Gandhi: A Spiritual Biography Hardcover – 30 July 2013
by Arvind Sharma (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 13 ratings
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The first spiritual biography of Gandhi, whose confidence in the power of the soul changed world history
In his Autobiography, Gandhi wrote, “What I want to achieve―what I have been striving and pining to achieve these thirty years―is self-realization, to see God face to face. . . . All that I do by way of speaking and writing, and all my ventures in the political field, are directed to this same end.” While hundreds of biographies and histories have been written about Gandhi (1869–1948), nearly all of them have focused on the national, political, social, economic, educational, ecological, or familial dimensions of his life. Very few, in recounting how Gandhi led his country to political freedom, have viewed his struggle primarily as a search for spiritual liberation.
Shifting the focus to the understudied subject of Gandhi’s spiritual life, Arvind Sharma retells the story of Gandhi’s life through this lens. Illuminating unsuspected dimensions of Gandhi’s inner world and uncovering their surprising connections with his outward actions, Sharma explores the eclectic religious atmosphere in which Gandhi was raised, his belief in karma and rebirth, his conviction that morality and religion are synonymous, his attitudes toward tyranny and freedom, and, perhaps most important, the mysterious source of his power to establish new norms of human conduct. This book enlarges our understanding of one of history’s most profoundly influential figures, a man whose trust in the power of the spirit helped liberate millions.
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Publisher : *Yale University Press; 1st edition (30 July 2013)
Language : English
Hardcover : 264 pages
ISBN-10 : 0300185960
ISBN-13 : 978-0300185966
Dimensions : 13.97 x 2.38 x 20.96 cmCustomer Reviews:
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 13 ratings
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R.C.
5.0 out of 5 stars ExcellentReviewed in the United States on 4 May 2021
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Great text. Thorough understanding of Gandhi’s leadership and importance.
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Kaif Mahmood
2.0 out of 5 stars A lot of cogitation and little empathyReviewed in India on 1 July 2017
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Perhaps a better title for this book would be 'A critical analysis of Gandhi's religious thought'. There is very little feeling for the movements of spirit that moved the man, the anxieties his heart struggled with, the flowering of his passion for selfless work, the deep vision into the human condition that he offered. Rather, the book is an analysis of the theoretical implications of Gandhi's words and deeds. Suitable for academic cogitation, but not of much help in understanding the heart of Gandhi, and the particular spirit of India that he symbolises.
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