is unable to teach the truth and reason, it is not fruitful at all22. Gandhi was also peace loving and rejected every notion that mentioned or accepted violence or hostility. Gandhi read the biblical scriptures and tried to found truth and reason in them. He also read about the life and personality of Jesus Christ and found it very helpful and inspirational23. According to Gandhi, every person should be allowed to interpret religions according to his/her own experiences and thinking criteria. No one should be made to accept one faith and reject other. He also emphasized that people should not be dogmatic24. They should accept what is true and reasonable. Gandhi found some values of Christianity as true and reasonable and he adopted them for spirituality in his life while he rejected those which appeared nonsensical to him. Buddhism Buddhism is India’s native religion and was originated in the 6th century BC. Its founder Siddharta Guatama came to be known as the Buddha (the Enlightened one) was born in a village Lumbinsi, on the India-Nepal border25. To commemorate his birthday, Emperor Ashoka built there a huge pillar. He preached his enlightenments consisting of all the principles of right action, right speech, right thinking, right livelihood, right intention, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. Buddha teaches that by learning to live a morally perfect life of a person, after succession of births and rebirths, ceases to be reborn and enters what he called Nirvana, a spiritual condition free of all desires, passions and sufferings26. The sacred book is the Tripitaka, a collection of Buddha’s teachings. Followers of Buddhism practice yoga and meditation27. It is mainly practiced in Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, India and Japan. Gandhi’s Views on Buddhism Gandhi was deeply inspired by Buddhism. He regarded Buddha as the foremost preacher who taught religion through his own exercising. What Gandhi liked the most in Buddhism is the mentioning of nonviolence and anti-hostility that was considered as a great aspect by Gandhi for living a life28. Gandhi appreciated Buddha and his teachings and also mentioned this factor in his speeches and writings. Gandhi regarded Buddhism as a part of Hinduism as he said once, “Hinduism is to Buddhism what Protestantism is to Roman Catholicism”29. Gandhi also liked the fact that Buddha left the activities of life to gain self-realization. According to him, people should gain self-knowledge as it allows to see the inner light. According to Gandhi, Buddha spread the message of love and peace and there is no fear to die in his teaching30. Gandhi connected Buddha’s teaching of nonviolence with not killing of animals for food purposes. Gandhi was a vegetarian and regarded the butchery of animals as a crime and violent act31. Gandhi regarded Buddhism as a reformed part of Hinduism and not as a new religion. According to Gandhi, the values and principles of Buddhism and Hinduism are the same and Buddha showed no interest in rejecting the notions of Hinduism32. Gandhi regarded Buddhism according to his own understanding. According to critics and scholars, it is informed that Buddhism is a totally different system as there is no caste system in Buddhism; there are mediation practices which are unknown in Hinduism and also there is conception of God, which is different in both the religions. According to Gandhi, Buddha was a theist, not an atheist33. He emphasized that Buddhism expected its followers to get inner purity by mediation and prayer. Gandhi believes that Buddhism regards God as one who can be felt but not seen. Ahimsa, a concept of nonviolence and forgiveness that was presented and understood by Gandhi appeared to him as the most powerful aspect of Buddhist religion34. Gandhi connects the world religions with Buddhism and finds values that are similar in all religions. He considers the practitioners of all religions as following a path of God. He considered Buddha as a great master as he taught him to live a spiritual life. Gandhi got so much inspired by Buddhism that he was accused of spreading Buddhist religion and its teachings as Hindu teachings. Gandhi felt pride in following Buddha because of his persuasive message of ahimsa, peace and love35. According to Gandhi’s understanding, Buddha moved to solitude for self-realization and also that he left the worldly cheerfulness and pleasures to attain peace and contentment with the help of inner light. He informed that there is no cast system in Buddhism like Hinduism and it should be followed. He also informs that Buddhism gives the message of mercy and compassion for fellow human beings and other creatures36. Gandhi encouraged the Buddhist monks in spreading the message of Buddhist religion because he regarded it as a duty to humankind. According to him, Buddhist religion enables a person not only to safeguard himself/herself but also others who try to follow its teachings37. Gandhi regarded that because of practicing Buddhist religion in a true sense, people would not move towards crime and violence because the fundamental teachings of Buddhism circulate around unaggressive and nonviolent behaviors of people. Gandhi also emphasized to undertake penance, tapasya, which enables a person to stay away from criminal and bad activities. According to Gandhi through penance, people can make themselves enlightened like Buddha and can see the light in their hearts. He thought that Buddha moved away from worsened traditions and conventions38. He informed that prayer is very effectual in getting peace of mind and heart. Buddhism also has prayers associated to it, which were considered effective by Gandhi. Gandhi revered Buddhism and Buddha to a great extent and considered it as a true religion like many others39. He liked the features of Buddhism and its teachings and he tried to follow them as well because he was too much inspired by Buddha and his teachings. He liked and accepted the message of love, peace, sacrifice and nonviolence by Buddhist religion40. All his life, in all his teachings and in all his writings, the inspiration of Buddhism is quite evident and apparent. Conclusion Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi considered religions according to his own understandings. His writings and teachings indicate that he revered all religions but he followed the teachings of Buddhism. He showed reverence for all great religions and considered them true. He collected different values and aspects from all religions he knew and employed them in his life to realize himself and his life. He found Buddhism as the most perfect religion while he found some imperfection in Christianity. Gandhi as a leader and well-known personality showed acceptance to acknowledge and gain knowledge about all religions but he was of the opinion that people should be allowed to judge the religions themselves and that the inner light can come when one tries to find Divine inside himself/herself. Works Cited Chatterjee, Margaret. Gandhis Religious Thought. Notre Dame, IN: Notre Dame University, 1983. Desai, Madadev. Gandhiji: His Life and Work. D. G. Tendulkar, et al., Eds. Bombay: Karnatak, 1944. Jones, E. Stanley. Mahatma Gandhi: An Interpretation. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1948. Gandhi, Mahatma. The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi. New Delhi: Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 1994. Olsoe, Greta. A Critique of Gandhi on Christianity. Robert Ellsberg, Ed. New York: Orbis Books, 1991. Smith, Huston. The Worlds Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1991: 34-67. Read More