AJLL MEN

ARE BROTHERS
LIFE A N D T H O U G H T S OF
M A H A T M A GANDHI
11
AS TOLD
IN HIS OWN WORDS
COMPILED A N D EDITED BY
KRISHNA KRIPALANI
INTRODUCTION BY
SARVEPALLI RADHAKRISHNAN
CENTENNIAL REPRINT
1069-1969
UNESCO
ALL MEN
A R E BROTHERS
Published by the United Nations
Educational, Scienti$c and Cultural Organization
Place de FontenoJi, 71 Paris -7"
1st impreision December 1 9 ~ 8
2nd impression May I9J9
3rd impression /u!y 1919
4th impression March 1960
jtl, impression (2nd edition) April 1969
Printed by Presses Centraler Lausanne S.A.
The extracls .from Gandhi'i works
are reproduced by permission of the Nauq'iuan Trust
Ahmedabad- rg, India
0 Unesco 1918
Prirrlrd in Swiizylmd
SHC,68/D.> zd/A
PREFACE
As a contri buti on to the cel ebrati on of the centenary of the bi rth of
Mahat ma Gandhi (z Oct ober 1869). the General Conf erence of Unesco
at i ts fi fteenth sessi on ( November I 968) authori zed the Di rector- General to
republ i sh in Engl i sh the sel ecti on of Gandhi s wri ti ngs enti tl ed All M e n
are Brothers, f i rst publ i shed by Unesco in I 91 8, f ol l owi ng a resol uti on of
the ni nth sessi on of the General Conf erence authori zi ng hi m t o arrange
for the publ i cati on of a book contai ni ng sel ecti ons f r omGandhi s thoughts
preceded by a study of hi s personal i ty . I n thi s way, the General Con-
ference wi shed to pay homage to the person and the wri ti ngs of a man
whose spi ri tual i nfl uence has extended t hroughout the enti re worl d.
The sel ecti on of texts, made wi th the assi stance of I ndi an authori ti es
and most parti cul arl y of Mr. K. R. Kri pal ani , Secret ary of Sahi tya Aka-
derni , was i ntended to appeal to a wi de publ i c and to i l l ustrate and
make better known the di fferent aspects of Gandhi s personal i ty and
wri ti ngs.
The i ntroducti on outl i ni ng the mai n features of Mahat ma Gandhi s
phi l osophy and hi s i nfl uence in furtheri ng fri endshi p and understandi ng
bet ween peopl es was wri tten by Professor Sarvepal l i Radhakri shnan, at
t he time Vi ce- presi dent of I ndi a and l ater Presi dent.
CONTENTS
. . .
I ntroducti on . XI11
Chapter I Autobi ographi cal 3
Chapt er I1 Rel i gi on and Trut h . . 56
Chapter I V Ahi msa or the Way of Non- vi ol ence . 85
Chapt er I 11 Means and Ends . 81
Chapt er V Sel f-di sci pl i ne . 108
Chapter VI I nternati onal Peace . . 118
Chapt er VI1 Man and Machi ne . 124
Chapt er VI11 Poverty i nthe mi dst of Pl enty .
. 129
Chapt er IX Democr acy and the Peopl e . . 138
Chapt er XI Women . 160
Chapter XI1 Mi scel l aneous . 168
Gl ossary . 181
Sources . 184
Chapt er X Educati on . 1 5 1
A Sel ected Bi bl i ography . 191
I have nothing new to teach the world
Truth and non-violence are as old as the hills.
M. K. GANDHI
INTRODUCTION
A great teacher appears once in a while. Several centuries mq pass by without
the advent of such a one, That by which he is known is his life. He first lives and
then tells others bow thy mq live likewise. Such a teacher was Gandhi. These
Selections from his speeches and writings compiled with great care and discrimi-
nation by Sri Krishna Kripalani willgive the reader some idea of the workings
of Gandhis mind, the growth of his thoughts and the practical techniques which
be adopted.
Gandhis life was rooted in Indias religious tradition with its emphasis on
a passionate search for truth, a profound reverence for life, the ideal of non-
attachment and the readiness to sacr$ce all for the knowledge of God. He lived
his whole life in the perpetual quest of truth: I live and move and have my
being in the pursuit of this goal.
A life which has no roots, which is lacking in depth of background
is a superficial one. There are some who assume that when we see what is
right we will do it. It is not so. Even when we know what is right it does
not follow that we will choose and do right. We are overborne bypower-
ful impulses and do wrong and betray the light in us. In our present
state we are, according to the Hindu doctrine, 0 . b par@ human; the lower
part of us is still animal; only the conquest of our lower instincts by love can
slay the animal in us. It is by a process of trial and error, self-search and
austere discipline that tbe human being moves step by painjd step along the
road to fulfilment.
xiii
G A N D H Z
Gandhis religion was a rational and ethical one. He would not accept av
belig which did not appeal to his reason or any igunction which did not
commend to his conscience.
If we believe in God, not mere4 with our intellect but with our whole being,
we will love all mankind without any distinction of race or class, nation or
religion. We will work for the unig of mankind. All my actions have their
rise in m? inalienable love of mankind. I have known no distinction between
relatives and strangers, countrymen and foreigners, white and coloured, Hindus
and Indians of other faiths whether Mussulmans, Parsees, Christians orJewS. I
may say that my heart has been incapable of making any such distinctions. By
a long process of prayerftil discipline I have ceased-for over forgyears to hate
anybo4. All men are brothers and no human being should be a stranger to
another. The welfare of all, samodaya, should be our aim. God is the common
bond that unites all human beings. To break this bond even with our greatest
enemy is to tear God himself to pieces. There is humanig even in the most
wicked.1
This view leads natural4 to the adoption of non-violence as the best means
for solving all problems, national and international. Gandhi afirmed that he
was not a visionary but a practical idealist. Non-violence is meant not merely
/or saints and sages but for the common people also. Non-violence is the law of
our species, as violence is the law of the brute. The spirit lies dormant in the
brute and he knows no law but that ofpLysical might. The dignig of man
requires obedience to a higher law-to the strength of the spirit.
Gandhi was the first in human histov to extend the principle of non-
violence from the individual to the social and political plane. He enteredpolitics
for the purpose of experimenting with non-violence and establishing its validig.
Some friends have told me that truth and non-violence have no place in
politics and world4 affairs. I do not agree. I have no use for them as a means of
individual salvation. Their introduction and application in everydq lge has
been mjl experiment all along. For me, politics bereft of religion are absolute
dirt, ever to be shunned. Politics concerns nations and that which concerns the
I. See. Maha-bhzrata: aJZdhd caiua pururo labhaie iilam ebdii, xii.259 I I.
G A N D H I
weyare of nations must be one of the concerns of a man who is religious/3,
inclined, in other words, a seeker after God and Truth. For me God and Truth
are convertible terms, and i f any one told me that God was a God of untruth or
a God of torture I would decline to worship Him. Therefore, in politics also
we have to establish the Kingdom of Heaven.
In the struggle for Indias independence, he insisted that we should adopt
civiliqed methods of non-violence and suffering. His stand for the freedom of
India was not based on any hatred for Britain. We must hate the sin but not the
sinner. For me patriotism is the same as humanig. I am patriotic because I
am human and humane. I will not hurt England or Germany to serve India.
He believed that he rendered a service to the British in hebing them to do the
right thing /y India. The result was not on4 the liberation of the Indianpeople
but an increase in the moral resources of mankind.
In the present nuclear context, if we wish to save the world, we should adopt
the principles of non-violence. Gandhi said: I did not moue a muscle, when I
first heard that an atom bomb had wiped out Hiroshima. On the contraty I
said to my self: Unless now the world adopts non-violence, it will spell certain
suicide for mankind. In aryfrrture conflict we cannot be certain that neither
side will deliberate4 use nuclear weapons. We have the power to destrcy in one
blindingjash all that we have cargu14 built up across the centuries L ~ J our
endeavour and sacrifice. By a campaign of propaganda we condition mens
minds for nuclear warfare. Provocative remarks fly about freeb. We use
aggression even in words; harsh judgements, ill-will, anger, are all insidious
forms of violence.
In the present predicament when we are not able to a4ust ourselves to the
new conditions which science has brought about, it is not ea9 to adopt the
principles of non-violence, truth and zinderstanding. But on that ground we
should not give z@ the effort. While the obstinacy of the political leaders puts
fear into our hearts, the common sense and conscience of the peoples of the world
give us hope.
With the increased velocity of modern changes we do not know what the
world will be a hundredyears hence. We cannot anticipate the filture currents of
thought and feeling. But years niy go their wq, yet the great principles of
xu
G A N D H Z
satya and ahimsi, truth and non-violence, are there to guide us. They are the
silent stars keeping hob vigil above a tired and turbulent world. Like Gandhi
we may be jrm in our conviction that the sun shines above the drifting clouds.
We live in an age which is aware of its own defeat and moral coarsening, an
age in which old certainties are breaking down, the familiar patterns are tilting
and cracking. There is increasing intolerance and embitterment. The creative
janie that kindled the great human socieg is languishing. The human mind in
all its bafling strangeness and varieg produces contrary gpes, a Buddha or a
Gandhi, a Nero or a Hitler. It is our pride that one of the greatest figures of
history lived in our generation, walked with us, spoke to us, taught us the w q
of civilixed living. He who wrongs no one fears no one. He has nothing to hide
and so is fearless. He looks evevone in the face. His step is firm, his b o 4
upright, and his words are direct and straight. Plato said long ago : There
alwqs are in the world a few inspired men whose acquaintance is beyondprice.
New Delhi
1 5 August 1958 S. RADHAKRISHNAN
Portrait of Gandhi
(Henri Cartier-Bresson, Magnum, I 946)
SELECTIONS
CHAPTER I
A U T O B I O G R A P H I C A L
It i s not my purpose toattempt a real autobi ography. I si mpl y want totell the
story of my numer ous experi ments wi th truth, and as my life consi sts of
nothi ng but those experi ments, i t i s true that the story will take the shape
of an autobi ography. But I shal l not mi nd, if every page of i t speaks onl y
of my experi ments. I
My experi ments i n t he pol i ti cal fi el d are now known, not onl y to I ndi a,
but toa certai n extent to the ci vi l i zed worl d. For me, they have not much
val ue; and the ti tl e of Mahat ma that they have won for me has, therefore,
even l ess. Of ten the ti tl e has deepl y pai ned me; and t here is not a moment
I can recal l when i t may be sai d to have ti ckl ed me. But I shoul d certai nl y
l i ke to narrate my experi ments in the spi ri tual fieldwhi ch ar e known onl y
to mysel f , and from whi ch I have deri ved such power as I possess for
worki ng i n the pol i ti cal field. I f t he experi ments ar e real l y spi ri tual , then
t here can be no r oomfor sel f-prai se. They can onl y add to my humi l i ty.
The mor e I refl ect and look back on t he past, the mor e vi vi dl y do I f eel my
l i mi tati ons. 2
What I want to achi eve- what I have been stri vi ng and pi ni ng to achi eve
these thi rty years- i s sel f-real i zati on, to see God face to face, to attai n
Moksha. I l i ve and move and have my bei ng i n pursui t of thi s goal . All
that I do by way of speaki ng and wri ti ng, and al l my ventures i n the pol i -
tical fi el d, are di rected tothis same end. But as I have al l al ong bel i eved that
what is possi bl e for one i s possi bl e for all, my experi ments have not been
G A N D H I
conduct ed in the cl oset, but in the open; and I do not thi nk that thi s fact
detracts f r omthei r spi ri tual val ue. Ther e ar e some thi ngs whi ch are known
onl y to onesel f and one s Maker . These ar e cl earl y i ncommuni cabl e. The
experi ments I amabout to rel ate ar e not such. But t hey are spi ri tual , or
rather moral ; for the essence of rel i gi on i s moral i ty.
j
Far be i t f r omme to cl ai many degr ee of perfecti on for these experi ments.
I cl ai mfor t hemnothi ng mor e than does a sci enti st who, t hough he con-
ducts hi s experi ments wi th the ut most accuracy, f orethought and mi nut e-
ness, never cl ai ms any finality about hi s concl usi ons, but keeps an open
mi nd regardi ng t hem. I have gone t hrough deep sel f-i ntrospecti on, searched
mysel f t hrough and t hrough, and exami ned and anal ysed every psychol o-
gi cal si tuati on. Yet I amf ar f r omcl ai mi ng any finality or infallibility about
my concl usi ons. One cl ai mI do i ndeed make and i t i s thi s. For me t hey
appear to be absol utel y correct, and seemfor the t i me bei ng to be fi nal .
For i f they wer e not, I shoul d base no acti on on t hem. But at every st ep
I have carri ed out the process of acceptance or rej ecti on and acted accord-
i ngl y. 4
My l i fei s one i ndi vi si bl e whol e, and all my acti vi ti es run i nto one another,
and they al l have thei r ri se i n my i nsati abl e l ove of manki nd.
J
The Gandhi s bel ong to t he BanB cast e and seemto have been ori gi nal l y
grocers. But for t hree generati ons, f rommy grandfather, they have been
pr i me mi ni sters inseveral Kat hi awad States. . . . My grandfather must have
been a man of pri nci pl e. State i ntri gues compel l ed hi mtol eave Porbandar,
wher e he was Diwcin, and to seek r ef uge i nJ unagadh. Ther e he sal uted the
Nwcib wi th the l eft hand. Someone, noti ci ng the apparent di scourtesy,
asked for an expl anati on, whi ch was gi ven thus : The ri ght hand i s al ready
pl edged to Porbandar. 6
My f at her was a l over of his cl an, truthful , brave and generous, but short-
t empered. To a certai n extent he mi ght have been even gi ven to carnal
pl easures. For he mar r i ed for the f ourth t i me when he was over forty. But
he was i ncorrupti bl e and had earned a name for strict i mparti al i ty in hi s
f ami l y as well as outsi de.
7
4
G A N D H I
The outstandi ng i mpressi on my mot her has l eft on my memor y i s that of
sai ntl i ness. She was deepl y rel i gi ous. She woul d not thi nk of taki ng
her meal s wi thout her dai l y prayers. . . . She woul d t ake the hardest
vows and keep t hemwi thout fl i nchi ng. I l l ness was no excuse for rel axi ng
t hem. 8
Of t hese parents I was born at Porbandar. . . . I passed my chi l dhood i n
Porbandar. I recol l ect havi ng been put to school . It was wi th some di ffi cul ty
that I got t hrough the mul ti pl i cati on tabl es. The fact that I recol l ect not h-
i ng mor e of those days than havi ng l earnt, incompany wi th other boys, to
call our t eacher all ki nds of names, woul d strongl y suggest that my i ntel l ect
must have been sl uggi sh, and my memor y r aw.
9
I used to be very shy and avoi ded al l company. My books and my l essons
wer e my sol e compani ons. To be at school at the stroke of the hour and
to run back home as soon as the school cl osed-that was my dai l y habi t.
I l i teral l y ran back, because I coul d not bear to tal k to anybody. I was even
af rai d l est anyone shoul d poke f un at me. I O
Ther e i s an i nci dent whi ch occurred at the exami nati on duri ng my f i rst
year at the hi gh school and whi ch i s wort h recordi ng. Mr. Gi l es, the
Educati onal I nspector, had come on a visit of i nspecti on. He had set us
fi ve wor ds to wri te as a spel l i ng exerci se. One of the wor ds was kettl e .
I had mi s- spel t i t. The t eacher tri ed to pr ompt me wi th the poi nt of hi s
boot , but I woul d not be prompt ed. It was beyond me to see that he want ed
me to copy the spel l i ng f r ommy nei ghbour s sl ate, for I had t hought that
the t eacher was there to supervi se us agai nst coppi ng. The resul t was that
all the boys, except mysel f , wer e f ound to have spel t every wor d correctl y.
Onl y I had been stupi d. The t eacher tri ed l ater to bri ng thi s stupi di ty home
to me, but wi thout effect. I never coul d l earn the art of copyi ng . 11
It i s my pai nful duty to have to record her e my mar r i age at the age of
thi rteen. As I see the youngsters of t he s ame age about me who ar e under
my care, and thi nk of my own mar r i age, I am i ncl i ned to pi ty mysel f and
to congratul ate themon havi ng escaped my l ot. I can see no moral ar gument
in support of such a preposterousl y earl y mar r i age. 12
G A N D H Z
I do not thi nk i t [ marri age] meant to me anythi ng mor e than the prospect
of good cl othes to wear, dr umbeati ng, mar r i age processi ons, ri ch di nners
and a strange girl to pl ay wi th. The carnal desi re came l ater.
13
And oh! that f i rst ni ght. Two i nnocent chi l dren al l unwi tti ngl y hurl ed
themsel ves i nto the ocean of l i fe. My brother s wifehad thoroughl y coached
me about my behavi our on the f i rst ni ght. I do not know who had coached
my wi f e. I have never asked her about it, nor a m I i ncl i ned to do so now.
