Non Cooperation and Muktinath

Non-cooperation and Muktinath

As usual I enjoyed reading the following extract from the Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, vol. 26.  The way he could give a convincing response is remarkable.  At the same time his comments would allow us to see the text not only from his own point of view but also from a different point of view.  Of course this is a bit long and all won’t enjoy reading.  But as I want to leave it for my future record, I am posting here.  His views on Soul and animals reflects the common Hindu view about them.###

166.  INTERVIEW TO “MANCHESTER GUARDIAN”

SABARMATI JAIL,

[Before March 18, 1922]²

. . . We came to the subject of non-co-operation. I asked him if¾in view of the answer Christ gave in the incident of the tribute money¾he did not think the policy of non-co-operation was contrary to Christ’s teaching. He replied:

Not being a Christian, I am not bound to justify my action by Christian principles. But, as a matter of fact, in this case I do not think there is any indication that Christ was against the principle of non-co-operation. I think His words show that He was for it.

“ I do not understand,” I protested. “Surely the meaning is quite clear. ‘Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s’ means that it is our duty to pay to the civil authorities what is their due. If it doesn’t mean that, what does it mean?”

Christ never answered a question in a simple and literal manner. He always gave in His replies more than was expected, something deeper¾some general principle. It was so in this case. Here He does not mean at all whether you must or must not pay taxes. He means

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something far more than this. When He says “Give back to Caesar the things which are Caesar’s”, He is stating a law. It means¹ ‘give back to Caesar what is his, i.e., I will have nothing to do with it.’ In this incident Christ enunciated the great law¾which He exemplified all his life¾of refusing to cooperate with evil. When Satan said to Him, “Bow and worship me” ¾i.e., co-operate with me, ¾then He said, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” When the crowds round Him wanted to take Him by force and make Him a military king, He refused to co-operate with them as their method was evil; they wanted Him to rely on force. Christ’s attitude against the authorities was defiant. When Pilate asked Him if He were king, He answered, “Thou sayest it.” Is not that treating authority with defiance? He called Herod “that fox”. Was that like co-operation with authorities? And before Herod He would not answer a word. In short, He refused to co-operate with him; and so I refuse to co-operate with the British Government.

“But” I said, “ Surely it is our duty in this imperfect world to co-operate with what is good in individuals and institutions.” The Mahatma said:

As a man. I would gladly co-operate and be friends with Lord Reading; but I could not co-operate with him as the Viceroy, being a part of corrupt Government.

Protesting further, I said “Granted the Government has made mistakes, yet you cannot surely say it is wholly bad; if there is miscarriage of justice here and there, the broad fact remains that the 300 millions of India are kept in a condition of law and order. Are you against governments in general? Can you point out to me any government on earth that is faultless and would satisfy you?” He replied at once:

Yes, look at the Government of Denmark. I should be satisfied with such a Government. It represents the people; it does not exploit a conquered nation; it is efficient; the people under it are cultured, intellectual, manly, contented and happy; it supports no large army and navy to keep others in imperial subjection.

“But,” I asked, “do you think empires are inherently bad? Surely the Roman Empire was a benefit to civilization. Christ never said a word against it as far as we know”

Quite so, but it was not His business to inveigh against imperi-alism. Every great reformer has to struggle against the special evil of his age. Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha and, in a lesser way, Luther had their own evils and difficulties to contend with, peculiar to their age. So have we. Now it is imperialism that is the great Satan of our times.

“So you are out to destroy the Empire?” I asked.

I would not put it that way. I only wish to destroy the Empire

• Here Gandhiji waved his hand as though putting something away from  him.

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by creating a commonwealth. I do not wish for complete separation from England; we have no right to wish for it.

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they can earn enough money with the sale of their homespun to tide them over the famine.

This coarse stuff is dearer and finer to me than the softest silks of Japan. Through it I am bound nearer to millions of my humble and starving countrymen. Look at the cloth you are wearing. When you buy that, you put one or two annas into the hands of the workman and six or seven into the pocket of the capitalist. Now look at mine. All the money I spend on this goes straight into the hands of the poor¾to the weaver, the spinner, and the carder, and not a pice into the hands of the rich man. To know this fills me with a heavenly joy. If I can act thus, if I can introduce the spinning-wheel into every cottage in India, then I shall be satisfied for this life; I could go on with my other schemes in my next if it pleased God.

“What do you mean?” I asked, not quite sure of the drift of his last remarks.

“You think we come back again to this earth?” He replied:

Yes. I think we all come back here again if we are not pure enough to go to heaven. You see, it is the same principle we were talking about before. “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s¾the body must give back to the earth the things that are of the earth before the soul can give itself absolutely to God; or, rather, the soul must refuse to co-operate with the things of this earth; it must become quite free from any earthly desires and entanglements.

“And do you believe animals have soul too?” [Soul] [animal]

Of course. It is the same with them; they, too, must learn to give back to Caesar the things which are Caesar’s. That is why as Hindus we do not kill animals; we leave them free to work out their own destinies.

“Then you think it is wrong to kill even such things as snakes, scorpions, and centipedes?”

Yes, we never kill them at our Ashram. It is a high stage in the development of the soul to feel a love for all humanity, but it is a higher stage still to have a heart of love for every living thing. I confess that I have not reached this stage. I still feel afraid when I actually see these creatures come near me. If we have no fear at all, I do not think they will harm us.

(I might mention here an incident related to me by one of Gandhiji’s followers. At evening prayer one day at his Ashram, a cobra came through the dusk and crawled right on to Mr. Gandhi, raising its head in front of him. His followers were going to catch it, but he signed to them to be still. He remained motionless himself and the reptile slid over his knees and went back into the garden.) The Mahatma, still on the subject of our relation to the animal world, continued:

I met an Englishman once. He was a veterinary surgeon and had

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a wonderful way with animals. We were visiting a house together, and suddenly a gigantic brute of a dog rushed towards us, fierce as a lion, and raised himself up almost to the height of a man as he flung himself at us. I was petrified with fear, but this Englishman went forward to meet it as it charged, and embraced it without a trace of fear. Its anger evaporated at once and it began wagging its tail. It impressed me very much. That is the true way of meeting animals by non-resistance. [see rest of the interview in Prophet Mohammed and Spider] —Collected Works of Mahatama Gandhi, vol. 26, pp. 371- 375