I knew nothing of Gandhi when I began reading Gandhi An Autobiography The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mohandas K. Gandhi. I had no idea he had died in 1948, well before my parents were born. I knew people quoted him, but really that was about it and as I began to read his words I was pulled in to his simplicity, his desire to to serve, to be better and his loyalty to non-violence in ways I had never considered.
“I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and non-violence are as old as the hills.” Gandhi
Gandhi was raised in a Vaishnavas family. This is a branch of modern Hinduism. They are vegetarians because they do not eat anything without making an offering to God first, and He has only asked for vegetable offerings.
Gandhi often spoke of “Ahimsa” a word that seemed to be a complex word that was one of pure love and non-violence. He was very devoted to his parents. Like many children in India, he was married very young. Gandhi was married at the age of 13 years old, in 1883. This seemed so strange to me but it is very normal in their culture and the wife still stays with her parents for much of the year, which I thought was very interesting. I don’t know if that is still a custom. But I do know that Gandhi struggled with being a good husband; I appreciate the humanity that he shared in the book. He was far from perfect but he was always working on himself to be better.
“The seeker after truth should be humbler than the dust. The world crushes the dust under its feet, but the seeker after the truth should be so humble himself the even the dust could crush him. Only then, and not till then, will he have a glimpse of truth.” Gandhi, November 26, 1925
Gandhi left his family in India while he studied law in England yet he had not learned about Indian law, Hindu and Mahomedan law when he was called to the bar in 1891 and he felt he was not prepared to practice law because having only read law was different than applying law. He was given the chance to watch the high court but his real help came when his brother found him work in the community.
Traveling in South Africa Gandhi experienced terrible “color prejudice.” On one instance he had his ears boxed and was beaten about his head for refusing to sit on the floor because the railroad agent wouldn’t let him sit in the seat he paid for and then the agent wanted the seat he made Gandhi take as consolation.
On another occasion, after being shoved by an officer into the street and being offered by a white friend to be helped to sue, Gandhi said: “You need not be sorry. What does the poor man know? All colored people are the same to him. He no doubt treats Negroes just as he has treated me. I have made it a rule not to go to court in respect of any personal grievances. I do not intend to proceed against him.”
The officer did apologize to Gandhi after being chastised by Gandhi’s high ranking friend, but Gandhi had already forgiven him. He also chose a new path to walk. The officer was guarding an officer’s home and there would be others. It was illegal for people of color to walk on the sidewalks or be out after 9 pm and Gandhi didn’t want to cause any issues with other officers.
“It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honored by the humiliation of their fellow beings.” Gandhi
As Gandhi’s popularity grew he was being requested to visit to other parts of South Africa he had never been to before. We didn’t have technology like we do today so rumors would spread that while he was with his family in India he was speaking poorly of people in South Africa, which was not true. Luckily for Gandhi, he had a weak voice and all of his speeches were written down for others to read for him so he could offer them as proof in South Africa that he was a comrade who only meant to make life better for the Indian immigrants in South Africa.
“Supposing the whites carry out their threats, how will you stand by your principle of non-violence? To which I replied: ‘I hope God will give me the courage and the sense to forgive them and to refrain from bringing them to law. I have no anger against them. I am only sorry for their ignorance and their narrowness. I know that their sincerely believe that what they are doing today is right and proper. I have no reason therefore to be angry with them.’”
Gandhi spent his whole life in servitude and learning how to do things better. He tried hard to spend as little money as possible in order to be able to give more to his community. He learned to do many things for himself that his fellow lawyers paid others to do, like his laundry and cutting his own hair. While he was learning, he would make mistakes and when his colleagues would laugh at him, he would take joy at their joy at his mistake. He walked everywhere, which he felt added to his health. As a simple life became more important to him, he got ride of things that were unnecessary.
“Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.” Gandhi
Gandhi felt he should not receive gifts for his service to the community. When they gave him gifts of gold, silver and a diamond he entrusted some lawyers to a trust at a local bank to handle the fund and placed the valuables in there to be used when needed by the community. At the time his wife was upset but as they did benefit from it in the future, she came to see his wisdom.
Gandhi did not make distinction between people whether they were relatives, strangers, countrymen, foreigners, white, colored, Hindus, Indians of other faiths, whether Musalmans, Parsis, Christians, or Jews. He believed it was because he made vows to non-violence, celibacy, non-possession, vegetarianism and other cardinal virtues. He was always consciously striving to cultivate these virtues in himself. He was perfect at changing plans as needed. He was community minded to a fault and ever ready to give of his time and knowledge.
“I have found by experience that man makes his plans to be often upset by God, but at the same time where the ultimate goal is the search of truth, no matter how a man’s plans are frustrated, the issue is never injurious and often better than anticipated.” Gandhi
The Indian culture is very foreign to me. From what I have read in Gandhi An Autobiography, I understand that there are many types of religions: Hindu (of which there are many types) Musalmans, Sikhs, Parsis, Muslim, Christian and Jewish. At the timeline of this book India had a caste system that defined a person’s status in society. I would have to research to find out if this was still in play. I know that Gandhi, himself, did not care for it and tried to help bridge the gaps between people. From 1858 to 1947 India was under the rule of England. Much of the legal work that Gandhi did was to help make life better for Indian people in both India and South Africa. When India was freed from England Gandhi had established satyagraha or a non-violence by non-compliance stand with England which I am sure helped them a great deal.
I have stopped many times, while reading this book, to pause and just let it sink in; the love and selflessness Gandhi worked hard to live. He said he didn’t fully understand the principles of Christianity but I saw grace, mercy and forgiveness in his writing, generosity, humility, and service. This book really inspired me to read many more books. Good books always do. I intend to learn more about the Hindu religion and many of the philosophers that Gandhi mentioned. I will also re-read this book. I don’t totally understand law and politics but I relish the self-improvement and religion that Gandhi was committed to. He was truly a great man.
“To see the universal and all-pervading Spirit of Truth face to face one must be able to love the meanest of creatures as oneself.” Gandhi
Buy your own copy of Gandhi An Autobiography The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mohandas K. Gandhi on Amazon
Read More:
- Gandhi Law and Lawyers Introduction Online Books by Sunit B Kher
- Mahatma Gandhi on Wikipedia by Wikipedia Staff
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For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information.
If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
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