Gandhi’s Philosophy: The Profound Influence of Jainism

Mahatma Gandhi, though born into a Vaishnavite Hindu family, was profoundly shaped by Jain philosophy from his earliest years. Growing up in Gujarat-a region with a significant Jain population-Gandhi absorbed principles that would later become the bedrock of his political and spiritual philosophy. His mother’s religious practices, his spiritual mentor Shrimad Rajchandra, and the Jain doctrines of non-violence, truthfulness, and the multiplicity of perspectives all left indelible marks on the man who would lead India to independence through purely non-violent means.

Early influence: fasting and mother’s example 🔗

Gandhi’s first exposure to Jain principles came through his mother, Putlibai, who was deeply religious and practiced rigorous self-discipline. She regularly fasted for self-purification-a practice deeply embedded in Gujarati Jain culture. As Gandhi later recalled in his autobiography, his mother was completely absorbed in religion, fasted frequently, and would not think of taking her meals without daily prayers. She would take the hardest vows and keep them without flinching, often undertaking two or three consecutive fasts without hesitation.

These early impressions profoundly shaped Gandhi’s later use of fasting as a tool for personal and political purification. Unlike coercive hunger strikes, Gandhi viewed fasting as a means of self-discipline and spiritual cleansing-a way to purify one’s soul and demonstrate moral conviction. He first employed fasting as a political tool in 1918 during the Ahmedabad mill workers’ strike, and continued this practice throughout his life, including a five-day fast after the Chauri Chaura incident in 1922. His household combined Vaishnavism with strong Jain influences that emphasised non-violence, fasting, tolerance, and self-restraint-values that became inseparable from Gandhi’s identity.

The eleven vows of Sabarmati Ashram 🔗

When Gandhi established his ashram at Sabarmati in 1915, he prescribed eleven vows for all residents. These vows formed the ethical foundation of ashram life and reflected Gandhi’s synthesis of various religious traditions, with Jainism playing a central role.

The five great vows 🔗

The first five vows-Satya (Truth), Ahimsa (Non-violence), Brahmacharya (Celibacy), Asteya (Non-stealing), and Aparigraha (Non-possession)-were directly drawn from Jainism’s Pancha Mahavratas, the Five Great Vows that Jain monks and laypeople have observed for millennia. Gandhi considered these vows interlinked, stating that violating one compromised the entire ethical code of the ashram. In Jain tradition, these vows represent the core ethical framework for spiritual liberation.

The remaining six vows-Bread Labour, Control of Palate, Fearlessness, Equal Respect for All Religions, Swadeshi (duty towards neighbour), and Removal of Untouchability-represented Gandhi’s extension of these ancient principles to address contemporary social needs. While in Yeravda jail in 1930, Gandhi wrote weekly letters to the ashram inmates explaining these vows in detail, later published as From Yeravada Mandir.

Ahimsa as a creed, not just a tactic 🔗

For Gandhi, Ahimsa was far more than a political strategy-it was a complete philosophy of life, deeply inspired by Jain thought. While the principle of non-violence runs through all Indian religions, Jainism takes it to an unparalleled level, requiring adherence not merely in action but in thought, word, and deed. Gandhi absorbed this comprehensive understanding.

He demonstrated this commitment most dramatically when he called off the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922, just eight days after the Chauri Chaura incident, where an angry mob burned a police station, killing 22 policemen. Despite the movement reaching its peak momentum, Gandhi halted it immediately, declaring that the nation was not ready for non-violence. He undertook a five-day fast as penance and stated that he had acted too hastily in encouraging people to revolt without sufficiently emphasising the importance of ahimsa.

The meaning of true non-violence 🔗

Gandhi defined Ahimsa as extending goodwill to all life, including what he called poisonous creatures. At a personal level, he believed non-violence required not only abstaining from physical harm but also removing from the mind all hatred, jealousy, and desire to harm even those who harm us. At a social level, the goal of Ahimsa was to create a society where there would be no need to act in an anti-social manner.

He looked upon ahimsa and satya (truth) as two sides of the same coin: truth leads to non-violence, just as non-violence leads to truth. The means, he insisted, should be as pure as the end. This understanding directly echoed the Jain teaching that ahimsa is not merely an ethical requirement but the supreme spiritual discipline.

