Book Title: Gandhi Before Gandhi
Author(s): Bipin Doshi, Priti Shah
Publisher: Jain Academy Educational Research Center Promotion Trust Mumbai
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GANDHI BEFORE GANDHI
human beings were placed on this planet, and then he refers to the Hindus, and explains some points of the Hindu religion. Our idea of life has always been different, even in the times of foreign rulers; the idea has been unchanged, even to-day among the masses that idea is to be found. Even our street-sweeper knows that the physical life is only a station in the journey which he considers to be eternal. So far as the state of the soul is concerned, it is "eternal", that is to say; so far as the physical life is concerned it is non-eternal. He understands that the character depends on the effort of the soul. This idea is to be found in all the philosophies of India. If the idea of life is different and the object is different, then the laws, which such people would establish for their life, would also be different. However every one would say that object of life is Happiness,
intoxicating liquors; but all people agree that there is no real happiness in this. Sometimes happiness is defined as the greatest good of the greatest number and there the question comes in, "What is the good, after all?" Most of the professors of political economy think that happiness consists in material prosperity of the people but spirituality says different. The question is critical and non-conclusive. However it is certain that our happiness is far beyond the sensual pleasures all material happiness. Our definition of real enjoyment is much different and may look mystical.
Then "What is happiness?"
The solution of this question depends on the idea of life, if life means only the reorganization of the body, the health of the body in this life, then the object of that life would be to keep the body in a healthy condition, and to use all possible means for that purpose, I have said that as we pass from what attracts the eye merely to that which attracts the ear and then the reasoning faculties awaken and we pass from these stages to that in which we are attracted only by the things which appeal to the reason. But we know that there are many faculties equally necessary to the life of a human being and that the laws connected with all these faculties are reallaws that will advance human happiness, but those which advance the happiness of only one faculty cannot be the right laws. If the object of life is merely happiness for the time being we can derive such happiness from the use of