The r eader may be sure that we wer e too nervous to f ace each other. We
wer e certai nl y too shy. Ho w was I to tal k to her, and what was I to say ?
The coachi ng coul d not carry me f ar. But no coachi ng i s real l y necessary
i nsuch mat t er s. . . . We gradual l y began to know each other, and to speak
freel y together. We wer e the same age. But I took no time inassumi ng the
authori ty of a husband. 14
I must say I was passi onatel y f ond of her. Even at school I used to thi nk
of her, and the t hought of ni ghtfal l and our subsequent meeti ng was ever
haunti ng me. Separati on was unbearabl e. I used to keep her awake ti l l l ate
i n the ni ght wi th my i dl e tal k. I f wi th thi s devouri ng passi on there had not
been i nme a burni ng attachment toduty, I shoul d ei ther have fal l en a pr ey
to di sease and premature death, or have sunk i nto a bur densome exi stence.
But the appoi nted t asks had to be gone t hrough every morni ng, and l yi ng
to anyone was out of the questi on. It was this l ast thi ng that saved me f r om
many a pi tfal l . IJ
1 had not any hi gh regard for my abi l i ty. I used to be astoni shed whenever
I won pri zes and schol arshi ps. But I very j eal ousl y guarded my charact er.
The l east l i ttl e bl emi sh dr ew t ears f r ommy eyes. When I mer i t ed, or
seemed to the t eacher to meri t, a rebuke, i t was unbearabl e for me. I
r emember havi ng once recei ved corporal puni shment . I di d not so much
mi nd the puni shment , as the f act that i t was consi dered my desert. I wept
pi teousl y. 16
Amongst my fewfri ends at the hi gh school I had, at di fferent t i mes, t wo
who mi ght be cal l ed i nti mate. One of t hese fri endshi ps . . . I regard as a
t ragedy inmy l i fe. It l asted l ong. I f ormed i t i nthe spi ri t of a ref ormer. 17
6
G A N D H Z
I have seen si nce that I had cal cul ated wrongl y. A ref ormer cannot afford
to have cl ose i nti macy wi th hi mwhomhe seeks to ref orm. Tr ue fri endshi p
i s an i denti ty of soul s rarel y to be f ound in thi s worl d. Onl y bet ween l i ke
natures can fri endshi p be al together wort hy and enduri ng. Fri ends react
on one another. Hence in fri endshi p t here is very l i ttl e scope for ref orm.
I a m of opi ni on that all excl usi ve i nti maci es are to be avoi ded; for man
takes i n vi ce f ar mor e readi l y than vi rtue. And he who woul d be fri ends
wi th God must remai n al one, or make the whol e worl d hi s fri end. I may
be wr ong, but my effort to cul ti vate an i nti mate fri endshi p proved a
fai l ure. 18
Thi s fri end s expl oi ts cast a spel l over me. He coul d run l ong di stances and
extraordi nari l y fast. He was an adept i n hi gh and l ong j umpi ng. He coul d
put up wi th any amount of corporal puni shment . He woul d often di spl ay
his expl oi ts to me and, as one i s al ways dazzl ed when he sees i n others the
qual i ti es that he l acks hi msel f, I was dazzl ed by thi s fri end s expl oi ts. This
was f ol l owed by a strong desi re to be l i ke hi m. I coul d hardl y j ump or
run. Why shoul d not I al so be as strong as he ?
19
I was a coward. I used to be haunted by the f ear of thi eves, ghosts, and
serpents. I di d not dar e to sti r out of doors at ni ght. Darkness was a terror
to me. It was al most i mpossi bl e for me to sl eep i n the dark, as I woul d
i magi ne ghosts comi ng f romone di recti on, thi eves f r omanother and
serpents f r oma thi rd. I coul d not therefore bear to sl eep wi thout a l i ght
in the r oom. 20
My fri end knew all these weaknesses of mi ne. He woul d tel l me that he
coul d hol d inhi s hand l i ve serpents, coul d def y thi eves and di d not bel i eve
inghosts. And all thi s was, of course, the resul t of eati ng meat . ZI
All thi s had i ts due effect on me. . . . I t began to gr ow on me that meat -
eati ng was good, that i t woul d make me strong and dari ng, and that, if the
whol e country took to meat- eati ng, the Engl i sh coul d be overcome. 22
Whenever I had occasi on to i ndul ge i nthese surrepti ti ous feasts, di nner at
home was out of the questi on. My mot her woul d natural l y ask me tocome
7
G A N D H I
and take my f ood and want to know the reason why I di d not wi sh to eat.
I woul d say to her I have no appeti te t oday; t here i s somet hi ng wr ong
wi th my di gesti on . It was not wi thout compunct i on that I devi sed t hese
pretexts. I knew I was l yi ng, and l yi ng to my mot her. I also knew that if my
mot her and father came to know of my havi ng become a meat - eat er , they
woul d be deepl y shocked. Thi s knowl edge was gnawi ng at my heart.
Theref ore I sai d to mysel f : Though i t is essenti al to eat meat , and al so
essenti al to t ake up f ood ref orm i n the country, yet decei vi ng and l yi ng
to one s f ather and mot her i s worse than not eati ng meat . I n thei r l i feti me,
therefore, meat- eati ng must be out of the questi on. When they are no mor e
and I have f ound my f reedom, I will eat meat openl y, but unti l that moment
arri ves I will abstai n f r omit.
Thi s deci si on I communi cat ed tomy fri end, and I have never si nce gone
back to meat . 23
My fri end once took me to a brothel . He sent me i n wi th the necessary
i nstructi ons. It was al l pre- arranged. The bill had al ready been pai d. I went
i nto the j aws of si n, but God in His i nfi ni te mercy protected me agai nst
mysel f. I was al most struck bl i nd and dumb i n thi s den of vi ce. I sat near
the woman on her bed, but I was tongue- ti ed. She natural l y lost pati ence
wi th me, and showed me the door, wi th abuses and i nsul ts. I then fel t
as t hough my manhood had been i nj ured, and wi shed to si nk i nto the
ground for shame. But I have ever si nce gi ven thanks to God for havi ng
saved me. I can recal l f our mor e si mi l ar i nci dents i nmy life, and i nmost of
t hemmy good f ortune, rat her than any effort on my part, saved me. Fr om
a strictly ethi cal poi nt of vi ew, al l t hese occasi ons must be r egar ded as
moral l apses; for the carnal desi re was there, and i t was as good as
the act. But f r omthe ordi nary poi nt of vi ew, a man who i s saved
f romphysi cal l y commi t t i ng si n i s r egar ded as saved. And I was saved
onl y i nthat sense. 24
As we know that a man often succumbs to temptati on, however much he
may resi st it, we al so know that Provi dence often i ntercedes and saves him
i n spi te of hi msel f . Ho w al l thi s happens- how f ar a man i s f ree and how
f ar a creature of ci rcumstances- how f ar f ree- wi l l comes i nto pl ay and wher e
f ate enters on the scene-al l thi s i s a myst ery and will remai n a mystery. ZJ
8
G A N D H I
One of the reasons of my di fferences wi th my wi f e was undoubt edl y the
company of thi s fri end. I was both a devoted and a j eal ous husband, and
this fri end f anned the f l ame of my suspi ci ons about my wi f e. I never coul d
doubt his veraci ty. And I have never f orgi ven mysel f the vi ol ence of whi ch
I have been gui l ty i noften havi ng pai ned my wi f e by acti ng on hi s i nf orma-
ti on. Perhaps onl y a Hi ndu wi f e coul d tol erate these hardshi ps, and that is
why I have r egar ded woman as an i ncarnati on of tol erance. 26
The canker of suspi ci on was rooted out onl y when I understood ahiysz
i nall i ts beari ngs. I saw then the gl ory of brahmachar_ya and real i zed that the
wifei s not the husband s bondsl ave, but hi s compani on and hi s hel pmat e,
and an equal partner i nal l his j oys and sorrows- as f ree as the husband to
choose her own path. Whenever I thi nk of those dark days of doubt s and
suspi ci ons, I a m filled wi th l oathi ng of my fol l y and my l ustful cruel ty,
and I depl ore my bl i nd devoti on to my fri end.
27
Fr ommy si xth or seventh year up to my si xteenth I was at school , bei ng
taught al l sorts of thi ngs except rel i gi on. I may say that I fai l ed to get f r om
the teachers what they coul d have gi ven me wi thout any effort on thei r
part. And yet I kept on pi cki ng up thi ngs here and there f r ommy surround-
i ngs. The t er m rel i gi on I a m usi ng i ni ts broadest sense, meani ng thereby
sel f-real i zati on or knowl edge of sel f. 28
But one thi ng t ook deep root i n me- the convi cti on that moral i ty i s the
basi s of thi ngs, and that truth i s the substance of all moral i ty. Trut h
became my sol e obj ecti ve. I t began to gr ow i n magni t ude every day, and
my defi ni ti on of i t al so has been ever wi deni ng.
29
I r egar d untouchabi l i ty as t he greatest bl ot on Hi ndui sm. Thi s i dea was
not brought home to me by my bi tter experi ences duri ng the Sout h Afri can
struggl e. It i s not due to the fact that I was once an agnosti c. It i s equal l y
wr ong to thi nk that I have taken my vi ews f r ommy study of Chri sti an
rel i gi ous l i terature. These vi ews dat e as f ar back as the t i me when I was
nei ther enamour ed of, nor was acquai nted wi th, the Bi bl e or the f ol l owers
of t he Bi bl e.
I was hardl y yet twel ve when this i dea had dawned on me. A scavenger
9
G A N D H Z
named Uka, an untouchabl e, used to attend our house for cl eani ng l atri nes.
Of ten I woul d ask my mot her why i t was wr ong to touch hi m, why I was
f orbi dden to touch hi m. I f I acci dental l y touched Uka, I was asked to
perf ormthe abl uti ons, and t hough I natural l y obeyed, i t was not wi thout
smi l i ngl y protesti ng that untouchabi l i ty was not sancti oned by rel i gi on,
that i t was i mpossi bl e that i t shoul d be so. I was a ver y duti ful and obedi ent
chi l d and so f ar as i t was consi stent wi th respect for parents, I often had
tussl es wi th t hemon thi s mat t er . I tol d my mot her that she was enti rel y
wr ong i nconsi deri ng physi cal contact wi th Uka as si nful .
jo
I passed the matri cul ati on exami nati on i n 1887.
jr
My el ders want ed me to pursue my studi es at col l ege af ter the matri cul ati on.
Ther e was a col l ege i n Bhavnagar as well as i nBombay, and as the f ormer
was cheaper, I deci ded to go there and j oi n the Samal das Col l ege. I went ,
but f ound mysel f enti rel y at sea. Everythi ng was di ffi cul t. I coul d not f ol l ow,
l et al one taki ng i nterest i n, the professors l ectures. I t was no faul t of thei rs.
The professors i nthat col l ege wer e r egar ded as f i rst- rate. But I was so r aw.
At the end of the f i rst t er m, I returned home.
jz
A shr ewd and l earned Brahmi n, an ol d fri end and advi ser of the f ami l y. . .
happened to visit us duri ng my vacati on. In conversati on wi th my mot her
and el der brother, he i nqui red about my studi es. Learni ng that I was at
Samal das Col l ege, he sai d: The t i mes are changed. . . . I woul d f ar rat her
that you sent hi mto Engl and. My son Keval ramsays i t i s very easy to
become a barri ster. In three years time he will return. Al so expenses will not
exceed f our to fi ve thousand rupees. Thi nk of that barri ster who has j ust
come back f r omEngl and. How styl i shl y he l i ves ! He coul d get the di wan-
shi p for the aski ng. I woul d strongl y advi se you to send Mohandas to
Engl and thi s very year. j?
My mot her was sorel y perpl exed. . . . Someone had tol d her that young
men got l ost i n Engl and. Someone el se had sai d that they took to meat ;
and yet another that they coul d not l i ve there wi thout liquor. How about
al l this ? she asked me. I sai d : Will you not trust me ? I shal l not lieto you.
I swear that I shal l not touch any of those thi ngs. I f t here wer e any such
I O
G A N D H I
danger, woul d J oshi j i l et me go ? . . . I vowed not to touch wi ne, woman
and meat. Thi s done, my mot her gave her permi ssi on.
34
Bef ore the i ntenti on of comi ng to London for the sake of study was
actual l y f ormed, I had a secret desi gn i n my mi nd of comi ng here to
sati sfy my curi osi ty of knowi ng what London was.
31
At the age of ei ghteen I went to Engl and. . . . Everythi ng was strange-
the peopl e, thei r ways, and even thei r dwel l i ngs. I was a compl et e novi ce
i n the mat t er of Engl i sh eti quette and conti nual l y had tobe on my guard.
Ther e was the addi ti onal i nconveni ence of the vegetari an vow. Even the
di shes that I coul d eat wer e tastel ess and i nsi pi d. I thus f ound mysel f
bet ween Scyl l a and Charybdi s. Engl and I coul d not bear, but to return to
I ndi a was not to be t hought of. No w that I had come, I must fi ni sh the
three years, sai d the i nner voi ce. 36
The l andl ady was at a l oss to know what toprepare for me. . . . The fri end
conti nual l y reasoned wi th me to eat meat, but I al ways pl eaded my vow and
then remai ned si l ent. . . . One day the fri end began to r ead to me Bent ham s
Theoy of Utility. I was at my wits end. The l anguage was too difficult for
me to understand. He began to expound i t. I sai d: Pray excuse me. These
abstruse thi ngs are beyond me. I admi t i t i s necessary to eat meat . But I
cannot break my vow. I cannot argue about it.
37
I woul d trot ten or twel ve mi l es each day, go i nto a cheap restaurant and
eat my f i l l of bread, but woul d never be sati sf i ed. Dur i ng these wanderi ngs
I once hit on a vegetari an restaurant i n Farri ngdon Street. The si ght of i t
filledme wi th the s ame j oy that a chi l d f eel s on getti ng a thi ng af ter i ts own
heart. Before I entered I noti ced books for sal e exhi bi ted under a gl ass
wi ndow near the door. I s aw among t hemSal t s Plea for Vegetarianirm.
Thi s I purchased for a shi l l i ng and went strai ght to the di ni ng r oom. This
was my f i rst hearty meal si nce my arri val i n Engl and. God had come to
my ai d.
I r ead Sal t s book f r omcover to cover and was very much i mpr essed
I. A gentleman with whom he stayed in Richmond for a month.
G A N D H I
by i t. Fr omthe date of readi ng t hi s book, I may cl ai mto have become a
vegetari an by choi ce. I bl essed the day on whi ch I had taken the vow
before my mot her. I had all al ong abstai ned f r ommeat i n the i nterests of
truth and of the vow I had taken, but had wi shed at the s ame t i me that
every I ndi an shoul d be a meat- eater, and had l ooked f orward to bei ng one
mysel f f reel y and openl y some day, and to enl i sti ng others in the cause.
The choi ce was now made inf avour of vegetari ani sm, the spread of whi ch
hencef orth became my mi ssi on. 38
A convert s enthusi asmfor hi s new rel i gi on i s great er than that of a person
who is born i ni t. Vegetari ani smwas then a new cul t i nEngl and, and l i ke-
wi se for me, because, as we have seen, I had gone t here a convi nced meat -
eater, and was i ntel l ectual l y converted to vegetari ani sml ater. Ful l of the
neophyte s zeal for vegetari ani sm, I deci ded to start a vegetari an cl ub i nmy
l ocal i ty, Bayswat er. I i nvi ted Si r Edwi n Arnol d, who l i ved there, to be
vi ce-presi dent. Dr. Ol df i el d who was edi tor of The Vegetari an became pre-
si dent. I mysel f became the secretary.
39
1 was el ected to the Executi ve Commi t t ee of the Vegetari an Soci ety, and
made i t a poi nt to attend every one of i ts meeti ngs, but I al ways fel t t ongue-
ti ed. . . . Not that I never fel t t empt ed to speak. But I was at a l oss to know
how to express mysel f. . . . Thi s shyness I retai ned t hroughout my stay i n
Engl and. Even when I pai d a soci al call the presence of hal f a dozen or
mor e peopl e woul d stri ke me dumb.
40
I must say that, beyond occasi onal l y exposi ng me to l aughter, my consti -
tuti onal shyness has been no di sadvantage what ever. I n fact I can see that,
on the contrary, i t has been al l to my advantage. My hesi tancy i n speech,
whi ch was once an annoyance, is now a pl easure. I ts greatest benefi t has
been that i t has taught me the economy of words.
41
There was a great exhi bi ti on at Pari s i n I 890. I had read about i ts el aborate
preparati on, and I al so had a keen desi re to see Pari s. So I t hought I had
better combi ne t wo thi ngs i none and go t here at thi s j uncture. A parti cul ar
attracti on of the exhi bi ti on was the Eiffel Tower , constructed enti rel y of
i ron, and nearl y 1,000 feet hi gh. There wer e of course many other
I2
G A N D H r
thi ngs of i nterest, but the t ower was the chi ef one, i nasmuch as i t had
been supposed ti l l then that a structure of that hei ght coul d not
saf el y stand. 42.
