The Ark and Lanza del Vasto
Or
Contribution of Lanza del Vasto in Spreading the
Message of Gandhi in the Western Society

Siby Kollappallil Joseph

ABSTRACT

Lanza del Vasto was an Italian aristocrat who came to India in 1937 to meet Gandhi and to find answers to some of the fundamental questions which he was preoccupied with. He wanted to know how Gandhi, who was by birth a Hindu, was practising The Sermon on the Mount taught by Jesus Christ in day-to-day life and use that knowledge to become a good Christian. Lanza’s meeting with Gandhi and three months stay with Gandhi was significant in terms of understanding the life, philosophy and methods of action of Mahatma. On a request from Lanza, Gandhi had given him a new name Shantidas meaning servant of peace which set the goal and mission of life of this philosopher. He returned to Europe on the verge of Second World War and published about his Indian sojourn in the form of a book viz. Le pèlerinage aux sources (Pilgrimage to the Sources) in 1943. This publication was an enormous success and he became popular in France. In 1948, after the death of Gandhi, he started the Community of the Ark to translate Gandhian principles in communitarian living in the Western society. He also undertook a second pilgrimage to India to participate in the Bhoodan or land gift movement led by Vinoba Bhave. It further helped him in understanding the efficacy of non-violent methods in achieving social justice. Lanza spent more than thirty years in community experimentation and peace action based on the principles of Gandhi blended with Christian principles mainly in the Western society. It helped in spreading the message of Gandhi in France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador and other parts of the globe.

Keywords: Lanza del Vasto, the Community of the Ark, Nonviolent Action

Introduction

The life of Gandhi has been a source of inspiration for some of the world leaders, activists, thinkers and scientists who immensely contributed towards the creation of a better or humane world. Among them we can find the names of Martin Luther King Jr, Cesar Chavez, Danilo Dolci, Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and many others across the world. During the life time of Gandhi, many people from different parts of the globe established contacts and stayed with him for different durations in his ashrams. Lanza del Vasto was one of such personalities who came to India from Europe way back in 1937 to meet Gandhi and to find answers to some of the important questions that were troubling his mind. The most puzzling question before him was war. He was aware that “war does not fall upon us like a stone from the heaven.” [1] Further, war is not a natural calamity and what is it that makes war inevitable? He found the explanations about war such as hatred and economic necessities as childish and futile. In all civilizations war is accompanied by misery, slavery, civil war or revolution and somehow all these are bound together. Besides, ‘what is the origin of them all, how do they work with each other and especially what is the way out of them?’[2] These questions agitated the mind of young Lanza and he was convinced that Mahatma Gandhi was the only one who had the key, ‘key to get out of this prison?’[3]

Lanza came to know about Gandhi from the classic work of Romain Rolland viz. Mahatma Gandhi in the year 1928. It was in the same year he defended his doctoral dissertation on relational philosophy at Pisa University. The intellectual accomplishments, literary and artistic pursuits could not satisfy this young man. By this time he had started his innings as a writer, poet and artist and made some contributions in these fields. In fact the name Lanza del Vasto was his pen name and his original name is Giuseppe Lanza di Trabia-Branciforte. He belonged to a Sicilian noble aristocratic family. Even though he was born in San Vito dei Normanni, near Brindisi, Italy in 1901, he was good at French and English languages other than Italian as a youth due to his family background, extensive travels and studies. He was also able to teach Latin with ease. Instead of looking for an academic profession after his doctoral studies; he was in search of the essential. That prompted him to walk across Southern Italy barefoot and penniless from Rome to Bari to quench his spiritual quest in 1933. Again in 1935 he travelled on a bicycle in France and Italy from Paris to Caen and from Caen to Florence. He gave up the earthly pleasures and comforts, experienced poverty, hunger and rejected profit, competition etc. He wanted to meet Gandhi to find answers to the questions he was searching for and also to understand and experience how Gandhi, who is a Hindu by birth, puts into practise the gospel of Jesus Christ in day to day life and action. To put it differently his purpose of meeting Gandhi was to learn ‘how to become a better Christian.’ Keeping these goals in mind he went on a pilgrimage to India in December 1936.