Anekantavada: Gandhi’s tool for tolerance 🔗

Perhaps no Jain concept influenced Gandhi’s approach to religious and political discourse more than Anekantavada-the doctrine of many-sidedness or multiple perspectives. This ancient Jain teaching holds that truth and reality are complex, always having multiple aspects, and that no single viewpoint can capture the complete truth.

Gandhi once described himself as an adherent of Anekantavada and Syadvada (the related doctrine of conditional predication). He called it peculiarly his own and credited it with enabling him to see issues from a Muslim’s or Christian’s perspective. In the journal Young India (January 1926), Gandhi wrote that he was an Advaitist yet could support Dualism, demonstrating how Anekantavada allowed him to hold seemingly contradictory positions.

Fostering universal love and humility 🔗

According to scholars studying Gandhi’s philosophy, while he was duty-bound to act according to his relative truth, a satyagrahi was equally bound to learn from the truth held by his opponent. This approach fostered remarkable religious tolerance. Gandhi believed that all religions help their adherents proceed towards an ideal life, that all religions have had devotees who realised God in their own way, yet no religion is perfect.

In the daily prayers at his ashram, chantings from the Quran, Buddhist prayers, and the Bible were included alongside Hindu scriptures. When a Parsi friend suggested singing about Hormuzd (the Zoroastrian deity), the congregation readily embraced the idea. This spirit of genuine religious pluralism stemmed directly from Gandhi’s understanding of Anekantavada.

Karma and ascetic simplicity 🔗

Gandhi’s view of Karma aligned closely with Jain thought, seeing it as a causal chain where good deeds shape the future. In Jain philosophy, karma is understood as subtle matter that adheres to the soul based on one’s actions, thoughts, and words, binding it to the cycle of rebirth. Liberation comes through purifying the soul of karmic bondage through right conduct and self-discipline.

Gandhi’s lifestyle of simple living and high thinking was a form of the asceticism enjoined by Jainism, though he interestingly rejected being called an ascetic. His principle of Aparigraha (non-possession) was particularly rigorous. He believed that having as few possessions as possible was proof of one’s faith in God, and he would quote instances of devotees who did not believe in keeping back even a little food for the next meal.

Trusteeship and non-possession 🔗

Gandhi extended the Jain principle of non-possession into a social doctrine through his concept of trusteeship. Recognising that wealthy individuals could not simply abandon their possessions without complications, he suggested that businessmen and landlords should consider themselves not owners but trustees of their property. All income should be shared with employees, with the owner taking only the bare minimum, thus narrowing the economic gap between classes.

In his personal life, Gandhi practiced extreme frugality-replying to letters in the blank half of the page, opening addressed envelopes on all sides, gumming them up inside out, and using them again. His aim was to use as little of people’s resources as possible for his own purpose and thus be as little indebted to society as possible.

The enduring legacy of Jain influence 🔗

Gandhi’s spiritual mentor, Shrimad Rajchandra, a Jain poet-philosopher, profoundly deepened these Jain influences. Gandhi credited Rajchandra as the person who captivated his heart in religious matters as no other man ever had, and called him his guide and helper and his refuge in moments of spiritual crisis. Their extensive correspondence during Gandhi’s years in South Africa helped shape his worldview and commitment to ethical living.

The synthesis of Jain principles with Hindu, Christian, and other influences created Gandhi’s unique philosophy-one that proved capable of inspiring movements for justice across the world. Martin Luther King Jr. integrated satyagraha into his vision of Christianity, stating that Christ showed the way and Gandhi in India showed it could work. Nelson Mandela credited Gandhi’s philosophy with contributing to peaceful transformation in South Africa.

Though Gandhi was not a Jain by birth, his ideals and philosophy made him, as some scholars note, a Jain in spirit. The Jain principle of Syadvada (relativity) allows for this seemingly contradictory statement: from the viewpoint of his birth and self-identification, Gandhi was not a Jain; from the viewpoint of his actions and beliefs, he could indeed be called one.

What do you think? How might Gandhi’s adoption of Anekantavada-the principle that truth has multiple perspectives-help address religious and political polarisation in today’s world? Can the ancient Jain vows of non-violence and non-possession offer practical guidance for modern ethical living?

References

1. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mahatma-Gandhi
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chauri_Chaura_incident
3. https://www.gandhi-manibhavan.org/educational-resources/the-eleven-vows-of-gandhiji.html
4. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ataraxia/202406/how-gandhis-non-violence-is-rooted-in-indian-philosophy
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anekantavada
6. https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Anekantavada
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Practices_and_beliefs_of_Mahatma_Gandhi