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Mahātmā (English pronunciation: , , ) is an
honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an Honorary title (academic), h ...
used in India. The term is commonly used for
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ru ...
, who is often referred to simply as "Mahatma Gandhi". Albeit less frequently, this
epithet An epithet (, ), also a byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) commonly accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a real or fictitious person, place, or thing. It is usually literally descriptive, as in Alfred the Great, Suleima ...
has also been used with regard to such people as
Basava Basava (1131–1196), also called and , was an Indian philosopher, poet, Lingayat social reformer in the Shiva-focused bhakti movement, and a Hindu Shaivite social reformer during the reign of the Kalyani Chalukya and the Kalachuri dynas ...
(1131–1167),
Swami Shraddhanand Munshi Ram, better known as Swami Shraddhanand (22 February 1856 – 23 December 1926) was an Indian independence activist and Arya Samaj sannyasi who propagated the teachings of Dayananda Saraswati. This included the establishment of educatio ...
(1856–1926),
Lalon Shah Lalon (; died 17 October 1890), also known as Lalon Shah, Lalon Fakir, Shahji, was a Bengali spiritual leader, philosopher, mystic poet and social reformer. Regarded as an icon of Bengali culture, he inspired and influenced many philosophers, ...
(1772–1890),
Ayyankali Mahatma Ayyankali (മഹാത്മ അയ്യൻകാളി; 28 August 1863 – 18 June 1941) was an Indian politician, prominent social reformer, educator, economist, lawmaker, and revolutionary leader. He worked for the advancement of ...
(1863–1941), and
Jyotirao Phule Jyotirao Phule (11 April 1827 – 28 November 1890), also known as Jyotiba Phule, was an Indian social activist, businessman, anti-caste social reformer and writer from Maharashtra. His work extended to many fields, including eradication of ...
(1827–1890). The term ''mahātmā'' has also been historically used for a class of religious scholars in
Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...
; for the selected religious leaders in
Theosophy Theosophy is a religious movement established in the United States in the late 19th century. Founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and based largely on her writings, it draws heavily from both older European philosophies such as Neop ...
; and for local religious teachers in the
Divine Light Mission The Divine Light Mission (''Divya Sandesh Parishad''; DLM) was an organization founded in 1960 by guru Hans Ji Maharaj for his following in northern India. During the 1970s, the DLM gained prominence in the Western world, West under the leadership ...
church.


In Theosophy

The word, used in a technical sense, was popularized in
theosophical Theosophy is a religious movement established in the United States in the late 19th century. Founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and based largely on her writings, it draws heavily from both older European philosophies such as Neo ...
literature in the late 19th century, when
Helena Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (; – 8 May 1891), often known as Madame Blavatsky, was a Russian-born Mysticism, mystic and writer who emigrated to the United States where she co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875. She gained an internat ...
, one of the founders of the
Theosophical Society The Theosophical Society is the organizational body of Theosophy, an esoteric new religious movement. It was founded in New York City, U.S.A. in 1875. Among its founders were Helena Blavatsky, a Russian mystic and the principal thinker of the ...
, claimed that her teachers were
adept An adept is an individual identified as having attained a specific level of knowledge, skill, or aptitude in doctrines relevant to a particular occult discipline, such as alchemy or magic. According to magical tradition, adepts stand out from ...
s (or Mahatmas) who reside in
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
. According to the Theosophical teachings, the Mahatmas are not disembodied beings, but highly evolved people involved in overseeing the spiritual growth of individuals and the development of civilizations. Blavatsky was the first person in modern times to claim contact with these Adepts, especially the "Masters"
Koot Hoomi Koot Hoomi (also spelled Kuthumi, and frequently referred to simply as K.H.) is said to be one of the Mahatmas that inspired the founding of the Theosophical Society in 1875. In Theosophy it is believed that he engaged in a correspondence with tw ...
and Morya.
Alvin Boyd Kuhn Alvin Boyd Kuhn (September 22, 1880 – September 14, 1963) was an American Theosophist, lecturer, and self-published author. He was a proponent of the Christ myth theory. Harpur, Tom. (2004). '' The Pagan Christ: Recovering the Lost Light''. Tor ...
wrote about mahātmās:
The Masters whom Theosophy presents to us are simply high-ranking students in life's school of experience. They are members of our own evolutionary group, not visitants from the celestial spheres. They are supermen only in that they have attained knowledge of the laws of life and mastery over its forces with which we are still struggling.
After Blavatsky's death in 1891, numerous individuals have claimed to be in contact with her Adept Teachers. These individuals have stated that they are new "messengers" of the Masters and they have conveyed various esoteric teachings. Currently, various Theosophical movements refer to them as
Ascended Master Ascended masters, also known as Mahatmas, are believed in several theosophical and related spiritual traditions to be spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans. Through a series of spiritual transformations, ...
s, although their character and teachings are in several respects different from those described by Blavatsky.


