Page 194 - Hinduism
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XI.7 Sri Rabindranath Tagore
In the popularization of ancient Hindu ideals, Rabindranath Tagore has played a significant part. Tagore has made a suggestive interpretation of the Vedic religion and the substance of the Upanishads.
XI.8 Mahatma Gandhi
In the popularization of ancient Hindu ideals, Mahatma Gandhi has played a significant part. The teachings of Mahatma Gandhi have led to vast social changes and to the uplift of the backward and depressed classes. He has stated that his whole religion is based on surrender to the will of God, the spirit of renunciation as embodied in the Isa Upanishad, the Gita and the ideals of practical service. He has given a new interpretation to the doctrine of non-violence which is as old as Hinduism, and tried to adapt it by means of satyagraha to political and moral issues.
Mahatma Gandhi worked for the uplift of the depressed and backward classes and for the creation of national entity. Speaking in Travancore on the Temple Entry Proclamation enacted there in 1936, he said: "These temples are the visible symbols of God's power and authority. They are, therefore, truly called the houses of God, the houses of prayer. We go there in a prayerful mood and perform, first thing in the morning after ablution, the act of dedication and surrender. Scoffers and sceptics may say that all these are figments of the
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