GANDHI'S RELIGIOUS THOUGHTS

Although the influences on Gandhi's religious thought are varied - from the Sermon on the Mount (Christian Gospel of Matthew) to the Bhagavadgita - his ideas are surprisingly consistent. Gandhi considered them to be Hindu, and in fact, they are all firmly rooted in the Indian religious tradition. His main ideas include the following:

1. Sataya ("Truth" )

Gandhi equated truth with God, implying that morality and spirituality are ultimately the same. This concept is the bedrock of Gandhi's approach to conflict (satyagraha) which requires a fighter to "hold firmly to truth". While Gandhi did not further define the term, he regarded the rule of ahimsa as the litmus test that would determine where truth could be found.

2. Ahimsa ("Non-violence")

This ancient Indian concept prohibiting physical violence was broadened by Gandhi to include any form of coercion or denigration. For Gandhi, ahimsa was a normal stance involving love for and the affirmation of all life.

3. Tapasya ("Renunciation")

Gandhi's asceticism was "worldly" and not removed from social and political involvements. To Gandhi, tapasya meant not only the traditional requirements of simplicity and purity in personal habits, but also the willingness of a fighter to shoulder the burden of suffering in a conflict.

4. Swaraj ("Self-rule")

This term was often used during India's struggle for independence to signify freedom from the British, but Gandhi used it more broadly to refer to an ideal of personal integrity. He regarded swaraj as a worthy goal for the moral strivings of individuals and nations alike, linking it to the notion of finding one's inner self.

(taken from Encyclopedia of Religion. Vol. 5. pp. 482 - 3)