Criticism

There has been a great deal of controversy concerning the existence of adepts. Blavatsky's critics have doubted the existence of her Masters. See, for example, W. E. Coleman's exposes. K. Paul Johnson in his books speculates that the "Masters" that Blavatsky wrote about and produced letters from were actually idealizations of people who were her
mentor Mentorship is the patronage, influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the perso ...
s. Aryel Sanat, author of ''The inner life of Krishnamurti: private passion and perennial wisdom'', wrote that Johnson "claims in all of his books that there were no Masters at all in early Theosophical Society history, and that Helena Blavatsky invented them (as others had claimed she had invented her travels)". Sanat wrote that Johnson "deliberately ignores the main sources of evidence for their real physical existence". What Sanat thought these were is not made quite clear.


Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi as ''Mahātmā''

According to some authors,
Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...
is said to have used this title for Gandhi on 6 March 1915. Some claim that he was called Mahatma by the residents of Gurukul Kangadi in April 1915, and he in turn called the founder Munshiram a Mahatma (who later became
Swami Shraddhanand Munshi Ram, better known as Swami Shraddhanand (22 February 1856 – 23 December 1926) was an Indian independence activist and Arya Samaj sannyasi who propagated the teachings of Dayananda Saraswati. This included the establishment of educatio ...
). However, a document honoring him with the title "Mahatma" on 21 January 1915, in Jetpur, Gujarat, by Nautamlal Bhagvanji Mehta is preserved at the National Gandhi Museum in New Delhi, India. A private letter from Gandhi's friend
Pranjivan Mehta Pranjivandas Jagjivandas Mehta (1864 – 3 August 1932) was a Mumbai-born physician, lawyer and jeweller who settled in Burma. He was a close friend of Mahatma Gandhi, helping Gandhi in England, helping him return from South Africa to India and ...
to
Gopal Krishna Gokhale Gopal Krishna Gokhale ( International Phonetic Alphabet, ɡoːpaːl ˈkrɪʂɳə ˈɡoːkʰleː9 May 1866 – 19 February 1915) was an Indian political leader and a social reformer during the Indian independence movement, and political me ...
in 1909 referred to Gandhi with the title and thus remains the earliest written record available to use the title. The use of the term Mahatma in
Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...
to denote a class of lay priests, has been noted since the 17th century. A Mahatma is someone who practices
Trikaranasuddhi Manasa, vacha, karmana are three Sanskrit words. The word ''manasa'' refers to the mind, ''vacha'' refers to speech, and ''karmana'' refers to actions. In several Indian languages, these three words are together used to describe a state of cons ...
.


In the Divine Light Mission

The
Divine Light Mission The Divine Light Mission (''Divya Sandesh Parishad''; DLM) was an organization founded in 1960 by guru Hans Ji Maharaj for his following in northern India. During the 1970s, the DLM gained prominence in the Western world, West under the leadership ...
(DLM) was a
Sant Mat Sant Mat was a spiritual movement on the Indian subcontinent during the 13th–17th centuries CE. The name literally means "teachings of sants", i.e. mystic Hindu saints. Through association and seeking truth by following '' sants'' and their tea ...
-based movement begun in India in the 1930s by Hans Maharaj and formally incorporated in 1960. The DLM had as many as 2,000 Mahatmas, all from India or Tibet, who taught the DLM's secret meditation techniques called "Knowledge". The Mahatmas, called "realized souls",Price, Maeve (1979): The Divine Light Mission as a social organization. (1) Sociological Review, 27, Page 279-296 or "apostles", also served as local leaders. After Hans Ji's death in 1966 his youngest son,
Prem Rawat Prem Pal Singh Rawat (born 10 December 1957), formerly known as Maharaji, is an Indian international speaker and author. His teachings include a meditation practice he calls "Knowledge", and peace education based on the discovery of personal ...
(known then as Guru Maharaj Ji or Bagyogeshwar), succeeded him. The young guru appointed some new Mahatmas, including one from the United States. In one incident, a prominent Indian Mahatma nearly beat a man to death in Detroit for throwing a pie at the guru. In the early 1980s, Prem Rawat replaced the Divine Light Mission organization with the Elan Vital and replaced the Mahatmas with initiators. The initiators did not have the revered status of the Mahatmas, and they were drawn mostly from Western followers. In the 2000s, the initiators were replaced by a video in which Rawat teaches the techniques himself.


