Commemorating Gandhi Ji on his birth anniversary, October 2nd, widely recognized as Gandhi Jayanti in India.

“People often remember Gandhi, one of the most celebrated figures of the 20th century, for his role as a political leader who guided India toward independence through non-violence.” However, his contributions to philosophy are equally significant and deserve recognition in their own right. Unlike many traditional philosophers, Gandhi did not engage in abstract metaphysical inquiries but instead focused on ethics as a way of life. We can understand Gandhi’s philosophical thought as an ethics-led philosophy, akin to the teachings of Buddha and Socrates.

Gandhi as an Ethics-Led Philosopher

There are two major streams in philosophy: metaphysics-led and ethics-led philosophies. Metaphysics-led philosophies emphasize understanding the ultimate reality and often involve some form of communion with a higher truth.

On the other hand, ethics-led philosophies focus on transforming the individual’s state of being from a lower, baser state to a higher ethical one, aiming to cultivate virtues and self-sufficiency. Gandhi’s philosophy, like that of the Buddha and Socrates, falls into the ethics-led category.

In Gandhi’s ethical worldview, the reduction of self-centeredness is a key trait. For Gandhi, ethical living was not merely about individual moral behavior but was intrinsically connected to the well-being of all. He called this concept “sarvodaya,” meaning the welfare of all.

Gandhi’s focus on ethical living was also a pathway to psychological self-sufficiency, where selfish fears and desires dissolve. Much like the Buddha’s concept of Nirvana, Gandhi’s ultimate ethical goal was to attain moksha, or liberation from selfishness and suffering.

Ethics Over Metaphysics

Gandhi’s rejection of metaphysical inquiries in favor of ethical transformation aligns him with ethical consequentialism. This concept judges the ethical value of an action based on its outcomes, especially the reduction of self-centeredness and the promotion of the common good. This approach set Gandhi apart from other philosophical traditions that prioritize metaphysical knowledge over ethical practice. In his lifetime, Gandhi constantly worked to eliminate selfish thoughts and behaviors, seeking to achieve what he referred to as a state of “zero”—a complete absence of selfishness. Only through this transformation could one truly benefit all, he believed.

In his translation of the Bhagavad Gita, Gandhi highlighted this ethical focus by famously shifting from the belief that “God is Truth” to “Truth is God.” This subtle yet profound shift underscored his conviction that ethics, not metaphysics, should be the foundation of philosophy. Gandhi also drew his ethical framework from William Salter’s Ethical Religion, a proposal that views morality as a form of religion. By this, Gandhi meant that ethical practice should be central to spiritual life, not metaphysical beliefs.

Satyagraha and Truth is God

Mahatma Gandhi has interpreted various concepts of metaphysics, political and social philosophy, alongside moral and religious philosophy. While Gandhi may not have introduced any entirely new doctrines, his interpretations of various philosophical concepts—such as truth, God, non-violence, and satyagraha—are substantial enough to consider him a philosopher, and Gandhism as a philosophy. Gandhi’s metaphysical ideas are evident in his views on truth, God, and the soul or mind. He did not view truth as merely an attribute of God; rather, he believed that God is Truth, leading him to assert, “Truth is God.” Gandhi was a humanist, holding the belief that man is God’s greatest creation and that God resides within man. His philosophy of religion offers a fresh perspective on religious thought, showcasing his religious tolerance and belief in the value of all religions. Gandhi also laid out moral principles aimed at developing man’s ethical personality. 

A Socialist Vision

Gandhi’s philosophy extended beyond individual ethical behavior to encompass broader societal structures. His ethical framework led him to advocate for socialism, which he saw as the only logical outcome of an ethics-led philosophy. In Gandhi’s view, capitalism, with its inherent encouragement of selfishness and material accumulation, was antithetical to the ethical life he espoused. Instead, he envisioned a society where the principles of equality and the absence of private property would minimize selfishness.