I r emember nothi ng of the exhi bi ti on excepti ng i ts magni t ude and vari ety.
I have f ai r recol l ecti on of the Ei ffel Tower as I ascended i t t wi ce or thri ce.
Ther e was a restaurant on the fi rst pl atf orm, and j ust for the sati sfacti on of
bei ng abl e to say that I had had my l unch at a great hei ght, 1 t hrewaway
seven shi l l i ngs on it.
The anci ent churches of Pari s are sti l l in my memor y. Thei r grandeur
and thei r peaceful ness are unforgettabl e. The wonderf ul constructi on of
Not re Da me and the el aborate decorati on of the i nteri or wi th i ts beauti ful
scul ptures cannot be f orgotten. I fel t then that those who expended mil-
lions on such di vi ne cathedral s coul d not but have the l ove of God i n thei r
hearts. 43
I must say a wor d about the Ei ffel Tower . I do not know what purpose i t
serves today. But I then heard i t greatl y di sparaged as wel l as prai sed.
I r emember that Tol stoy was the chi ef among those who di sparaged it.
He sai d that t he Eiffel Tower was a monument of man' s fol l y, not of his
wi sdom. Tobacco, he argued, was the worst of ail i ntoxi cants, i nasmuch as
a man addi ct ed toi t was t empt ed to commi t cr i mes whi ch a drunkard never
dared to do ; l i quor made a man mad, but tobacco cl ouded his i ntel l ect and
made hi mbui l d castl es i n the ai r. The Eiffel Tower was one of the creati ons
of a man under such i nfl uence. Ther e i s no art about the Ei ffel Tower .
In no way can i t be sai d to have contri buted to the real beauty of the exhi bi -
ti on. Men fl ocked to see i t and ascended i t as i t was a novel ty and of uni que
di mensi ons. I t was the toy of the exhi bi ti on. So l ong as we are chi l dren we
are attracted by toys, and the tower was a good demonstrati on of the f act
that we ar e all chi l dren attracted by tri nkets. That may be cl ai med to be the
purpose served by the Ei ffel Tower .
44
I passed my exami nati ons, was cal l ed to the Bar on the tenth of J une 1891,
and enrol l ed inthe Hi gh Court on the el eventh. On the twel th I sai l ed for
home. 4j
G A N D H Z
My el der brother had bui l t hi gh hopes on me. The desi re for weal th and
name and f ame was great in hi m. He had a bi g heart, generous to a faul t.
Thi s, combi ned wi th hi s si mpl e nature, had attracted to himmany fri ends,
and through t hemhe expect ed to get me bri efs. He had al so assumed that
I shoul d have a swi ngi ng practi ce and had, inthat expectati on, al l owed the
househol d expenses to become top- heavy. He had also l eft no stone
unturned in prepari ng the fi el d for my practi ce.
46
But i t was i mpossi bl e for me to get al ong inBombay for mor e than f our or
fi ve mont hs, there bei ng no i ncome to square wi th the ever-i ncreasi ng
expendi ture.
This was how I began life. I f ound the barri ster s professi on a bad j ob-
much show and little knowl edge. I fel t a crushi ng sense of my responsi bi l -
i ty. 47
Di sappoi nted, I l eft Bombay and went to Raj kot wher e I set up my own
offi ce. Her e I got al ong moderatel y well. Draf ti ng appl i cati ons and memo-
ri al s brought me i n on an average Rs. 300 a mont h.
48
I n the meant i me a Meman firmf r omPorbandar wrote to my brother
maki ng the f ol l owi ng offer: We have busi ness in Sout h Afri ca. Our s i s a
bi g firm, and we have a bi g case there inthe Court, our cl ai mbei ng E40,000.
It has been goi ng on for a l ong ti me. We have engaged the servi ces of the
best va&h and barri sters. If you sent your brother there, he woul d be useful
to us and al so to hi msel f . He woul d be abl e to i nstruct our counsel better
than ourseI ves. And he woul d have the advantage of seei ng a new part of
the worl d, and of maki ng new acquai ntances.
49
Thi s was hardl y goi ng there as a barri ster. It was goi ng as a servant of the firm.
But I want ed somehow to l eave I ndi a. Ther e was al so the tempti ng oppor -
tuni ty of seei ng a new country, and of havi ng new experi ence. Al so I coul d
send L I O ~ to my brother and hel p i n the expenses of the househol d. I cl osed
wi th the offer wi thout any hi ggl i ng, and got r eady togo toSout h Afri ca. J O
When starti ng for Sout h Afri ca I di d not feel the wrench of separati on
whi ch I had experi enced when l eavi ng for Engl and. My mot her was now
4
G A N D H I
no more. I had gai ned some knowl edge of the worl d and of travel abroad,
and goi ng f r omRaj kot to Bombay was no unusual affai r.
This ti me I onl y fel t the pang of parti ng wi th my wi f e. Anot her baby
had been born tous si nce my return f r omEngl and. Our l ove coul d not yet be
cal l ed f ree f r oml ust, but i t was getti ng gradual l y purer. Si nce my return
f r omEurope, we had l i ved very l i ttl e together ; and as I had now become
her teacher, however i ndi fferent, and hel ped her to make certai n ref orms we
both fel t the necessi ty of bei ng mor e together, if onl y to conti nue the ref orms.
But the attracti on of Sout h Afri ca rendered the separati on bearabl e. JZ
The port of Natal i s Dur ban also known as Port Natal . Abdul l a Sheth was
there to recei ve me. As the shi p arri ved at the quay and I wat ched the peopl e
comi ng on board to meet thei r fri ends, I observed that the I ndi ans wer e not
hel d i n much respect. I coul d not fai l to noti ce a sort of snobbi shness about
the manner i n whi ch those who knew Abdul l a Sheth behaved t owards hi m,
and i t stung me. Abdul l a Sheth had got used to it. Those who l ooked at
me di d so wi th a certai n amount of curi osi ty. My dress marked me out
f r omother I ndi ans. I had a f rockcoat and a turban.
jr
On the second or thi rd day of my arri val , he took me to see the Dur ban
court. Ther e he i ntroduced me to several peopl e and seated me next to hi s
attorney. The magi strate kept stari ng at me and finally asked me to t ake off
my turban. Thi s I refused to do and l eft the court.
j3
On the seventh or ei ghth day af ter my arri val , I l eft Dur ban (for Pretori a).
A f i rst cl ass seat was booked for me. . . . The trai n reached Mari tzburg, the
capi tal of Natal , at about 9 p. m. Beddi ngs used to be provi ded at thi s sta-
ti on. A rai l way servant came and asked me if I want ed one. No, sai d I,
I have one wi th me. He went away. But a passenger came next, and l ooked
me up and down. He saw that I was a col oured man. Thi s di sturbed hi m.
Out he went and came i nagai n wi th one or t wo officials. They al l kept qui et,
when another official came to me and sai d, Come al ong, you must go to
t he van compart ment .
But I have a fi rst cl ass ti cket, sai d I .
That doesn t matter, rej oi ned the other. I t el l you, you must go to the
van compart ment .
G A N D H I
I tell you, I was permitted to travel in this compartment at Durban,
No, you wont, said the official. You must leave this compartment,
Yes, you may. I refuse to get out voluntarily.
The constable came. He took me by the hand and pushed me out. My
luggage was also taken out. I refused to go to the other compartment and
the train steamed away. I went and sat in the waiting room, keeping my
hand-bag with me, and leaving the other luggage where it was. The railway
authorities had taken charge of it.
It was winter, and winter in the higher regions of South Africa is
severely cold. Maritzburg being at a high altitude, the cold was extremely
bitter. My overcoat was in my luggage, but I did not dare to ask for it lest
I should be insulted again, so I sat and shivered. There was no light in the
room. A passenger came in at about midnight and possibly wanted to talk
to me. But 1 was in no mood to talk.
I began to think of my duty. Should I fight for my rights or go back to
India, or should I go on to Pretoria without minding the insults, and
return to India after finishing the case ? It would be cowardice to run back
to India without fulfilling my obligation. The hardship to which I was
subjected was superficial-only a symptom of the deep disease of colour
prejudice. I should try, if possible, to root out the disease and suffer hard-
ships in the process. Redress for wrongs I should seek only to the extent
that would be necessary for the removal of the colour prejudce.
and I insist on going on in it.
or else I shall have to call a police constable to push you out.
So I decided to take the next available train to Pretoria.
j4
My first step was to call a meeting of all the Indians in Pretoria and to
present to them a picture of their condition in the Transvaal.
jj
My speech at this meeting may be said to have been the first public speech
in my life. I went fairly prepared with my subject, which was about observ-
ing truthfulness in business. I had always heard the merchants say that
truth was not possible in business. I did not think so then, nor do I now.
Even today there are merchant friends who contend that truth is inconsis-
tent with business. Business, they say, is a very practical affair, and truth a
matter of religion; and they argue that practical affairs are one thing, while
Gandhi at the time he was a barrister in South Africa (Photo Keystone)
G A N D H I
rel i gi on i s qui te another. Pure truth, they hol d, i s out of the questi on i n
busi ness, one can speak i t onl y so f ar as i s sui tabl e. I strongl y contested
the posi ti on in my speech and awakened the merchants to a sense of thei r
duty, whi ch was twof ol d. Thei r responsi bi l i ty to be truthful was all the
greater in a forei gn l and, because the conduct of a f ewI ndi ans was the
measure of that of the mi l l i ons of thei r f el l ow- countrymen.
16
The consequences of the regul ati on regardi ng the use of f ootpaths wer e
rather seri ous for me. I al ways went out for a wal k through Presi dent Street
to an open pl ai n. Presi dent Kruger s house was i n thi s street-a very
modest, unostentati ous bui l di ng, wi thout a garden, and not di sti ngui shabl e
f r omother houses i n i ts nei ghbourhood. The houses of many of the
mi l l i onai res i n Pretori a wer e f ar mor e pretenti ous, and wer e surrounded
by gardens. I ndeed Presi dent Kruger s si mpl i ci ty was proverbi al . Onl y
the presence of a pol i ce patrol before the house i ndi cated that i t bel onged
to some official. I nearl y al ways went al ong the f ootpath past thi s patrol
wi thout the sl i ghtest hi tch or hi ndrance.
Now the man on duty used to be changed f r omt i me to ti me. Once one
of these men, wi thout gi vi ng me the sl i ghtest warni ng, wi thout even
aski ng me to l eave the f ootpath, pushed and ki cked me i nto the street.
I was di smayed. Bef ore I coul d questi on hi mas to his behavi our, Mr. Coates,
who happened to be passi ng the spot on horseback, hai l ed me and sai d:
Gandhi , I have seen everythi ng. I shal l gl adl y be your wi tness incourt
if you proceed agai nst the man. I amvery sorry you have been so rudel y
assaul ted.
You need not be sorry, I sai d. What does the poor man know ? All
col oured peopl e are the same to hi m. He no doubt treats Negroes j ust as he
has treated me. I have made i t a rul e not to go to court in respect of any
personal gri evance. So I do not i ntend to proceed agai nst hi m.
17
The i nci dent deepened my feel i ng for the I ndi an settl ers. . . . I thus made
an i nti mate study of the hard condi ti on of the I ndi an settl ers, not onl y by
readi ng and heari ng about it, but by personal experi ence. I saw that Sout h
Af ri ca was no country for a sel f-respecti ng I ndi an, and my mi nd became
mor e and mor e occupi ed wi th the questi on as to how thi s state of thi ngs
mi ght be i mproved. 18
7
G A N D H r
The years stay i nPretori a was a most val uabl e experi ence i nmy l i fe. Her e
i t was that I had opportuni ti es of l earni ng publ i c wor k and acqui red some
measure of my capaci ty for it. Her e i t was that the rel i gi ous spi ri t wi thi n
me became a l i vi ng force, and here too I acqui red a true knowl edge of
l egal practi ce. 19
I real i zed that the true f uncti on of a l awyer was to uni te parti es ri ven
asunder. The l esson was so i ndel i bl y burnt i nto me that a l arge part of my
timeduri ng the twenty years of practi ce as a l awyer was occupi ed i nbri ng-
i ng about pri vate compromi ses of hundreds of cases. I lost nothi ng thereby
- not even money, certai nl y not my soul . 60
The heart s earnest and pure desi re i s al ways ful fi l l ed. I n my own experi ence
I have often seen this rul e veri fi ed. Servi ce of the poor has been my heart s
desi re, and i t has al ways t hrown me amongst the poor and enabl ed me to
i denti fy mysel f wi th t hem. 61
I had put i n scarcel y three or f our mont hs practi ce, and the Congress
al so was sti l l ini ts i nfancy, when a Tamil man i ntattered cl othes, head- gear
i n hand, t wo front teeth broken and hi s mout h bl eedi ng, stood before me
trembl i ng and weepi ng. He had been heavi l y bel aboured by hi s master.
I l earnt all about himf rommy cl erk, who was a Tami l i an. Bal asundaram-
as that was the vi si tors name- was servi ng hi s i ndenture under a well-
known Eur opean resi dent of Dur ban. The master, getti ng angry wi th hi m,
had l ost sel f-control , and had beaten Bal asundaramseverel y, breaki ng
two of hi s teeth.
I sent himto a doctor. I n those days onl y whi te doctors wer e avai l abl e.
I want ed a certi fi cate f r omthe doctor about the nature of the i nj ury
Bal asundaramhad sustai ned. I secured the certi fi cate, and strai ghtaway
t ook the i nj ured man to the magi strate, to whomI submi tted his affi davi t.
The magi strate was i ndi gnant when he read it, and i ssued a summons
agai nst the empl oyer. 62
I . Nat al I ndi an Congress organi zed by Gandhi to agi tate agai nst the Bill inthe
Nat al Legi sl ati ve Assembl y to di sfranchi se I ndi ans.
G A N D H I
Bal asundaram s case reached the ears of every i ndentured l abourer,
and I came to be regarded as thei r fri end. I hai l ed t hi s connexi on
wi th del i ght. A regul ar st r eamof i ndentured l abourers began to pour
i nto my ofi ce, and I got the best opportuni ty of l earni ng thei r j oys
and sorrows. 63
It has al ways been a mystery to me how men can feel themsel ves honoured
by the humi l i ati on of thei r f el l ow- bei ngs.
64
If I f ound mysel f enti rel y absorbed i n the servi ce of the communi t y, the
reason behi nd i t was my desi re for sel f-real i zati on. I had made the rel i gi on
of servi ce my own, as I fel t that God coul d be real i zed onl y t hrough
servi ce. And servi ce for me was the servi ce of I ndi a, because i t came to me
wi thout my seeki ng, because I had an apti tude for i t. I had gone to Sout h
Af ri ca for travel , for fi ndi ng an escape from Kat hi awad i ntri gues and for
gai ni ng my own l i vel i hood. But as I have sai d, I f ound mysel f i n search
of God and stri vi ng for sel f-real i zati on.
6j
I l ardl y ever have I known anybody to cheri sh such l oyal ty as I di d to the
Bri ti shConsti tuti on. 1 can see now that my l ove of truth was at the root of
this l oyal ty. It has never been possi bl e for me to si mul ate l oyal ty or, for
that mat t er , any other vi rtue. The Nati onal Ant hemused to be sung at
every meet i ng that I attended i n Nat al . I then fel t that I must al so j oi n i n
t he si ngi ng. Not that I was unaware of the defects i n Bri ti sh rul e, but I
t hought that i t was on the whol e acceptabl e. I n those days I bel i eved that
Bri ti sh rul e was on the whol e benefi ci al to the rul ed.
The col our prej udi ce that I saw i n Sout h Afri ca was, I thought, qui te
contrary to Bri ti sh tradi ti ons, and I bel i eved that i t was onl y t emporary
and l ocal . I therefore vi ed wi th Engl i shmen i n l oyal ty to the throne. Wi t h
careful perseverance I l earnt the tune of the nati onal ant hem and j oi ned
in the si ngi ng whenever i t was sung. Whenever there was an occasi on
for t he expressi on of l oyal ty wi thout fuss or ostentati on, I readi l y took
part i n i t.
Never i n my life di d I expl oi t thi s l oyal ty, never di d I seek to gai n a
sel fi sh end by i ts means. It was for me mor e i n the nature of an obl i gati on,
and I rendered i t wi thout expecti ng a r ewar d. 66
c A N D H I
By now I had been t hree year s inSout h Af ri ca. I had got to know the peopl e
and they had got to know me. In 1896 I asked permi ssi on to go home for
six mont hs, for I saw that I was i n for a l ong stay there. I had establ i shed a
fairly good practi ce, and coul d see that peopl e fel t the need of my presence.
So I made up my mi nd to go home, fetch my wi f e and chi l dren, and then
return and settl e out there.
