Gandhi’s Experiments With Truth

Gandhi’s The Story of My Experiments With Truth is packed with useful information that seems as insightful and relevant today as it must have been when written nearly a hundred years ago. In his autobiography, Gandhi comes across, often direct in his own words, as not being a very good husband, father, brother, son, or friend. What he is, however—aside from being regarded as one of the finest and most influential human beings to have ever lived—is a very disciplined, principled man who knows what is right, and pursues it without regard for his safety or well being, when right is being wronged. These are some of what I feel are his best beliefs stated in the book:

RELIGION

“God could be revealed only through service.”

“[The soul] is what you express outwardly from within.”

“So long as there are different religions, every one of them may need some outward distinctive symbol. But when the symbol is made into a fetish and an instrument of proving the superiority of one’s religion over others, it is fit only to be discarded.”

Taking this one more step, replace the word “religion” with “nationality,” “brand,” “political cause,” “race,” or anything else, and it is just as applicable. Who among us are innocent?

“I had realized early enough in South Africa that there was no genuine friendship between the Hindis and the [Muslims].” In my travels I continue to learn more about the relationships among the different major religions. Noam Chomsky talks about a military partnership among Jewish (Israel), Christian (USA), and Hindu (India) nuclear nations to counter Muslim threats. For this reason, I was somewhat struck to read Gandhi talk of the longheld tensions.

“My uniform experience has convinced me that there is no other God than Truth.” Gandhi totally won me over in his loyalty to his inherited traditions (Hindu), but his scholarly and spiritual approach to learning about other major religions. In the end, it’s very difficult to tell just what he believes in, aside from “Truth.”

“Those who say that religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion means.”

FRIENDSHIP

“A reformer cannot afford to have close intimacy with him whom he seeks to reform. True friendship is an identity of souls rarely to be found in this world. Only between like natures can friendship be altogether worthy and enduring. I am of opinion that all exclusive intimacies are to be avoided, for man takes in vice for more readily than virtue. And he who would be friends with God must remain alone or make the whole world his friend.” Gandhi had many lifelong acquaintances and political connections, but it’s quite clear in his book that he always distanced himself somewhat, to never allow himself to be seduced into vice.

EDUCATION

“Today I know that physical training should have as much place in the curriculum as mental training.” We could use a heavy dose of this thinking in Western society today! Physically fit people incur smaller medical costs, have higher productivity, and happier lives. Where did our society go wrong here?

“I saw that bad handwriting should be regarded as a sign of an imperfect education…good handwriting is a necessary part of education. I am now of opinion that that children should first be taught the art of drawing before learning how to write…He will then write a beautifully formed hand.” I’ve never given much thought to penmanship, but maybe Gandhi is onto something?

“I have always felt that the true textbook for the pupil is his teacher.” Someone needs to get the professors at every major US university on board with this thinking. Every student knows that textbooks are a huge moneymaking scam.

“Children wrapped up in cottonwool are not always proof against all temptation or contamination.” How many Generation X and Y kids have been coddled so long that they lack independence and courage to face the world?

FREEDOM

“Far better to remain unlettered and break stones for the sake of liberty than to go in for a literary education in the chains of slaves.”

POVERTY/PHILANTHROPY

“Our philanthropists, instead of providing work for them [beggars] and insisting on their working for bread, give them alms.” I continue to struggle with poverty while traveling. I ask myself who is responsible for that issue, the relatively wealthy foreign travelers, or the locals, most of whom have, as far as I can see, extra to pass around if they were so inclined? Should extra food and money be given to the poor or is it better to let people, no matter their circumstances, fend for themselves, even though that might mean starving to death in many cases?

POLITICS

“The lesson was indelibly imprinted on the public mind that the salvation of the people depends upon themselves, upon their capacity for suffering and sacrifice.”

“To safeguard democracy the people must have a keen sense of independence, self-respect and their oneness, and should insist upon choosing as their representatives only such persons as are good and true.” How are we doing here? Is it possible to have “good and true” representatives these days?

On civil disobedience: “It is only when a person has thus obeyed the laws of society scrupulously that he is in a position to judge as to which particular rules ar good and just and which unjust and iniquitous. Only then does the right accrue to him of the civil disobedience of certain laws in well-defined circumstances.”

LEGAL PROFESSION

“I got disgusted with the legal profession. The very intellect became an abomination to me inasmuch as it could be prostituted for screening crime.” Gandhi will make you believe that there are good lawyers out there. He would ask the judge for decisions against his own clients if he found out they had lied to him and were on the wrong side of the law.

PUBLIC SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS

“The ideal is for public institutions to live, like nature, from day to day. The institution that fails to win public support has no right to exist as such.”

“Service without humility is selfishness and egotism.”

MEDICINE

“Though I have had two serious illnesses in my life, I believe that man has little need to drug himself. 999 cases out of a thousand can be brought round by means of a well-regulated diet, water and earth treatment and similar household remedies. He who runs to the doctor for every little ailment, and swallows all kinds of vegetable and mineral drugs, not only curtails his life, but, by becoming the slave of his body instead of remaining its master, loses self-control, and ceases to be a man.” In other words, he’s saying to STOP RELYING ON MEDICINE FOR THAT WE CAN CURE OURSELVES! Once again, Gandhi’s remarks are timely to US politics. I found it so very refreshing how seriously Gandhi took personal responsibility…so seriously in fact that he refused life insurance:

“In getting my life insured, I had robbed my wife and children of their self-reliance. Why should they not be expected to take care of themselves?” Wow, what a great and unique perspective. It would be very tough for a family man to get away with saying such a thing these days. I don’t have life insurance because I don’t believe in it, but I’m also a childless bachelor. I’m not sure what my feelings would be with children.

CLEANLINESS

“The indifference of the railway authorities to the comforts of the third class passengers, combined with the dirty and inconsiderate habits of the passengers themselves, makes third class traveling a trial for a passenger of cleanly ways….habits include throwing rubbish on floor, smoking at all hours in all places, betel and tobacco chewing, converting of carriage into a spittoon, shouting, yelling, foul language, regardless of fellow passengers.” Gandhi traveled third class in 1902 and again for a while in 1919 and noted no change. Being a guest, I have been reluctant to describe this part of Indian life, but I feel somewhat relieved of that reluctance after reading Gandhi’s words and his call for others to draw attention to the filth, in that it might lead to reform. So, here goes: I have traveled primarily in “sleeper class” which is a lower class than even third class (though I think it might not have existed in Gandhi’s days, and so is comparable to Gandhi’s “third class”), and feel it safe to say that Gandhi’s comments, based on 1902 observations, still hold true today. Additionally, I see people coughing and sneezing without covering their mouths, throwing trash and spitting out the window, using the seats and beds as plates for eating, and often a complete disregard for others. I have some incredible experiences from railway traveling India, but I will never forget the dirtiness of it.

Talking about people dirtying the holy Ganges River: “It filled me with agony to see people performing natural functions on the thoroughfares and river banks, when they could easily have gone a little farther away from public haunts.” This still happens. Unfortunately, the people are ignorant of the nastiness of it. I’ve tried talking to some and get replies such as “it’s holy!”

THINKING

“Every case can be seen from no less than seven points of view, all of which are probably correct by themselves, but not correct at the same time and in the same circumstances.” What I admire most about Gandhi is his absolute regard for getting to the bottom of things, for seeing problems completely. Sadly, this type of thinking is not cultivated in our schools, nor do our elected servants reflect it. Most have this ridiculous notion of a linear liberal/conservative political continuum on which they believe everyone must reside.