What do you think?
Rate this book
The Essence of Hinduism
The Essence of Hinduism The Essence of Hinduism is so planned and arranged that each section naturally leads to the next one. The first chapter examines the moral bliss of Hinduism. The nature of the universal Moral Law or Power that sustains the universe is described in the second chapter. How can a seeker come face to face with the Supreme Spirit-through faith or trained reason or a judicious combination of both? An answer to this conundrum will be found in the third chapter.
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1987
7 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Mahatma Gandhi
1,261 books6,446 followersMohandas 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 1, 2023
ಗಾಂಧೀಜಿರವರು ಹಿಂದೂ ಧರ್ಮದ ಮಹತ್ವವನ್ನು ಸಾರಿದ ಭಾಷಣಗಳ, ಲೇಖನಗಳ ಮತ್ತು ಅವರ ಮಾತುಗಳ ಸಂಪಾದಿತ ಕೃತಿ. ಧರ್ಮಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಅವರಿಗಿದ್ದ ಆಳವಾದ ಜ್ಞಾನ ಅವರ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ ಚಳುವಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಗೆ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡಿತು ಎಂಬುದು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.
ಪುಸ್ತಕದಲ್ಲಿನ ನನ್ನ ಇಷ್ಟದ ಭಾಗವೊಂದನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆದಿದ್ದೇನೆ ಗಮನಿಸಿ.
ಕ್ರೈಸ್ತಸಂತರೊಬ್ಬರು ಗಾಂಧಿಜಿರವರ ಬಳಿ, ಹಿಂದು ಧರ್ಮ ಏಕದೇವತಾವಾದವನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪಿ ನಡೆದರೆ ಕ್ರೈಸ್ತಧರ್ಮವೂ ಹಿಂದೂ ಧರ್ಮದ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಕೈ ಜೋಡಿಸಿ ಭಾರತದ ಪ್ರಗತಿಗೆಡೆಗೆ ದುಡಿಯಲು ಕೈ ಜೋಡಿಸಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಆಗ ಗಾಂಧೀಜಿರ ಉತ್ತರ ಎಷ್ಟು ಸೊಗಸಾಗಿದೆ - "ಇದು ಖುಷಿಯ ವಿಚಾರ, ಆದರೆ ಎಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೂ ಮಿಷನರಿಗಳು ಕ್ರೈಸ್ತಧರ್ಮವೊಂದೇ ಸ್ವರ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ ದಾರಿ, ಮಿಕ್ಕವೆಲ್ಲವೂ ಟೊಳ್ಳು ಎಂಬ ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿರುತ್ತದೆಯೋ ಅಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೂ ಇದು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ, ಆದರೆ ನಾನು ಒಬ್ಬ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಕ್ರೈಸ್ತನನ್ನು ನನ್ನ ಮೌನದಲ್ಲೇ ಹಿಂದೂ ಧರ್ಮದ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠತೆಯನ್ನು ತಿಳಿಸಿಕೊಡಬಲ್ಲೆ, ಕಾರಣ ಹಿಂದೂ ಧರ್ಮ ಗುಲಾಬಿ ಹೂವಿನ ರೀತಿ, ಮೌನದಿಂದಿದ್ದರೂ ತನ್ನ ಸುವಾಸನೆಯನ್ನು ಹರಡೇ ಹರಡುತ್ತದೆ"
ಪುಸ್ತಕದಲ್ಲಿನ ನನ್ನ ಇಷ್ಟದ ಭಾಗವೊಂದನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆದಿದ್ದೇನೆ ಗಮನಿಸಿ.
