Gandhi's take of Jesus & Christianty

[metis]

I'm currently using a book on Gandhi's writings and excerps from his speaches for my morning meditation, and I came across a couple of interesting quotes that some may want to discuss. Here they are:

What I would not have given to bow my head before the living image at the Vatican of Christ Crucified? It was with a wretch that I could tear myself away from the living tragedy. I saw there at once that nations, like individuals, could only be made through the agony of the cross and in no other way. Joy comes not out of infliction of pain on others but out of pain voluntarily borne by oneself.

I consider Western Christianity in its practical working a negation of Christ's Christianity. I cannot conceive Jesus, if he was living in the flesh in our midst, approving of modern Christian organizations, public worship, or modern ministry. If Christians would simply cling to the Sermon on the Mount, which was delivered not only to peaceful disciples but a groaning world, they would not go wrong, and they would find that no religion is false, and that if they act according to their lights and fear of God, they would not need to worry about organizations, forms of worship, and ministry. The Pharisees had all that, but Jesus would have none of it, for they were using their office as a cloak for hypocrisy and worse. Cooperation with the forces of Good and noncooperation with the forces of evil are the two things we need for a good and pure life, whether it is called Hindu, Muslem, or Christian

and...

Today I rebel against orthodox Christianity, as I am convinced that it has distorted the message of Jesus. He was an Asiatic whose message was delivered through many media, and when it had the backing of the Roman emperor it became an imperialistic faith as it remains to this day.

and finally...

Christ came to this world to preach and spread the gospel of love and peace, but what his followers have brought about is tyranny and misery. Christians, who were taught the maxim of "Love they neighbor as theyself," are divided amongst themselves.

-- all quotes are from "Mohandas Gandhi: Essential Writings", compiled by John Dear, pages 78-80.


Opinions?

[Lightkeeper]

I agree with Gandhi on all points.

Recently a woman told me she believed in heaven, but she wasn't going there. She has Christian fundamentalist tendencies. I told her the Kingdom of Heaven is within us and that she has been a kind, giving and loving all her life. She was not going to be punished for anything she did in this life.

You would have thought I slapped her in the face. She walked away and two weeks later avoids me. The only reason I can come to for hanging on to the message of hate is that some of us don't want to take responsibility for ourselves. It takes a sense of responsibility to want to look deeper into the message. It takes wanting to resurrect.

[vivamis123]

I am happily surprised to read that he truly knew and followed the true teachings of Jesus Christ. Thank you Metis for sharing his beliefs and findings with us : )

I thought it would be good to post the sermon on the mount in this thread. This is what I found at wikipedia:

The sermon comprises the following components:

Introductory narrative (Matthew 5:1-2)
A large crowd assembles due to Jesus healing the sick, so he climbs a mountain and speaks.

Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)
Main article: Beatitudes
They describe the character of the people of the kingdom. These are Christ's promises of coming blessings.[5] In Matthew, there are eight (or nine) blessings, while in Luke there are four, followed by four woes.[6] In Matthew, more than in Luke, the Beatitudes refer to moral or spiritual qualities of Christian discipleship.[7]

Metaphors of Salt and Light (Matthew 5:13-16)
Main article: Salt and Light
This concludes the picture of God's people drawn in the beatitudes, as well as an introducing to the following section.

Expounding of the Law (Matthew 5:17-48)
Main article: Expounding of the Law
Jesus fulfills and reinterprets Mosaic Law and in particular the Ten Commandments, contrasting with what "you have heard" from others, also known as the Antitheses.

Discourse on ostentation (Matthew 6)
Main article: Discourse on ostentation
Jesus condemns the "good works" of fasting, alms, and prayer, when they are only done for show, and not from the heart. The discourse goes on to condemn the superficiality of materialism and call the disciples not to worry about material needs, but to "seek" God's kingdom first.

Lord's Prayer
Main article: Lord's Prayer
Within the discourse on ostentation, Matthew presents as an example of correct prayer. Luke places in a different context.

Discourse on judgementalism (Matthew 7:1-6)
Main article: Discourse on judgementalism
Jesus condemns those who judge others before first judging themselves.

