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Chapter 3
Shrimad Rajchandra & Mahatma Gandhi
As long as humanity exists, the life and message of Mahatma Gandhi will continue to inspire one and all. His experiments with truth were on Indian soil, yet his thoughts and ideologies have influenced the entire human race. The world has been witness to the erosion of values, rank materialism, escalation of unhindered violence, unmitigated possessiveness, the proliferation of terrorist activities, recourse to falsehoods and unethical practises and it is at this perilous period in human history that Gandhiji's philosophy and worldview hold a ray of light to the world. Albert Einstein said that the world would hardly believe, generations later, that such a man in flesh and blood strode this world.
Gandhi has been an extraordinary phenomenon of the modern age. The path he chose to tread upon and the values he espoused and exemplified were influenced by the Jain school of thought. We shall explore several incidents in his life in the next few chapters to highlight the influence of the Jain philosophy on his life.
