Gandhi was not a religious man, as commonly understood, performing religious rites and the like. He had, however, an intrinsic faith in a living presence and without it, he said, he would go mad. "So many events happen that would, without the realisation of that Presence, shake me to the very foundation, but they pass me by leaving me practically untouched." He said he felt this mysterious power though he "could not see it." In all seriousness he said with emotion. "I may live without air and water but not without Him. You may pluck out my eyes but that will not kill me. You may chop off my nose but that will not kill me. But blast my belief in God and I am dead."
For him, existence of God was not a matter for proof. It was by experience that one could have faith in Him. "If you will have me convince others by argument, I am floored. But I can tell you this, that I am surer of His existence than of the fact that you and I are sitting in this room."
In reply to a question whether he had, at any time, a prophetic vision, he replied.
"When I announced my fast of 21 days in jail I had not reasoned about it. On returning to bed, I had no notion that I was going to announce the next morning a fast of twenty one days. But in the middle of the night a voice woke me up and said: 'Go through a fast'. How many days? I asked. '21 days' was the answer. My mind was unprepared for it. But the thing came to me as clearly as anything could be."
At another time he said "Take the Dandi march of 1930. I had not the ghost of a suspicion how the breach of the salt law would work itself out. But like a flash it came, and, as you know, it was enough to shake the country from one end to the other."
He held the firm belief that things take place and that they cannot possibly happen apart from God. "Take the case of the 21 days fast for the removal of untouchability," he said, "Well, the doctors thought I would not survive the fast. But, something within me said I would and that I should go forward. That kind of experience has never in my life happened before or after that date."
He also once wrote: "It is the spiritual conception which eludes the intellect, which alone can give one satisfaction. Even monied men have critical periods in their lives: though they are surrounded by everything that money can buy and affection give, they find at certain moments in their lives utterly distracted. It is in these moments that we have a glimpse of God, a vision of Him who is guiding every one of our steps in life."
He was of the firm conviction that no one could put off the hour of death when it had struck. "Not the greatest medical assistance available has saved Kings and Emperors from the jaws of death." His faith in God was, therefore, his armour. He never worried about death.
Gandhi's way of life was one of self-surrender. "If we completely surrender ourselves to His will and really become ciphers, and voluntarily give up the right of choice, we suffer no wear and tear. If only we submit to Him, He makes us do many things even unconsciously to ourselves.... God takes the burden of all our cares on His Broad shoulders if we will but let Him. This is as true as it is true that I am writing to you."
The small-pox was raging in a violent form in the ashram but Gandhi was against vaccination and so the ashramites too were not vaccinated.
All stood the test well. Friends implored Gandhi not to take this grave risk.
But he remained unmoved and said "I have no doubt in my mind that vaccination is a filthy process, that it is harmful in the end and that it is little short of beef eating. I may be entirely mistaken but holding the views as I do, how can I recant them, because I see child after child passing away? No, not even if the whole of the ashram were to be swept away may I insist on vaccination and pocket my principle. What would my love of Truth and my adherence to principles mean, if they were to vanish at the slightest touch of reality?"
Tagore once said "If any one strangles me, I shall be crying for help, but if Gandhiji were strangled, I am sure he will not cry. He may laugh at his strangler and if he had to die, he will die smiling."
"I claim to be a man of prayer and even if I were to be cut to pieces, I trust God would give me the strength not to deny Him but to assert that He is. Not a blade of grass moves but for His will" Gandhi wrote.
He never commenced any work without a prayer. He was obsessed with the efficacy of prayer. When Mrs. Polak and her husband were seeing Gandhi off at Johannesburg proceeding to interview General Smuts she asked him: "Is there anything special I can do?" Quick came the reply: "Yes, Pray for me!"
One night he was lying in his bed fast asleep. It was 12:45 A.M. A posse of constables suddenly surrounded his bed and the Inspector of Police asked him: "Are you Mohandas Gandhi?"
"Yes, you want me? Give me some time for ablutions."
The ablutions finished, he packed up his papers and gave all of them to a man of his party. Turning to the Police Officer, he said, "Please give me a few more minutes for prayer."
This was granted and he stood and prayed with his companions. Then, the police van carried him away under arrest.
When someone wanted to know whether he asked for any favours in his prayers, he calmly replied that God knows and anticipates his wants.