E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

Five Fallacies … 117to politics: his 'perception of God; his perception of Truth; hisconception of Dharma.(a) Gandhi did not regard God as a person. To himTruth alone was God. This God of his did not live in the clouds,but 'here' itself. God lived in His creation, and had to be soughtfor in His creation. Identification with God therefore meantidentification with the whole of creation. This identificationwas possible only through love and service – even of the'meanest' of His creation. Love and service cannot be confinedto selected sectors of life. They have to encompass all aspectsof man's life. Political activity or politics covers so manyimportant aspects of life that it is impossible to ignore orexclude politics."Man’s ultimate aim is the realisation of God, and hisactions, social, political, religious have to be guided by theultimate aim of the vision of God. The only way to find God isto see Him in His creation and be one with it. This can only bedone by service of all. I am a part and parcel of the whole, and Icannot find Him apart from the rest of humanity ..... If I couldpersuade myself that I should find Him in a Himalayan cave Iwould proceed there immediately. But I know that I cannot findHim apart from humanity." 1 “… And as I cannot render thisservice without entering politics, I find myself in it" 2 (b)Gandhi believed that Truth is God, and nothing else is. Truth,which is God, cannot be compartmental, - present in somespheres of' life, and absent in others; valid in some spheres, andirrelevant or inapplicable or invalid in some others. It cannot beTruth if it has no place in the major aspects of man's earthlyexistence and activity. A seeker after Truth has therefore toseek it in all aspects of life, identify it and live by it in allactivities and fields of life. No spheres can be excluded. Thusthe material aspect of' man's life, his economic, political andsocial activity cannot be excluded. A Satyagrahi or votary ofTruth, therefore, cannot keep away from political activity. In