Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - Essay Example

Gandhi Roll No: Teacher: 28th February 2009 Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian leader who struggled for the independence of India along with other leaders. Gandhi was a Hindu by religion. Gandhi was influenced by his religion to a great extent but he regarded Buddhism as a part of Hinduism. For him, Hinduism was a way of life for all its followers (Jack 1961). He emphasized on Hinduism as a non-violent and peace loving religion. According to Mahatma Gandhi, “Hinduism is the most tolerant creed because it is non-proselytizing and it is found capable of expansion today as it has been found in the past” (Jack 1961).

For him, Hinduism was a religion that he knew better than other religions and he found it non-violent and peaceful. 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 practiced Hinduism by continuing to be a vegetarian all his life, he read and acted upon the teachings of Gita and he preached about non-violence and peace (Mahatma Gandhi: Hinduism at its Best).

He was an inspiration for the Hindus. He believed in all the teachings of Hinduism and practiced those that seemed suitable to him. He emphasized on reading Gita and also informed that when he used to read it, it soothed him. Gandhi showed liking for the concepts of protection of cow, peace and non-violence but he showed disliking for the concepts of murti puja, intolerance to touch by Brahmans, virgin widowhood and spoilage of virgins (Jake 1961; Mahatma Gandhi: Hinduism at its Best). 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 being (Mahatma Gandhi: Hinduism at its Best). Gandhi once said, “I am also a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist, and a Jew” (Gandhi 1994), which described about his neutrality towards other religions except Hinduism.

Gandhi called himself “Sanatani” Hindu, because he believed in “the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, and all that goes by the name of Hindu scripture, and therefore in avataras and rebirth” (Mahatma Gandhi: Hinduism at its Best). Gandhi considered himself a good Hindu because he practiced and believed on all the teachings of Hinduism as he himself mentioned in the above saying. I feel that Gandhi was a good Hindu because he became an inspiration for Hindus by his simple and peaceful life.

He remained non-violent in the worst situations and practiced the teachings of his religion for the welfare of humanity. I agree to his judgment about himself because he is considered as a model for Hindus. Works Cited Gandhi, Mahatma. The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi. New Delhi: Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 1994. Jack, Homer. A. “Gandhi on Hinduism: Opinions and Thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi on Hindusism”. The Wit and Wisdom of Gandhi.

Bombay: The Perennial Press Bombay, 1961. Retrieved on 27th February 2009 from http://www.kamat.com/indica/philosophy/gandhi_on_hinduism.htm Mahatma Gandhi: Hinduism at its Best. Retrieved on 27th February 2009 from http://www.godweb.org/Gandhi.htm