ಕ್ರೈಸ್ತಸಂತರೊಬ್ಬರು ಗಾಂಧಿಜಿರವರ ಬಳಿ, ಹಿಂದು ಧರ್ಮ ಏಕದೇವತಾವಾದವನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪಿ ನಡೆದರೆ ಕ್ರೈಸ್ತಧರ್ಮವೂ ಹಿಂದೂ ಧರ್ಮದ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಕೈ ಜೋಡಿಸಿ ಭಾರತದ ಪ್ರಗತಿಗೆಡೆಗೆ ದುಡಿಯಲು ಕೈ ಜೋಡಿಸಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಆಗ ಗಾಂಧೀಜಿರ ಉತ್ತರ ಎಷ್ಟು ಸೊಗಸಾಗಿದೆ - "ಇದು ಖುಷಿಯ ವಿಚಾರ, ಆದರೆ ಎಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೂ ಮಿಷನರಿಗಳು ಕ್ರೈಸ್ತಧರ್ಮವೊಂದೇ ಸ್ವರ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ ದಾರಿ, ಮಿಕ್ಕವೆಲ್ಲವೂ ಟೊಳ್ಳು ಎಂಬ ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿರುತ್ತದೆಯೋ ಅಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೂ ಇದು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ, ಆದರೆ ನಾನು ಒಬ್ಬ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಕ್ರೈಸ್ತನನ್ನು ನನ್ನ ಮೌನದಲ್ಲೇ ಹಿಂದೂ ಧರ್ಮದ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠತೆಯನ್ನು ತಿಳಿಸಿಕೊಡಬಲ್ಲೆ, ಕಾರಣ ಹಿಂದೂ ಧರ್ಮ ಗುಲಾಬಿ ಹೂವಿನ ರೀತಿ, ಮೌನದಿಂದಿದ್ದರೂ ತನ್ನ ಸುವಾಸನೆಯನ್ನು ಹರಡೇ ಹರಡುತ್ತದೆ"
June 3, 2022
I never grew up with religion. My parents were not raised to be particularly religious, and naturally they passed down no religion to me. Most of my life, I never considered religion to be a part of living -- I always saw it as a system of prescribed morality, at best a crutch to those unable to police themselves and at worst a tool for power and a kennel for the desperate and terrified.
For the last decade, I have been searching desperately for purpose and direction in life, whether at any point I knew it or not. A background program has been running without interruption in the back of my mind. It is this program that tries to define and size the hole and ultimately will try to fill it. I only recently discovered this program, and I immediately recognized it for what it is: me, seeking God. All my life, I have silently been asking why, and what, and how. Why do people live and act the way we do? Why did we design our world to be this way? How can I find happiness? What is the point of anything? How do we determine what matters and what does not, when all this other bullshit is washed away? But one cannot ask these questions and claim to be divorced from religion, because religion is nothing if not our species’ attempt to answer these questions.
I have been seeking answers all my life. In the last few years, I found many. Before, I could see a canvas gradually being covered with dabs and streaks of color and could barely make out hints of shapes. Reading this book, it was as though a rippling surface crystallized, all the random spots connected to one another, and all the colors had meaning.
This book will not give you enlightenment. It will introduce you to Hinduism as it is in Gandhi’s view: a constantly evolving and shapeshifting philosophy on how to live. But the understanding at the core of Hinduism (and in all religion) is unchanging.
To truly understand Gandhi’s writings, it takes surrender and genuine faith. You have to try and read between the lines and meditate on his words. You have to allow him to influence your thoughts. Without strain on your part, this book will not be worth the paper it is printed on. Wisdom will always be lost on a skeptic. This book benefited me enormously because I came to it with a seeking heart and laid myself down before it.
The Essence of Hinduism is a guide to those who are submitting themselves to a path of understanding. Ordinarily, a book with such a mandate would profess to be infallible. But Gandhi repeatedly stresses that he is a man, and as such he is erring and imperfect. As a consequence of his view of Hinduism as being ever-evolving, he admits that he could be wrong on some counts. That empowers the intelligent reader to read critically and make thoughts and judgements for himself. Even in the author’s view, it would be foolish not to.
To Gandhi, no religious text is truly sacred. He holds the Upanishads, the Vedas, the Mahabharata, and even the Bhagavad Gita to the same standard he holds himself and any other literature. Because these works are produced by man, they are intrinsically fallible. So, the onus is, and always will be, on the seeker of the religion to find it for himself. Let that be the lesson. You can read, study, and debate as much as you need to. But at the end of all that is where the journey to true understanding begins. And then, nobody can be there to answer your questions. That, you must find yourself.
The Essence of Hinduism also showed me a side of Gandhi I was aware of, but never really understood. It becomes clear reading his essays that he was a Hindu first and a politician second. He sought to let his faith guide all his actions in life -- not just in his campaign for independence, but in all things. I had always thought of Gandhi as a freedom fighter and a politician but in reading The Essence of Hinduism I gained a new respect for him, and I see him as a holy man, the same as any Guru.