Discourse on holiness (Matthew 7:7-29)
Main article: Discourse on holiness
Jesus concludes the sermon by warning against False prophets, and emphasizing that humans are unable to do right ("bear fruit") apart from God. The Foundation must be on the Rock.

[Fortuna]

Love these quotes, except for criticism of orthodox Christianity.

I was brought up on sayings of Ghandi and the Rubiyat, my father had great love and respect for Ghandi as I do.
However, even though he knew only love of God and neighbor is the answer, there is much he did not know about Christ or being a Christian as he never practiced Christianity to my knowledge. On the other hand, he lived as a true Christian should live in my opinion.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all be so selfless?

Here is another quote I love:
"We all must clean the toilets."

[metis]

Originally Posted by Lightkeeper

I told her the Kingdom of Heaven is within us and that she has been a kind, giving and loving all her life.

This is exactly what Gandhi taught as well and, just by coincidence (or is it? ), the exact same words were in this morning's segment that I read from the book.

[metis]

Originally Posted by Fortuna

However, even though he knew only love of God and neighbor is the answer, there is much he did not know about Christ or being a Christian as he never practiced Christianity to my knowledge.

Actually Gandhi was very well versed in Christianity and could often quote from memory parts of the Bible. At his ashrams, he conducted joint services that included Christians and Christian teachings, and many of his followers were Christians as well.

Just to explain that Gandhi's reference to "orthodox Christianity" deals with most churches that we now see, which he felt eventually walked away from Jesus' teachings. For example, he felt that they allowed the use of deadly violence, even though Jesus said to turn the other cheek, be as harmless as doves, and to not live by the sword. He also felt they accumulated power, argued, and split amongst themselves over issues that could have been left to individual discernment as having the Kingdom of God within. He felt they embraced materialism, even though Jesus said not to worry about such matters and, as a matter of fact, the book of Acts states that the apostles shared their income together. Gandhi felt that racism permeated church history, such as we saw with how Africans and Amerindians were treated, and why even today in America, Sunday is the most segregated day of the week.

Anyhow, the above is just a further explanation, and I hope that may clarify certain matters. Glad you found him as a good example of how to live a moral life.

[arthra]

As I recall when Gandhi visited England he was given a book by Leo Tolstoy "The Kingdom of God is within you" and hence was encouraged to develope his non-violent strategies:

See:

A letter Tolstoy wrote in 1908 to an Indian newspaper entitled "Letter to a Hindu" resulted in intense correspondence with Mohandas Gandhi, who was in South Africa at the time and was beginning to become an activist. Reading "The Kingdom of God is Within You" made a strong impression on Gandhi in terms of his public commitment to nonviolent resistance, a debt Gandhi acknowledged in his autobiography, calling Tolstoy "the greatest apostle of non-violence that the present age has produced". The correspondence between Tolstoy and Gandhi would only last a year, from October 1909 until Tolstoy's death in November 1910, but led Gandhi to give the name the Tolstoy Colony to his second ashram in South Africa. Besides non-violent resistance, the two men shared a common belief in the merits of vegetarianism, the subject of several of Tolstoy's essays (see Christian vegetarianism).

Source:

Leo Tolstoy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A few years ago I met a man who was in the Satyagraha movement in India and had met Gandhi.

Satyagraha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

He actually had with him a small device for making cloth thread weaving.. this was to break the monopoly of imported clothing in India.

He later became a follower of Gandhi's successor Vinobe Bhave and lived in an Ashram.

- Art

[angeleyes]

In Autobiography of a Yogi, Yoganada describes his meeting with Ghandi. It's a wonderful and personal story.

A pertinent selection from that chapter:

The Mahatma has reverently studied all world religions. The Jain scriptures, the Biblical New Testament, and the sociological writings of Tolstoy11 are the three main sources of Gandhi's nonviolent convictions. He has stated his credo thus:


I believe the Bible, the Koran, and the Zend-Avesta12 to be as divinely inspired as the Vedas. I believe in the institution of Gurus, but in this age millions must go without a Guru, because it is a rare thing to find a combination of perfect purity and perfect learning. But one need not despair of ever knowing the truth of one's religion, because the fundamentals of Hinduism as of every great religion are unchangeable, and easily understood.

Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramhansa Yogananda - Crystal Clarity Publishers