Meeting with Gandhi

Lanza’s first journey to India from Europe at the age of thirty five took almost a year because he mostly travelled across India on foot. On December 22, 1936 he boarded the ship for India from Genoa, Italy and reached India via Ceylon or Sri Lanka. Lanza del Vasto’s first journey to India is vividly depicted in his book Le pèlerinage aux sources (Pilgrimage to the Sources).[4] The fourth Chapter “ Wardha or Three Months with Gandhi” explains the indelible imprints created by Gandhi during his stay with him. The impact of the first meeting itself was so profound. Lanza wrote about the first meeting that “I discover that I am nothing, have never done anything and want nothing except to stay like this in his shadow. Here he is before my eyes, the only man who has shown us a green shoot in the desert of this century.” [5] This historic meeting took place on January 29, 1937. This meeting and stay with Gandhi was a turning point in the life of Lanza del Vasto. During this period he could understand the fundamentals of Gandhi’s principles and his philosophy of life. Lanza explains why Gandhi was so appealing to him. According to him “In Gandhi, it is a quickening of the Christian spirit that has reawakened the Hindu virtues. Tolstoy’s evangelical dreams gave him the first impulse and led him to formulate his social doctrine. Careful reading of the New Testament confirmed him in his vocation….. Moreover, his promptness to act, his sense of historical opportunity, his organizing abilities are purely western qualities. All this contributes to make him a supremely universal person. His teaching is addressed to all, [6] and his success concerns us all for reason not at all political.” [7]

On a request from Lanza del Vasto , Gandhi had given him a new name Shantidas meaning servant of peace. Gandhi may have given this name taking note of his interest in peace and non-violence. In a sense it helped Lanza to set peace as the goal and mission of his life. During the period of stay in Wardha, Lanza informed Gandhi that he wanted to go to the holy source of the Ganges. Lanza felt that it was a plan of Almighty and he had received signs of it if not an order. Gandhi agreed to his proposal. His trip to Ganges was not leaving Gandhi in search of another source. At the time of parting he said “Bapu jee , I am not leaving you. I am going in your stead. You are coming with me, I am taking your dear eyes with me, and through mine you will see the holy Source of the Ganges” [8]

Pilgrimage to the Source of Ganges

Lanza del Vasto’s pilgrimage to the source of Ganges in the Himalayas was also an enlightening experience. In Narendranagar, one of the large villages of Himalayan hills, Lanza felt he received a divine call or call from God. In the beautiful night in the hills, he heard a voice that told him ‘Shantidas, what are you doing here? Go home.’ He turned around, but there was nobody and he waited for some explanations, but there were none. He was not sure what to do but decided finally to obey it. This experience was from night of June 16 to 17, 1937. He was reflecting on this call and he formulated an action plan which he conveyed to Gandhi in response to a letter he received from Gandhi during that period.

Plan of an Order Promoting Peace

Lanza wrote to Gandhi about his plan of an Order promoting peace in the West from Narendranagar on June 27, 1937. This letter clearly shows his vigorous zeal and the vision. Lanza realized that he was not fit for work in a village of India. He felt that he was personally called for work in his home in the West, where peace was in great danger and lovers of peace were an object of ridicule and hatred. For the realization of this goal, he wanted to establish an Order of wandering brothers promoting peace across the countries. It will be like a disciplined army armed with the weapon of sacrifice following the vows of poverty, chastity, work, obedience and perpetual refusal for rest. In his letter to Gandhi he wrote: “They will teach peace: that is not taking rest, but it is the sword, as Jesus said. The peace must not be desired out of fear for death and destruction. It must not be loved for the preservation of the pleasures of life, but it must be wanted as a duty of the spirit. Peace does not belong to cowards, but to those who resist violence from outside and from within. Until now those men who have accepted war made heavy sacrifices for the same, similarly they must be ready to take the same risks for the conquest of peace. Our first battle, and victory, will be a refusal of military service in all countries at the same time. It will be a march of those who have been regimented to army, with banners and trumpets, saying no to the military barracks, but ready to end up in prisons.”[9] Thus it is very clear that idea of conscientious objection to military service was formed in his mind well in advance even before he plunged into peace action. As a result of this experience his plan to return to Europe became strong.

