On the 70th Independence Day of India, it is worth reflecting on how the philosophical and religious foundation of a “bloodless revolution”, unique in world history was earned. While there were definitely some other global circumstances to effect this event, Mahatma Gandhi was undeniably the champion of this “non-violent” movement. “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man,” he once said. Such conviction could come only from someone who had achieved exceptional “inner freedom”.
And in this sense one could decisively say that for Gandhi, even political freedom from the British became secondary. Mastery over oneself became his primary goal, well elaborated in his voluminous work, The Story of My Experiments with Truth. One notices how Gandhi’s thoughts also influenced some of his contemporaries. Thus a great thinker B.R. Ambedkar in a similar vein held, “The emancipation of the mind and the soul is a necessary preliminary for the political expansion of the people.”
Similarly, Sri Aurobindo Ghose wrote: “By liberty we mean… to grow to our natural self-fulfilment, to find out naturally and freely our harmony with our environment... it will reach its perfection when, man having learned to know and become spiritually one with his fellow-man, …the spontaneous law of his society exists only as the outward mould of his self-governed inner liberty.” Interestingly, corresponding to the above is also the Christian view of freedom rooted in the concept of human beings created equal and in the image of God who would experience complete inner freedom when their lives are based on God’s law.
Again truth and freedom are inter-linked in Jesus’ teachings: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” St. Paul explains the idea of freedom further capping it with the supreme Christian commandment saying, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’.”
We have unquestionably enjoyed political freedom for the last 69 years. It is then time for us to work towards that freedom which Gandhi, Ambedkar, Aurobindo, Jesus, St. Paul and hundreds of other spiritual gurus along with our own religious have tried to lead us towards an inner freedom that could then push us forward to our ultimate goal as God’s distinct creatures.