In Jainism

Among the Jains the term Mahatma is used for the class for scholars who are householders.


Mahatma Hirananda of Mewar

The colophon of the Mewar Ramayana, described as "one of the most beautiful manuscripts in the world", states that the text, commissioned by Acharya Jasvant for the library of Maharana Jagat Singh I of
Mewar Mewar, also spelled as Mewad is a region in the south-central part of Rajasthan state of India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Pirawa Tehsil of Jhalawar District of Rajasth ...
, was written by one Mahatma Hirananda and finished on Friday 25 November 1650. Being a Jain scribe, Mahatma Hirananda incorporated traditional Jain scribal elements into the manuscript.


Jain Mahatmas in ''Dabestan-e Mazaheb''

The ''
Dabestan-e Mazaheb The ''Dabestan-e Mazaheb'' (; ) is a Persian language work on Comparative religion, written between 1645 and 1658, that examines and compares Abrahamic, Dharmic and other religions of the mid-17th century South Asia and the Middle East. Additio ...
,'' written around 1655 CE, is a text that describes various religions and philosophies the author encountered. Its Section 11 is dedicated to Jainism. It states: "Similar to the dervishes of both classes (Monk and Jatis) is a third sect, called Mahá-átma; group separated from the Oswal Jains, have the dress and appearance of Jatis; however, do not pluck their hair with tweezers, but cut it. They live the social life and spread the teaching of Mahavir and other Jain
Tirthankars In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (; ) is a saviour and supreme preacher of the ''dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', a fordable passage across ''saṃsāra'', the sea of interminable birth ...
in the society. They accumulate money, cook their meals in their houses, drink cold water, and take to them a wife." The term Mahatma was thus used for priests/scholars who were not celibate.


See also

*
Ascended master Ascended masters, also known as Mahatmas, are believed in several theosophical and related spiritual traditions to be spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans. Through a series of spiritual transformations, ...
*
Theosophy Theosophy is a religious movement established in the United States in the late 19th century. Founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and based largely on her writings, it draws heavily from both older European philosophies such as Neop ...
*
Alice Bailey Alice Ann Bailey (16 June 1880 – 15 December 1949) was a British and American writer. She wrote about 25 books on Theosophy and was one of the first writers to use the term New Age. She was born Alice La Trobe-Bateman, in Manchester, ...
*
Helena Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (; – 8 May 1891), often known as Madame Blavatsky, was a Russian-born Mysticism, mystic and writer who emigrated to the United States where she co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875. She gained an internat ...
*
Helena Roerich Helena Ivanovna Roerich (; (Шапошникова); – 5 October 1955) was a Russian theosophist, writer, and public figure. She and her husband Nicholas Roerich were the principal articulators of the Agni Yoga neo-theosophical teachings ...
*
Benjamin Creme Benjamin Creme (5 December 1922 − 24 October 2016) was a Scottish artist, esoteric writer, and editor of ''Share International'' magazine. Creme asserted that the Second Coming, prophesied by many religions, would come in the form of Maitr ...


References


Bibliography

* French, Brendan James (2000) ''The theosophical masters: an investigation into the conceptual domains of H.P. Blavatsky and C.W. Leadbeater.'' Ph.D. thesis,
University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
, Department of Religious Studies. Sydney. * Johnson, K. Paul (1994) ''The Masters Revealed: Madam Blavatsky and Myth of the Great White Brotherhood.'' Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. * Johnson, K. Paul (1995) ''Initiates of Theosophical Masters.'' Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. * Kalnitsky, Arnold (2003) ''The Theosophical Movement of the Nineteenth Century: The Legitimation of the Disputable and the Entrenchment of the Disreputable.''
University of South Africa The University of South Africa (UNISA) is the largest university system in South Africa by enrollment. It attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. Through various colleges and affiliates, UNISA has over 400,000 student ...
. Dissertation: 443 pp. * Kuhn, Alvin Boyd (1930
''Theosophy: A Modern Revival of Ancient Wisdom.''
Ph.D. Thesis. Whitefish, Montana: Kessinger Publishing. .


Further reading

* Dutta, Krishna, and Andrew Robinson. ''Rabindranath Tagore: An Anthology.'' Picador/Macmillan: London, 1997.


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mahatma Theosophy Theosophical philosophical concepts Titles in India Mahatma Gandhi