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Gandhi’s Steadfast Yoga: A Thoughtful Reflection on the Philosophical Foundation of Mahatma Gandhi’s Wisdom

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Courtesy: Srimati Karuna

When I first came to the Gandhi Memorial Center in 1998, I came to pursue a study of the Bhagavad Gita. To my surprise and blessed inspiration, I learned that the Founder of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Foundation, Swami Premananda, had come to the United States from India with the guidance of his Guru, Swami Yogananda and his Paramguru, Swami Sriyukteswar, who said to him: “You will teach the Gita, and a great service will be fulfilled through you.”

At the time of that conversation at Srirampur Ashram in India, he had no idea he would eventually be teaching the Gita in Washington, D.C. He later published his own translation of the Gita along with a verse-by-verse spiritual interpretation according to the light of Kriya Yoga. 

As a young student sitting in the library of the Gandhi Memorial Center, my own study of the Gita introduced me to Swami Premananda’s spiritual interpretation of the Gita as The Revelation of the Supreme Self and Mahatma Gandhi’s interpretation of the Gita as The Gospel of Selfless Service. And to this day I continue to discover the spiritual basis of the Gita as a scripture of yoga under the guidance of my Guru, Swami Kamalananda. 

PHOTO: Srimati Karuna

This book is a thoughtful reflection on the philosophical foundation of Mahatma Gandhi’s wisdom, action, love and realization according to yoga philosophy. His steadfast yoga was a lifelong pursuit fulfilled by every aspect of daily living. Yoga as a philosophy emanates from every aspect of life and is as natural to us as our breathing, thinking and feeling. It is the balance of all activity united in one purpose. Who, then, is a yogi? Every person can strive to be a yogi.

We do not attain yoga, rather, it is the increasing realization of life as one continuous whole. Life is not meant to be lived in a compartmentalized or fragmented way, and hence, the yogi’s effort is constant. By the light of yoga, we spiritualize every aspect of life. It is how we put ourselves fully into all that we do. The secret of yoga is, after all, steadfast practice.

People of all faiths can read the Gita and appreciate its counsel because its appeal is universal. The Gita is a spiritual revelation in the life of Arjuna. When discord strikes Arjuna’s heart, he receives guidance from his guru, Krishna, who imparts celestial wisdom to aid his aching heart and conflicted mind. Although the Gita depicts an individual who struggles amidst a great battle, the story is purely subjective.

Krishna, charioteer and guide, advises Arjuna in a battle between the propensities of the ego and the qualities of soul. Krishna offers Arjuna a message of renunciation of the fruits of action. He compels him, and us, to rise above the changing conditions of duality experienced by the sense-attached mind. 

Gandhiji’s reflections on the poetic verses of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita offer us tremendous insight into his thought, devotion, action and realization as a complete yoga of head, heart, hands and spirit. The Gita played an important role in his spiritual life and philosophy. For a time, he would even place a daily verse from the Gita on his mirror as he shaved, so that he could commit it to memory and know it by heart. 

Gandhiji’s own translation and commentary on the Bhagavad Gita offers us profound insight into the nature of his ideal. His Gujarati translation of the Gita was published on March 12, 1930, the same day he marched to the beach at Dandi from Sabarmati, known as the Salt March. Gandhiji was imprisoned by the British for civil disobedience and was held in Yeravda Central Prison in Poona, which he referred to as Yeravda Mandir. Even while in prison, his attitude was that of being in a sacred temple.

From Yeravda Mandir, Gandhiji wrote a series of letters to the workers of his Satyagraha ashram on the banks of the Sabarmati River, in which he further elucidated each chapter of the Gita. This thoughtful commentary not only satisfied the request of those seeking his guidance but also served to uplift his own burdened mind.

PHOTO: Srimati Karuna

The Bhagavad Gita gives expression to four aspects of yoga: love (bhakti), wisdom (jnana), service (karma) and enlightenment (raja). They serve to guide us along the highest and noblest path. These various aspects of yoga do not conflict with each other but rather complement each other in an endless process of cultivation of the entire being in body, mind, heart and soul. Yoga is the pursuit of Truth. It is a dedication to the law of love. It is the practice of selfless service. And it is aspiration for self-liberation. 

All of these expressions of yoga pave the way to unify the human experience. All paths of yoga prepare the body, mind and heart with the ideal of enlightenment. They reveal what it means to be truly human. This involves training the mind to be thoughtful and wise, cultivating the heart to be loving and patient and preparing the body for active service in the freedom of self-expression. We want to awaken our mind and expand our heart toward an ideal that unites Truth, love, and service into living practice. This requires constant practice and self-dedication. 

Gandhiji strove to purify the heart by expanding it in love. He worked to illumine the mind by the light of Truth. And he made every attempt to strengthen himself for service. He wanted to spare no pains to improve himself body, mind, heart and soul. Striving for inner perfection was the means to render service to God by serving humanity.

Mahatma Gandhi is a superb example of how we may better understand and learn from the Bhagavad Gita. Looking back on the life and example of this Mahatma (Great Soul), we begin to understand his self-dedication and steadfast yoga. May we walk steadfast in the light of all great souls as fellow pilgrims on the path of yoga.

Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article/column are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of South Asian Herald, its editorial team, or its affiliates. South Asian Herald does not endorse any opinions or statements made within the content. 

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