Exploring Gandhi's Interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita

How can sacred texts inspire action and How can sacred texts inspire action and what does it mean to work without reward? what does it mean to work without reward? Gandhi and the Gita Gandhi and the Gita A 6-8 hour at-home study-set

Introduction This at-home study-set is suited to various parts of GCSE Hinduism options, or to general upper key stage 3 work on Hinduism. It provides material relevant to exam questions about karma yoga, attitudes to sexuality and family life, ahimsa, satyagraha and the example of Gandhi, including attitudes to conflict. It should extend students knowledge and understanding beyond the standard text books. Find (and it may be useful to print) the report of Karline McLain s research at https://www.reonline.org.uk/research/living-the-bhagavad-gita-at-gandhis-ashrams/. A related useful resource is Kevin s Blog at https://www.reonline.org.uk/blog/how-can- sacred-texts-inspire-action-and-what-does-it-mean-to-work-without-reward-gandhi-and- the-gita/.

Stage 1: Setting the scene Let s begin to look at the research report. First, read it through carefully. Now, to recap what you ve read, here s the background. The Bhagavad Gita is a scripture in which the god Krishna imparts lessons to the warrior prince Arjuna about sacred duty (dharma) and the path to spiritual liberation (moksha). The scene is a battlefield, and even though Arjuna s relatives are in the opposing army, he must do his warrior duty and fight. By the 19th century it had come to be regarded as a core text, even the core text, of Hinduism. Under British rule, it was sometimes interpreted as a call for armed resistance, but Gandhi read a nonviolent message into it. Once you re clear about the context, go back to the research report. Note a list of five or six key findings of the research. Email it to your teacher to check, or check it yourself against the list on the next slide.

Stage 1: Setting the scene (2) Gandhi sought to find the meaning of the Gita through life in a community. For Gandhi, the battlefield scene was an allegory of the duel between good and evil in the heart. People must be prepared to sacrifice themselves for what is true and right. For over 40 years, when Gandhi was not in prisons, he was living on back-to-the-land communities (ashrams) that he founded in South Africa and India. They tried to live out the Gita s message. In 1906 Gandhi took a vow of celibacy, to practice the Gita s principle of self-sacrifice; he would lessen his attachments to his possession of a wife and four sons and treat all ashram members as co-equals. On the morning of the Salt March in 1930, Gandhi insisted that only ashram members prepared to be killed, and who had taken vows of celibacy, should join him. They were allowed to take no food or drink, only a copy each of the Gita.

Stage 2: Investigating further, deepening understanding Now that your basic knowledge is secure, let s go further into the meaning and impact of Gandhi s beliefs and relate these to ideas of your own. Firstly, consider verse 47 of the Gita. Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward. Work not for a reward, but never cease to do thy work. Think of and note down examples of people who deliberately work without seeking rewards. Try also to think of and note reasons why these people do this. At the end, note some conclusions: can it even be possible to do this? Why it is held up to be good? Is it a good rule? Perhaps you, your teacher and other students can arrange to discuss your views on these questions via skype, or you might email your notes to your teacher for comment.

Stage 2: Investigating further, deepening understanding (2) Do you know the story of the Salt March? Watch the relevant clip from Richard Attenborough s 1982 film Gandhi . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW3uk95VGes Now, imagine the scene on the morning of the march. Gandhi insists that only those ready to be killed should join him, only those who have taken vows of celibacy, none are allowed to bring food or drink, and all are required to bring a copy of the Gita. What questions would the ashram members have asked? How would they have felt? Write down your responses. Then: do you think that the Salt March counts as an example of working without reward? Try to give both sides of the argument and a conclusion.

Stage 2: Investigating further, deepening understanding (3) Here are two follow-up activities to try: Carry out your own research into life and ethics in Gandhian ashrams, drawing comparisons with communities to which you belong and evaluating how people benefit from different kinds of community membership. Write a newspaper article about the Salt March for (say) American readers at the time imagine yourself as the American journalist shown in the YouTube clip, who accompanied Gandhi. Use the knowledge and understanding gained through this study-set to report what happened, why it did, how Gandhi prepared the ashram members, the motivations and emotions of all involved and to explain how the events were linked to the Gita s teaching of work without reward. Email one or both of your pieces of work to your teacher for comment.

Stage 3: summing up, looking forward to the exam You may be following a GCSE Hinduism option, in which case try this 2018 past question and email it to your teacher for assessment. Teachers, if you are not using Edexcel specification B, you may want to adapt accordingly. (c) Explain two Hindu teachings about passive resistance. In your answer you must refer to a source of wisdom and authority. (5) Look carefully over the examiner s mark scheme as you draft your answer, and to check it at the end. You can find it on the next slide.

Stage 3: summing up, looking forward to the exam (2) Award one mark for each teaching. Award further marks for each development of the teaching up to a maximum of four marks. Award one further mark for any relevant source of wisdom or authority. Hindu scriptures show violence is wrong (1) and Rig Veda 10.191.4 says the same be your resolve and be your minds of one accord (1) for a person s mind to be at peace their actions need to be peaceful (1). Passive resistance is related to ahimsa (1) for Gandhi, he related it to satyagraha (1) wherein direct action is taken to peacefully change minds and events (1). Gandhi taught about non violence as the way to make change (1) and proved that passive resistance could be more effective than violent protest (1) he said, there is not a single cause I would kill for in a speech in 1925 (1). Accept any other valid response.