Gandhi’s concept of swaraj, or self-rule, was not just about political independence but also about creating self-sustaining, ethical communities that would serve as socialist enclaves within a capitalist world. Gandhi designed his ashrams as socialist communes, prioritizing the principles of simple living, collective welfare, and ethical practice. These communities, according to Gandhi, were to serve as models for a future society in which ethical living would be the norm.

Ahimsa or Non-Violence

“Gandhi’s ethical philosophy deeply rooted his approach to political action. His concept of non-violence, or ahimsa, was not just a political strategy but a way of life that reflected his commitment to the welfare of all beings. “

Ahimsa, for Gandhi, was the highest ethical principle, and it was through this lens that he approached political struggles. Gandhi demonstrated that one should never compromise ethical principles for expediency, even in the pursuit of political goals, by refusing to harm others.

Gandhi’s non-violent resistance also exemplified ethical activism. He believed that a practitioner of this philosophy could work for the betterment of society while simultaneously transforming themselves ethically.

In this way, Gandhi’s philosophy was both personal and political, aiming to create a just society through the transformation of individuals. His vision of non-violent resistance remains one of his most lasting contributions to philosophy, offering a pathway for ethical political engagement in a world often dominated by violence and selfish interests.

Philosophy as a Way of Life

The shift in the understanding of philosophy since the Enlightenment has led to the overlooking of Gandhi’s philosophical significance. People practiced philosophy as a way of life in ancient times, particularly in India, China, and Greece. It was not just an academic discipline, but rather a lived practice that involved the cultivation of virtues and the pursuit of ethical living. Over time, however, Western philosophy began to move away from this practice-oriented approach, becoming increasingly theoretical and abstract.

The 18th century solidified this shift by largely confining philosophy to academic institutions. As a result, the idea of philosophy as a way of life faded in the West. Gandhi’s ethical philosophy, deeply rooted in the practice of ethical living, did not align with the modern Western conception of philosophy. For this reason, people often remember Gandhi as a political leader rather than a philosopher.

However, the recognition of Gandhi as a philosopher is gradually gaining ground, thanks to scholars like Akeel Bilgrami and Richard Sorabjee, who have drawn attention to the philosophical dimensions of his thought. By framing Gandhi’s life and work within the broader tradition of ethics-led philosophy, these scholars help to position him alongside figures like the Buddha, Socrates, and Confucius, whose philosophies were similarly grounded in ethical practice rather than metaphysical speculation.

Gandhi’s Legacy as a Philosopher

Gandhi’s philosophy, while deeply political, was also profoundly ethical. Gandhi’s vision was to replace individual self-centeredness with concern for the well-being of all, a vision he pursued through both personal ethical practice and political activism. Gandhi’s commitment to non-violence, equality, and ethical living places him within a long tradition of ethics-led philosophy, making him a figure of immense philosophical importance.

By reinvigorating the ancient tradition of philosophy as a way of life, Gandhi offers a vision of how philosophy can once again serve as a guide for ethical living, not just for individuals but for societies as a whole. His emphasis on ethics over metaphysics, his rejection of capitalism in favor of socialism, and his belief in the transformative power of nonviolent action remain as relevant today as they were during his lifetime. In this way, Gandhi’s legacy as a philosopher endures, offering a model of ethical living that transcends the boundaries of time, culture, and politics.

About the Author:

A software engineer by profession, Indian culture enthusiast, ardent promoter of hinduism, and a cancer survivor, Raj Shah is a managing editor of Desh-Videsh Magazine and co-founder of Desh Videsh Media Group. Promoting the rich culture and heritage of India and Hinduism has been his motto ever since he arrived in the US in 1969.

He has been instrumental in starting and promoting several community organizations such as the Indian Religious and Cultural Center and International Hindu University. Raj has written two books on Hinduism titled Chronology of Hinduism and Understanding Hinduism. He has also written several children books focusing on Hindu culture and religion.

by Sanjiv Anand

How did you come up with the idea of creating Gandhiji’s sketches and the exhibition?
Not only for me, as a Gandhi admirer but for millions of people, 2019 and specifically October 2, 2019, was a memorable year and day. It was the 150th Birth anniversary of a saint, Mahatma Gandhi ji, freedom fighter and Father of Nation (India).

