Mahatma Gandhi s Religious Thoughts

Mahatma Gandhi, the charismatic leader of India’s independence movement, who played a great role in religious, moral, social and political awakening of Indians in the early twentieth century, was extremely impressed by religious, moral and mystical motivations. Therefore, he was entitled Mahatma (The Great Soul) by Indian society, which is considered a mystical and religious award. In his point of view, religion had a fundamental status. Consequently, the critical viewpoints against religion in the modern world greatly concerned him and later on, brought about his religious and social reformative thoughts. In his opinion, religion was more comprehensible in practice and experience; hence, he thought that man must pass through superficial aspects of religion by practicing all religious and moral instructions, then penetrates into its depths, so that he would experience the Truth face to face. In this article, we have tried to clarify the religious dimensions of his personality, and also scrutinize simultaneously his most significant ideas and reflections on religious realm, specially on Hinduism and some subjects such as God, faith, Brahmacharya, Ahimsā, satyāgraha, unity of religions and religious reformations.