Teaching's Of Gandhiji

How does Gandhiji conceptualize God?

God is an Impersonal force and benevolent governor of the world. God is present in every human soul. The ultimate goal of a man is to realize the vision of God. Gandhiji further says that realization of God is impossible unless one follows the path of truth, love, non-violence and service to humanity. Gandhiji regards God as truth, love, fearlessness, and the source of light and life. He says that God and his law are the same. God is also Truth-Knowledge-Bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda).

What are ethical conducts according to Gandhiji?

Men should at most emulate divine attributes in their conduct. According to Gandhiji virtue of truth, love, non-violence, tolerance, fearlessness, charity and service to mankind are divine attributes and one should follow this path with one’s all strength irrespective of personal consequences. He says truth is itself God and so love is. One can love when follows the path of non-violence. One may say that is love is also non-violence.

Purity of Heart

Gandhiji identified God with virtue. He says that man should by pure in heart. Gandhiji insisted on cleanliness even in its physical manifestations. According to him Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Further he advocated for self-purification which is part of the personal morality derived from religion.

End and Means

There are many views in this regard. Many says that for attaining Noble goal, one may go for wrong means. Machaivelli argues that bad means can be used to achieve good ends. But there are many who counter this argument and say by giving examples of human experiences that in the name of pursuing noble ends, untold misery and suffering have been inflicted on innocent men and women. Gandhiji says that means have to be pure. His view follows ipso facto from his conception of Gad as the embodiment of virtues. Even for attaining noble objectives, men have to only adopt good means. "The path to hell is paved with good intentions."

Conception of Truth

It is ideal of human conduct. This idea of Gandhiji has genesis in his lofty discussion of religion, theology and metaphysics. In this regard Tolstoy says, "The heroine of my writing is she, whom I love with all the force of being. She who always was, is and will be beautiful is truth."

Human Nature

The world is such that men can realize their moral ideas. Man has a divine spark in him. As a spiritual being, he can't follow the mores of animal life or its ruthless struggles. Violence and self-assertion are alien to him. Rather he is benevolent with a desire to help others. The will to power, the desire to subjugate and crush others are not a part of human nature. Human is gentle, huble, kind, generous, loving and considerate. Gandhiji believes in the philosophy of Rousseau and David Hume who regard man as inherently good and benevolent. Gandhiji also believed that men are reasonable, willing to see the viewpoints of others, and partly accommodate them through rational discussion.

Ahimsa

Gandhiji is also identified with Ahimsa. Ahimsa is refraining from killing and injuring others. One should harm anyone by thought, word and deed. Further violence has to be shunned in all its aspects. One should show overflowing love to mankind and all living beings.It is closely linked to truth and to man's search of God. He prescribes prerequisites for pursuit of Ahimsa:
1. Truthfullness and fearlessness (doctrine of Satyagrah) 2. Complete self-purification. One should have faith in the existence of soul which is distinct from body. Ahimsa is also described as "soul force", "power of Atma", "power of love and utter selflessness".Selflessness in turn signifies total indifference body. 3. Anger and hatred are the opposite poles of Ahimsa ("Love thy Enemy")4. Non-violence is not for a creed of inaction. Nor it is for the weak or the timid. It is better to violent than to be cowardly. 4. Ahimsa requires humility for it relies solely on God.
Further he says that Ahimsa comprises truthfullness, selflessness, absence of anger, pride and hate, benevolence, altruism, courage, magnanimity, humility and total submission to God.

Satyagrahi     

Gandhiji describes the desired attributes of a Satyagrahi:

Humility, Silence, Renunciation, Self Sacrifice, Thought Control, Non-Violence, Universal Benevolence and Non use of drinks and drugs

Seven Social Sins

1. Politics without principles

2. Wealth without work

3. Commerce without morality

4. Education without character

5. Science without Humanity

6. Worship without sacrifice
7. Pleasure without conscience

Religious Tolerance

God is unfathomable and unknowable and reigns above us all. God reveals himself in many ways all the time and evokes human religious sentiments. Non-violence is a central theme of all religions. All religions are prone to errors and imperfections. All religion are continually evolving towards realization of higher truth. He propounded the idea of spiritual brotherhood. 

Gandhiji's Economic Idea

Gandhiji says that everyone should earn his bread with his own hands or through manual labour (bread labour). It is impossible for a few to amass wealth without exploiting the rest. Wealth should be shared equitably. He propounded the Doctrine of Trusteeship and told riches to spend their surplus money on social work. 

Unlike Gandhiji, Marx advocates communist revolution through violent overthrow of the capitalist state. Gandhiji favours class harmony, non-violence and voluntary sharing of wealth by the rich. 

Dashrath Manjhi: ICON OF POWER OF A COMMON MAN

Dashrath Manjhi was a real man who dares to carve a road through a 360 feet long, 30 feet wide and 25 feet high mountain singlehandedly. He sustained his effort for 22 years for realization of his will, which shortened travel between the Atri and Wazirganj blocks of Gaya from 55 Km to 15 Km (wiki). Love for her wife translated into social concern for all other residents of his village gave will to take this task which made him a “mountain man”. “Do not wait for God. Take charge yourself and start working hard. Who knows God himself is waiting for you.”-Manjhi gave message to the world.

Dashrath Manjhi was born in a poor untouchable caste of Bihar probably Musahar caste in year 1934. Exact date of birth may not be available, as even today labourers/backward people seldom care for recording birthday of their children. Dashrath Manjhi belonged to Gehlaur village, near Gaya in Bihar. At very young age he ran away from his home and reached Dhanbad. There he got opportunity to work in coal mines. That has broadened his mind. There he realized that though the task is tough, they are given wages in cash. More wages may be earned by doing more work. By this way a person may earn good livelihood and respect in the society. After eight (approx. from movie) years, he returned from home, as different person with different personality in shirt pants. For his community he was like a babu. Unknowing he fall in love with a women, who happened his own wife married to him in childhood. Because of his poor family condition, Phalguni’s father was marrying her somewhere else, but he took charge and fled her from her home amid the resistance of relatives’ of her and married. Both started living happily. (Source:  Manjhi) At some point he was also beaten by upper caste people for touching them in response to Government declaration for ending untouchability. There were incidences where upper caste people used to molest this poor woman, but due to fear they didn’t fight back. Though he faced such problems personally, he never supported naxal movement and believed by doing hard work of carving out path from mountain, he would be able to change the heart of his villagers making a more lovable and dignified society. 

Villagers has to cross mountain for work purposes. While crossing the mountain, her wife as being pregnant fatigued and slipped from the mountain and died. This sparked the mind of Manjhi and resolved to make way through the mountain so the rest of people will not have to face such difficulty.

“When I started hammering the hill, people called me a lunatic but that steeled my resolve.”-Manjhi

He completed the work in 22 years (1960–1982). This road reduced the distance between the Atri and Wazirganj sectors of the Gaya district from 80 km to 10 km. Though mocked for his efforts, he has made life easier for people of Gehlour village. Although he had cut a protected mountain, which is an offence under Indian wildlife protection act, his exemplary determination remains an inspiration.^[2][8] Later, Manjhi said, “Though most villagers taunted me at first, there were quite a few who lent me support later by giving me food and helping me buy my tools.^” (wiki)

Manjhi, in true sense, symbolizes the power of a common man and deserve to be the icon of Navodaya Mission. He taught us it is the power of love which will make our society a better place to leave. He in true sense symbolizes the concept of reconciliation between two opposite groups in the end as thought by Gandhiji. 

The road should be celebrated as symbol of love. Like Shahjahan, he spent 22 years for making road in name of his wife on his own.