67
Thi s was my fi rst voyage wi th my wifeand chi l dren. . . . I bel i eved, at the
ti me of whi ch I a m wri ti ng, that i n order to l ook ci vi l i zed, our dr ess and
manners had as f ar as possi bl e to approxi mate to the European standard.
Because, I thought, onl y thus coul d we have some i nfl uence, and wi thout
i nfl uence i t woul d not be possi bl e to serve the communi t y. . . . I therefore
determi ned the styl e of dress for my wi f e and chi l dren. . . . The Parsi s used
then to be r egar ded as the most ci vi l i zed peopl e amongst I ndi ans, and so,
when the compl et e European styl e seemed to be unsui ted, we adopted the
Parsi styl e. . . . I n the same spi ri t and wi th even mor e rel uctance they
adopted the use of kni ves and forks. When my i nfatuati on for t hese si gns
of ci vi l i zati on wor e away, they gave up the kni ves and forks. After havi ng
become l ong accust omed to the new styl e, i t was perhaps no l ess i rksome
for t hemto return to the ori gi nal mode. But I can see today that we feel
all the f reer and l i ghter for havi ng cast off the ti nsel of ci vi l i zati on. 68
The shi p cast anchor i n the port of Dur ban on the ei ghteenth or ni neteenth
of December . 69
Our shi p was ordered to be put i n quaranti ne unti l the twenty- thi rd day
of our sai l i ng f r omBombay. But thi s quaranti ne order had mor e than
heal th reasons behi nd i t.
The whi te resi dents of Dur ban had been agi tati ng for our repatri ati on,
and the agi tati on was one of the reasons for the order. . . . The real obj ect
of the quaranti ne was thus to coerce the passengers i nto returni ng to I ndi a
by somehow i nti mi dati ng t hemor the agent company. For now threats
began to be addressed to us al so : I f you do not go back, you will surel y be
pushed i nto the sea. But if you consent to return, you may even get your
passage money back. I constantl y moved amongst my fel l owpassengers
cheeri ng t hemup. 7 0
20
G A N D H I
At l ast ul ti matums wer e served on the passengers and me. We wer e asked
to submi t, i f we woul d escape wi th our l i ves. In our repl y the passengers
and I both mai ntai ned our ri ght to l and at Port Nat al , and i nti mated our
determi nati on to enter Nat al at any ri sk.
At the end of twenty- three days the shi ps wer e permi tted to enter the
harbour, and orders permi tti ng the passengers to l and wer e passed. 71
As soon as we l anded, some youngsters recogni zed me and shouted
Gandhi , Gandhi . About hal f a dozen men rushed to the spot and j oi ned
i nthe shouti ng. . . . As we went ahead, the cr owd conti nued to swel l , unti l
i t became i mpossi bl e to proceed f arther. . . . Then they pel ted me wi th
stones, bri ckbat s and rotten eggs. Someone snatched away my turban,
whi l st other began to batter and ki ck me. I fai nted and caught hol d of the
front rai l i ngs of a house and stood there to get my breath. But i t was
i mpossi bl e. They came upon me boxi ng and batteri ng. The wi f e of the
Pol i ce Superi ntendent, who knew me, happened to be passi ng by. The
brave l ady came up, opened her parasol , t hough t here was no sun then,
and stood bet ween the cr owd and me. Thi s checked the fury of the mob,
as i t was difficult for t hemto del i ver bl ows on me wi thout harmi ng
Mrs. Al exander. 7 2
The l ate Mr. Chamberl ai n, who was then Secretary of State for the Col on-
i es, cabl ed aski ng the Nat al Gover nment to prosecute my assai l ants.
Mr. Escombe sent for me, expressed his regret for the i nj uri es I had
sustai ned, and sai d: Bel i eve me, I cannot feel happy over t he l east l i ttl e
i nj ury done to your person. . . . I f you can i denti fy the assai l ants, I a m
prepared to arrest and prosecute t hem. Mr. Chamberl ai n al so desi res me
to do so.
To whi ch I gave the f ol l owi ng repl y :
I do not want to prosecute anyone. I t i s possi bl e that I may be abl e to
i denti fy one or two of t hem, but what i s t he use of getti ng t hempuni shed?
Besi des, I do not hol d the assai l ants to bl ame. They wer e gi ven to under-
stand that I had made exaggerated statements i nI ndi a about t he whi tes i n
Nat al and cal umni ated t hem. I f they bel i eved these reports, i t i s no wonder
that they wer e enraged. The l eaders and, if you will permi t me to say so,
you are to bl ame. You coul d have gui ded the peopl e properl y, but you also
22
G A N D H I
bel i eved Reuter and assumed that I must have i ndul ged i n exaggerati on.
I do not want to bri ng anyone to book. I am sure that, when the truth
becomes known, they will be sorry for thei r conduct.
73
On the day of l andi ng, as soon as the yel l owflagwas l owered, a represent -
ati ve of The Nutul Adtierher had come to i ntervi ewme. He had asked me
a number of questi ons, and i nrepl y I had been nbl e to ref ut e every one of
the charges that had been l evel l ed agai nst me. . . . Thi s i ntervi ewand my
refusal to prosecute the assai l ants produced such a prof ound i mpressi on
that the Europeans of Dur ban were ashamed of thei r conduct. The press
decl ared me to be i nnocent and condemned the mob. Thus the l ynchi ng
ul ti matel y proved to be a bl essi ng for me, that is, for t he cause. I t enhanced
the prest i ge of the I ndi an communi t y i n Sout h Afri ca and made m y wor k
easi er. 74
My professi on progressed sati sfactori l y, but that w a s far f r omsati sfyi ng
me. . . . I was sti l l i l l at ease. I l onged for some humani tari an wor k of B
permanent nature. . . . So I f ound ti me to serve in the smal l hospi tal . Thi s
meant t wo hours every morni ng, i ncl udi ng t he ti me taken i ngoi ng to and
f r omt he hospi tal . Thi s wor k brought me some peace. I t consi sted in
ascer-tni ni ng the pati ents compl ai nts, l ayi ng the facts before the doctor
and di spensi ng the prescri pti ons. It brought me i n cl ose touch wi th suffer-
i ng I ndi ans, most of t hemi dentured Tami l , Tel ugu or Nor t h I ndi an men.
The experi ence stood me i n good stead, when duri ng the Boer Wa r I
of f ered my servi ces for nursi ng the si ck and wounded sol di ers.
7~
The bi rth of the l ast chi l d put me to the severest test. The travai l came on
suddenl y. The doctor was not i mmedi atel y avai l abl e, and some timewas
lost i n fetchi ng the mi dwi f e. Even if she had been on the spot, she coul d
not have hel ped del i very. I had to see t hrough the safe del i very of the
baby. 76
I amconvi nced that for the proper upbri ngi ng of chi l dren the parents
ought to have a general knowl edge of the care and nursi ng of babi es. At
every step I have seen the advantages of my careful study of the subj ect.
My chi l dren woul d not have enj oyed the general heal th that t hey do today,
G A N D H r
had I not studi ed t he subj ect and turned my knowl edge to account. We
l abour under a sort of supersti ti on that the chi l d has nothi ng to l earn
duri ng the f i rst fi ve year s of i ts l i fe. O n the contrary the f act i s that the chi l d
never l earns i n af ter life what i t does i n i ts fi rst fi ve years. The educati on
of the chi l d begi ns wi th concepti on.
77
The coupl e who real i ze t hese thi ngs will never have sexual union for the
ful fi l ment of thei r l ust, but onl y when they desi re i ssue. I thi nk i t i s the
hei ght of i gnorance to bel i eve that t he sexual act i s an i ndependent f uncti on
necessary l i ke sl eepi ng or eati ng. The worl d depends for i ts exi stence on
the act of generati on, and as the worl d i s the pl ayground of God and a
refl ecti on of His gl ory, the act of generati on shoul d be control l ed for the
ordered growt h of the worl d. He who real i zes thi s will control hi s l ust at
any cost, equi p hi msel f wi th the knowl edge necessary for the physi cal ,
mental and spi ri tual wel l - bei ng of hi s progeny, and gi ve the benefi t of that
knowl edge to posteri ty. 78
After full di scussi on and mat ure del i berati on I t ook the vow (of bruhmu-
chay~) i n 1906. I had not shar ed my thoughts wi th my wi f e unti l then, but
onl y consul ted her at the t i me of taki ng the vow. She had no obj ecti on.
But I had great di ffi cul ty i nmaki ng the final resol ve. I had not the necessary
strength. Ho w was J to control my passi ons ? The el i mi nati on of carnal
rel ati onshi p wi th one s wife seemed then a strange thi ng. But I l aunched
forth wi th fai thin the sustai ni ng power of God.
As I look back upon the twenty years of the vow, I amfi l l ed wi th
pl easur e and wonder ment . The mor e or l ess successful practi ce of sel f-
control had been goi ng on si nce 1901. But t he f reedomand j oy that came
to me af ter taki ng the vow had never been experi enced before 1906.
Before the vow I had been open to bei ng over come by temptati on at any
moment . No w the vow was a sure shi el d agai nst temptati on.
79
But i f i t was a mat t er of ever-i ncreasi ng j oy, l et no one bel i eve that i t was
an easy thi ng for me. Even when I a m past Mty- si x years, I real i ze how
hard a thi ng i t is. Every day I real i ze mor e and mor e that i t i s l i ke wal ki ng
on the sword s edge, and I see ever y moment the necessi ty for eternal
vi gi l ance.
G A N D H I
Control of the pal ate i s the f i rst essenti al i nthe observance of the vow.
I f ound that compl et e control of the pal ate made the observance very easy,
and so I now pursued my di eteti c experi ments not mer el y f romthe vegeta-
ri ans but al so f r omthe bruhmachuri.~ poi nt of vi ew. 80
I know i t i s argued that the soul has nothi ng to do wi th what one eats or
dri nks, as the soul nei ther eats nor dri nks; that i t i s not what you put
i nsi de f r omwi thout, but what you express outwardl y f romwi thi n, that
matters. Ther e i s no doubt some force i n thi s. But rather than exami ne
this reasoni ng, I shal l content mysel f wi th mer el y decl ari ng my firm
convi cti on that, for the seeker who woul d l i ve i n fear of God and who
woul d see Hi mface toface, restrai nt indi et both as to quanti ty and qual i ty
i s as essenti al as restrai nt i n t hought and speech. 81
I had started on a l i fe of ease and comf ort, but the experi ment was short-
l i ved. Al t hough I had furni shed the house wi th care, yet i t fai l ed to have
any hol d on me. So no sooner had I l aunched forth on that l i fe, than I began
to cut down expenses. The washerman s bill was heavy, and as he was
besi des by no means noted for hi s punctual i ty, even t wo to t hree dozen
shi rts and col l ars proved i nsuffi ci ent for me. Col l ars had to be changed
dai l y and shi rts, if not dai l y, at l east every al ternate day. This meant a
doubl e expense whi ch appeared to me unnecessary. So I equi pped mysel f
wi th a washi ng outfi t to save i t. I bought a book on washi ng, studi ed the
art and taught i t al so to my wi f e. Thi s no doubt added to my wor k, but i ts
novel ty made i t a pl easure.
I shal l never forget the fi rst col l ar that I washed mysel f. I had used mor e
starch than necessary, the i ron had not been made hot enough, and for f ear
of burni ng the col l ar I had not pr essed i t suffi ci entl y. The resul t was that,
t hough the col l ar was fairly sti ff, the superfl uous starch conti nual l y dropped
off i t. I went to court wi th the col l ar on, thus i nvi ti ng the ri di cul e of brother
barri sters, but even in those days I coul d be i mpervi ous to ri di cul e. 82
I n the same way, as I f reed mysel f f r omsl avery to the washerman, I threw
off dependence on the barber. All peopl e who go to Engl and l earn there at
l east the art of shavi ng, but none, to my knowl edge, l earn to cut thei r own
hai r. I had to l earn that too. I once went to an Engl i sh hai r-cutter i n
G A N U H I
Pretori a. He cont empt uousl y refused to cut my hai r. I certai nl y fel t hurt,
but i mmedi atel y purchased a pai r of cl i ppers and cut my hai r before the
mi rror. I succeeded mor e or l ess incutti ng the front hai r, but I spoi l ed the
back. The fri ends in the court shook wi th l aughter.
What s wr ong wi th your hai r, Gandhi ? Rat s have been at i t ?
No. The whi te bar ber woul d not condescend to touch my bl ack hai r,
The repl y di d not surpri se the fri ends.
The bar ber was not at faul t i nhavi ng refused to cut my hai r. Ther e was
83
sai d I , so I pref erred to cut i t mysel f, no mat t er how badl y.
every chance of his l osi ng hi s cust om, if he shoul d serve bl ack men.
When the war [Boer] was decl ared, my personal sympat hi es wer e all wi th
the Boers, but I bel i eved then that I had yet no ri ght, i n such cases, to
enforce my i ndi vi dual convi cti ons. I have mi nutel y deal t wi th the i nner
struggl e regardi ng thi s i n my hi story of the Jut_ycigruhu i n Sout h Afri ca,
and I must not repeat the argument here. I i nvi te the curi ous to turn to
those pages. Suffi ce i t to say that my l oyal ty to the Bri ti sh rul e drove me to
parti ci pati on wi th the Bri ti sh i n that war . I fel t that, if I demanded ri ghts
as a Bri ti sh ci ti zen, i t was al so my duty, as such, to parti ci pate i nthe def ence
of the Bri ti sh Empi re. I hel d then that I ndi a coul d achi eve her compl et e
emanci pati on onl y wi thi n and t hrough the Bri ti sh Empi re. So I col l ected
together as many comrades as possi bl e, and wi th very great di ffi cul ty got
thei r servi ces accept ed as an ambul ance corps.
Bg
Thus servi ce of the I ndi ans in Sout h Af ri ca ever reveal ed to me new
i mpl i cati ons of truth at every stage. Trut h i s l i ke a vast tree, whi ch yi el ds
mor e and mor e frui t the mor e you nurture i t. The deeper t he search i nthe
mi ne of truth the ri cher the di scovery of the gems buri ed t here, i nthe shape
of openi ngs for an ever greater vari ety of servi ce.
81
Man and hi s deed are t wo di sti nct thi ngs. Wher eas a good deed shoul d
call forth approbati on and a wi cked deed di sapprobati on, the doer of the
deed, whet her good or wi cked, al ways deser ves respect or pi ty as the case
may be. Hat e the sin and not the si nner i s a precept whi ch, t hough easy
enough to understand i s rarel y practi sed, and that i s why the poi son of
hatred spreads i n the worl d.
G A N D H I
Thi s ahiym? i s the basi s of the search for truth. I amreal i zi ng every day
that t he sear ch i s vai n unl ess i t i s f ounded on ahiy-sz as the basi s. I t i s qui te
proper to resi st and attack a system, but to resi st and attack i ts author is
t ant amount to resi sti ng and attacki ng onesel f. For we are all tarred wi th
the s ame brush, and are chi l dren of one and the same Creator, and as such
the di vi ne powers wi thi n us are i nfi ni te. To sl i ght a si ngl e human bei ng
i s to sl i ght those di vi ne powers, and thus to har mnot onl y that bei ng but
wi th hi mthe whol e worl d. 86
A vari ety of i nci dents inmy l i fehave conspi red to bri ng me in cl ose contact
wi th peopl e of many creeds and many communi t i es, and my experi ence
wi th all of t hemwarrants the statement that I have known no di sti ncti on
bet ween rel ati ves and strangers, count rymen and forei gners, whi te and
col oured, Hi ndus and I ndi ans of other fai ths, whet her Mussul mans, Parsi s,
Chri sti ans or J ews. I may say that my heart has been i ncapabl e of maki ng
any such di sti ncti ons. 87
I a m not a prof ound schol ar of Sanskri t. I have r ead the Vedas and the
UpanishadJ onl y i ntransl ati ons. Natural l y, therefore, mi ne i s not a schol arl y
study of t hem. My knowl edge of themi s in no way prof ound, but I have
studi ed t hemas I shoul d do as a Hi ndu and I cl ai mto have grasped thei r
true spi ri t. By the t i me I had reached the age of t went y- one, I had studi ed
other rel i gi ons al so.
Ther e was a timewhen I was waveri ng bet ween Hi ndui smand Chri s-
ti ani ty. When I recovered my bal ance of mi nd, I fel t that to me sal vati on
was possi bl e onl y t hrough the Hi ndu rel i gi on and my faith i n Hi ndui sm
gr ewdeeper and mor e enl i ghtened.
But even then I bel i eved that untouchabi l i ty was no part of Hi ndui sm;
and that, i f i t was, such Hi ndui smwas not for me. 88
I understand mor e cl earl y today what I read l ong ago about the i nadequacy
of al l autobi ography as hi story. I know that I do not set down i nthi s story
al l that I r emember . Who can say how much I must gi ve and how much
omi t i n the i nterests of truth ? And what woul d be the val ue i n a court
of l awof the i nadequate ex parte evi dence bei ng tendered by me of certai n
events i n my l i f e? I f some busybody wer e to cross- exami ne me on the
26
G A N D H I
chapters al ready wri tten, he coul d probabl y shed much mor e l i ght on t hem,
and if i t wer e a hosti l e critics cross- exami nati on, he mi ght even fl atter
hi msel f for havi ng shown up the hol l owness of many of my pretensi ons .
