Page 51 - Acharya Vinoba Bhave in 21st Century ISBN

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The third point suggested by Vinoba is one of the most significant exercise in today’s time. It
also questions the so called infallible nature of religious beliefs. This point shows how in spite of being

a traditionalist, Vinoba was not dogmatic in his approach towards religion. He was rather a modernist
who attempted to adopted scientific or rational approach in the field of religion. By suggesting the

necessity to reform religion, he attempted to defy the rigid approach to religion which considers religious
scriptures as final words which must be followed without questioning them.

It is this refined approach towards religion that made him suggest that ‘Politics and Religion
Are Obsolete, The Time has Come For Science And Spirituality.’ By this declaration, Vinoba tried to

bring the two opposite ends together. Usually it is believed that to be scientific is to be irreligious. But
by replacing religion with spirituality and morality, Vinoba makes the way for a scientifically oriented

rational person to be spiritual. Thus, at the end when he suggests to oppose irreligion, what he points
out is the necessity of spiritual aspect in human life which cannot be achieved without morality. He

successfully stresses upon the need for every member of the society to be religious, and what he means
by this is that everybody must be moral and spiritual in each and every aspect of life. Thus, Vinoba did

not believe in restricting religion to the four walls of religious places or to external ritualism. Rather, he
attempted to broaden religion to let it affect each and every aspect of life by bringing in spirituality and

morality.
Vinoba thus introduced a novel approach to religion which has the capacity to bring about

assimilation between different religions on one hand and between science and religions on the other
hand. This novel approach has a lot to offer in the time when the society is ridden with the so called

religious conflicts. Thus, we may look at Vinoba’s view of religion with a new hope to resolve such
conflicts.

References:
1. Shah Kanti, Vinoba on Gandhi, Sarva Seva Sangh Prakashan,Varanasi, 2011p. 7-8

2. Vishwanath Tondon, Selections from Vinoba, Sarva Seva Sangh Prakashan,Varanasi, 1981p.
1152

3. Ibid, p. 1140
4. Ibid, p. 1139

5. Ibid, p. 1141
6. Ibid, p. 1146

7. Ibid, p. 1150
8. Ibid, p. 1151

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