B) Contributions made to Hinduism by Gandhi

Advaita vedanta

• Means non-duality/ absence of duality
• State of oneness with the rest of creation: comes with a heightened sense of awareness- one sees everything in oneself and as oneself
• Advaita schools believe that God and sould are not different- they believe there is only one reality and it is God

Satyagraha

• Translates roughly as 'truth force'
• Gandhi practiced 2 types of satyagraha in his mass campaigns:
• 1. Civil disobedience- breaking  a law and courting arrest. Method aimed not to win by overwhelming but by converting his opponent
• 2. Non-co-operation- refusing to co-operate with the oponent, refusing to submit to the injustice being fought. E.g. strikes, economic boycotts, tax refusals

Brahmacharya

• In a general sense, means the pursuit of the knowledge of Brahman, the supreme self or the study of the vedas
• Specifically means the practice of celibacy by students who pursue vedic studies
• At 34, Gandhi was convinced 'further progress is not possible unless I have total brahmacharya'
• Until 79 (40+ years), he observed strict brahmacharya

Background

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