I therefore wonder for a moment whet her i t mi ght not be proper to
stop wri ti ng these chapters. But so l ong as there i s no prohi bi ti on f r omthe
voi ce wi thi n, I must conti nue the wri ti ng. I must f ol l owthe sage maxi m
t hat nothi ng once begun shoul d be abandoned unl ess i t is proved to be
moral l y wr ong. 89
I n the very fi rst mont h of Indian Opinion,l I real i zed that the sol e ai mof
j ournal i smshoul d be servi ce. The newspaper press is a great power, but
j ust as an unchai ned torrent of wat er submerges whol e countrysi des and
devastates crops, even so an uncontrol l ed pen serves but to destroy. I f the
control i s f r omwi thout, i t proves mor e poi sonous than want of control .
I t can be profi tabl e onl y when exerci sed f r omwi thi n. I f thi s l i ne of reasoni ng
i s correct, how many of the j ournal s i n the worl d woul d stand the test ?
But who woul d stop those that are usel ess ? And who shoul d be the j udge ?
The useful and the usel ess must , l i ke good and evil general l y, go on to-
get her, and man must make hi s choi ce.
9 0
Thi s [Unto 7h.i~ LJ~] was the fi rst book of Ruski n I had ever read. Dur i ng
the days of my educati on I had read practi cal l y nothi ng outsi de textbooks,
and af ter I l aunched i nto acti ve l i fe I had very littlet i me for readi ng. I can-
not therefore cl ai mmuch book knowl edge. However , I bel i eve I have not
l ost much because of thi s enf orced restrai nt. On the contrary, the l i mi ted
readi ng may be sai d to have enabl ed me thoroughl y to di gest what I di d
read. Of t hese books, the one that brought about an i nstantaneous and
practi cal transf ormati on i n my l i fe was Unto This Last. I transl ated i t l ater
i nto Guj arati , enti tl i ng i t Sarvoduya (the wel f are of all).
I bel i eve that I di scovered some of my deepest convi cti ons ref l ected
i n this great book of Ruski n, and that i s why i t so captured me and made
me transf ormmy life. A poet i s one who can call forth the good l atent in
the human breast. Poets do not i nfl uence all al i ke, for everyone i s not
evol ved i n an equal measure.
91
I. A journal founded by Gandhi in South Africa.
G A N D H I
Even af ter I thought I had settl ed downi n J ohannesburg, t here was to be no
settl ed l i fe for me. J ust when I fel t that I shoul d be breathi ng i npeace, an
unexpected event happened. The paper s brought the news of the outbreak
of the Zul u rebel l i on i n Nat al . I bore no grudge agai nst the Zul us, they
had harmed no I ndi an. I had doubts about t he rebel l i on i tsel f. But I then
bel i eved that the Bri ti sh Empi r e exi sted for the wel f ar e of the worl d.
A genui ne sense of l oyal ty prevented me f r omeven wi shi ng i l l to the
Empi re. The ri ghtness or otherwi se of the rebel l i on was therefore not
l i kel y to affect my deci si on. Nat al had a Vol unteer Def ence Force, and i t
was open to i t to recrui t mor e men. I read that this force had al ready been
mobi l i zed to quel l the rebel l i on . 9 2
O n reachi ng the scene of the rebel l i on I saw that t here was nothi ng there
to j usti fy the name of rebel l i on . There was no resi stance that one coul d
see. The reason why the di sturbance had been magni f i ed i nto a rebel l i on
was that a Zul u chi ef had advi sed non- payment of a new tax i mposed on
hi s peopl e, and had assagai ed a sergeant who had gone to col l ect the tax.
At any rate my heart was wi th the Zul us, and I was del i ghted, on reachi ng
headquarters, to hear that our mai n wor k was to be the nursi ng of the
wounded Zul us. The medi cal officer in charge wel comed us. He sai d the
whi te peopl e wer e not wi l l i ng nurses for the wounded Zul us, that thei r
wounds wer e festeri ng, and that he was at hi s wits end. He hai l ed our
arri val as a godsend for those i nnocent peopl e, and he equi pped us
wi th bandages, di si nfectants, etc. , and took us to the i mprovi sed hos-
pi tal . The Zul us wer e del i ghted to see us. The whi te sol di ers used to
peep t hrough the rai l i ngs that separ at ed us f rom t hem and tri ed
to di ssuade us f rom attendi ng to the wounds. And as we woul d
not heed t hem, t hey became enraged and poured unspeakabl e abuse
on the Zul us. 93
The wounded inour charge wer e not wounded i nbattl e. A secti on of t hem
had been taken pri soners as suspects. The general had sentenced t hemto
be f l ogged. The fl oggi ng had caused severe sores. These, bei ng unattended
to, wer e festeri ng. The others wer e Zul u fri endl i es. Al t hough t hese had
badges gi ven t hemto di sti ngui sh t hemf r omt he enemy they had been
shot at by t he sol di ers by mi st ake. 94
28
G A N D H I
The Zul u rebel l i on was full of new experi ences and gave me much f ood
for thought. The Boer War had not brought home to me the horrors of
war wi th anythi ng l i ke the vi vi dness that the rebel l i on di d. Thi s was no
war but a man- hunt , not onl y in my opi ni on, but al so in that of many
Engl i shmen wi th whomI had occasi on to tal k. To hear every mor ni ng
reports of sol di ers ri fl es expl odi ng l i ke crackers in i nnocent haml ets,
and to l i ve in the mi dst of t hemwas a tri al . But I swal l owed the bi tter
draught, especi al l y as the wor k of my Corps consi sted onl y in nursi ng
the wounded Zul us. I coul d see that but for us the Zul us woul d have
been uncared for. Thi s wor k, therefore, eased my consci ence.
9j
I was anxi ous to observe brahmachatya in thought, wor d and deed, and
equal l y anxi ous to devote the maxi mumof t i me to the Sa+igraha struggl e
and fi t mysel f for i t by cul ti vati ng puri ty. I was therefore l ed to
make further changes and to i mpose great er restrai nts upon mysel f in
the mat t er of f ood. The moti ve for the previ ous changes had been
l argel y hygi eni c, but the new experi ments wer e made f r oma rel i gi ous
standpoi nt.
Fasti ng and restri cti on in di et now pl ayed a mor e i mportant part inmy
life. Passi on inman i s general l y co-exi stent wi th a hankeri ng af ter the pl ea-
sures of the pal ate. And so i t was wi th me. I have encountered many
difficulties in tryi ng to control passi on as wel l as taste, and I cannot cl ai m
even now to have brought t hemunder compl et e subj ecti on. I have con-
si dered mysel f to be a heavy eater. What fri ends have t hought to be my
restrai nt has never appear ed to me in that l i ght. I f I had fai l ed to devel op
restrai nt to the extent that I have, I shoul d have descended l ower than the
beasts and met my dooml ong ago. However , as I had adequatel y real i zed
my shortcomi ngs, I made great efforts to get ri d of t hem, and thanks to thi s
endeavour I have all t hese years pul l ed on wi th my body and put inwi th i t
my share of wor k. 96
I began wi th a frui t di et, but f r omthe standpoi nt of restrai nt I di d not fi nd
much to choose bet ween a frui t di et and a di et of f ood grai ns. I observed
that the same i ndul gence of taste was possi bl e wi th the f ormer as wi th the
l atter, and even more, when one got accust omed to i t. I therefore came to
attach greater i mportance to fasti ng or havi ng onl y one meal a day on
G A N D H I
hol i days. And if there was some occasi on for penance or the l i ke, I gl adl y
uti l i zed i t too for the purpose of fasti ng.
But I al so s aw that, the body now bei ng drai ned mor e effecti vel y, the
f ood yi el ded greater rel i sh and appeti te gr ewkeener. It dawnedupon me
that fasti ng coul d be made as powerf ul a weapon of i ndul gence as of res-
trai nt. Many si mi l ar l ater experi ences of mi ne as wel l as of others can be
adduced as evi dence of thi s startl i ng fact. I want ed to i mprove and trai n my
body, but as my chi ef obj ect now was to achi eve restrai nt and a conquest
of the pal ate, I sel ected fi rst one f ood and then another, and at the same t i me,
restri cted the amount . But the rel i sh was af ter me, as i t were. As I gave up
one thi ng and took up another, this l atter afforded me a f resher and great er
rel i sh than i ts predecessor. 97
Experi ence has taught me, however, that i t was wr ong to have dwel t upon
the rel i shof f ood. One shoul d eat not i n order to pl ease the pal ate, but j ust
to keep the body goi ng. When each organ of sense subserves the body
and t hrough the body the soul , i ts speci al rel i sh di sappears, and then al one
does i t begi n to functi on i nthe way nature i ntended i t to do.
Any number of experi ments i s too smal l and no sacri fi ce i s too great
for attai ni ng t hi s symphony wi th nature. But unfortunatel y the current i s
nowadays f l owi ng strongl y i n the opposi te di recti on. We are not ashamed
to sacri fi ce a mul ti tude of other l i ves i ndecorati ng the peri shabl e body and
tryi ng to prol ong i ts exi stence for a f ew fl eeti ng moment s, wi th the resul t
that we kill oursel ves, both body and soul .
98
hl y fi rst experi ence of jail l i fe was i n 1908. I s aw that some of the regul a-
ti ons that the pri soners had to observe wer e such as shoul d be vol untari l y
observed by a bruhmachari, that is, one desi ri ng to practi se sel f-restrai nt.
Such, for i nstance, was the regul ati on requi ri ng the l ast meal to be fi ni shed
before sunset. Nei ther the I ndi an nor the Af ri can pri soners wer e al l owed
tea or coffee. They coul d add sal t to the cooked f ood if they wi shed, but
they mi ght not hare anythi ng for the mer e sati sfacti on of the pal ate. 99
Ul ti matel y t hese restri cti ons wer e modi f i ed, t hough not wi t hout much
di ffi cul ty, but bot h wer e whol esome rul es of sel f-restrai nt. I nhi bi ti ons
i mposed f romwi thout rarel y succeed, but when they are sel f - i mposed,
G A N D H I
they havt P deci dedl y sal utary effect. So, i mmedi atel y af ter rel ease f r om
j ai l , I i mposed on mysel f the t wo rul es. As f ar as was then possi bl e I stopped
taki ng tea, and fi ni shed my l ast meal before sunset. Bot h these now requi re
no effort i n the observance. zoo
Fasti ng can hel p tocurb ani mal passi on, onl y i f i t i s undertaken wi th a vi ew
to sel f-restrai nt. Some of my fri ends have actual l y f ound thei r ani mal pas-
si on and pal ate sti mul ated as an after-effect of f asts. That i s to say, fasti ng
i s futi l e unl ess i t i s accompani ed by an i ncessant l ongi ng for sel f-restrai nt.
roz
Fasti ng and si mi l ar di sci pl i ne is, therefore, one of the means to the end of
sel f-restrai nt, but i t i s not al l , and if physi cal fasti ng i s not accompani ed by
mental fasti ng, i t i s bound to end i n hypocri sy and di saster. zoz
On Tol stoy Farm1 we made i t a rul e that the youngsters shoul d not be
asked to do what the t eacher s di d not do, and therefore, when they wer e
asked todo any wor k, there was al ways a teacher co- operati ng and actual l y
worki ng wi th them. Hence whatever the youngsters l earnt, t hey l earnt
cheerful l y. z oj
Of textbooks, about whi ch we hear so much, I never fel t the want . I do
not even r emember havi ng made much use of the books that wer e avai l -
abl e. I di d not fi nd i t at all necessary to l oad the boys wi th quanti ti es of
books. I have al ways fel t that the true textbook for the pupi l i s hi s t eacher. I
r emember very l i ttl e that my t eachers taught me f r ombooks, but I have even
now a cl ear recol l ecti on of the thi ngs they taught me i ndependentl y of books.
Chi l dren take inmuch mor e and wi th l ess l abour t hrough thei r ears than
t hrough thei r eyes. I do not r emember havi ng r ead any book f r omcover to
cover wi th my boys. But I gave t hem, i n my own l anguage, all that I had
di gested f r ommy readi ng of vari ous books, and I dar e say they ar e sti l l
carryi ng a recol l ecti on of i t i n thei r mi nds. It was l abori ous for t hemto
r emember what they l earnt f r ombooks, but what I i mpart ed to t hemby
I . Tol stoy Farmand t he Phoeni x Col ony wer e the t wo settl ements or Ashrams
f ounded by Gandhi i n Sout h Af ri ca wher e he and hi s co- workers l i ved a
l i fe of sel f-di sci pl i ne and servi ce.
G A N D H Z
wor d of mout h they coul d repeat wi th the greatest ease. Readi ng was a task
for t hem, but l i steni ng to me was a pl easure, when I di d not bore t hemby
fai l ure to make my subj ect i nteresti ng. And f r omthe questi ons that my
tal ks prompt ed t hemto put, I had a measure of thei r power of understand-
i ng. I 04
J ust as physi cal trai ni ng was to be i mpart ed t hrough physi cal exerci se,
even so the trai ni ng of the spi ri t was possi bl e onl y t hrough the exerci se of
the spirit. And the exerci se of the spi ri t enti rel y depended on the l i fe and
character of the teacher. The t eacher had al ways to be mi ndf ul of hi s p s
and q s, whet her he was i n the mi dst of hi s boys or not.
r a j
I t woul d be i dl e for me, if I wer e a l i ar, to teach boys to tel l the truth. A
cowardl y teacher woul d never succeed in maki ng hi s boys val i ant, and a
stranger to sel f-restrai nt coul d never teach hi s pupi l s the val ue of sel f-
restrai nt. I saw, therefore, that I must be an eternal obj ect-l esson to the
boys and gi rl s l i vi ng wi th me. They thus became my teachers, and I l earnt
I must be good and l i ve strai ght if onl y for thei r sakes. I may say that the
i ncreasi ng di sci pl i ne and restrai nt I i mposed on mysel f at Tol stoy Farmwas
mostl y due to those war ds of mi ne.
One of t hemwas wild, unrul y, gi ven to l yi ng, and quarrel some. On one
occasi on he broke out most vi ol entl y. I was exasper at ed. I never puni shed
my boys, but thi s t i me I was very angry. I tri ed toreason wi th hi m. But he
was adamant and even tri ed to overreach me. At l ast I pi cked up a rul er
l yi ng at hand and del i vered a bl owon hi s ar m. I t r embl ed as I struck hi m.
I dare say he noti ced i t. This was an enti rel y novel experi ence for t hemall.
The boy cri ed out and begged to be f orgi ven. He cri ed not because the
beati ng was pai nful to hi m; he coul d, if he had been so mi nded, have pai d
me back i nthe same coi n, bei ng a stoutl y bui l t yout h of seventeen; but he
real i zed my pai n i nbei ng dri ven to this vi ol ent resource. Never agai n af ter
thi s i nci dent di d he di sobey me. But I sti l l repent that vi ol ence. I amaf rai d
I exhi bi ted before hi mthat day not the spi ri t, but the brute, i nme.
I have al ways been opposed to corporal puni shment . I r emember onl y
one occasi on on whi ch I physi cal l y puni shed one of my sons. I have there-
fore never unti l this day been abl e to deci de whet her I was ri ght or wr ong
inusi ng the rul er. Probabl y i t was i mproper, for i t was prompt ed by anger
32
G A N D H Z
and a desi re to puni sh. Had i t been an expressi on onl y of my di stress, I
shoul d have consi dered i t j usti fi ed. But the mot i ve i n thi s case was
mi xed. 106
Cases of mi sconduct on the part of the boys often occurred af ter thi s, but I
never resorted to corporal puni shment . Thus i n my endeavour to i mpart
spi ri tual trai ni ng to the boys and gi rl s under me, I came tounderstand better
and better the power of the spi ri t.
107
In those days I had to move bet ween J ohannesburg and Phoeni x. Once
when I was i n J ohannesburg I recei ved ti di ngs of t he moral fal l of t wo of
the i nmates of the risbrani. News of an apparent fai l ure or reverse i n the
Sap?ggraba st ruggl e woul d not have shocked me, but thi s news came upon
me l i ke a thunderbol t. The same day I took the trai n for Phoeni x. 108
Dur i ng t he j ourney my duty seemed cl ear to me. I fel t that the guardi an or
teacher was responsi bl e, to some extent at l east, for t he l apse of hi s war d or
pupi l . So my responsi bi l i ty regardi ng the i nci dent inquesti on became cl ear
to me as dayl i ght. My wifehad al ready warned me inthe mat t er , but bei ng
of a trusti ng nature, I had i gnored her cauti on. I fel t that the onl y way the
gui l ty parti es coul d be made to real i ze my di stress and the dept h of thei r
own fal l woul d be for me to do some penance. So I i mposed upon mysel f
a f ast for seven days and a vow to have onl y one meal a day for a peri od of
four mont hs and a hal f.
