Gandhi believed in examining people of other faiths from their view point than from his own. He believes that all faiths were equal and shared similarities. Gandhi wanted people to accept each other no matter in what god they believed in and believed that everyone should learn and educated themselves in each other’s religions. Gandhi also believed very strongly in the spiritual purification of the right diet and lived on a vegetarian diet as an expression of non-violence towards animals. He believed that less is more as well. He lived a comfortable life before traveling to South Africa and realizing how the Hindus were being treated by the British. He believed if people would live a simpler life with more self-resilience that they would be able to undercut the economic value of India in the British Empire.
Gandhi believed in judging people of other faiths from their views rather than his own. He believes that all faiths were equal and shared similarities. In his writings “All religions are true” Gandhi talks about how he believes how people should all take in interest and learn about other people’s faiths and beliefs. He states “And I believe that, if only we could all of us read the scriptures of the different faiths from the standpoint of the followers of those faiths, we should find that they were at bottom all one and were all helpful to one another.” (All Religions are True, 1962). He believed men were all equal and all shared one greater god, “God is only one though. He has countless names.” (All Religions are True, 1962).
He compares religion to a tree, stating that a tree has many branches and leaves but one root just as the varying religions are the leaves and branches of one root. He believed in “Varna dharma” meaning the law of life. He states that some people are born to teach and some to defend and some to engage in trade and so much so that it becomes hereditary. (All Religions are True, 1962). He believed it was his power and faithfulness to point out the flaws of his own religion, but to abstain from pointing out the flaws in others faith. He believes all religions are true, all religions have error in them, and all religions are dear to him inasmuch as humans should be dear to one another as they were close relatives. (All religions are true, 1962).
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Gandhi also believed very strongly in the spiritual purification of the right diet and lived on a vegetarian diet as an expression of non-violence towards animals. On a trip to South Africa, Gandhi got to experience firsthand the prejudice his people were facing by the British Empire. He himself even experienced the prejudice first hand when he was riding the train in first class and was going to be bumped to third but because he did not want to oblige with the train staff, he was kicked out of the train all together. That lead him to want to change how the British Empire controlled India. He believed that in life humans should not have to result in violence. During his time in South Africa, he wanted his fellow Hindus to protest with the British but for it not to result in violence. He wanted people to understand one another and be able to co-exist with one another.
Gandhi wanted to liberate India from British rule by using non-violent political action. He called this practice of spiritual non-violence ‘satyagraha.’ He trained his disciples in it and wouldn’t allow them to engage in political protest until he felt sure they truly had abandoned a desire for violence. During his time in India he would fast until the people of India would stop rioting on the streets and creating chaos. He had such an impact on the people of India that they would all stop once they heard that he was fasting. As time went on, Gandhi started to realize that less is much simpler. Coming from a well-off career as a lawyer, Gandhi decided he needed to live like his fellow people and adapted to only carrying his staff and his book, his glasses and minimal clothing.
