GANDHI, YOGA AND THE ISSUE OF SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT. IS THE NOTION OF NONVIOLENCE (AHIMSA) APPLICABLE IN HISTORY?

Abstract

The fact that spiritual development is needed both on an individual and social level is an issue all traditional societies were acquainted with. The laic and materialistic contemporary world is a mere historical, de-ontologized background which, while promoting individualism and competition, puts aside the trans-historical spiritual values, that have always defined man as a humane and human being, either in religion, or culture. This paper describes the motivation which was provided for man’s spiritual development in Yoga and Christianity, which had, on the one hand, a socializing, integrating function, and on the other hand, a compensatory one. Gandhi’s politics and policy founded on nonviolence and truthfulness is contrasted with man’s nihilistic nature, if not trained to develop his spiritual traits. Today’s redefinition of culture and education, which neglects man’s spiritual values, is the reason why, by contrast, we provided a large space for explaining Gandhi’s views and Yoga, which might be models to be followed even in a laic world, in which personal development should be backed up by man’s spiritual growth, if we want to survive as human beings.