109
My penance pai ned everybody, but i t cl eared the at mosphere. Everyone
came to real i ze what a terri bl e thi ng i t was to be si nful , and the bond that
bound me to the boys and gi rl s became stronger and truer. r r o
I never resorted to untruth in my professi on, and . . . a l arge part of my
l egal practi ce was int he i nterest of publ i c wor k, for whi ch I charged nothi ng
beyond out - of - pocket expenses, and t hese too I somet i mes met mysel f . . . .
As a student J had heard that the l awyer s professi on was a l i ar s professi on.
But thi s di d not i nfl uence me, as I had no i ntenti on of earni ng ei ther posi -
ti on or money by l yi ng. . . . My pri nci pl e was put to the test many a t i me in
Sout h Afri ca. Of ten I knew that my opponent s had tutored thei r wi tnesses,
33
G A N D H r
and if I onl y encouraged my cl i ent or hi s wi tnesses to l i e, we coul d wi n
the case. But I al ways resi sted the temptati on. I r emember onl y one occa-
si on, when, af ter havi ng won a case, I suspected that my cl i ent had decei ved
me. I n my heart of heart s I al ways wi shed that I shoul d wi n onl y if my cl i ents
case was ri ght. I n fi xi ng my f ees I do not recal l ever havi ng made t hem
condi ti onal on my wi nni ng the case. Whet her my cl i ent won or l ost, I expect-
ed nothi ng mor e nor l ess than my fees.
I warned every new cl i ent at the outset that he shoul d not expect me to
t ake up a f al se case or to coach the wi tnesses, withthe resul t that I bui l t up
such a reputati on that no fal se cases used to come to me. I ndeed some of
my cl i ents woul d keep thei r cl ean cases for me, and t ake the doubtf ul ones
el sewhere. III
Dur i ng my professi onal wor k i t was al so my habi t never to conceal my
i gnorance f r ommy cl i ents or my col l eagues. Wherever I fel t mysel f at sea,
I woul d advi se my cl i ent to consul t some other counsel . Thi s f rankness
earned me the unbounded affecti on and trust of my cl i ents. They wer e
al ways wi l l i ng to pay the f ee whenever consul tati on wi th seni or counsel
was necessary. Thi s affecti on and trust served me i ngood st ead in my publ i c
wor k. 112
At the concl usi on of the Suqzgruha st ruggl e i n 19x4, I recei ved Gokhal e s
i nstructi on to return home vi a London. . . . Wa r was decl ared on the f ourth
of August . We reached London on the si xth.
1r3
I fel t that I ndi ans resi di ng i n Engl and ought to do thei r bi t in the war .
Engl i sh students had vol unteered to serve i n the ar my, and I ndi ans mi ght
do no less. A number of obj ecti ons wer e taken to t hi s l i ne of argument .
Ther e was, i t was cont ended, a worl d of di fference bet ween the I ndi ans and
the Engl i sh. We wer e sl aves and they wer e masters. Ho w coul d a sl ave co-
operate wi th the mast er i nthe hour of the l atter s need ? Wa s i t not the duty
of the sl ave, seeki ng to be free, to make the mast er s need hi s opportuni ty ?
Thi s argument fai l ed to appeal tome then. I knew the di fference of status
bet ween an I ndi an and an Engl i shman, but I di d not bel i eve that we had
been qui te reduced to sl avery. I fel t then that i t was mor e the faul t of
i ndi vi dual Bri ti sh officials than of the Bri ti sh syst em, and that we coul d
34
G A N D Fr I
convert t hemby l ove. I f we woul d i mpr ove our status t hrough the hel p
and co- operati on of the Bri ti sh, i t was our duty to wi n thei r hel p by stand-
i ng by t hemi nthei r hour of need. Though the systemwas faul ty, i t di d not
seemto me to be i ntol erabl e, as i t does today. But if, havi ng l ost my fai th
i n the system, I refuse to co- operate wi th the Bri ti sh Gover nment today,
how coul d those fri ends then do so, havi ng l ost thei r fai th not onl y i n the
systembut i n the officials as wel l ?
r r q
I t hought that Engl and s need shoul d not be turned i nto our opportuni ty,
and that i t was mor e becomi ng and f ar- si ghted not to press our demands
whi l e the war l asted. I therefore adhered to my advi ce and i nvi ted those
who woul d enlist as vol unteers.
r r j
All of us recogni zed the i mmoral i ty of war . I f I was not prepared to pro-
secute my assai l ant, much l ess shoul d I be wi l l i ng to parti ci pate i n a war,
especi al l y when I knew nothi ng of the j usti ce or otherwi se of the cause of
the combatants. Fri ends of course knew that I had previ ousl y served i nthe
Boer War , but they assumed that my vi ews had si nce undergone a change.
As a mat t er of fact the very same l i ne of argument that persuaded me
to take part i nthe Boer War had wei ghed wi th me on thi s occasi on. It was
qui te cl ear to me that parti ci pati on i n war coul d never be consi stent wi th
ahi~sZ. But i t i s not al ways gi ven to one to be equal l y cl ear about one s
duty. A votary of truth i s often obl i ged to grope i nthe dark. zzb
By enl i sti ng men for ambul ance wor k i n Sout h Afri ca and i n Engl and, and
recrui ts for fi el d servi ce i n I ndi a, I hel ped not the cause of war , but I hel ped
the i nsti tuti on cal l ed the Bri ti sh Empi re in whose ul ti mate benefi ci al
character I then bel i eved. My repugnance to war was as strong then as i t
i s t oday; and I coul d not then have and woul d not have shoul dered a rifle.
But one s l i fe i s not a si ngl e strai ght l i ne; i t i s a bundl e of duti es very
often confl i cti ng. And one i s cal l ed upon conti nual l y to make one s choi ce
bet ween one duty and another. As a ci ti zen not then, and not even now, a
ref ormer l eadi ng an agi tati on agai nst the i nsti tuti on of war, I had to advi se
and l ead men who bel i eved i n war but who f r omcowardi ce or f rombase
moti ves, or f r omanger agai nst the Bri ti sh Gover nment , refrai ned f r om
enl i sti ng. I di d not hesi tate to advi se t hemthat so l ong as they bel i eved i n
G A N D H I
war and professed l oyal ty to the Bri ti sh consti tuti on they wer e in dut y
bound to support i t by enl i stment. . . . I do not bel i eve i n retal i ati on, but I
di d not hesi tate to tell the vi l l agers near Betti a f our year s ago that t hey who
knew nothi ng of ahiysi wer e gui l ty of cowardi ce in fai l i ng to def end the
honour of thei r womenf ol k and thei r property by force of ar ms. And I
have not hesi tated. . . onl y recentl y to tel l the Hi ndus that if they do not
bel i eve i n out - and- out ahiysi and cannot practi se i t they will be gui l ty of
a cri me agai nst thei r rel i gi on and humani t y i f they f ai l ed to def end by force
of ar ms the honour of thei r women agai nst a ki dnapper who chooses to
take away thei r women. And al l thi s advi ce and my previ ous practi ce I hol d
to be not onl y consi stent wi th my professi on of t he rel i gi on of ahiqisi out-
and- out , but a di rect resul t of i t. To state that nobl e doctri ne i s si mpl e
enough; to know i t and to practi se i t inthe mi dst of a worl d ful l of stri f e,
turmoi l and passi ons i s a t ask whose di ffi cul ty I real i ze mor e and mor e day
by day. And yet the convi cti on too that wi thout i t l i fe is not wort h l i vi ng
i s growi ng dai l y deeper. 117
Ther e i s no def ence for my conduct wei ghed onl y in the scal es of ahiysi,
I dr aw no di sti ncti on bet ween those who wi el d the weapons of destructi on
and those who do Red Cross wor k. Bot h parti ci pate in war and advance
i ts cause. Bot h are gui l ty of the cri me of war . But even af ter i ntrospecti on
duri ng all these years, I feel that i nthe ci rcumstances i nwhi ch I f ound my-
sel f I was bound to adopt the course I di d both duri ng the Boer Wa r and the
Gr eat European War and for that mat t er the so-cal l ed Zul u Rebel l i on of
Natal in 1906.
Lifei s governed by a mul ti tude of forces. It woul d be smoot h sai l i ng,
if one coul d determi ne the course of one s acti ons onl y by one general
pri nci pl e whose appl i cati on at a gi ven moment was too obvi ous to need
even a moment s refl ecti on. But I cannot recal l a si ngl e act whi ch coul d be
so easi l y determi ned.
Bei ng a conf i rmed war resi ster I have never gi ven mysel f trai ni ng in
the use of destructi ve weapons i nspi te of opportuni ti es totake such trai n-
i ng. It was perhaps thus that I escaped di rect destructi on of human l i fe.
But so l ong as I l i ved under a systemof government based on force and
vol untari l y partook of the many faci l i ti es and pri vi l eges i t created for me,
I was bound to hel p that government to t he extent of my ability when i t
G A N D H I
was engaged i n a war unl ess I non- co- operat ed wi th that gover nment and
renounced to the ut most of my capaci ty the pri vi l eges i t offered me.
Let me take an i l l ustrati on. I am a member of an i nsti tuti on whi ch hol ds
a fewacres of l and whose crops are i n i mmi nent peri l f r ommonkeys. I
bel i eve i n the sacredness of all life and hence I regard i t a breach of uhi~.~z
to inflict any i nj ury on the monkeys. But I do not hesi tate to i nsti gate and
di rect an attack on the monkeys i norder to save the crops. I woul d l i ke to
avoi d thi s evi l . I can avoi d i t by l eavi ng or breaki ng up the i nsti tuti on. I do
not do so because I do not expect to be abl e to fi nd a soci ety wher e t here
will be no agri cul ture and therefore no destructi on of some l i fe. I n f ear and
trembl i ng, in humi l i ty and penance, I therefore parti ci pate i n the i nj ury
i nfl i cted on the monkeys, hopi ng some day to fi nd a way out.
Even so di d I parti ci pate i n the three acts of war . I coul d not, i t woul d
be madness for me to, sever my connexi ons wi th the soci ety to whi ch I
bel ong. And on those t hree occasi ons I had no t hought of non- co- operat i ng
wi th the Bri ti sh Gover nment . My posi ti on regardi ng the gover nment i s
total l y di fferent today and hence I shoul d not vol untari l y parti ci pate in i ts
war s and I shoul d ri sk i mpri sonment and even the gal l ows if I was f orced
to t ake up ar ms or otherwi se take part i n i ts mi l i tary operati ons.
But that sti l l does not sol ve the ri ddl e. I f there was a nati onal govern-
ment , whi l st I shoul d not t ake any di rect part i n any war I can concei ve
occasi ons when i t woul d be my duty to vote for the mi l i tary trai ni ng of
those who wi sh to t ake i t. For I know that all i ts member s do not bel i eve
in non- vi ol ence to the extent I do. It i s not possi bl e to make a person or a
soci ety non- vi ol ent by compul si on.
Non- vi ol ence wor ks i n a most mysteri ous manner. Of ten a man s
acti ons defy anal ysi s i n t er ms of non- vi ol ence; equal l y often hi s acti ons may
wear the appearance of vi ol ence when he i s absol utel y non- vi ol ent i n the
hi ghest sense of the t er mand i s subsequentl y f ound so to be. All I can then
cl ai mfor my conduct i s that i t was in the i nstances ci ted actuated in the
i nterests of non- vi ol ence. Ther e was no t hought of sordi d nati onal or other
i nterest. I do not bel i eve i nthe promot i on of nati onal or any other i nterest
at the sacri fi ce of some other i nterest.
I may not carry my argument any further. Language at best i s but a
poor vehi cl e for expressi ng one s thoughts i n full. For me non- vi ol ence i s
not a mer e phi l osophi cal pri nci pl e. It i s the rul e and the breath of my life.
37
G A N D w Z
I know I fai l often, somet i mes consci ousl y, mor e often unconsci ousl y. It i s
a mat t er not of t he i ntel l ect but of the heart. Tr ue gui dance comes by con-
stant wai ti ng upon God, by ut most humi l i ty, sel f-abnegati on, by bei ng ever
r eady to sacri fi ce one s sel f. I ts practi ce requi res fearl essness and courage
of the hi ghest order. I a m pai nful l y awar e of my fai l i ngs.
But the Li ght wi thi n me i s steady and cl ear. Ther e i s no escape for any
of us save t hrough truth 2nd non- vi ol ence. I know that war i s wr ong, i s an
unmi ti gated evi l . I know too that i t has got to go. I fi rml ybel i eve that f reedom
won t hrough bl oodshed or fraud i s no f reedom. Woul d that all the acts
al l eged agai nst me wer e f ound to be whol l y i ndefensi bl e rather than that by
any act of mi ne non- vi ol ence was hel d to be compr omi sed or that I was ever
thought to be i nf avour of vi ol ence or untruth inany shape or f or m! Not
vi ol ence, not untruth but non- vi ol ence, Trut h i s the l aw of our bei ng. 1r8
I a m consci ous of my own l i mi tati ons. That consci ousness i s my onl y
strength. What ever I mi ght have been abl e to do i n my l i fe has proceeded
mor e than anythi ng el se out of the real i zati on of my own l i mi tati ons. r19
I a m used to mi srepresentati on all my life. It i s the l ot of every publ i c
worker. He has to have a t ough hi de. Lifewoul d be bur densome if every
mi srepresentati on has to be answered and cl eared. It i s a rul e of lifewi th me
never to expl ai n mi srepresentati ons except when the cause requi red cor-
recti on. Thi s rul e has saved much t i me and worry. 120
The onl y vi rtue I want to cl ai mi s truth and non- vi ol ence. I l ay no cl ai m
to super human powers. I want none. I wear the s ame corrupti bl e fl esh that
the weakest of my fel l owbei ngs wear s and a m l i abl e to err as any. My
servi ces have many l i mi tati ons, but God has up to now bl essed t hemi n
spi te of the i mperf ecti ons.
For, confessi on of error i s l i ke a br oomthat sweeps away di rt and l eaves
t he surface cl eaner than before. I f eel stronger for my confessi on. And the
cause must prosper for the retraci ng. Never has man reached hi s desti na-
ti on by persi stence indevi ati on f romthe strai ght path. IZZ
The mahat ma I l eave to hi s fate. Though a non- co- operat or I shal l gl adl y
subscri be to a Bill to make i t cri mi nal for anybody to cal l me mahat ma and
G A N D H I
to touch my feet. Wher e I can i mpose the l awmysel f, at the zbrum, the
practi ce i s cri mi nal . 122
The t i me has now come to bri ng these chapters to a cl ose. . . . My lifef r om
this poi nt onwar d has been so publ i c that there i s hardl y anythi ng about i t
that peopl e do not know. . . . My life has been an open book. I have no
secrets and I encourage no secrets.
123
My uni f ormexperi ence has convi nced me that there i s no other God than
Truth. And i f every page of these chapters does not procl ai mto the r eader
that the onl y means for the real i zati on of Trut h i s abiy~Z, I shal l deemall
my l abour inwri ti ng these chapters to have been invai n. And, even t hough
my efforts in thi s behal f may prove frui tl ess, l et the r eader s know that the
vehi cl e, not the great pri nci pl e, is at faul t.
124
Ever si nce my return to I ndi a I have had the experi ences of the dor mant
passi ons l yi ng hi dden wi thi n me. The knowl edge of t hemhas made me
feel humi l i ated t hough not defeated. The experi ences and experi ments have
sustai ned me and gi ven me great j oy. But I know that I have still before me
a difficult path to traverse. I must reduce mysel f to zero. So l ong as a man
does not of his own f ree will put hi msel f l ast among his fel l owcreatures,
there i s no sal vati on for hi m. Ahiy.rZ i s the farthest limit of humi l i ty. ZZJ
I have become l i teral l y si ck of the adorati on of the unthi nki ng mul ti tude.
I woul d feel certai n of my ground i f I was spat upon by t hem. Then there
woul d be no need for confessi on of Hi mal ayan and other mi scal cul ati ons,
no retraci ng, no re-arrangi ng. 126
I have no desi re for presti ge anywhere. I t i s furni ture requi red incourts of
ki ngs. I ama servant of Mussul mans, Chri sti ans, Parsi s and J ews as I a m
of Hi ndus. And a servant i s in need of l ove, not presti ge. That i s assured to
me so l ong as I remai n a fai thful servant.
'27
Somehow or other I dread a visit to Eur ope and Amer i ca. Not that I
di strust the peopl es of these great conti nents any mor e than I di strust my
own, but I di strust mysel f . I have no desi re to go to the West in search of
39
G A N D H I
heal th or for si ghtseei ng. I have no desi re to del i ver publ i c speeches. I
det est bei ng l i oni zed. I wonder if I shal l ever agai n have the heal th to stand
the awf ul strai n of publ i c speaki ng and publ i c demonstrati ons. I f God ever
sent me to the West , I shoul d go there to penetrate the hearts of the masses,
to have qui et tal ks wi th the yout h of the West and have the pri vi l ege of
meeti ng ki ndred spi ri ts-l overs of peace at any pri ce save that of truth.
