The Way to God: Selected Writings from Mahatma Gandhi

by Mahatma Gandhi, M.S. Deshpande, Arun Gandhi

Short, easy-to-read essays revealing Gandhi’s most important teachings on love, meditation, service, and prayer—with profound wisdom and inspiration for readers of every faith. Mahatma Gandhi became famous as the leader of the Indian independence movement, but he called himself “a man of God disguised as a politician.” The Way to God demonstrates his enduring significance as a spiritual leader whose ideas offer insight and solace to seekers of every practice and persuasion. Collecting many of his most significant writings, the book explores the deep religious roots of Gandhi’s worldly accomplishments and reveals—in his own words—his intellectual, moral, and spiritual approaches to the divine. First published in India in 1971, the book is based on Gandhi’s lifetime experiments with truth and reveals the heart of his teachings. Gandhi’s aphoristic power, his ability to sum up complex ideas in a few authoritative strokes, shines through these pages. Individual chapters cover such topics as moral discipline, spiritual practice, spiritual experience, and much more. Gandhi’s guiding principles of selflessness, humility, service, active yet nonviolent resistance, and vegetarianism make his writings as timely today as when these writings first appeared. A foreword by Gandhi’s grandson Arun and an introduction by Michael Nagler add useful context.

Genres: Spirituality, Religion, Nonfiction, Hinduism, Philosophy, India

105 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India. Employing non-violent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for non-violence, civil rights and freedom across the world.

The son of a senior government official, Gandhi was born and raised in a Hindu Bania community in coastal Gujarat, and trained in law in London. Gandhi became famous by fighting for the civil rights of Muslim and Hindu Indians in South Africa, using new techniques of non-violent civil disobedience that he developed. Returning to India in 1915, he set about organizing peasants to protest excessive land-taxes. A lifelong opponent of "communalism" (i.e. basing politics on religion) he reached out widely to all religious groups. He became a leader of Muslims protesting the declining status of the Caliphate. Assuming leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women's rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, increasing economic self-reliance, and above all for achieving Swaraj—the independence of India from British domination. His spiritual teacher was the Jain philosopher/poet Shrimad Rajchandra.

Reviews

[Veronika Can · Rating 1 out of 5]

Labai labai religinė knyga. Net neradau sau jokių patinkančių minčių.

[Jim George · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of ours souls could stand to steep in the tea of faith, all of our minds should be cultivated in the garden of truth and knowledge. God is unfathomable and unknown to the vast majority of mankind. He is everywhere. He is most elusive. He is the nearest to us, if we would but know the fact. This little book is filled with many truths, an enjoyable book to read.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gandhi speaks of God so elegantly and reverently. This book really makes you think.

[Glenda Walsh crouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It is my firm belief that it is love that sustains the earth. There only is life where there is love. Life without love is death. Love is the reverse of the coin of which the other side is truth."

[Ali Taleblou · Rating 3 out of 5]

سیاست مهاتما گاندی از ایدئولوژی او حول خدا و انسان نشئت می‌گیرد.
این کتاب به خوبی فضای فکری گاندی و نقشی که او برای خدا در زندگی انسان درنظر می‌گرفت را توضیح می‌دهد.
فکر و سیاست گاندی، با عرفان درآمیخته. رگه‌هایی از نظریه اصالت وجود، عین الربط و عقل فلسفی در نظریات او وجود دارد.
کتاب بسیار روان و خوبی بود، البته که از بخش پلورالیسم به بعد، اشتیاقم نسبت به کتاب، کمتر شد. چون از حقیقت فاصله گرفته و دچار سانتی‌مانتالیسم شده بود.

[Anney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always by my bed. So inspiring.

[La · Rating 5 out of 5]

love ghandi, i count him among my spiritual advisors (which include mother theresa, the dalai lama,and lao-tzu)

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tons of great writings. One of my favorite books.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Care sunt convingerile care l-au determinat pe Mahatma Gandhi sa mearga pe drumul sau? Care a fost credinta sa? Amanuntele in carte...

"Gandhi a inteles inca din 1909, pe cand se indrepta spre India, la bordul vasului S.S. Kildonan Castle, si-si compunea tratatul "Autonomia Indiei" ca suntem prinsi intr-o lupta nu intre doi oameni sau intre doua natiuni, ci intre doua moduri de viata. In "Cetatea lui Dumnezeu", Sfantul Augustin le numise doua orase crescute din doua feluri de iubire umana - iubirea de sine si iubirea intregului, caruia Augustin ii spunea Dumnezeu. In momentul de fata, orasul omului, cultura iubirii de sine si a lacomiei, pare sa fi scapat de sub control. Oricum am vrea sa o numim, calea lui Gandhi catre Dumnezeu este calea catre celalalt oras, al iubirii si al dreptatii."(pag 26-27)

