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We speak of these as
separate, but to Gandhiji they were actually
inextricable concepts: ahimsa
was the means and truth was the end.
Truth was God, according to Gandhiji, but in
order to be one with God, one�s spirit had to be
pure, which could only be achieved through ahimsa.
As we reflect on the greatness of
Mahatma Gandhiji�s life, we must ask ourselves,
�What was the meaning of his life? What was the
message of his death?
What does he have to teach the world of
today?�
We can answer these questions
with the word �yagna.�
Yagna was the spirit of his life and the
message of his death.
Every breath of his life, including the last,
was an oblation to his country, his principles and his
faith in God. The theme of his life was truly
sacrifice.
Sacrifice
for his Country
Mahatma Gandhi could have been a wealthy
attorney. He
could have had a life of relative ease and prosperity.
However, he was a man devoted to his country
and to Her freedom.
Through his tireless effort and his simple
piety he led India to independence. However, in spite
of national and international acclaim,
he never lost his humility, his dedication and
his spirit of sacrifice. Rather, the flames of his
true yagna to Bharat Mata seemed to only grow until
he, himself, was the poornahuti, or final offering.
When I was little, a great saint told me that
we always try to put ourselves in the center. We
always want the focus on ourselves, the recognition
for ourselves and the reward for ourselves.
We do not actually work or accomplish anything
meaningful, but we expend great effort trying to
convince all those around us of our inestimable worth.
However, Gandhiji was different. He did everything,
accomplished everything. Yet he worked and lived with
such humility and such piety that he never put himself
in the center. This is a great message of his life:
�work, serve with every breath, but remain a simple,
humble, unattached
child of God.�
Gandhiji�s
spirit of non-violence and sacrifice did not only
pertain to overt actions. It was a quality of the
spirit � a quality of humble love for all beings.
There is a story of a man traveling by train to
Porbandar in the same coach as Gandhiji.
However, the man did not know that the old man
in his coach was Mahatma Gandhi.
So, all night long this man lay down on the
seat, occupied the entire coach, pushed Gandhi, put
his feet on him, and left Gandhiji with barely enough
room to sit upright.
However, Gandhi did not fight, nor complain.
How easy it would have been to proclaim, �I
am Mahatma Gandhi. Give me room in the coach.�
But Gandhiji�s ahimsa
was an ahimsa
of the tongue and an ahmisa
of the heart. So, he simply let the man use as much of
the seat as he desired. .
As the
train pulled into Porbandar the man mentioned that he
was going to see the famous Mahatma Gandhi.
Gandhiji still remained silent.
He had no need to stray from divine humility
and proclaim his identity. As Gandhiji descended from
the train to a welcoming crowd of thousands, the man
fell at his feet, begging for forgiveness. Gandhiji,
of course, blessed and forgave him, telling him only
that he should be more respectful of others,
regardless of who they are. He taught the man the true
lesson of Sarvodaya, for the man learned that anyone
(including the skinny, old man in your coach) is
potentially divine and deserves respect.
This is a message we should learn and re-learn
every time we remember this great saint. Every person
we step on to made ourselves higher, or push aside to
give ourselves center stage, or ignore in the service
of our needs, we must realize is divine.
Another beautiful example of Gandhiji�s
humility, his selfless sacrifice for his country is
how he �celebrated� his victory.
When India won independence, when Gandhi was
the hero of the country,
he could have been in New Delhi receiving
boundless honors and appreciation. However, he was
not. He was not in New Delhi, nor was he in Bombay,
nor in Calcutta. He was nowhere that would shower him
with love and esteem. Rather, was in East Bengal where
Hindus and Muslims were fighting bitterly.
He was not content to have �fulfilled his
mission.� Rather, if humans were still suffering,
then he still had work to do. So, while the rest of
the country celebrated, Gandhiji continued his
tireless work to heal
the wound between Hindus and Muslims.
This is the spirit of
sacrifice. This
is the spirit of divinity.. Even when all external
circumstances throw you to the center, you remain
humble, you remain simple, you remember for whom your
yagna was performed. Gandhi�s yagna was for his
country, not for his own fame.
Sacrifice
for Dharma -- the Principles of Right Living
However, his life was not only a sacrifice for
Mother India. It was also a yagna of morality, of dharma,
of ethics and of truth. How easy it would have been to fight with weapons; how easy
to kill the enemy. How easy to carry a gun to protect
himself. Yet, the flames of Gandhi�s yagna were
fueled by non-violence. Wars throughout history had
been won with weapons. Gandhi was devoted to proving
that peace could only come through peace. People
criticized him vehemently for refusing to take up
arms; they claimed he was forfeiting India�s fight
for freedom. Yet, he simply kept pouring truth, piety,
and dharma into the fire of his life yagna, and
the flames rose in victory.
This is the true meaning of yagna, for Gandhi
sacrificed an easy-win (or at least a quick loss) for
India by refusing to engage in armed warfare. He
sacrificed his popularity; he sacrificed his status as
a fighter. Yet, the truth prevails and he is
remembered as one of the greatest leaders -- both
political and spiritual -- that the world has ever
known.
Sacrifice
to God
Mahatma Gandhi�s life was in service to God.
His work for his country and his tenaciously held
values were part and parcel of this complete sacrifice
to the divine. The Gita was his closest companion, and
his most trusted guide.
So many people today claim that their lives and
their work are �God�s.�
Yet, they use this as an excuse to lie, to
cheat and even to kill. And, at the end it is clear
that they merely used God�s name in the service of
themselves. Yet, Gandhiji was pure and his death is
the clearest example.
Due to his tenaciously held belief in ahimsaa
and his true surrender to God, he refused to employ a
bodyguard. Hence, he was gunned down on his way to a
prayer meeting. As
he breathed his last, there was no sign of fight, no
break from his lifelong dedication to non-violence and
to the divine. He did not scream, �Who are you? How
dare you? Somebody help me!!� Rather,
the only words that escaped from his lips were �He
Ram, He Ram, He Ram.�
This is the spirit of yagna.
What
can we learn?
So many people come
and go in this world. So many people become famous
through valiant efforts to �make a name for
themselves.� Yet,
how many of these people have really left lasting
impressions or have really changed the course of
history? Very few.
When we depart this Earth, when we leave our
bodies, what is it that remains? It is that which we
have given to the world. It is that for which we have sacrificed. It is the love and
the peace that our presence brought to those around
us. Gandhiji�s name will live eternally not only because he
brought independence to India.
He will be remembered forever and revered
forever because of the way he brought peace,
because of the message of his life.
When Gandhiji was in South Africa he was
traveling by train and the conductor came and rudely
told Gandhi to leave.
�But, sir, I have a ticket,� Gandhi
replied. The
conductor threw violently him from the train and
yelled, �You do not deserve to ride on this
train!� Gandhi,
however, did not raise an arm in his defense.
And today, does anyone know the name of the man
who threw him from the train?
Of course not. But, today the name of that
train is �Mahatma Gandhi Train�, and the name of
the station is �Mahatma Gandhi Station�! That is
the spirit of yagna.
Gandhi would not have wanted to be only
remembered in history books. He would not want to be
remembered only as the politician who led India to
independence. He
would want his message to live on; he would want his
yagna to continue burning, to continue bringing light
and warmth to all the world. In fact, when someone
once asked him for a message, he replied, �my life
is my message.�
So, as we
remember this Mahatma, this �great soul,� let us
take his message to heart.
Let us live our lives as a sacrifice to world
peace, as a sacrifice to our principles and as a
sacrifice to God. Then, and only then, will our lives
truly make a difference.
God
bless you all.
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