Fr. Anthony da Silva’s words about Gandhi beautifully summarize what both St. Joseph (Naik) Vaz and Gandhi stood for: “ It is about the experience of the presence of God, of the Divine, in the actions of one’s life.”

We are offering this article by Rev. Anthony da Silva S.J. on Gandhi’s vision of “Ahimsa” and “Satyagraha” as a means of political struggle to highlight St. Joseph Vaz’ means of Self-sacrifice, Peace and non-Violence as a way of spreading the Gospel message.

In his day and age, Christian missionaries accompanied European colonial conquering armies to the new lands that were being discovered and colonized.
• St. Joseph Vaz is unique in that he entered his mission field of Sri Lanka without the armed support of a colonial power. He converted without resorting to force and violence.
• He’s unique in that he lived according to both Christian values and of the Catholic Church, and also practiced and taught Meditation and the Yogic path of Indian spirituality
• He lived as an Indian Sannaysin or holy renunciate, relying on the protection and help of the people, not taking money for spiritual services or even touching it, to show his detachment from material supports
• He built an underground network of chapels (often with free clinics attached to them) and schools as a form of peaceful resistance to Dutch persecution of Catholics, much as Gandhi offered his uniquely Indian unarmed and peaceful response to the British oppression of the Indian masses.

Here below we publish the article of Anthony da Silva, SJ published in Goanet-New, entitled Gandhian philosophy resonates with modern psychology

Dr. Anthony da Silva S.J. (Phd, Psychology)
Director | [email protected]
Xavier Centre of Historical Research, Porvorim, Goa

October 2 of each year, the birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, invites the nation to pause and turn its attention to this extraordinary man in modern Indian history. He struggled together with the masses to achieve his and our dream of a free and Independent India.

His vision of a non-violent (ahimsa) and truth-based (satyagraha) struggle, captivated the imagination of not only the people of India but also of its erstwhile rulers, the British. However today, 151 years after his birth, as the dust of history settles down, some raise the question of whether Gandhi is still relevant. Indeed he is. Today, modern psychologists and neuro-biologists find a distinct echo in the Gandhian philosophy of Truth and Non-violence.

How then can we take a fresh look at Gandhian values? It is important to bear in mind that according to Gandhi, no non-violent action can happen without first experiencing the force of truth (satyagraha) in one’s life. It is the experience of truth that drives us to non-violence.

For Gandhi, ‘Truth’ is not merely about the accuracy or falsehood of a statement. It is much more. It is about the experience of the presence of God, of the Divine, in the actions of one’s life. After all, for Gandhi, Truth is God. It is this truth-force that motivates individuals as well as the masses to action, to protests or to civil disobedience.

      The 1930 Dandi Salt Satyagraha covering a distance
      of some 400 kilometres and lasting several weeks
      remains a powerful example of the mobilization of
      the masses by appealing to Truth and Non-violence.
      Several thousand participated in the satyagraha in
      spite of the large number of police arrests and
      other acts of violence by the guardians of the law.

Satyagraha and the psychology of mindfulness

In present times psychologists are starting to appreciate and emphasize the power of self-awareness and other-awareness to bring about behavioural changes in society. It is referred to as the science of “mindfulness”. By becoming more aware of one’s inner feelings and outer actions, people become more focussed and mindful of what they think and do in daily life. Simultaneously, they grow in awareness of the other’s actions and feelings.

      Gandhi, a practitioner of Yoga and meditation
      quickly realized that satyagraha not only signalled
      resistance but also transformation.  It brought
      about new self-awareness, as well as a
      fellow-feeling, and a community-bonding.  This new
      kind of connectivity arises not only among those
      physically present but also among others spread
      across the nation.  Yoga and meditation are prime
      facilitators of mindfulness.

Furthermore, since mindfulness is not restricted merely to the individual but is shared by fellow-humans, it is universal. Once people start to practice mindfulness, they draw others closer, they connect. Soon, all become focussed on the same goal and act mindfully, as one body. Thus, the
way is now prepared for mindful action or non-violent resistance. Gandhi was able to transform the masses into committed activists for social change.

From Mindfulness (satyagraha) to Mindful Action (ahimsa)

Obviously, Gandhi’s masterful strategy was to combine satyagraha with ahimsa and utilise these tools for the freedom struggle. Psychologists affirm today that behavioural change can be brought about through mindfulness and a heightened sense of awareness. This insight came early to Gandhi and he utilized it brilliantly to mobilize the masses for civil disobedience and other protests. However, for Gandhi non-violence did not
mean merely passive resistance.

In fact, Gandhi says, “Non-violence is the greatest and most active force in the world. One cannot be passively non-violent”. He also calls passive resistance a “misnomer for nonviolent resistance”. As the Gandhi rightly says, “Ahimsa is not the goal. Truth is the goal. But we have no means of realizing the Truth in human relationships except through the practice of Ahimsa”.

Empathy

Closely related to the Gandhian concepts of satyagraha and ahimsa is the modern psychological concept of ’empathy’. Empathy which means entering into the feelings of the other, or getting into the shoes of the other has a lot in common with the satyagraha and ahimsa. Thus empathic people are
able to reach out more easily to others, understand them better and bond together for action. Empathic people develop the ability to listen to the other respectfully and without being aggressive. In other words, empathy promotes non-violence or ahimsa while at the same time grounding it in
the experience of one’s self-awareness or satya.

      Gandhi's concept of "non-violent resistance" in the
      face of aggressive opponents or violent forces, is
      firmly rooted in the psycho-biological concept of
      empathy.  Empathy enables us experience the
      perspective and emotions of the opponent.  While
      not necessarily agreeing with the opponents, one
      becomes better prepared to oppose or resist the
      opponents, non-violently.

Concluding Remarks

Gandhi’s teachings coming as they do from the ancient shastras of the world, can never really become obsolete. May be modern women and men lack the patience to slow down in life, become more mindful and thus enjoy the fruits of mindfulness. The cherished dynamic of the modern world is speed, whereas mindfulness advocates the opposite: moderation and the slowing down of time. Only in attuning the pace of our life to the pace of our breath, can we breathe new life into the world.