But I feel that I have as yet no message to del i ver personal l y to the West .
I bel i eve my message to be uni versal but as yet I feel that I can best del i ver i t
t hrough my wor k i nmy own country. I f I can show vi si bl e success i nI ndi a,
the del i very of the message becomes compl ete. I f I came to the concl usi on
that I ndi a had no use for my message, I shoul d not care to go el sewher e
i n search of l i steners even t hough I sti l l retai ned fai th i n it. I f I ventured
out of I ndi a, I shoul d do so because T have fai th, t hough I cannot demon-
strate i t to the sati sfacti on of all, that the message i s bei ng recei ved by I ndi a,
be i t ever so sl owl y.
Thus whi l st I was hesi tati ngl y carryi ng on the correspondence wi th
fri ends who had i nvi ted me, I saw that there was need for me to go to
Europe, if onl y to see Romai n Rol l and. Owi ng to my di strust of mysel f
over a general vi si t, I want ed to make my visit to that wi se man of the West
the pri mary cause of my j ourney to Europe. I , therefore, ref erred my
di ffi cul ty to hi mand asked hi mi n the frankest manner possi bl e whet her
he woul d l et me make my desi re to meet hi mthe pri mary cause of my visit
to Europe. He says that i n the name of truth i tsel f, he will not thi nk of
l etti ng me go to Eur ope if a visit to hi mi s to be the pri mary cause. He will
not l et me i nterrupt my l abours here for the sake of our meeti ng. Apart
f romthi s visit I fel t wi thi n me no i mperati ve call. I regret my deci si on but
i t seems to be the correct one. For whi l st there i s no urge wi thi n to go to
Europe, there i s an i ncessant call wi thi n for so much to do here. 128
I hol d mysel f tobe i ncapabl e of hati ng any bei ng on eart h. By a l ong course
of prayerful di sci pl i ne, I have ceased for over forty years to hate anybody.
I know thi s i s a bi g cl ai m. Nevert hel ess, I make i t i n all humi l i ty. But I
can and do hate evil wherever i t exi sts. I hate the syst emof government
that the Bri ti sh peopl e have set up i nI ndi a. I hate the ruthl ess expl oi tati on
of I ndi a even as I hate f r omthe bot t omof my heart the hi deous systemof
untouchabi l i ty for whi ch mi l l i ons of Hi ndus have made themsel ves respons-
G A N D H Z
i bl e. But I do not hate the domi neeri ng Engl i shmen as I refuse to hat e the
domi neeri ng Hi ndus. I seek to ref ormt hemi n al l the l ovi ng ways that ar e
open to me. 1.29
Some days back a cal f havi ng been mai med l ay i n agony i n the rishranr.
What ever treatment and nursi ng was possi bl e was gi ven to it. The surgeon
whose advi ce was sought in the mat t er decl ared t he case to be past hel p
and past hope. The sufferi ng of the ani mal was so gr eat that i t coul d not
even turn i ts si de wi thout excruci ati ng pai n.
I n these ci rcumstances I fel t that humani t y demanded that the agony
shoul d be ended by endi ng l i fe i tsel f. The mat t er was pl aced before the
whol e ri~hram. At t he di scussi on, a wort hy nei ghbour vehementl y opposed
the i dea of ki l l i ng even to end pai n. The ground of hi s opposi ti on was that
one has no ri ght to t ake l i fe whi ch one cannot create. His argument seemed
to me to be poi ntl ess here. I t woul d have poi nt, if the taki ng of life was
actuated by sel f-i nterest. Fi nal l y i n al l humi l i ty but wi th the cl earest of
convi cti ons I got i n my presence a doctor ki ndl y to admi ni ster the cal f a
qui etus by means of a poi son i nj ecti on. The whol e thi ng was over i nl ess
than t wo mi nutes.
I knew that publ i c opi ni on especi al l y inAhmedabad woul d not approve
of my acti on and that i t woul d r ead nothi ng but hi?zsZ i n i t. But I know
too that perf ormance of one s duty shoul d be i ndependent of publ i c
opi ni on. I have all al ong hel d that one i s bound to act accordi ng to what to
one appear s to be ri ght, t hough i t may appear wr ong to others. And
experi ence has shown that that i s the onl y correct course. That i s why the
poet has sung : The pat hway of l ove i s the ordeal of fi re, the shri nkers turn
away f r omi t. The pat hway of ahips~?, that i s, of l ove, one has often to
tread all al one.
The questi on may l egi ti matel y be put to me: Moul d I appl y to human
bei ngs the pri nci pl e I have enunci ated in connexi on wi th the cal f ? Woul d
I l i ke i t to be appl i ed i n my own case? My repl y i s Yes ; the same law
hol ds good i n both the cases. The l aw, as wi th one so wi th al l , admi t s
of no excepti ons, or the ki l l i ng of the cal f was wr ong and vi ol ent. I n
practi ce, however, we do not cut short the sufferi ngs of our ai l i ng dear
ones by deat h because, as a rul e, we have al ways means at our di sposal to
hel p t hemand they have the capaci ty to t hmk and deci de for themsel ves.
4
G A N D H Z
But supposi ng that i nthe case of an ai l i ng fri end, I amunabl e to render any
ai d and recovery i s out of the questi on and the pati ent i s l yi ng i n an un-
consci ous state i n the throes of agony, then I woul d not see any hips2 i n
putti ng an end to hi s sufferi ng by death.
J ust as a surgeon does not commi t hiysz but practi ses the purest ahi~sz
when he wi el ds hi s kni fe, one may fi nd i t necessary, under certai n i mperati ve
ci rcumstances, to go a step further and sever life f r omthe body i n the
i nterest of the sufferer. I t may be obj ected that wher eas the surgeon per-
f orms hi s operati on to save the life of the pati ent, in the other case we do
j ust the reverse. But on a deeper anal ysi s i t will be f ound that the ul ti mate
obj ect sought to be served i nboth the cases i s the same, namel y, to rel i eve
the sufferi ng soul wi thi n f rompai n. I n the one case you do i t by severi ng
the di seased porti on f r omthe body, i n the other you do i t by severi ng
f r omthe soul the body that has become an i nstrument of torture to it.
I n ei ther case i t i s the rel i ef of the soul f r ompai n that i s ai med at, the
body wi thout the l i fe wi thi n bei ng i ncapabl e of feel i ng ei ther pl easure or
pai n. Ot her ci rcumstances can be i magi ned i nwhi ch not tokill woul d spel l
hi?.@ whi l e ki l l i ng woul d be uhiysz. Suppose, for i nstance, that I fi nd my
daughter, whose wi sh at the moment I have no means of ascertai ni ng, is
threatened wi th vi ol ati on and there i s no way by whi ch I can save her, then
i t woul d be the purest f or mof ahips2 on my part toput an end to her life
and surrender mysel f to the fury of the i ncensed ruffi an.
The troubl e wi th our votari es of ahiy-si i s that they have made of
ahiysz a bl i nd feti sh and put the greatest obstacl e i n the way of the spread
of true ahiyrz inour mi dst. The current- and, i n my opi ni on, mi staken-
vi ewof uhiysi has drugged our consci ence and rendered us i nsensi bl e to a
host of other and mor e i nsi di ous f orms of h i ~ s 2 l i ke harsh words, harsh
j udgement s, i l l will, anger, spi te and l ust of cruel ty; i t has madeus forget
that t here may be f ar mor e hiysz i n the sl owtorture of men and ani mal s,
the starvati on and expl oi tati on to whi ch they are subj ected out of sel fi sh
greed, the want on humi l i ati on and oppressi on of the weak and the ki l l i ng
of thei r sel f-respect that we wi tness all around us today than i n mer e bene-
vol ent taki ng of l i fe. Does any one doubt for a moment that i t woul d have
been f ar mor e humane to have summari l y put to deat h those who i n the
i nf amous l ane of Amri tsar wer e made by thei r torturers to crawl on thei r
bel l i es l i ke wor ms ? I f anyone desi res to retort by sayi ng that these peopl e
G A N D H Z
themsel ves today f eel otherwi se, that they are none the worse for crawl i ng,
I shal l have no hesi tati on in tel l i ng himthat he does not know even the
el ements of ahdysd. There ari se occasi ons in a man s life when i t becomes
his i mperati ve duty tomeet t hemby l ayi ng down his l i fe; not to appreci ate
t hi s f undamental f act of man s estate i s to bet ray an i gnorance of the
f oundati on of ahimsd. For i nstance, a votary of truth woul d pray to God to
gi ve hi mdeat h to save hi mf r oma life of f al sehood. Si mi l arl y a votary of
ahiysd woul d on bent knees i mpl ore his enemy to put himto death rather
than humi l i ate hi mor make himdo thi ngs unbecomi ng the di gni ty of a
human bei ng. As the poet has sung: The way of the Lor d is meant for
heroes, not for cowards.
I t i s t hi s f undamental mi sconcepti on about the nature and the scope of
ahiysd, thi s conf usi on about the rel ati ve val ues, that i s responsi bl e for our
mi staki ng mer e non-ki l l i ng for ahiysd and for the fearful amount of hips2
that goes on in the name of ahiysz in our country.
130
Trut h to me i s i nfi ni tel y dearer than the mahat mashi p , whi ch is purel y
a burden. It i s my knowl edge of my l i mi tati ons and my nothi ngness whi ch
has so f ar saved me f r omthe oppressi veness of mahat mashi p . I a m pai n-
ful l y awar e of the fact that my desi re to conti nue lifei n the body i nvol ves me
in constant hips& that i s why I a m becomi ng growi ngl y i ndi fferent to thi s
physi cal body of mi ne. For i nstance, I know that in the act of respi rati on
I destroy i nnumerabl e i nvi si bl e ger ms fl oati ng i n the ai r. But I do not stop
breathi ng. The consumpt i on of vegetabl es i nvol ves himsd but I cannot gi ve
t hemup. Agai n, there i s hiysd i n the use of anti septi cs yet I cannot bri ng
mysel f to di scard the use of di si nfectants l i ke the kerosene, toridmysel f of
the mosqui to pest and the l i ke. I suffer snakes to be ki l l ed in the dshram
when i t is i mpossi bl e to catch and put t hemout of harm s way. I even
tol erate the use of the sti ck to dri ve the bul l ocks in the &ram. Thus there
i s no end of hiysd whi ch I di rectl y and i ndi rectl y commi t . And now I fi nd
mysel f conf ronted wi th this monkey probl em. Let me assure the reader
that I a m inno hurry to take the extreme step of ki l l i ngt hem. I n f act I am
not sure that I woul d at al l be abl e finally to make up my mi nd to kill t hem.
But I cannot promi se that I shal l never kill the monkeys even t hough they
may destroy all the crop i n the dshram. I f as a resul t of this conf essi on of
mi ne, fri ends choose to gi ve me up as l ost I woul d be sorry, but nothi ng
43
G A N D H I
will i nduce me to try to conceal my i mperf ecti ons i n the practi ce of
uh&-sZ. All I cl ai mfor mysel f i s that I amceasel essl y tryi ng to understand the
i mpl i cati ons of great i deal s like u h i ~ ~ d and to practi se t hemi n thought,
wor d and deed and that not wi thout a certai n measure of success, as I thi nk.
But I know that I have a l ong di stance yet to cover i n thi s di recti on. rjz
I ama poor mendi cant. My earthl y possessi ons consi st of six spi nni ng
wheel s, pri son di shes, a can of goat' s mi l k, six homespun l oi n-cl oths and
towel s, and my reputati on whi ch cannot be wort h much. '
rjr
When I f ound mysel f dr awn i nto the pol i ti cal coi l , I asked mysel f what was
necessary for me, inorder to remai n unt ouched by i mmoral i ty, by untruth,
by what is known as pol i ti cal gai n. I came defi ni tel y to the concl usi on that,
i f I had to serve the peopl e in whose mi dst my life was cast and of whose
difficulties I was a wi tness f r omday to day, I must di scard all weal th, al l
possessi on.
I cannot tel l you wi th truth that, when t hi s bel i ef came to me, I di s-
carded everythi ng i mmedi atel y. I must confess to you that progress at
fi rst was sl ow. And now, as I recal l those days of struggl e, I r emember that
i t was al so pai nful i n the begi nni ng. But , as days went by, I s aw that I had
to t hrowoverboard many other thi ngs whi ch I used to consi der as mi ne,
and a t i me came when i t became a mat t er of posi ti ve j oy to gi ve up those
thi ngs. One af ter another then, by al most geometri c progressi on, thi ngs
sl i pped away f r omme. And, as I a m descri bi ng my experi ences, I can say
a great burden fel l off my shoul ders, and I fel t that I coul d now wal k wi th
ease and do my wor k al so i n the servi ce of my fel l owmen wi th great
comf ort and sti l l great er j oy. The possessi on of anythi ng then became a
troubl esome thi ng and a burden.
Expl ori ng the cause of that j oy, I f ound that if I kept anythi ng as my
own, I had to def end i t agai nst the whol e worl d. I f ound that there wer e
many peopl e who di d not have the thi ng, al though they want ed i t ; and I
woul d have to seek pol i ce assi stance al so if some hungry f ami ne- stri cken
peopl e, fi ndi ng me in a l onel y pl ace, want ed not onl y to di vi de the thi ng
wi th me but to di spossess me. And I sai d to mysel f : if they want i t and
I. To the customs official at Marseille, II September 1931.
44
G A N D H I
woul d t ake i t , they do so not f r omany mal i ci ous moti ve, but they woul d do
i t because thei rs was a great er need than mi ne.
And I sai d to mysel f : possessi on seems to me to be a cr i me ; I can onl y
possess certai n thi ngs when I know that others, who al so want to possess
si mi l ar thi ngs, are abl e to do so. But we know- every one of us can speak
f r omexperi ence-that such a thi ng i s an i mpossi bi l i ty. Theref ore, the onl y
thi ng that can be possessed by all i s non- possessi on, not to have anythi ng
whatsoever. Or, i nother wor ds, a wi l l i ng surrender. . . . Theref ore, havi ng
that absol ute convi cti on i n me, such must be my constant desi re that thi s
body al so may be surrendered at the will of God, and whi l e i t i s at my
di sposal , must be used not for di ssi pati on, not for sel f-i ndul gence, not for
pl easure, but merel y for servi ce and servi ce the whol e of your waki ng hours.
And if thi s i s true wi th reference to the body, how much mor e wi th ref er-
ence to cl othi ng and other thi ngs that we use ?
And those who have f ol l owed out thi s vow of vol untary poverty to
the ful l est extent possi bl e-to reach absol ute perfecti on i s an i mpossi bi l i ty,
but the f ul l est possi bl e for a human bei ng-those who have reached the
i deal of that state, testify that when you di spossess yoursel f of everythi ng
you have, you real l y possess all the treasures of the worl d.
33
Fr ommy yout h upwar d I l earnt the art of esti mati ng the val ue of scri ptures
on the basi s of thei r ethi cal teachi ng. Mi racl es had no i nterest for me. The
mi racl es sai d to have been perf ormed by J esus, even if I had bel i eved t hem
l i teral l y, woul d not have reconci l ed me toany teachi ng that di d not sati sfy
uni versal ethi cs. Somehow, wor ds of rel i gi ous teachers have for me, as
I presume for the mi l l i ons, a l i vi ng force whi ch the same wor ds uttered by
ordi nary mortal s do not possess.
J esus, to me, i s a great worl d teacher among others. He was to the
devotees of hi s generati on no doubt the onl y begotten son of God . Thei r
bel i ef need not be mi ne. He affects my life no l ess because I regard hi mas
one among the many begotten sons of God. The adj ecti ve begotten has
a deeper and possi bl y a grander meani ng than i ts spi ri tual bi rth. In hi s own
t i mes he was the nearest to God.
J esus atoned for the si ns of those who accepted his teachi ngs, by bei ng
I. From an address del i vered at the Guildhall, London, on 27 September 1931.
G A N D H r
an i nfal l i bl e exampl e to them. But the exampl e was wort h nothi ng to those
who never troubl ed to change thei r own l i ves. A regenerate out grows the
ori gi nal tai nt, even as puri fi ed gol d out grows the ori gi nal al l oy.
I have made the frankest admi ssi on of many si ns. But I do not carry
thei r burden on my shoul ders. I f I a m j ourneyi ng godwar d, as I feel I am,
i t i s safe wi th me. For I feel the war mt h of the sunshi ne of His presence.
My austeri ti es, fasti ngs and prayers are, I know, of no val ue, if I rel y upon
t hemfor ref ormi ng me. But they have an i nesti mabl e val ue, if they repre-
sent, as I hope they do, the yearni ngs of a soul , stri vi ng to l ay hi s wear y
head in the l ap of hi s Maker .