Meeting with Gandhi again for Guidance

Lanza del Vasto returned to Sevagram to meet his Master, that is, Mahatma Gandhi and sought his advice. He reached Sevagram in September 1937. During his stay with Gandhi, Lanza got an opportunity to discuss in detail about his plan of returning to Europe to implant Gandhi’s doctrine in the West. The question Gandhi placed before him was “Are you called? Or is it you who are calling yourself? Or are you forcing yourself to believe yourself called?” Gandhi wanted Lanza to find out by himself whether it is divine call or not. In other words, the test Gandhi placed before him was to find out whether it was ‘God’s will’ or his own. When Lanza tried to find answer to this question he became more confused and disturbed. However, he continued his pilgrimage in India. His farewell meeting with Gandhi was in Haripura in February 1938. This meeting was a touching one. Lanza told Gandhi that he was leaving his own country and his father. This shows the intimacy between two personalities who were convinced about the efficacy of nonviolence. Gandhi said “…. I shall miss you. And yet, it is right that you should go, that you should be put to the trial you are looking for, away from me. You will see if non-violence is strong enough in you to impose itself on those you live with. A lukewarm thing loses its heat when it touches something else, a burning thing sets fire to everything it touches. You will write to me. You will write to me from Palestine if you succeed in making your pilgrimage. You will be able to see the struggle between the Jews and the Moslems at first hand. It breaks my heart; you will tell me what you feel about it. But you will write to me before that and afterwards too. Now the time has come. Go.” [10] Gandhi was sure that he will contribute to non-violence in his country, in Europe and even the rest of the world. That is the reason why he gave the consent to Lanza to proceed and work towards peace and non-violence. Also it was appropriate time because whole world was making preparations for war.

Lanza in Europe in the midst of War

After his return from India, by the end of March 1938, Lanza reached Egypt. In April he spent almost a month in Italy and moved to Paris. He was well received and everybody was eager to hear about his Indian adventure. But when he started speaking about peace and non-violence everybody was smiling. He thought that it was sign from the Lord that he was ‘uncalled’ and decided to speak only to those who wanted to hear about it and sought his advice on what they have to do. In October, he went on foot to Palestine, then on the brink of civil war, to Jerusalem, "between two lines of tanks" and to Bethlehem, where he arrived on the eve of Christmas. He moved further on foot to Constantinople and the Mount Athos. Lanza was in Paris when the Second World War broke out. He realized this is the dark period when nothing can be done. The catastrophe of the war deepened his faith in non-violence and the significance of Gandhi’s principles to overcome the civilizational crisis the Western society was facing.

Publication of the Pilgrimage to the Sources

On a request from an editor to write down about his journey to India Lanza spent almost five months from January to May 1943 to put it into paper. That resulted in the creation of his classic work in French viz. Le pèlerinage aux sources (The Pilgrimage to the Sources) which was published in 1943 by Denoël. Referring to this book Rene Wadlow wrote “It is not fully clear to me why the German censorship in Paris allowed the book to be published. They may have thought that telling about Gandhi's struggle against British imperialism might help their cause and did not understand the power that ideas of nonviolence would have. In any case, the book was so much a “breath of fresh air” in a France worn down by the war and occupation that some 200,000 copies of the book were sold in a few weeks.” [11] The publication of this work was an enormous success and it sold over one million copies.[12] It was translated into several languages and Lanza became a well known figure in Europe due to this publication. He explains the impact of this book as follows: “It was the time of occupation, of misery, humiliation. People were imprisoned in camp. My book went there. Many afterwards came and told me ‘you have saved my life’. ‘I took to the test of life again reading your book speaking of non-violence, of palm trees, of great horizons, of the things of God’.[13] This publication largely contributed to the dissemination of Gandhi’s ideas and ideals in Europe.The fourth Chapter of this book “ Wardha or Three Months with Gandhi,” to which a reference has already been made earlier, beautifully summarizes the fundamental principles and the philosophy of life of Gandhi.

Establishment of the Community of the Ark

It was in June 1941, through his friend Luc Dietrich, Lanza had a meeting with Simone Gibelin (Chanterelle), a musician from Marseille. Later Chanterelle became the companion of his life and activities. Lanza’s engagement with Chanterelle took place in January 1948.[14] Lanza heard the news about the martyrdom of Gandhi. In a meeting of French disciples of Gandhi, Lanza said “Let us not cry my friends. Let us be full of joy. He came out of the changing days to enter eternity. Let us envy him rather…I believe since Jesus Christ such an example had not been seen. He was a saint, a sage, a master and a hero. He died a violent death, as fits a man of non-violence. Of him I keep a white memory… I lost my father. But Gandhi is not dead, he will never die.” [15] It was not an emotional outpouring; on the contrary he was finding hope despite his personal loss of a fatherly figure, mentor and guide. He felt that the right time had come to translate his plan of Gandhian order in the Western society. After his marriage with Chanterelle, Lanza founded the first Gandhian rural community known as the Community of the Ark in Tournier, Charente, France.The establishment of a Gandhian order in the West or the Community of the Ark was aimed at overcoming the grave disaster of violence in the Western society, like the Ark of Noah in the Old Testament. It was a creative expression of the application of non-violence in communitarian living.

The Community of the Ark was a modified version of Gandhi’s ashram in India suited to the Western society or a European model of ashram on Gandhian lines. Lanza while introducing Gandhi’s philosophy to the Western world through the Ark synthesized it with the spirit of Jesus Christ or Christianity. The very name Ark and the cross as its symbol were part of this synthesis. The cross symbolizes the path of suffering to save humanity from its wrongdoings. Even at the initial stage the work of the community was not limited to application of non-violence in community living. They organized the groups of Friends of the Ark and conferences were held in the cities for the wider dissemination of Gandhi’s principles. However, his first experiment was short lived and he had to close down the experiment after four years due to absence of specific rules and regulations and lack of commitment of people involved in the community experimentation.

The Second Pilgrimage

Taking clues from his first community experiment, Lanza re-established another community in 1953 in Tourettes-sur-Loup in the Alpes-Maritimes. He undertook another pilgrimage to India from January to May 1954 to join Vinoba Bhave, the spiritual heir of Gandhi, in the Bhoodan or land gift movement. The march with Vinoba helped him in understanding the efficacy of non-violent method in ensuring social justice without bloodshed and violence. Like Gandhi, Vinoba was also a great source of influence on Lanza. His experiences in the second pilgrimage to India resulted in the publication Gandhi to Vinoba -The New Pilgrimage.[16] Through this work he introduced to the West, the life of Vinoba Bhave and his march with him and also extracts of Vinoba’s writings from the book Swaraj Shastra. Walking with Vinoba in the land gift movement was an enriching experience for him. He returned to Europe with a renewed zeal and determination to rejuvenate his community experiment.

Rejuvenation of the Community Experiment

After his return from the second pilgrimage to India , Lanza relocated the Community of the Ark to Bollène in Vaucluse in 1954. He made systematic efforts to rejuvenate the community experiment .Rule and regulations were framed to make the community experiment a sustainable one. As a result, a new member who would like to join the community would be treated as a novice for three years. Only after successful completion of this period he/she would become a full-time member of the community. Only on the basis of a unanimous decision by the old members, will a new member be admitted to the community. Vows were prescribed for the members of the Ark and they should follow them by their own choice. They were: work (including bread labour, service), obedience (primarily to the rule and one’s vows), responsibility (and co-responsibility), purification (of one’s self), poverty (living simply), truthfulness (service of truth) and non-violence (including defense of justice).[17] These efforts helped in ensuring the stability of the community and filtering right kind of people who had commitment and conviction to undertake community living on non-violent lines. In the course of time, the Ark experiment gathered momentum and the number of people living in the Community increased substantially.

To accommodate the increased strength of members, the Community of Ark was relocated in La Borie Noble with the acquisition of 1000 acres of farmland and forest in the hills of the Languedoc in Southern France. The members of the Ark rebuilt the half-ruined buildings of stone deserted by the villagers since the First World War and they shifted to this location in 1963.[18] As Lanza del Vasto and Chanterelle were staying in La Borie Noble, it became the headquarters of the Community of Ark. Later two more communities were added viz., Nogaret and La Fleyssière. Many communities were formed in France and other parts of the globe as a result of Lanza’s work over thirty years. La Borie Noble and La Fleyssière are the two rural communities of Ark which are still active and functioning on the ideals laid down by Lanza del Vasto. La Borie Noble is a place of pilgrimage for the followers of Lanza del Vasto because his mortal remains were buried there. In addition, manuscripts, photos and personal belongings of Lanza are kept there.

Guiding Principles of the Community

The life in the community of the Ark is centered on the principle of non-violence and its application in economic, social, political and other facets of life. In order to become a part of the Ark, one has to take the path of non- violence and lead a life marked by simplicity, service, sharing and work for justice and peace. The Ark Charter reiterates the community’s deep faith in non-violence as follows: “In the footsteps of Gandhi and Lanza del Vasto, the members of the Ark has chosen non-violence as a basis for working on oneself and spiritual research. They choose: to open themselves to service and sharing; to live in a simple manner, respect all living beings, to act for Justice and Peace by nonviolent means.” [19] The Community of the Ark attaches great importance to manual labour and it is a creative expression of one’s self. Lanza said “It is in the making of things that human beings are themselves made.’’ He was of the view that everyone should acquire the basic skills to fulfill the basic necessities viz. food, clothing and shelter so that they can lead a self reliant life keeping as much away from market and consumerist tendencies of modern times. Meditation, prayer, consensus decision making, singing, dancing, celebration, art work, calligraphy etc. are carefully interwoven in the life of the Ark even now. The members of the Community live as single persons or as families and lead a disciplined life to attain mastery over the self. In a sense life in the Ark resembles a monastic life of renunciation, detachment and self rule. It is open to all those having faith in different religious traditions or seekers of truth without having any religious affiliation.

Continuous Efforts at Revitalization and evolution

The Christian Charismatic Revival Movement during the seventies affected its work because some of members left the Ark to form their own groups or religious revival communities. It could overcome the crisis with the calling of General Chapter of the Order in 1975 which literally re-founded the Ark in a more structured manner by the formal approval of Constitution, Vows and the teachings. The period from 1975 to 1992 was a period of constant growth and expansion and the number of communities expanded to 13 in France as well as Spain, Italy, Quebec and Argentina. The Ark could not maintain the momentum for a long time after the passing away of the founder in January 5, 1981, even though the Community of Ark of Saint Antonie was founded in 1987. The number of people living in the communities reduced drastically and some of the communities were closed down with the passage of time.

New efforts were made to revitalize the Ark and a complete document on the founding principles and the new organization was voted upon in 2005 Chapter giving birth to the ‘The Community of the Ark: Non-violence and Spirituality’. This document was confirmed in 2012 which provides a clear picture of the mission, foundational principles and the structure of the new organization. At present the Ark consists of communities, friends and well wishers who pursue individually or in groups vigorously the ideals of Lanza and Gandhi. They are scattered throughout France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador etc. In the communities, members of different nationalities with diverse backgrounds and religious traditions are living together practising a non-violent lifestyle similar to the Ashrams. Non-violence and spirituality are hallmarks the Community of the Ark. The simplification of life, nonviolent relationship and struggle for justice and peace, respect for differences and religious reconciliation, unity of life, the culture of living together and the constant practice of consensus as a mode of decision-making are some of the characteristic features of the community that make the Ark experiment a unique one.

Dissemination of Gandhi’s ideas and ideals

Lanza popularized the ideas of Gandhi and Vinoba through his writings and actions. Many of his writings had a Gandhian flavour. Many writings of Gandhi were available in France or in the Western society. However, Lanza noticed that Hind Swaraj, which is a small tract which Gandhi wrote in 1909 during his stay in South Africa was unknown to the French people. This tract of Gandhi is considered a seminal work or a manifesto because in it one can find seeds of his fundamental principles and ideas. This work is basically a critique of modern Western industrial civilization and institutions associated with it. The immediate provocation for Gandhi to write this book was to reject the cult of violence represented by the avowed Indian anarchists in London and their prototypes in South Africa. Also he wanted to tell the world the sublimity of non-violent resistance viz. Satyagraha, which he was practising in the South African soil while fighting for the rights of people of India origin. Gandhi was always ever evolving in the realm of ideas and actions. However, Gandhi remained strongly committed to the views he expressed in Hind Swaraj in 1909 till the fag end of his life. Lanza del Vasto introduced this book to the Western society with a French edition of Hind Swaraj in 1957 with his eloquent ‘Introduction’. In his ‘Introduction’ Lanza described this work as a fundamental one. “This small work is fundamental. It is surprising that in France many of Gandhi's writings have been published, and many, many more on Gandhi himself, yet this one, in which the germ of his whole doctrine lies, has been neglected. The fact is that under cover of a gentle, uniform style it is extremely audacious. The fact is that the new Indian politicians have no desire to publish it and the Westerners no desire to receive it. Because it accuses the latter of maintaining a fiendish civilisation and it accuses the former of spoiling and enslaving their country under the guise of freeing it.”[20] Like Gandhi, Lanza was also a great critique of modern Western civilisation. From the ‘Introduction’ which Lanza wrote, it is evident that he went far ahead in his criticisms against the modern Western civilization than Gandhi. Also by the time the challenges posed by Western civilization became more apparent. Lanza opines that a person gets convinced about Gandhi’s arguments in Hind Swaraj not because of the strength of his arguments but mainly due to the truth in Gandhi’s life. According to Lanza the roots of Gandhi’s critique lie in the personal experience and religious conviction of Gandhi and it was not the result of a systematic study or his expertise in a particular branch of knowledge. In a sense the Community experimentation in the Ark was aimed at practising Hind Swaraj ideals in action

Non-violence in Action

In response to a question "What did you learn from Gandhi?" Lanza replied "The principle of the unity of life. This was the basis of nonviolence. ... Here was a man who believed, thought, felt and acted in the same unity, precisely what is lacking in our own culture. Gandhi pointed out that means and end are related as the seed is to the tree." [21] The Community of the Ark was an attempt to realise this unity of life in day to day life which was lacking in Western society. It demands application of the principle of non-violence at all levels. There would be perfect harmony between means and ends. Lanza was so fascinated by the power of non-violence. He wrote "It does not require the training of an army; it needs no jiu-jitsu. Control over the mind is alone necessary, and when that is attained, man is free like the king of the forest and his very glance withers the enemy. " ? [22] The life in the Community was a nursery or training ground for non-violence for his fellow companions who demonstrated its power in their fight against injustice and exploitation.

Lanza del Vasto’s understanding of Gandhi’s non-violence and his first initiation in non-violent movement under the leadership of Vinoba Bhave in the Bhoodan or land gift movement from January to May 1954 deepened his conviction in it. According to him the real object of non-violent resister should not be attaining the goals. On the contrary one should aim at ‘the changing of the enemy into a friend, of the wicked man into a just man, of the tyrant into a fair-minded and generous ruler.’[23]

In December, 1956, Lanza along with a group of companions joined Danilo Dolci[24] in a fast for eight days to draw the attention of authorities about the miserable living condition of the poor people in Sicily. In the following year, to stop the torture of political prisoners in the Algerian War by the French Army as well as National Liberation Front of Algeria, Lanza fasted for twenty-days. In this fast, Lanza received a telegram from Vinoba Bhave stating that “God bless your Satyagraha, I hope to help in melting my heart with love.” As a result of the fast different cross sections of society began to voice their opposition against the torture and the relations between the Christian and Muslim communities in Algeria gradually improved. The influence of this fast was so deep even a General resigned rather than follow his superiors’ orders in Algeria.

Lanza was in forefront in the fight against nuclear weapons and even nuclear energy that is the reason why the Community of the Ark in La Borie Noble uses very little electricity in their Community experiment due to its opposition to nuclear energy. He was highly critical of atom bomb and described it as ‘death for everybody.’ He wrote “The Bomb is the vilest of weapons, forbidden by definition, since there is no defense against it. If defense is what makes combat legitimate, the ultimate weapon against which there is no defense is all offense and totally evil. What is totally evil is also mad.”[25] In 1958, the members of the Ark campaigned against the production of the first atom bomb by France by a nonviolent “invasion” of a nuclear factory at Marcoule. This symbolic action was followed by many fasts and campaigns against the manufacture of nuclear weapons.

During the time of war in Algeria from June 1959 onwards, the activists of “Action Civique Non-Violente” an independent organization promoted by the Ark was in the forefront of action against the internment camps where Algerians were detained on the ground of being 'suspects'.These activists went to these camps and demanded that they should also be arrested on the very same charge of being suspects. Later, they worked towards securing the right to conscientious objection to military service. In 1963, during the Second Vatican Council they fasted for 40 days in Rome to sensitize Pope John XXIII and cardinals ‘to condemn the arms race, to balance obedience to all authorities with conscientious objection, to introduce civil disobedience and to introduce non-violence.’ The encyclical Pacem in Terris, which came out just at the end of the fast, gave positive responses to the first three points.[26]

The Ark played an important role in the victorious battle of Larzac (1970-1980) which prevented the Government plan to expand the military camp of Larzac by taking huge areas of agricultural lands for weapon testing. In March 1972, Lanza fasted for 15 days at Larzac to support 103 farmers who did not want to sell their agricultural land for military use. Lanza’s intervention averted a violent outbreak of the peasants. Seven hundred kilometres walk to Paris, and sit in under the monumental Eiffel tower and many other non-violent actions resulted in victorious ending of the battle. It will be remembered for ever in the annals of history not only of France but also the whole of Europe.

The CANVA (Coordination of the Nonviolent Actions of the Ark) of St. Antonie l’Abbaye, is a new structure born from the Ark community which brings together companions and others in nonviolent action. It organizes campaigns and supports those institutions and individuals engaged in non-violent movements. The CANAVA is engaged in civil disobedience for many years for the total ban of the genetically modified crops which denotes a public, peaceful, non-violent violation of a law, with the ultimate aim of changing the law/ rule or the socio-economic and political order that promotes these genetic modifications. The Ark has been instrumental even now in organising a number of protest meetings, prayer meetings, and symbolic non-violent actions in different parts of the globe in an effort to change the culture of violence and war to culture of peace and non-violence.

Epilogue

From the above analysis it is can be safely concluded that Lanza through his community experimentation and non-violent actions contributed to the spreading the message of Gandhi in the Western Society. The life of Lanza is a source of inspiration for non-violent activists in the Western society because of his complete adherence to non-violence and principles of Gandhi. The contribution of Lanza lies in the fact that without diluting the fundamental principles of Gandhi he successfully applied them in the Western world which was on the verge of a civilizational crisis. The beauty and uniqueness of his message was the fusion of principles of Gandhi with the spirit of Jesus Christ or Christianity. Such a fusion is the need of the hour because the whole world is moving towards multiculturalism. It is to be noted that Lanza was a multifaceted personality who made contribution as a philosopher, non-violent activist, poet, painter, sculptor, writer and musician. Padre has observed “ Lanza del Vasto seems to have lived several lives in one. But he lived them – every single one of them – with a constant philosophy that sums up the subtitle of one of his books (“Principles and precepts of the return to the obvious”): “In praise of a simple life.”[27] Therefore, it is necessary to analyze his contribution in various fields. It is quite unfortunate that many people in the world are not even familiar with the contribution of Lanza in spreading the message of Gandhi in the Western society and rest of the world. This paper is a modest attempt to address this lacuna. However, it is a positive development that his contributions are now being assessed in a number of fields like back to nature, degrowth, environmentalism and so on.

Notes and References

[1]. Lanza del Vasto, Pilgrimage to Nonviolence (Wardha: Institute of Gandhian Studies, 2017), p.14.

[2]. Ibid.

[3]. Ibid.

[4] . The first English edition of this book was published in 1972 by Schoken Books, New York with the title “Return to the Source."

[5]. Lanza del Vasto, Return to the Source ( New York :Schoken Books,1972), p.100.

[6] . The emphasis is added by the author.

[7] . Ibid., p. 144.

[8] . Ibid., p. 161.

[9]. This is culled from the letter which originally appeared in Lanza del Vasto’s work "Le viatique" and was subsequently published in the "News of the Ark", special issue No.3, January - February 1991, as a tribute to Lanza.

[10]. Lanza del Vasto, Return to the Source op.cit., p. 290.

[11].See Rene Wadlow “Lanza Del Vasto: (1901-1981) Shantidas-Servant of Peace”

This article is available on the website : whttp://www.ovimagazine.com/art/16241

[12]. Lanza del Vasto, Return to the Source op.cit.,p.7.

[13] . Lanza del Vasto, Pilgrimage to Non-violence, op.cit.,p.16.

[14]. Lanza got married with Chanterelle in Crécy-en-Brie on June 24, 1948.

[15] . As cited in Claude Markovits , The Un-Gandhian Gandhi : The Life and Afterlife of the Mahatma(Delhi: Permanent Black,2004 ) p.26.

[16]. Lanza del Vasto Gandhi to Vinoba: The New Pilgrimage (New York:Schocken Books,1974)

[17]. Mark Shepard , The Community of Ark (California: Simple Productions,1990)., p.29.

[18] . Ibid., p. 13.

[19]. The Community of the Ark Non-violence and Spirituality, Navigator 2012.

[20]. Lanza del Vasto's introduction to the French edition of 'Hind Swaraj'. Translated by Gerry Blaylock. https://www.semisottolaneve.org/ssn/a/30496.html

[21]. See Rene Wadlow “Lanza Del Vasto: (1901-1981) Shantidas -Servant of Peace” op.cit.

[22] . Lanza del Vasto's introduction to the French edition of 'Hind Swaraj'. Translated by Gerry Blaylock. https://www.semisottolaneve.org/ssn/a/30496.html

[23] . Siby K. Joseph, Lanza del Vasto: A Messenger of Peace ( Carcassonne: Gandhi International,2018)p.53.

[24]. Danilo Dolci (1924 –1997) was an Italian non-violent activist best known for his opposition to poverty, social exclusion and the Mafia. He is popularly known as the "Gandhi of Sicily."

[25] . Lanza del Vasto, Warriors of Peace: Writings on the technique of Non-violence(New York: Alfred A. Knof,1974), p.104.

[26] . Antonino Drago “The Five Political Prophecies of Lanza del Vasto,” Gandhi Marg, vol.37, Number1, April-June 2015, p.63

[27]. Padre , “Lanza Del Vasto, A Pioneer In Environmentalism” Posted on August 22, 2017. https://www.guardian-angel-reading.com/blog-of-the-angels/lanza-del-vasto-environmentalism