Gandhi Movie

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 “’Love they neighbor as thyself’ is not something we Hindus prescribe to, but it is something we could learn from.”

"I am a Muslim, and a Hindu, and a Christian and a Jew; and so are you."

These two quotes are similar in many aspects.  The first quote is cited numerous times from a Christian Bible, for it is what Jesus have commanded his disciples.  The second quote is how Gandhi refers himself to be included in many religions.  In the movie, Gandhi exemplifies these two quotes very well.  In the end, the two religions, Muslims and Hindus were having a huge conflict (even to the point of a Civil War) to have control of the Indian government.  Gandhi, unlike the others in the conflict, stays in a Muslim house even though he was grown up as a Hindu.  He fasts (to the point he might kill himself) just in order to unite the Muslims and the Hindus.  When a Hindu man comes with despair to Gandhi about how he killed a Muslim child, Gandhi tells him to find an orphan Muslim child and raise him in a Muslim way.  In these situations we can see Gandhi’s love for people of all religions and his hope that these people will live together harmoniously.  Also, this shows Gandhi is a strong believer in the Hindu’s polytheistic belief.  Unlike other religions, Hinduism accepts beliefs of gods in all sorts of religions.  They believe all religions will, in the end, help attain the realization of oneself and reach Nirvana. 

“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”

Gandhi’s nonviolence protest completely supports the quote above.  Although many wanted war for Indian independence, Gandhi tells nonviolence is the only way for the country to have a peaceful freedom.  Interestingly, Gandhi’s protests showed effect, “opening the eyes” of citizens of Britain.  They started being interested in how the Indians were just taking in the anger of the British Empire.  Many of them followed Gandhi’s side and Gandhi (in the end of the movie) forces Britain out of India.  Gandhi’s nonviolence act interacts a lot with the reincarnation and karma belief of Hinduism.  They believe all bad deeds will return to them, forcing them to be reborn into a lower caste level.  I believe Gandhi’s childhood understanding of this “do-not-do-mean-things” helped him carry on with his nonviolence protest.

I have understood many new things about Hinduism by watching the movie about Gandhi.  It was very interesting to see Gandhi accept other religions as part of Hinduism, for I am a Christian who serve one God.  Also I got to experience a situation where the karma belief was shown.  It was very interesting to see the Hindu people in the movie to be beaten by British people and not to fight back at all.  Also, I was surprised by how the Muslims and Hindus fought each other for the sake of the difference in religion.  Lastly, I was very pleased to have an opportunity to examine a life of a Hindu by watching a movie.  Before watching this movie, my view of Hindu was nothing different than a Muslim (I was confused between the two religions).  But now I have found out their different aspects and beliefs.