For the last decade, I have been searching desperately for purpose and direction in life, whether at any point I knew it or not. A background program has been running without interruption in the back of my mind. It is this program that tries to define and size the hole and ultimately will try to fill it. I only recently discovered this program, and I immediately recognized it for what it is: me, seeking God. All my life, I have silently been asking why, and what, and how. Why do people live and act the way we do? Why did we design our world to be this way? How can I find happiness? What is the point of anything? How do we determine what matters and what does not, when all this other bullshit is washed away? But one cannot ask these questions and claim to be divorced from religion, because religion is nothing if not our species’ attempt to answer these questions.
I have been seeking answers all my life. In the last few years, I found many. Before, I could see a canvas gradually being covered with dabs and streaks of color and could barely make out hints of shapes. Reading this book, it was as though a rippling surface crystallized, all the random spots connected to one another, and all the colors had meaning.
This book will not give you enlightenment. It will introduce you to Hinduism as it is in Gandhi’s view: a constantly evolving and shapeshifting philosophy on how to live. But the understanding at the core of Hinduism (and in all religion) is unchanging.
To truly understand Gandhi’s writings, it takes surrender and genuine faith. You have to try and read between the lines and meditate on his words. You have to allow him to influence your thoughts. Without strain on your part, this book will not be worth the paper it is printed on. Wisdom will always be lost on a skeptic. This book benefited me enormously because I came to it with a seeking heart and laid myself down before it.
The Essence of Hinduism is a guide to those who are submitting themselves to a path of understanding. Ordinarily, a book with such a mandate would profess to be infallible. But Gandhi repeatedly stresses that he is a man, and as such he is erring and imperfect. As a consequence of his view of Hinduism as being ever-evolving, he admits that he could be wrong on some counts. That empowers the intelligent reader to read critically and make thoughts and judgements for himself. Even in the author’s view, it would be foolish not to.
To Gandhi, no religious text is truly sacred. He holds the Upanishads, the Vedas, the Mahabharata, and even the Bhagavad Gita to the same standard he holds himself and any other literature. Because these works are produced by man, they are intrinsically fallible. So, the onus is, and always will be, on the seeker of the religion to find it for himself. Let that be the lesson. You can read, study, and debate as much as you need to. But at the end of all that is where the journey to true understanding begins. And then, nobody can be there to answer your questions. That, you must find yourself.
The Essence of Hinduism also showed me a side of Gandhi I was aware of, but never really understood. It becomes clear reading his essays that he was a Hindu first and a politician second. He sought to let his faith guide all his actions in life -- not just in his campaign for independence, but in all things. I had always thought of Gandhi as a freedom fighter and a politician but in reading The Essence of Hinduism I gained a new respect for him, and I see him as a holy man, the same as any Guru.
May 13, 2017
Fascinating insights into Gandhi's spiritual journey and the context within which he said and wrote. Post independence India airbrushed some of the more contentious parts of his story (read The Doctor and The Saint by Arundhati Roy). However it is easy to judge Gandhi harshly if viewed from a narrow perspective that some critics have deliberately chosen to. He was far from perfect and some of his howlers damaged India severely. However a broader context allows one to interpret him a little more kindly.
June 8, 2018
A wonderful book, though, explaining the beauty of Hinduism. But a bit of superstitious and dogmatic too.
October 18, 2011
If you are looking to read a non-preachy book which would help you to understand better what being a Hindu means, this is it! The Mahatma provides logic and separates the best part of being a Hindu to the not-so-good parts. His views on why he equates Hinduism to truth and Ahimsa is worth a consideration. The fact that he considers Hinduism to be a progressively developing and an all inclusive religion is pious. He provides his own interpretation of the Bhagwad Gita which is subtle and practical. I was thrilled to learn about the various routines he followed in his lifetime and in his ashram. He provides his witty and honest replies to all the correspondents who write to him with their doubts and reservations. Highly recommended!
December 23, 2016
Mahatma Gandhi had always been an idol and a model of imitation for me until I discovered thru this book that he was lethally superstitious and anti-secularist. During and after reading this book the only thing I've experienced is disappointment.
March 31, 2012
Read this book before you dare declare yourself an "atheist" or an "agnostic".
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews