Gandhi had a tremendous life history. When reading this, one will not only be able to appreciate a history of his life, but will also see a glimpse into hinduism and see the "atypial" ascetic side of Gandhi (my thesis).
Mahatma Gandhi: The Atypical Ascetic
The following is Part 1 (introduction) of a 4-Part series. This was the final religious research paper for my religion major at Indiana University. I had a great experience conducting this research.
The introduction to follow will cover basic definitions of asceticism, and why it pertains to categorizing Gandhi as an atypical ascetic.
A well written, introductory post by @konstatin on the basic topics of asceticism for different religions can be found below:
https://steemit.com/religion/@konstantin/asceticism-the-way-to-freedom
...and now to Gandhi!
Part I: An Introduction
When people think about asceticism, images of monks and wondering ascetics might come to mind. However, if one studies what asceticism is, he or she will quickly notice that its definition varies greatly and confusion arises.
The problem arises when it is hard to decipher what type of person or group is ascetic. For the purposes of this essay, asceticism is perceived in a religious sense. Mahatma Gandhi is an exemplary figure to demonstrate how a religious definition of asceticism fits into unorthodox perceptions of it such as the physical act of protest.
Walter Kaelber writes in the, Encyclopedia of Religion, that asceticism is the
“voluntary, sustained, and at least partially systematic program of self-discipline…in which immediate, sensual, or profane gratifications are renounced in order to attain a higher spiritual state” (526).
This definition works well, and it covers many religious practices that could be perceived as ascetic. However, there seems to be more that comes to mind when thinking about asceticism. Gavin Flood is a scholar who likes to view asceticism in a form of practice that involves tradition and specifically memory. He also insists, however, that tradition is reconstructed over time (Flood 8-9).
By combining both of these ideas of asceticism, a clearer and narrower definition can be made. Ascetics are then people who practice self-discipline in many forms based off of religious traditions in order to attain a higher spiritual state. With this definition in mind, the study of Mahatma Gandhi’s life as an ascetic becomes a very fascinating concept to investigate.
Many people might be familiar with Gandhi’s hunger strikes in order to unify India and achieve its independence from the British Empire, which is indeed a very peculiar, ascetic act. The self-discipline aspect of Gandhi, however, begins much earlier in his life such as his vow of chastity, which had nothing to do with protesting.
Many turning points in his life show that he is ascetic at heart, and he also physically rejects the temptations of the world around him. What makes him atypical, however, is the fact that his attachments to worldly concerns fuel his search for ultimate “Truth” and renunciation. The drive he had to perfect himself is expressed in his autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, when he insists,
“What I want to achieve …is self realization, to see God face to face, to attain Moksha (enlightenment)…the political field, (is) directed to this end” (xii).
He is not what Max Weber might call an “inner-worldly ascetic” because the actions he took in the world were resistive in the physical sense as well. He can be seen as an ascetic who never left society but also never assimilated to its popular values.
Mahatma Gandhi might not be considered the common perception of an ascetic, but through the way he lived his life, politically protested, and recalled traditional values, he can be considered an atypical ascetic who detached while still remaining politically active in society.
The first part of this paper will discuss some important parts of the first half of this life that can be seen as ascetic. The latter part of the paper will cover how his asceticism becomes very unique and contradictory through his radical protests for civil rights.
...end of Part 1
Stay tuned for Part 2, which will cover historical and religious elements of Gandhi's early life...and how those can be seen as ascetic.
Hope all enjoyed
Sources for entire paper:
1) Ashe, Geoffrey. Gandhi. New York: Stein and Day, 1968. Print.
2) Cassian, John. Institutes Book 6. New York: Newman, 2000. Print. Fischer, Louis. Gandhi: His Life and Message for the World. New York: Mentor, 1954. Print.
3) Flood, Gavin. The Ascetic Self: Subjectivity, Memory and Tradition. Cambridge: University, 2004. Print.
4) Gandhi. An Autobiography: the Story of My Experiments with Truth. [S.l.]: Beacon, 1957. Print.
5) Kaelber, Walter O. "A Basic Definition of Asceticism." The Encyclopedia of Religion. 1987. Print.
6) Lal, Vinay. "Gandhi's Last Fast." Gandhi Marg (1989). Web. <http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/Gandhi/ghandis%20last%20fast.p df>.
7) Mandelbaum, David G. "The Study of Life History: Gandhi." Current Anthropology 14.3 (1973): 177-206. Print.
8) Plotkin, Michael. "Resistance to the Soul: Gandhi and His Critics." Web. <http://www.mkgandhi.org/articles/soul.htm>
9) Weber, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. London: Routledge, 2006. Print.
10) Weber, Max. "The Sociology of Religion - Max Weber." Google Books. Web. 25 Nov. 2011.<http://books.google.com/books/about/The_sociology_of_religion.html?id= abS61 el-VEMC>.
*All photos from pixabay.com