Gandhi Before Gandhi

Author(s): Bipin Doshi, Priti Shah
Publisher: Jain Academy Educational Research Center Promotion Trust Mumbai

Page 133

GANDHI BEFORE GANDHI
Criticizing Yoga, Prof. Monier Williams of England says" Yoga is nothing but the contrivance for getting rid of all thought that is a strange compound of mental and bodily exercises, consisting in unnatural restraint, forced and painful postures, twisting and contortions of the limbs, suppression of the breath and utter absence of mind. The extraordinary powers of souls are mere dreams. All supernatural powers fade like mist of valley before the rays of the morning Sun, once the science exposes the laws of nature."
Contrary to these views let us read what Dr Heinrich of Germany Said "Apart from the material progress or mere outward development which the Hindus had already attained in times, which we are not ready to call pre-historic, though evidenced by splendor of their buildings and the luxuries and refinements of their civilization in general, it would seem as if this greatest and most subtle of Aryan race had developed an inner life even more strange and wonderful."
It is not for the scope of this book to describe Science of Yoga in details but
what is important is that Mr. Virchand Gandhi probably was the first to introduce not only Jainism but Yoga philosophy to the West. And this he did when Christianity believed in total faith in their savior to wash their sins.
Mr. Virchand Gandhi proving the intellectual advancement of ancient India through splendid work on Yoga said "If enquirer is still of the opinion that the palm of intellectual advancement belongs to the Western world-let him loose no time in having his own cranium examined by a competent physician."
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