E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi and the Encounter …. 25developing a conceptual frame work for a creative encounterbetween civilisations. Religion being one of the mostfundamental defining features of civilisations and as the clashtheory argues that religiously defined civilisational differencesare going to determine the emerging conflict betweencivilisations, a positive/creative model for inter-religiousrelations as enunciated by Gandhi will certainly exemplify howcivilisations could encounter in a healthy manner.It is well known that Gandhi considered himself to be areligious person. He grew up in a atmosphere of inter- religiousdialogue and encounter, which not only kindled his intellectualand spiritual curiosity but inculcated in him a deep sense oftoleration and respect for all religions. Later in life he madereligion the main subject of his study. He studied reverentiallythe scriptures of the major religions of the world- Christianity,Islam, Jainism, Buddhism and the Parsi faith along with thoseof his own religion, Hinduism. It must be mentioned here thatGandhi’s study of world religions was not academic butexistential; his objective was not gaining an intellectualunderstanding of the principles of those religions; what he triedto do was to assimilate their moral and spiritual principles andsynthesise them in to his own religiosity.After a reverential study of the major world religionsGandhi came to the conclusion that all religions werefundamentally equal. He understood that all religions arose asanswers to the fundamental and perennial human quest for themeaning and purpose of existence. For Gandhi, as religionssought the same Truth, there was truth in all of them. But asreligions came down to us through the instrumentality ofhuman beings, in spite of the fact that they were God-given,they shared the inevitable imperfections that go with the humaninstrument. So, all religions have some error in them, arguedGandhi. As all religions were true yet imperfect, the question of