World of spirituality, celebrating International day of Non-violence
Ankur Bora
Mahatma Gandhi, who led India to
independence, has been the inspiration for non-violent movements for civil
rights and social change across the world. Throughout his life, Gandhi remained
committed to his belief in non-violence, even under oppressive conditions and
in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. Today 2nd
October, on the United Nation’s International day of nonviolence, coinciding
with Gandhi’s birthday, we reflect on spirituality, the essence and pillar of
Mahatma.
Throughout his life, Gandhi performed incredible
amount of work, whether leading hundreds of thousands of people through the
length and breadth of India or in the relentless schedule of conversation with
political leaders and followers. Gandhi could move the mountain as the saying
goes and he never seemed to tire of his work. Contrast this with most of us who
do an hour's work and then lose interest or become fatigued. How was it possible?
Gandhi inculcated a mind which can see any situation with pristine clarity. Like
a magnifying glass he was able to see all the details with heightened awareness.
Most decisions in the world are influenced by personal likes and dislikes –narrow
prejudice and intolerance often supersedes the human goodness leading to
distorted views. All through his life, Gandhi though remained focused and
steadfast on his believes, never diverted by any such external impulses.
The higher consciousness thus acquired,
elevated Gandhi to the world of spirituality. Spirituality underlies all
religions—it’s a universal human yearning for connecting with the
Transcendental Being, whether known as the impersonal Brahman of Vedanta or as
personal God called Ishwara, Allah or Christ. Each man is a universe in
miniature, each human are connected and part of the whole – which is the
essence of spirituality. For Gandhi, spirituality is the bridge which connects all
human being. Throughout his life, Gandhi truly believed in the inherent
divinity of man, the unity of all existence, and the validity of all religions
as different paths leading to the same destination of truth, peace, and
harmony. The spiritual evolution of Gandhi is an epic tale; there were
different sources of Gandhi’s divine inspiration and one of them was Vivekananda.
Swami Vivekananda always held that in
spiritual matters India is and will be the teacher to the mankind. As early as
eighteen century, he was the first to talk about interfaith harmony, peace and
universal spiritual brotherhood. Vivekananda took part at the maiden World
Parliament of religion, Chicago in 1893, as a representative of Hinduism. But
his message was so universal that Vivekananda became the representative of all
religions of the world. While others addressed the gathering as “Ladies and
Gentlemen” he addressed them as “Sisters and Brothers.” With this he won the
hearts of millions of people. Gandhi imbibed this spiritual vision of
Vivekananda – to consider everybody as his own, dear and near and as sisters
and brothers. Gandhi himself proclaimed “I
have gone through his works very thoroughly, and after having gone through
them, the love that I had for my country became a thousand-fold”.
Mahatma Gandhi was a true Yogi who performed
his duty with equanimity, free from joy, anger, fear or anxiety. Every action
of Gandhi was for the overall good of the people of India. None of his activities
were done as a favor. He acted because something needed to be done; the
situation demanded it to be so. Where did Gandhi receive these virtues from? It
is most likely that Gandhi practiced Kriya Yoga, initiated to him by the spiritual
saint Paramahansa Yogananda. Yogananda, widely revered as the father of Yoga in
West, was the founder of Self-Realization Fellowship, a worldwide spiritual organization.
Like Swami Vivekananda, Yogananda arrived
in America in 1920 to speak
Whatever the stories we tell ourselves about whom we are and
however powerful we think our religious doctrines or rituals are, in the end it
is the power of goodness, kindness, and love that unites. Gandhi is admired by
people from various communities around the world, for he stands as a guiding
light for a universal goal of truth, justice and love. Today, Yoga and
spirituality become a new sensation in India, and it is spreading all over the
world. Following in the spiritual and inspirational footsteps of Gandhi, Sri
Sri Ravi Shankar has touched and changed millions of lives through his
teachings, youth programs and social initiatives. Let’s the spirit of human
solidarity and kinship grow, let’s foster greater friendship, respect and
understanding among our various spiritual traditions and let’s contribute
toward a more peaceful world. Gandhi lived that, and we remember him, and honor
him, always.