Not only for India, but also the entire world was preparing for the celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji. Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in collaboration with several South Florida organizations also coordinated for this event. For me this was a perfect opportunity to present my skill and my admiration of Gandhiji.
My daughter, Sonali, who recently came to know of my childhood hobby of portrait sketching, gave me the idea of creating freehand sketches of Gandhiji instead of photographs and developing an exhibition.

What was the next step in your new adventure ?
After experimenting with various drawing tools like sketch pens, pencils, watercolor and acrylic paints, I decided to try black and brown charcoal sticks. I had a feeling that charcoal black and brown sketches would give the right feel to these historical images.
I decided to create 15 sketches based on the most memorable events in Gandhi’s life and write corresponding text to go with these sketches.
October 9, 2019, was a big day for me. It was the first day of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Gandhi celebration at FAU along with my exhibition of 15 sketches of Gandhi ji.

How did you end up taking the exhibition to Delhi?
At the end of 2019, I was planning a trip to India to visit my family. I explored the idea of putting this exhibition in an art gallery in Delhi. I found that almost every art gallery was booked for months in advance. Meanwhile a friend suggested that I talk to Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti (GSDS ). I began my correspondence with the GSDS Director, Mr. Dipankar Shri Gyan, and he welcomed the idea of my exhibition. He agreed with the proposal to have the display start on January 30th, the day of Gandhi’s martyrdom and in the hall next to the place of Gandhi’s assassination. What could be a more appropriate place!

He made a proposal to have it co-inaugurated by none other than Gandhi’s granddaughter Mrs. Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee and Padma Vibhushan Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj who would be there singing prayers and devotional songs. At the event, Indian Prime minister Mr. Narendra Modi, Vice President, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu, former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, and former Vice President Mr. Mohammad Hamid Ansari were to be the guests of honor.

I landed in Delhi on January 17 and made my first visit to the Gandhi Darshan on January 19. I realized that I had only five working days to manage the graphic design of all the panels, including verification of written material, its Hindi translation, sending the images to the printer and the panel’s delivery.

Please explain the steps you went through to convert your small sketches to large 6 ft. x 4 ft. panels.
The GSDS Director told me that my exhibits should be received at the venue by January 28 after which the control of the complex would be given to the PM’s security team, and there would be no movement of any goods in the complex.

I had my work cut out as there were a lot of things I needed to carry out. Finalizing the English text, translating the English text to Hindi, and creating high resolution 6 ft. x 4 ft. panel graphics for the printer.
Thanks to all the dedicated workers at GSDS my task became very easy. All along I was really surprised and honored that my sketches are going to be displayed at Kirti Mandir. So I could not help asking one of the employees at GSDS the real reason why they decided to display my exhibition at such a prestigious place and on such a memorable date. His answer was that they have seen a lot of exhibitions of pictures and posters, but this is the first time they saw sketches that resembled the real Gandhi. Wow what a great honor!

To my surprise all fifteen 6 ft. x 4 ft. panels were delivered to the venue on January 29.

Please describe the day of prayers and the opening of your exhibition.
Finally the long awaited day came – the day the whole world remembers Gandhiji and all of India remembers Martyr Day.

The day began with prayers. Soon after the completion of prayers and devotional songs, the time came to meet the chief guests of the day, Mrs. Tara Gandhi and Pt. Jasraj. I had an opportunity to chat with Pt. Jasraj and I offered him as a token of appreciation a set of postcards with Gandhi’s Sketches. Mrs. Tara Gandhi and various officials walked with me to the Kirti Mandap where the exhibition was held. She expressed her admiration of every panel expressing her own views about the incidents depicted in these images. She was very much surprised to see the sketch of Gandhiji with Charlie Chaplin since she had never seen that photograph.
The next day she invited me to an informal meeting over tea and snacks at her home. I was curious about her childhood and memories of her grandfathers: Mahatma Gandhi and Mr. C. Rajagopalachari. She very passionately described the life in the ashram where she witnessed being in the presence of many freedom fighters all of which I had only known through history books.

