Limits of Freedom- Mahatma Gandhi

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar, Professor, Editor and Linguist

Gandhi International Study and Research Institute, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

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Limits of Freedom- Mahatma Gandhi

 

Some Digambar Jains have asked the Sardar how, in the face of the Congress resolution passed at Karachi regarding fundamental rights and duties, assuring religious freedom under swaraj, anyone can object to Digambar Jain sadhus roaming about naked in accordance with their religion. The Sardar had replied that religious freedom could not imply that an act which appeared indecent to many or hurts their feelings was permissible. And he had said it was his opinion that despite being sadhus, if they went about naked, it was bound to hurt people’s feelings. I feel that the Sardar could have possibly given no other reply. I myself believe that the ideal state for all human beings is nakedness. But an ideal human being would always be innocent and free of passions or desires. Without such innocence, anyone roaming about naked would be regarded as a sinful man. There is no reason to conclude that because Digambar sadhus are known as sadhus they would necessarily be free of all passions.

Even if they are so, it is their dharma to keep within the bounds of social decency. A few Jains may understand the state of these sadhus. But society by and large will fail to comprehend it and its feelings will be hurt. These naked sadhus have no need to visit cities. It they have, they should observe the minimum bounds of decency prescribed for citizens. Instead of doing that if they insist upon entering cities in a naked state, or if the shravakas insist upon this, in my opinion it would be regarded as adharma. I myself am fond of the state of nakedness. If I were living in a lonely forest I would remain in that state, but in this world full of passions, there is little likelihood of this becoming the commonly accepted practice. For the preservation of morality even great men of every persuasion have to cover their private parts; it is their dharma to do so. Freedom, both individual and religious, has always had and will always have many limits. Religion does not hanker after rights; it hungers for restraints and restrictions. Anyone who knows religion and practises it does not think in terms of his rights. Nudity cannot be one’s duty. It is one’s duty to abandon all possessions.

That is a dharma of the mind. If anyone puts any burden on me, that is not possession. But is becomes so if I start enjoying that burden. The sadhu who bears the burden of the loincloth for the preservation of the social order does not violate the principle of non-possession but rather exercises self-control. The sadhu who insists upon going about naked without worrying about the feelings of society is self-willed. The following dictum of the Gita is pertinent in this context: “For me there is naught to do in the three worlds, yet I am ever in action. If I were not to perform my task, these worlds would be ruined; I should be the cause of chaos and of the end of all mankind.” Sadhus should not do anything which would harm the people. Let society never encourage them to do so.  

 

 

Reference:

 

Navajivan, 31-5-1931