Page 28 - Acharya Vinoba Bhave in 21st Century ISBN

21oha “krkCnh esa vkpk;Z fouksck Hkkos dh izklafxdrk

It not only aims at changing the hearts of men but also their physical conditions through social
action. The constructive programme of Sarvodaya is based on this doctrine. Idealism is necessary

because realism and pragmatism are children born of it and it shows the direction of progress.
While commenting on some of Jnaneswara’s verses Vinoba rises to the same philosophical

level, uses Jnanegwara’s metaphorical language and says: “There is a cot of nirguna on which there is
a bed of saguna, on which there is an idol with form. Such is the nature of Reality along with the
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cosmos.” Thus according to Jnaneswara, the whole world is pervaded by Brahman. The world is
sphoorti of Brahman. The word ‘Sphurti suggests energy and movement and thus the world is energy

incarnate endowed with a capacity for constant change. There is no status quo in the world. Like the
Buddhists, Vinoba also holds that the world is changing every moment and takes diverse novel forms.

Due to its ability to change, there is newness, freshness and eternal continuity in the world. 28
This sphurti or urge is not something external to the Brahman, it is the same as sentient

Brahman developing the form of sentience, Consciousness, self-consciousness and manifests itself in
the human world, the social world. All the other tenets of Gandhi and Vinoba’s philosophy of life

follows as a matter of course. In fact, Sphoorti is only the becoming aspect of being. As R. R. Diwakar
observes: “In the case of both Gandhi and Vinoba, the quest of the ‘Being’ of God never ceased; in fact

it went on intensifying. But the search of the ‘Being’ in ‘Becoming itself and not outside it, proved more
rewarding, not only to the two seekers but to all humanity as well ! 29

If the Brahman and the world are to be coherent in growth, if the manifestations of Brahman
are ever to grow then there cannot be a place for violence. Non-violence will automatically be an

inherent constituent, a formative part of this! No less, it should be the nature of life or Jivan. Gandhi
saw truth in non-violence and non-violence in truth. While interpreting life Vinoba similarly says that life

is a search after Truth — Jivanam Satya Shodhanam. He says: ‘It is a search after this ever growing
reality and its realization.’ It is this new approach which gives us a basic principle for unity of theory and

practice. This principle provides also for his social philosophy and activities likeBhoodan, Gramdana,
the approach that led to the surrender of dacoits etc.

God or Ishvara

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According to Vinoba, God is an inferential Brahmam. Vinoba makes a clear-cut statement
distinguishing God (Iœvara) from Brahman, the Ultimate Reality. The surrounding nature stands out

there only because of her underlying spiritual essence. This is Iœvara. He is the inner being controlling
every smallest movement and completely knowing even insignificant aspects of nature. Brahman stands

above this Iœvara and individual selves as a unifying Ultimate Reality. 31

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