What do you plan to do next?
After receiving such a big honor, the sky’s the limit. Raj Shah, Managing Editor of Desh-Videsh, encouraged me and joined my dream project and explained that we should show Gandhi’s fight for India’s independence through my sketches to every Indian child living in the US. With his help, we are creating a travelling exhibition we will bring to every big city in the US.

About Sanjiv Anand

Sanjiv was born and raised in Delhi. He graduated from School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhiin 1984. Right after his graduation, he worked for a highly acclaimed architect Mr. Raj Rewal,who put him in charge of an exhibition of Vernacular Indian Architecture in Paris, France under the auspices of Festival of India initiated by then Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi. The project required the team to visit places in India, collect information of the architecture in those places, organize it on presentation boards, etc. We successfully carried this exhibition in Paris in December1985.

In 1987 and at the age of 25, he was hired by Government of India to design and manage the Indian Science and Technology exhibitions in Leningrad, Moscow and Tashkent, in the former U.S.S.R. once again under the auspices of Festival of India under the leaderships of Mr. Sam Pitroda, an advisor to PM and Mr. K. R. Narayanan, the Science & Technology Minister and would-be President of India.

In 1988, he joined the Master of Architecture and Urban Design program at SUNYAB (State University of New York at Buffalo), NY. Following that he worked for two years as construction manager in California. Then he came to Florida with his wife to take a job as architectural designer.

In 2005, he started a private practice in building design. One of his projects is Shantiniketan – a senior Indian community in Orlando, Florida.

Exhibition of Charcoal Sketches

Remembering Gandhi ji

Sanjiv Anand

Gandhiji’s sketches

freedom fighter and Father of Nation

Florida Atlantic University

150th Birth Anniversary of Gandhi

Mrs. Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee

PM Dr. Manmohan Singh

Vice President Mr. Mohammad Hamid Ansari

Martyr Day

Mr. C. Rajagopalachari

Managing Editor of Desh-Videsh

“I shall not live to be forty years old.” That was the statement made by Swami Vivekananda long before he died. He then passed away at the age of thirty-nine years, five months, and twenty-four days, thus fulfilling his own prophecy. So is it true that living saints are given some intimation of their own mortality? Let us examine some facts about Mahatma Gandhi’s last 48 hours. Gandhi ji may not have said in exact words as Swami Vivekananda did, but in the last few days what Gandhi ji said to others indicated he may have seen the end of his own life.
Gandhi often said that he would live 125 years or more. But on January 29, one day before his assasination, Margaret Bourke-White, a photographer for LIFE magazine, asked Gandhi ji in an interview, “Do you stick to your desire to live to the age of 125 years?” He replied, “I have lost that hope because of the terrible happenings in the world. I don’t want to live in darkness.”
Right after the interview, a troubled member from a group of villagers who were homeless due to communal riots came to see Gandhi ji. One angry villager told him, “You have done enough harm. You have ruined us utterly. Leave us alone and take your abode in the Himalayas.” In the past, many people disagreed with Ganhdiji and expressed similar thoughts. But he took these words very seriously and thought this was an indirect message from God that his end is near. Later that day, he told one of his good friends, Brij Krishna Chandiwala, “You should take that as a notice served on me.”
Gandhiji also shared his feelings with his grandniece Manuben Gandhi while walking to his evening prayer. He shared, “The pitiful cries of these people is like the voice of God. Take this as a death warrant for you and me.”
He repeated his feelings in front of everyone at the prayer meeting: “I have become what I have become at the bidding of God. God will do what he wills.