"Adevaratul credincios nu este invidios pe nimeni, este milostiv, nu cunoaste egoismul si trateaza deopotriva caldura si frigul, fericirea si nefericirea, e vesnic iertator si intotdeauna multumit, e hotarat, si-a inchinat mintea si sufletul lui Dumnezeu, nu sperie pe nimeni si nu se teme de nimeni, e eliberat de frica, suferinta si exaltare, este pur, priceput in actiune si neafectat de aceasta, renunta la toate roadele vietii, bune sau rele, ii trateaza la fel pe prieteni si pe dusmani, e neatins de jigniri sau de respect, nu se lasa impresionat de laude, nu raspunde cu aceeasi moneda cand oamenii il vorbesc de rau, iubeste tacerea si singuratatea, are o ratiune disciplinata.
Yogi este, prin urmare, cel care oglindeste toate aceste atribute in viata lui; cel care, in mijlocul furtunii dezlantuite si al viscolului orbitor, pastreaza viziunea Soarelui netulburata; cel care priveste dificultatile si moartea in fata; cel care merge cu aceeasi minte senina si la lupta, si la esafod; cel a carui minte este atat de linistita, incat nici trasnetul nu-l impiedica sa adoarma."(pag 107)

Concluzia? Suntem in plina Kali Yuga.

[Sydney Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gandhi’s writings put faith in perspective for a world all too focused on religion. A lot of his points in this text are similar to the writings of Thomas Merton, and are key tenants of faith that are often lost in the legalistic focus of religion. I highly recommend this book, even to someone agnostic or atheist just as a glimpse into Gandhi’s heart and spirituality.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 5⭐️ rating because it is a window into the understandings of its author, MK Gandhi, a man who has modeled for us all the power of the combination of a humble, self-effacing spiritualism and a commitment to focused, nonviolent political action that contributed mightily to the removal of imperial, colonial rule in his homeland of India. Although Hindu, Mahatma Gandhi is one of those few figures recognized as saintly by an audience reaching far beyond those sharing his particular understanding of ‘truth.’

The Way to God is a small collection of essays capturing words and writings of Gandhi (99/pages in the edition I’ve read) The collection is intended to “reveal the heart of his teachings on love, the soul, meditation, service, surrender, and prayer.”

Per Gandhi: God is not a person or being outside of ourselves, but rather is a mysterious force pervading everything that exists or had existed (p.32). God is truth and love; ethics and morality; fearlessness; the source of light and life; and much, much more (p.35). God permits life and death, belief and unbelief - “So great is his infinite love and pity that he allows man insolently to deny him, wrangle about him, and cut the throats of his fellow men.(p.37)” God has many names, associated with many human traditions. “Man can only conceive God within the limitations of his own mind. … One need only remember that God is the force among all the forces. … the vital force or spirit, which is all-pervading, all-embracing, and therefore beyond human ken.” (p.38-39).

God is truth and love - to be felt, emulated, by humans in pursuit of their self-realization, which requires service to truth and the community (-ities) in which one lives. “Truth” cannot be imposed, humility and restraint are required. Achieving faith in this Truth benefits from deep meditation, continuous spiritual practice, prayer, songs, reading, sharing the pursuit with others, performing lifelong service.

Gandhi’s vision is grounded in his own history, yet calls across secular boundaries to others seeking truth using different idioms. The spirit of his history and being continues to provoke and to inspire.

[Renz Alfred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gandhi's beliefs are universal: love, peace, joy, compassion, and faith in God. I understand everything he spoke about in this book on a level of consciousness I didn't even imagine I could. Eckhart Tolle's teachings helped me to observe and to enter into awareness of what Gandhi's teachings would mean to my faith, ideals, and practice.

[Ruth Belmonte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick easy reading, lots of good mellow insight's.

[Caralynn West · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know my faith is like Hinduism. Love learning about Gandhi

[Anna Engel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got more out of the introduction than I did Gandhi's writings. I expected more depth and thoughtfulness from Gandhi. I mean, he's GANDHI and he had a wealth of experiences to provide context. Instead, the book consists of groupings of broad, placid musings that are totally lacking in individualism and actual insight. I don't know if this was an editorial choice (i.e., removing anything about Gandhi's life and actions to make the text more accessible), or whether his writing really was about as deep as a kiddie pool.

I don't mean to malign Gandhi at all; I had high expectations after reading the introduction and Wikipedia page. But these were the kinds of things I was attempting to write as an angsty and struggling 20-year-old.

However, it was a quick read and well-written, so three stars it is.

[yo JP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Na papíře ušlechtilé myšlenky, nicméně se nemůžu zbavit jisté pachuti. Jednak, někteří Indové sami Gándhího vnímají negativně - to co je o něm učí ve školách neodpovídá realitě. To, co ve skutečnosti dělal, všechny jeho pochybné praktiky a detaily, týkající se jeho života a osoby, pokud do toho poněkud lehce zabřednete, ten image se naruší a já nedokážu v podobné literatuře separovat obsah knihy od jejího autora. Šlo snad o snahu zdiskreditovat velkého svatého muže? Nebo jsou obvinění legitimní? Osobně se nemůžu zbavit pocitu, že tahle Gándhího cesta na papíře je "příliš čistá" a to ve mně, čistě instinktivně, probouzí pochyby.

[Мария Коцева · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the western people the things said lack explanation. For the eastern people it's common knowledge.

[Edgaras · Rating 1 out of 5]

Visa knyga: dievas visur.

[Marko]

I have the german edition.