Gandhi and Advaita
By Srimati Karuna, Director of the Gandhi Memorial Center
On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the observance of the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we reflect upon the enduring inspiration of his idealism. This idealism is rooted in his faith in Universal Truth. He said, “I believe in Advaita, in the essential unity of man and for that matter, of all that lives.” His life revolved around his belief “in the oneness of God and, therefore, in the oneness of humanity.” His was a belief in the absolute oneness of all.
Gandhi emphasized that “Truth alone is eternal, everything else is momentary.” And the Vedas record the powerful and significant Advaitist revelation: “Ekam Sat” — “Truth is One.” It is the monistic philosophy that there is one Reality which pervades all. Gandhi’s commitment to Truth and Love (Satya and Ahimsa) is rooted in this ideal.
Absolute Monism or Advaita Vedanta is considered a philosophy or spiritual pathway rather than a religion. It cannot be contained nor limited to any one scripture. It is found in all scriptures of self-enlightenment, all revelations of Truth. The word Advaita means non-dual. Veda is the knowledge of wisdom.
The philosophy of Advaita Vedanta is expressed in the subjective teachings of the Upanishads but has also been given moral application through the compassionate example of the Buddha. It found rejuvenation through the intellectual approach of Shankaracharya and Mahatma Gandhi brought new life to Advaita philosophy through his selfless service.
The ideal of Advaita is to realize that one’s true Self is of identical nature with the God of the universe. It is the realization of the relationship of all beings to the one Reality… complete identification with that Reality or Truth. Gandhi believed and often articulated that “God is Truth.” He even turned it around and said: “Truth is God.” For Gandhi, Truth, Love, and God were interchangeable terms.
Advaita is the philosophy of the soul’s realization of perfection. Gandhi’s effort toward Swaraj (“Swa” means Self and “Raj” means Rule — Self-Rule) was not merely aimed at political and economic self-rule for India, but for a universal Swaraj of the individual self. Individual Swaraj or Self-Rule guides the individual toward a mastery of the Self that frees one from all limitation, from the bondage of negativity, fear, and attachment. Gandhi said, “The greatest power in the world is that of the Soul. To attain peace we must first attain greater mastery over ourselves.” His goal was to attain moksha: self-liberation through self-realization. He was a universalist ever seeking the Truth that all human life aspires to reach: True knowledge of the Self. He said, “The purpose of life is undoubtedly to know oneself. We cannot do it unless we learn to identify ourselves with all that lives.”
Mahatma Gandhi utilized the ashram life as a sort of spiritual laboratory. It was the environment he created in which to test and experiment with the ideal of Truth. Just as Henry David Thoreau went to Walden Pond to experiment with the simple life, a life enriched by a natural heritage, Gandhiji, too, explored the domain of the Soul through prayer and service in the ashram setting. His deep conviction in terms of his experiments with Truth reveal that he was constantly engaging the reality and applicability of Truth within the ever changing conditions of life. Through a combination of faith and experience, Gandhi pursued Truth above all else.
We, too, can create an environment in which to search deeply and personally the understanding and application of the philosophy of Advaita. We do this through our own study, service and meditation. We do this as we observe our own spiritual growth, as we become more attuned to the oneness of life.
Although Gandhiji undertook very practical objectives in terms of breaking down societal barriers and advancing constructive programs, he always had at the heart of his life’s ambition, the goal of self-realization. He attempted to live his ideal, Truth. He was committed to his statement that “Truth to be real must incarnate in human life.” Gandhiji lived and worked to reawaken the human heart and mind to a higher ideal — the ideal that unites Truth and Love into a living practice.