He may take me away. I shall not find peace in the Himalayas. I want to find peace in the midst of turmoil or I want to die in the turmoil.”
Manuben Gandhi in her book Last Glimpses Of Bapu cited a similar incident that occurred when Gandhi ji fell ill and was coughing.
Bapu began to cough. Tears welled up in my eyes to see his condition. Alas! Bapu’s anguish is growing day by day. For him there is now no one to fall bark upon except God, While he was coughing, I asked quietly, “Why not take a lozenge of penicillin? Sushilaben has left some with me. Otherwise, you may get an attack of influenza.” As I said this, Bapu felt more distressed and said, “You alone are my partner and helper in this sacrifice. Till now I have not given such motherly counsel to anybody except you. I struggled through life for your sake. I threw you in the sacrificial fire and you emerged safe and sound. The virtues I saw in you, I did not find in any other girl. Therefore, I want to tell you what I have told a number of times before. If I were to die of disease or even a pimple, you must shout to the world from housetops that I was a false mahatma. Then my soul, wherever it might be, will rest in peace. People might well swear at you for my sake; yet, if I died of illness, you should declare me a false or hypocritical mahatma. And if an explosion took place, as it did last week, somebody shot at me and I received his bullet on my bare chest, without a sigh and with Rama’s name on my lips, only then you should say that I was a true mahatma. This will benefit the Indian people.”
One more incident worth noting. At 4 pm on January 30, his last day on earth, two leaders from Kathiawar Rasikbhai Parikh and Dhebarbhai had come to meet Gandhi ji. They arrived while he was in the meeting with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Manuben told Gandhi ji about the visit of Kathiawar leaders. Gandhi ji said, “Tell them that, if I remain alive, they can talk to me after the prayer on my walk.” Unfortunately, that discussion never happened.

More than 70 years have passed since Gandhi ji took his last breath. We will never be sure whether Ganhdiji had an indication of his end. But his life journey will be remembered for years to come. In the article “The Last Hours of Mahatma Gandhi,” Stephen Murphy, co-ordinator of the International Gandhian Movement, writes:
Gandhi had journeyed through a lifetime from Porbandar to Delhi. He had journeyed from a struggle against disenfranchisement in Natal, to one against British rule of India, to one for peace and justice in free India. He had journeyed from ordinary young man to Mahatma. He had journeyed “from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.” His teachings had journeyed from India to the four corners of the world. Gandhi, the soldier of Truth, lay on the soft, moist earth, his body sacrificed. But Gandhi had never fought with the body but with the spirit, and that remained untouched.
Let me end this article with a quote from Gandhi ji himself on death: “Death is a celebration… death is God’s eternal blessing. The body falls and the bird within it flies away. So long as the bird does not die, the question of grief should not arise.”
Indeed the bird flew away, but it never died. Dr. Diwakar sums up Gandhi ji’s thoughts in a few words: “The four words, truth, nonviolence, Sarvodaya and Satyagraha and their significance constitute Gandhi and his teaching.” These are indeed the four pillars of Gandhian thought.

About the Author

A software engineer by profession, Indian culture enthusiast, ardent promoter of Hinduism, and a cancer survivor, Raj Shah is a managing editor of Desh-Videsh Magazine and co-founder of Desh Videsh Media Group. Promoting the rich culture and heritage of India and Hinduism has been his motto ever since he arrived in the US in 1969.
He has been instrumental in starting and promoting several community organizations such as the Indian Religious and Cultural Center and International Hindu University. Raj has written two books on Hinduism titled Chronology of Hinduism and Understanding Hinduism. He has also written several children books focusing on Hindu culture and religion.

Swami Vivekananda

Brij Krishna Chandiwala

Gandhiji’s grandniece Manuben Gandhi

Last Glimpses Of Bapu

Sushilaben

hypocritical mahatma

Kathiawar Rasikbhai Parikh

Dhebarbhai

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Kathiawar leaders

Stephen Murphy

co-ordinator of the International Gandhian Movement

Dr. Diwakar

The four words, truth, nonviolence, Sarvodaya and Satyagraha and their significance constitute

Gandhi and his teaching, four pillars of Gandhian thought

software engineer

Raj Shah is a managing editor of Desh-Videsh Magazine

co-founder of Desh Videsh Media Group

rich culture and heritage of India

Indian Religious

Cultural Center

International Hindu University

Chronology of Hinduism

Understanding Hinduism

Hindu culture and religion

TThe word ahimsaa means non-injury. We understand it as a Universal value, saamaanya dharma. No human being wants to be hurt by another in any manner. In fact this is true for any living being. We thus have a natural tendency to seek to be free from being hurt.

The practice of ahimsaa as a discipline is mandated in the Vedic statement himsaam na kuryaat – do not cause injury. Dharma Shaastra, which are the codes of ethics and conduct we are advised to live by says ahimsaa paramo dharmah, non injury, is the foremost value. It is also the first value identified among the several listed in Patanjali’s Yoga sutras. In this work he defines ahimsaa as vaanmanahkaayaih bhootaanaam anabhidrohah – not hurting or bearing malice to any being by speech, mind or action.

We can be hurt by someone or hurt another physically by causing pain or injury. Others can be hurt directly or indirectly such as by stealing, cheating, exploitation and so on.

Use of hurtful speech, which may or may not be deliberate also is meant to and does cause pain to another. It may be born of anger or used as a means to punish, exercise control, subjugate or coerce another individual. Many times the pain caused by speech far outlasts the pain caused by physical himsaa, injury.

The most common response to being hurt is to immediately retaliate. This results in a domino effect and breeds ill feelings. Reacting impulsively is more often than not, unproductive. It takes considerable effort to be deliberate in one’s actions. It may be acceptable to hurt another in self-defense when one’s own well being is threatened and imminent but to do so in order to cause pain to another is wrong. One can also cause hurt by the mind by entertaining

hurtful thoughts and bearing malice towards another. What is cultivated in one’s mind often becomes the potential which manifests in the form of verbal or physical action. Additionally it does not help the person who entertains such thoughts either. A mind consumed with anger and vengeance is not a mind that is relaxed or at peace.

Ahimsaa as a spiritual discipline is remarkably seen in the Jain and Buddhist monastic order. Jain monks avoid eating after sunset to prevent accidentally hurting tiny creatures that appear at dusk. In all actions including walking, talking, Jain monks make a conscious effort to avoid hurting even the smallest organisms. They cover their mouths with a piece of cloth, may sweep the ground they walk on and so on being careful not to hurt any living being including plant life. Hindu sanyaasis take a vow called ‘abhaya pradaanam’ whereby they declare to all living beings that henceforth they need not be afraid of being hurt by the sanyaasi.

Vegetarianism as a spiritual discipline of ahimsaa

A unique expression of ahimsaa as a spiritual discipline seen in our tradition is the practice of vegetarianism. It is the value of ahimsaa combined with an appreciation of sanctity of life and sensitivity to all living beings that is the motivation for choice of vegetarianism in Vedic tradition.

Whether one grows up in an environment where one is accustomed to eating only a plant-based diet or a combination of plant and animal-based diet, there are many individuals who make a deliberate choice to live only on a plant-based diet.

Why is there more himsaa involved in eating an egg than an eggplant, or a chicken more than a pumpkin? All living beings require food to survive. And life depends on life! Organic life lives upon organic matter. One form of life lives upon another form of life. What is dinner for the hunter is a tragic end for the hunted. The eater survives at the expense of the eaten. This being the case why is it not acceptable for humans to eat other animal forms of life?
The key to understanding this value lies in understanding that what a human being consumes in order to live is a matter of choice, an exercise of free will. A human being is not in the same category as a canary eating cat, born with and living by an instinct to eat what it is programmed to eat. Not being programmed a human being is endowed with the privilege to choose the kind of food he eats.

All living beings have a value for life. In fact survival is a basic instinct. Anything alive tries desperately to stay alive, plants and the simplest forms of life included. However, it is also plain that all living beings do not appear to have the same level of self awareness. Creatures in the animal kingdom are closer to human beings than are plants. Animals, birds, aquatic animals all run away attempting to escape when they sense someone trying to catch or harm them. When they are caught, they cry out, struggle, try to escape the first chance they get and fight desperately to not be killed. Thus, it is quite obvious that they do not want to be hurt, much less be killed.

Since a human being is given the free will to choose his food, he must do so based on some norms that guide his choice. This may be based on taste, upbringing, environment, availability of food, affordability and so on. The gift of free will carries with it the responsibility to follow a norm of Dharma for one’s choices. If one has to make a choice of food the preference is for a form of life that is the least evolved, namely plant life. Additionally, consuming vegetables and fruits does not destroy the plant or tree. This is not the case in consuming animals wherein the whole animal’s life is taken. A life that is as dear to the animal as it is to the person who consumes the animal. It is difficult to do this if one truly recognizes the sanctity of life and how precious it is. For one who makes a decision based on their personal free will to respect the sanctity of life and right of living beings to live out their lives as determined by their own will and or as nature intended ahimsaa in the form of vegetarianism becomes a religious discipline.

The value of ahimsaa requires alertness in all areas of one’s life. It finds expression in one’s attitude and relationship towards plants, animals and humans. In living this value, one develops finer appreciation of the feelings of others. One comes to see beyond one’s own needs to the needs of others and treats all beings with sensitivity and appreciation. All these characteristics lead to maturity and spiritual growth in an individual.

 About the Author

Sri Dhira Chaitanya , also known as Dr. Sundar Ramaswamy, is a teacher of Vedanta as well as a board certified doctor in child psychiatry. He currently conducts classes in South Florida. He is the co-author of Purna Vidya, a twelve year program for teaching children in Hindu Tradition and culture. He has also written Bereavement and Final Samskara in Hindu Tradition. His unique background allows him to teach about Hindu scripture while also addressing the role of psychological growth and maturity in spiritual pursuit with insight and authority.

ahimsaa means non-injury

dharma

Vedic statement himsaam na kuryaat

Dharma Shaastra

Patanjali’s Yoga sutras

stealing

cheating

exploitation

spiritual discipline of ahimsaa

Vedic tradition

plant-based diet

Sri Dhira Chaitanya

Dr. Sundar Ramaswamy

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By Professor John Charles Wooding

Discovering Gandhi

As one of the 20th century’s most iconic figures, Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy defines how many people think about peace, self-reflection and the path to a more just world. Much less celebrated is Gandhi’s friend and follower, the American pacifist Richard Bartlett Gregg.
Gregg never made any significant speeches, so no grainy newsreels feature his words. And his books are not required reading in college courses. Gregg has nonetheless been an influential figure in taking forward Gandhi’s message regarding the power of nonviolence. Gregg explained Gandhi’s ideas in a way that made sense to a Western audience. His books even influenced Martin Luther King Jr.‘s understanding of nonviolent resistance.

My own interest in Gregg was something of an accident. I’m a political scientist with interest in peace activists as agents of change. I learned of Gregg a few years ago from a colleague, who told me that dozens of Gregg’s personal notebooks were moldering in a yurt on a farm up in northern Maine. These journals soon became the subject of my scholarship.

Gregg was born to a Congregational minister in 1885. It was a time of rapid industrial growth and industrial conflict, as railroads and industrialization proceeded quickly.

Gregg discovered Gandhi in a journal article he read in a bookstore in Chicago in 1924. Deeply impressed by Gandhi’s philosophy, at the age of 38, Gregg, a largely self-taught scholar, resolved to study with him in India.
In a long letter to his family explaining his decision to move to India, Gregg said he was so profoundly disenchanted with the violence of American labor relations and the American system that he sought alternatives.

As I write in my forthcoming book, Gregg arrived at Sabarmati Ashram in the western Indian state of Gujarat in early February 1925. Gandhi, just released from prison, returned to his home at the ashram a few days after Gregg arrived.

During an evening walk, Gregg writes in his notes about what he told Gandhi why he had come to India:
“I felt at first awed by his presence, but he listened attentively to what I said and made me feel entirely at ease,” Gregg recalls.

