Gandhi inspired people of all races, backgrounds, and religions to turn anger into compassion and hatred into love. How had Gandhi done this? How had he transformed himself from an ineffective young lawyer into the Mahatma, the ?great soul? who led 400 million Indians in their struggle for independence from the British Empire?

To find out, Easwaran went to Gandhi?s ashram and watched the Mahatma absorbed in meditation on the Bhagavad Gita, the wellspring of his spiritual strength. In this book Easwaran, author of the best-selling translations of The Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads, and The Dhammapada, explores "Gandhi: Then & Now"; Gandhi's early years in India, London and South Africa; nonviolence in South Africa and India; the Bhagavad Gita as the source of Gandhi's spiritual strength; and nonviolence in the affairs of life. Quotations highlight Gandhi?s teachings in his own words, and 70 digitally restored photographs from the GandhiServe archive, sidebar notes and a chronology provide historical context.This book conveys the spirit and soul of Gandhi ? the only way he can be truly understood. "You and I can touch Gandhi's person and heart through this compelling creation." ? Rajmohan Gandhi, Research Professor, University of Illinois, and author of Gandhi: The Man, His People, and the Empire