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Gandhi's pledge to a Jain Muni
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Mohandas K. Gandhi, whom many revere as the Father of India, was not a Jain by birth. His parents were Vaishnavas and he was born into that Hindu sect in the city of Porbandar, Gujarat on October 2nd, 1869. Jainism has a strong influence in Gujarat because many Jains live there. Growing up in that province with a pious mother, Gandhi was constantly exposed to the Jain doctrines. Although he was not Jain by letter, he was Jain in spirit because of his ideals and philosophy.
The principle of relativism, Syadvada, allows us to make this seemingly contradictory statement. Gandhi was not a Jain from the viewpoint of his birth and what he considered himself to be. On the other hand, he could be called a Jain if one considers his actions and beliefs
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Gandhi's Pledge to a Jain Monk....
At the age of 18, Gandhi traveled to England to study law.Gandhi's mother was hesitant to let him leave because she had heard that young, married men became corrupted when they went to England. She consulted Becharji Swami, a Jain monk, who said that Gandhi should take a solemn vow in front of his mother and then he can be allowed to go. "He administered the oath and I [Gandhi] vowed not to touch wine, woman and meat. This done, my mother gave her permission."
(p. 33) In England, Gandhi's adherence to the vow was tested many times. Once, someone recommended that he eat eggs because eggs were not meat. After taking them for some time, he realized that in his mother's interpretation of the vow, meat included eggs so he quit eating them. This taught the young Gandhi the importance of interpreting a vow in the spirit of the person who administers it; in this case his mother.
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