I fear, that any answer to this question will be naive and limited. The personalities of this scale so widely light up life that each sees in it its. Nehru's [Dzhavakharlal], the political associate of Gandhi, did not assume and did not understand his religiosity. He considered this the Indian specific character of Gandhi, and not more.

The student years of Gandhi were conducted in England. Here it fell into the environment of theosophists in the chapter of Annie [Bezant]. Theosophy was approached the association of Hinduizm and occult knowledge with the high revelations of Christianity. They began to greedily question young person about the secrets of the ancient of religion, but by Gandhi simply nothing he knew about wealth of his of religion. It did not eat meat, was stored conjugal faithfulness, and all. Theosophists turned the look of the beginning jurist [k] You [bkhagavadgite] and to gospel. By Gandhi it was struck by the similarity of the commandments of Hinduizm to the highland sermon of Christ.

Truly noble person knows all people as one and with happiness he pays by the good

for that caused to it evil. After reading these verses from [Bkhagavadgity], with Gandhi with the rejoicing it saw the same thoughts in the gospel.

“Into the indescribable enthusiasm led me the following lines: But I tell you: do not oppose to that offending; but if who strikes you into the right cheek your, substitute to it other; and who will want to be judged with you and to take in you jacket, return to it caftan”.

In the student years of Gandhi ever more it converges with the Christians, and Christians open for the young person depth and wealth of his religion - Hinduizm. Gandhi's mind never was credulous. General with the theosophists and the Christians, it read the atheistic literature, extremely fashionable in those times: “I read several atheistic books, whose name no longer I remember. They produced to me no impression, since I already traversed desert of atheism… If we love our neighbor, no changes, at least and revolutionary nature, they cannot make us good”.

Already in the ripe years of Gandhi gives exquisite description of scene on the cemetery, which finally arranged all points above “i”. This was conversation between the priest and the very self-confident gentleman, who, in my view, and now did not lose his urgency.

“- Well as, sir, do believe you in existence of god?

– Yes, answered that quietly.

– Then say to me, if you please, which the value of your god and where it is located?

– [O], if b we knew. It - in our hearts.

– To Nun, do not assume me for the child!
– said atheist and [torzhestvuyushche] looked on us.

Priest [smirenno] was silent.

This conversation even more strengthened my prejudice against the atheism”.

And nevertheless in the religious searching of young Gandhi some decisive breakthrough was not sufficient. Yes, it opened for itself the most great values of Hinduizm and Christianity, he became deeply religious person. But religious people there are many, many [induistov] and Christians. Its way of Gandhi found, after being introduced to Leo Tolstoy's study:

“The book “reign [Bozhie] inside us” literally took me, left the indelible

track in my soul. I increasingly more deeply understood the limitless possibilities of universal love”.

It will not by exaggeration say that Gandhi succeeded in carrying out in India that which to Tolstoy did not have luck to personify in Russia: to avoid bloodshed and via nonviolent fight to lead its people to the freedom. True, one should remember that neither Tolstoy nor Gandhi considered political freedom the final goal.

The moral purification of man, return to the most great moral values of world religions - was such their dream. It yet was not carried out. But there is no doubt whatever, that on the outcome of century we approached the revelations of Leo Tolstoy and Gandhi. In Russia the sudden moral transformation of academician Sakharov became this tangible bridge above the abyss. Similar to Gandhi, it did not begin to conceal from those surrounding the truth, which to it was opened, and it proved to be in the reference.

As always, [nenasilie] of authority they answer violence. By Gandhi it repeatedly occurred in the prison.

On the law court it recalled the words of the great American humanist of Thor: “It cannot be been by honest person without having proven to be in the prison”. On the outcome of century academician [A]. [D]. Sakharov will repeat the same words. He resisted totalitarianism by Gandhi's method. By Gandhi it conquered - India became independent variable.