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Gandhi's admiration for his friend has been conclusively shown.20. Tilak, the most respected scholar of The Gita and freedom movement leader once said 'I thought Gandhi was a Jain. 21
Thus Gandhi acquired from Jainism and Rajchandra, the theoretical structure that fitted his own deepest nature of a religious activist with the concept of Jiva, law of karma and the gradual purification of Atma to Paramatma; validity of scriptures and their interpreter, God and Avatar.
In South Africa itself, Gandhi changed his own life style on similar lines as practised and propagated by Jainism. He gave up his lucrative legal profession and led a life of poverty (like renunciation), setting up Indian settlements at Phoenix in 1905 and Tolstoy Farm in 1910, advising his countrymen to stop use of foreign medical system and lawyers as they were against the Indian spirit. He started practicing Ahimsa, dietary restrictions, Brahmacharya (celibacy) and became a practitioner of Satyagraha (nonviolent resistance) to achieve his own Atmadarshan (self realization, as well as to empower his countrymen to enjoy social rights and dignity.
We shall now review the impact of Jainism on his philosophical thought first which can be expressed best through his translation of The Gita as The Gospel of Selfless Action with some foot notes and the introduction titled 'Message of The Gita' in it.
a. Interpretation of The Gita as Anasakti-Yoga (Gospel of
Selfless Action) Gandhi called his interpretation of the Gita as Anasakti Yoga. Gandhi said that Anasakti Yoga is written by him primarily for women, untouchables and the less educated even though for he himself Gospel of Truth was an epitome of selfless action.22 This
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