It was the start of a 23-year friendship that ended only with Gandhi’s death on Jan. 30, 1948.

Understanding nonviolence
Gregg spent those years traveling, teaching and studying in India.
At the time, a pacifist movement was emerging around the world. Pacifists are those who believe in confronting both domestic and international violence with peaceful resistance.
Gregg learned more deeply about Gandhi’s strategy of nonviolence. He wrote an important book, The Power of Nonviolence, in his first four years with Gandhi, which provided guidance on how to make pacifism more effective.

Gregg argued that onlookers should see the violent assailant, when confronted by nonviolent resistance, as “excessive and undignified – even a little ineffective.”
This was a tactic that Gandhi had used with enormous effect during the Salt March against Britain’s domination of India in 1930. The march demonstrated Gandhi’s ability to mobilize tens of thousands of Indians, who were forced to pay a salt tax to the British colonialists.

The peaceful demonstrators, who followed Gandhi to the Arabian Sea Coast to make their own salt, were beaten up and more than 60,000 arrested by British troops. The world watched, appalled at the repression of the British colonial rule.

Learning from Gandhi, Gregg also wrote that nonviolent protests should serve as a media spectacle. He knew nonviolence was not passive resistance: It was an active planned strategy that required intense – even military-style – training, both physical and spiritual.

This was controversial and shocking to many pacifists. But Gregg insisted that nonviolent protest represented a war of its own.

Simplicity and harmony
Gregg learned Hindi during his time with Gandhi and came to understand the Gandhian values of simplicity, self-reliance and how to live in harmony with the world.

Gandhi encouraged each home to have its own spinning wheel so Indians would not have to depend on cloth made in British factories. Gregg embraced the philosophy behind each Indian home spinning its own khadi cloth and became a leading advocate of organic farming and simple living.
Like Gandhi, Gregg believed that a peaceful world could only come about as humans developed inner peace and recognized their harmony with nature.

In 1936 Gregg published The Value of Voluntary Simplicity, a term he coined while serving as director of the Quaker retreat at Pendle Hill in Pennsylvania. In that post, he continued to build on Gandhi’s belief in simple living and harmony with nature as part of the true path to peace.
He was not, however, a Quaker; he remained deeply Christian.
Although he rejected Marxism and Soviet-style socialism, Gregg came to believe that the only solution to violence and injustice lay in a complete transformation of production and consumption.

What Gregg brought to America
There is no doubt that Martin Luther King Jr. was aware of Gandhi’s ideas from other sources. But Gregg’s book, The Power of Nonviolence, deeply affected how he thought about passive resistance. Gregg put these ideas in a context that more closely fit the American civil rights struggle.
I argue, King’s writing during this period carried very similar themes and perspectives to those laid out by Gregg. King made

the distinction that nonviolent resistance was not cowardice but rather a brave act that required great training.
In 1959, King wrote the foreword for The Power of Nonviolence, having already become deeply familiar with Gregg’s earlier editions of the work. It went on to be published in 108 editions in six languages.
On the 150th anniversary of Gandhi’s birth, Gregg’s role in translating the Mahatma – meaning a great soul – for a Western audience and in being an early advocate of simplicity is worth commemorating, too.
How deeply he understood Gandhi’s ideas is evident in Gandhi’s own words, recorded in a personal letter to him from a friend in India:
“If you understood me as well as Richard Gregg does,” he once said to a group of Indian independence leaders, “I would die happy.”

About the Author

John Charles Wooding is Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. He earned his undergraduate degree from the London School of Economics and a doctorate from Brandeis University. He was tenured as an associate professor in 1996, and became Chair of a new interdisciplinary master’s program and department in 1997. He was awarded full professor in 2000 and served as UMass Lowell Provost from 2003 until 2007.

Martyr’s Day

Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary

Non-violence and non-cooperation

Gandhi ji ‘s principles

American pacifist Richard Bartlett Gregg

Discovering Gandhi

Congregational minister in 1885

Sabarmati Ashram

Salt March