134
An Engl i sh fri end has been at me for the past thi rty years tryi ng to per-
suade me that there i s nothi ng but damnat i on in Hi ndui smand I must
accept Chri sti ani ty. When I was in jail I got f r omseparat e sources no l ess
than three copi es of Lqe of Sister Tberese, in the hope that I shoul d fol l ow
her exampl e and accept J esus as the onl y begotten son of God and my
Savi our. I r ead the book prayerful l y but I coul d not accept even St. Therese s
testi mony. I must say I have an open mi nd, if i ndeed at thi s st age and age
of my life I can be sai d to have an open mi nd on t hi s questi on. Anyway,
I cl ai mto have an open mi nd i n thi s sense that if thi ngs wer e to happen to
me as they di d to Saul before he became Paul , I shoul d not hesi tate to be
converted. But today I rebel agai nst orthodox Chri sti ani ty, as I a m con-
vi nced that i t has di storted the message of J esus. He was an Asi ati c whose
message was del i vered t hrough many medi a and when i t had the backi ng
of a Roman emperor, i t became an i mperi al i st faithas i t remai ns to t hi s day.
Of course, there are nobl e but rare excepti ons, but the general trend i s as
I have i ndi cated. Ijj
My mi nd i s narrow. I have not r ead much l i terature. I have not seen much
of the worl d. I have concentrated upon certai n thi ngs in life and beyond
that I have no other i nterest.
136
I have not the shadowof a doubt that any man or woman can achi eve what
I have, if he or she woul d make the same effort and cul ti vate the same hope
and fai th. zj7
G A N D H r
I f ancy I know the art of l i vi ng and dyi ng non- vi ol entl y. But I have yet to
demonstrate i t by one perfect act.
138
Ther e i s no such thi ng as Gandhi sm and I do not want to l eave any sect
af ter me. I do not cl ai mto have ori gi nated any new pri nci pl e or doctri ne.
I have si mpl y tri ed i n my own way toappl y the eternal truths to our dai l y
life and probl ems. Ther e i s, therefore, no questi on of my l eavi ng any code
l i ke the code of Manu. Ther e can be no compari son bet ween that great
l aw- gi ver and me. The opi ni ons I have f ormed and the concl usi ons I have
arri ved at are not fi nal , I may change t hemt omor r ow. I have nothi ng new
to teach the worl d. Trut h and non- vi ol ence are as ol d as the hills. All I have
done is totry experi ments inbot h on as vast a scal e as I coul d do. I n doi ng
so, I have somet i mes erred and l earnt by my errors. Lifeand i ts probl ems
have thus become to me so many experi ments i n the practi ce of truth and
non- vi ol ence. By i nsti nct, I have been truthful , but not non- vi ol ent. As a
J ai n mtrni once ri ghtl y sai d, I was not so much a votary of ah&sLi, as I was
of truth, and I put the l atter i nthe f i rst pl ace and the f ormer i nthe second.
For, as he put i t , I was capabl e of sacri fi ci ng non- vi ol ence for the sake of
truth. In fact, i t was i n course of my pursui t of truth that I di scovered
non- vi ol ence. Our scri ptures have decl ared that there i s no dharma hi gher
than truth. But non- vi ol ence, they say, i s the hi ghest duty. The wor d
dharma, i n my opi ni on, has di fferent connotati ons as used i n the t wo
aphori sms.
Wel l , all my phi l osophy, if i t may be cal l ed by that pretenti ous name,
i s contai ned i n what I have sai d. But , you will not call i t Gandhi sm ;
t here i s no i sm about i t. And no el aborate l i terature or propaganda
i s needed about it. The scri ptures have been quot ed agai nst my posi ti on,
but I have hel d f aster than ever to the posi ti on that truth may not be
sacri fi ced for anythi ng whatsoever. Those who bel i eve i n the si mpl e
truths I have l ai d down can propagat e t hemonl y by l i vi ng t hem.
Peopl e have l aughed at my spi nni ng wheel , and an acute critic observed
t hat when I di ed the wheel s woul d serve to make the funeral pyre. That,
however , has not shaken my firmfai th i n the spi nni ng wheel . HowamI
to convi nce the worl d by means of books that the whol e of my construc-
ti ve pr ogr amme i s rooted i n non- vi ol ence ? My life al one can demonstrate
i t. z39
47
G A N D H I
You have gi ven me a t eacher in Thoreau, who f urni shed me through hi s
essay on the Dut y of Ci vi l Di sobedi ence sci enti fi c conf i rmati on of what I was
doi ng inSout h Afri ca. Gr eat Bri tai n gave me Ruski n, whose Unt o Thir Last
transf ormed me overni ght f r oma l awyer and city dwel l er i nto a rusti c l i vi ng
away f r omDur ban on a f arm, three mi l es f r omthe nearest rai l way stati on ;
and Russi a gave me i n Tol stoy a teacher who f urni shed a reasoned basi s
for my non- vi ol ence. Tol stoy bl essed my movement i n South Af ri ca when
i t was sti l l ini ts i nfancy and of whose wonderf ul possi bi l i ti es I had yet to
l earn. It was he who had prophesi ed i n his l etter to me that I was l eadi ng
a movement whi ch was desti ned to bri ng a message of hope to the down-
trodden peopl e of the earth. So you will see that I have not approached
the present task in any spi ri t of enmi ty to Gr eat Bri tai n and the West .
Af ter havi ng i mbi bed and assi mi l ated the message of Unt o Thir LJ~, I
coul d not be gui l ty of approvi ng f asci smor nazi sm, whose cul t i s sup-
pressi on of the i ndi vi dual and his l i berty.
140
I have no secrets of my own i n thi s life. I have owned my weaknesses.
I f I wer e sensual l y i ncl i ned, I woul d have the courage to make the conf es-
si on. I t was when I devel oped detestati on of the sensual connexi on even
wi th my own wi f e and had suffi ci entl y tested mysel f that I took the vow of
bruhmacharyu in 1906, and that for the sake of better dedi cati on to the ser-
vi ce of the country. From that day, began my open life. . . . And f romthat
day when I began brahmacharya, our f reedombegan. My wi f e became a
f ree woman, f ree f r ommy authori ty as her l ord and mast er , and I became
f ree f r ommy sl avery to my own appeti te whi ch she had to sati sfy. No other
woman had any attracti on for me inthe same sense that my wifehad. I was
too l oyal to her as husband and too l oyal to the vow I had taken before my
mot her to be sl ave to any other woman. But the manner in whi ch my
bramacharya came to me i rresi sti bl y dr ew me to woman as the mot her of
man. . . . My brahmacharya knew nothi ng of the orthodox l aws governi ng
i ts observance. I f r amed my own rul es as occasi on necessi tated. But I have
never bel i eved that all contact wi th woman was to be shunned for the due
observance of bruhmacharya. That restrai nt whi ch demands abstenti on f r om
all contact, no mat t er how i nnocent, wi th the opposi te sex i s a f orced
growt h, havi ng littleor no vital val ue. Theref ore, the natural contacts for
servi ce wer e never restrai ned. And I f ound mysel f enj oyi ng the conf i dence
Gandhi planting a tree in remembrance of his stay at Kingsley Hall, London, 193 I
(Photo Keystone)
G A N D H r
of many si sters, European and I ndi an, in Sout h Af ri ca. And when I i nvi ted
the I ndi an si sters i n Sout h Af ri ca to j oi n the civil resi stance movement , I
f ound mysel f one of t hem. I di scovered that I was speci al l y fi tted to serve
the womanki nd. To cut the-for me enthral l i ng-story short, my return
to I ndi a f ound me in no t i me one wi th I ndi a s women. The easy access
I had to thei r heart s was an agreeabl e revel ati on to me. Musl i msi sters
never kept purdah before me here, even as they di d not in Sout h Af ri ca.
I sl eep in the rZshram surrounded by women, for they feel saf e wi th me in
every respect. I t shoul d be r emember ed that there i s no pri vacy in the
Segaon Ashram.
I f I wer e sexual l y attracted towards women, I have courage enough,
even at thi s time of life, to become a pol ygami st. I do not bel i eve i n f ree
l ove-secret or open. Fr ee open l ove I have l ooked upon as dog s l ove.
Secret l ove i s besi des cowardl y.
141
You have fai l ed to t ake even your son wi th YOU, wrote a correspondent.
May i t not, therefore, be well for you to rest content wi th putti ng your
own house in order ?
Thi s may be taken to be a taunt, but I do not t ake i t so. For the questi on
had occurred tome, before i t di d to anyone el se. I ama bel i ever inprevi ous
bi rths and rebi rths. All our rel ati onshi ps are the resul t of the samskrs we
carry f r omour previ ous bi rths. Gods l aws are i nscrutabl e and are the sub-
j ect of endl ess search. No one will f at homt hem.
Thi s i s how 1 regard the case of my son. I regard the bi rth of a bad son
to me as the resul t of my evi l past, whether of thi s l i feor previ ous. My fi rst
son was born, when I was in a state of i nfatuati on. Besi des, he gr ew up
whi l st I was mysel f growi ng and whi l st I knew mysel f very l i ttl e. I do not
cl ai mto know mysel f ful l y even today, but I certai nl y know mysel f better
than I di d then. For years he remai ned away f r omme, and hi s upbri ngi ng
was not enti rel y inmy hands. That i s why, he has al ways been at a l oose end.
His gri evance agai nst me has al ways been that I sacri fi ced hi mand hi s
brothers at the al tar of what I wrongl y bel i eved to be the publ i c good. My
other sons have l ai d mor e or l ess the same bl ame at my door, but wi th a
good deal of hesi tati on, and t hey have generousl y f orgi ven me. My el dest
son was the di rect vi cti mof experi ments-radi cal changes in my l i fe-and
so he cannot forget what he r egar ds as my bl unders. Under the ci rcum-
49
G A N D H Z
stances I bel i eve I ammysel f the cause of the l oss of my son, and have, there-
fore, l earnt pati entl y to bear i t. And yet, i t i s not qui te correct to say that I
have l ost hi m. For i t i s my constant prayer that God may make hi msee the
error of his ways and f orgi ve me my shortcomi ngs, if any, i n servi ng hi m.
It i s my firmfai th that man i s by nature goi ng hi gher, and so I have not at
all l ost the hope that, some day, he will wake up f r omhis sl umber andi gnor-
ance. Thus, he i s part of my fi el dof the experi ments innon- vi ol ence. When
or whet her I shal l succeed, I have never bothered to know. I t i s enough for
my sati sfacti on that I do not sl acken my efforts indoi ng what I know to be
my duty. 142
I read a newspaper cutti ng sent by a correspondent tc the effect that a
t empl e has been erected wher e my i mage i s bei ng worshi pped. Thi s I
consi der to be a gross f or mof i dol atry. The person who has erect ed the
t empl e has wast ed hi s resources by mi susi ng t hem, the vi l l agers who are
dr awn there are mi sl ed, and I a m bei ng i nsul ted i n that the whol e of my
life has been cari catured i n that t empl e. The meani ng that I have gi ven to
worshi p i s di storted. The worshi p of the darkha l i es inpl yi ng i t for a l i vi ng,
or as a sacri fi ce for usheri ng i nmarq. Gi t a i s worshi pped not by a parrot-
l i ke reci tati on but by f ol l owi ng i ts teachi ng. Reci tati on i s good and proper
onl y as an ai d to acti on accordi ng toi ts teachi ng. A man i s worshi pped onl y
tothe extent that he i s f ol l owed not inhi s weaknesses, but i nhis strength.
Hi ndui smi s degr aded when i t i s brought down to the l evel of the worshi p
of the i mage of a l i vi ng bei ng. No man can be sai d to be good before hi s
death. Af ter death too, he i s good for the person who bel i eves hi mtohave
possessed certai n qual i ti es attri buted to hi m. As a mat t er of fact, God al one
knows a man s heart. And hence, the saf est thi ng i s not to worshi p any per -
son, l i vi ng or dead, but to worshi p perfecti on whi ch resi des onl y i n God,
known as Trut h. The questi on then certai nl y ari ses, as to whet her posses-
si on of phot ographs i s not a f or mof worshi p, carryi ng no mer i t wi th i t.
I have sai d as much bef ore now inmy wri ti ngs. Neverthel ess, I have tol erat-
ed the practi ce, as i t has become an i nnocent t hough a costl y fashi on. But
thi s tol erati on will become l udi crous and harmf ul , if I wer e togi ve di rectl y
or i ndi rectl y the sl i ghtest encouragement to the practi ce above descri bed.
It woul d be a wel come relief, if the owner of the t empl e r emoved the i mage
and converted the bui l di ng i nto a spi nni ng centre, where the poor will card
G A N D H r
and spi n for wages, and the others for sacri fi ce and all will be wear er s of
khaddar. Thi s will be the teachi ng of the Gi t a in acti on, and true worshi p
of i t and me. '43
My i mperf ecti ons and fai l ures are as much a bl essi ng f r omGod as my
successes and my tal ents, and 1 l ay t hemboth at His feet. Why shoul d He
have chosen me, an i mperf ect i nstrument, for such a mi ghty experi ment ?
I thi nk He del i beratel y di d so. He had to serve the poor dumb i gnorant
mi l l i ons. A perf ect man mi ght have been thei r despai r. When they f ound
that one wi th thei r fai l i ngs was marchi ng on towards a h i ~ ~ ~ ? , they too had
conf i dence inthei r own capaci ty. We shoul d not have recogni zed a perf ect
man i f he had come as our l eader, and we mi ght have dri ven hi mto a cave.
Maybe he who f ol l ows me will be mor e perfect and you will be abl e to
recei ve his message. '44
I di d not move a muscl e, when I f i rst heard that an at ombomb had wi ped
out Hi roshi ma. On the contrary I sai d to mysel f , ' Unl ess now the worl d
adopts non- vi ol ence, i t will spel l certai n sui ci de for manki nd' .
z4j
I do not si t i n j udgement upon the worl d for i ts many mi sdeeds. Bei ng i m-
perf ect mysel f and needi ng tol erati on and chari ty, I tol erate the worl d' s i m-
perfecti ons ti l l I fi nd or create an opportuni ty for frui tful expostul ati on. 146
When I have become i ncapabl e of evi l and when nothi ng harsh or haughty
occupi es, be i t momentari l y, my thought- worl d, then, and not ti l l then, my
non- vi ol ence will move all the hearts of all the worl d.
z47
I f one has compl etel y mer ged onesel f wi th Hi m, he shoul d be content to
l eave good and bad, success and fai l ure to Hi mand be careful for nothi ng.
1 feel 1 have not attai ned that state, and, therefore, my stri vi ng i s i n-
compl ete. 148
There i s a st age i n l i fe when a man does not need even to procl ai mhis
thoughts much l ess to show t hemby out ward acti on. Mer e thoughts act.
They attai n that power . Then i t can be sai d of hi mthat hi s seemi ng in-
acti on consti tutes hi s acti on. . . . My stri vi ng i s in that di recti on.
z49
G A N D H I
I woul d l ove to at t empt an answer to a questi on whi ch has been addressed
tome f r ommor e than one quarter of the gl obe. It i s : Ho w can you account
for the growi ng vi ol ence among your own peopl e on the part of pol i ti cal
parti es for the furtherance of pol i ti cal ends ? I s this the resul t of the thi rty
years of non- vi ol ent practi ce for endi ng the Bri ti shrul e ? Does your message
of non- vi ol ence sti l l hol d good for the worl d ? I have condensed the senti -
ment s of my correspondents i nmy own l anguage.
I n repl y I must confess my bankruptcy, not that of non- vi ol ence. I have
al ready sai d that the non- vi ol ence that was offered duri ng the past thi rty
years was that of the weak. Whet her i t i s a good enough answer or not i s
for the others to j udge. It must be further admi tted that such non- vi ol ence
can have no pl ay i n the al tered ci rcumstances. I ndi a has no experi ence of
the non- vi ol ence of the strong. It serves no purpose for me to conti nue to
repeat that the non- vi ol ence of the strong i s the strongest force i nthe worl d.
The truth requi res constant and extensi ve demonstrati on. Thi s I a m now
endeavouri ng to do to the best of my abi l i ty. What if the best of my abi l i ty
is very l i ttl e? May I not be l i vi ng in a fool s paradi se ? Why shoul d I ask
the peopl e to f ol l owme i nthe frui tl ess search ? These are perti nent questi ons.
My answer i s qui te si mpl e. I ask nobody to f ol l owme. Everyone shoul d
f ol l owhi s or her own i nner voi ce. I f he or she has no ears to l i stento i t, he
or she shoul d do the best he or she can. I n no case, shoul d he or she i mi tate
others sheepl i ke.
One mor e questi on has been and i s bei ng asked. I f you ar e certai n that
I ndi a i s goi ng the wr ong way, why do you associ ate wi th the wrongdoers ?
Why do you not pl ough your own l onel y f urrowand have fai th that i f you
are ri ght, your erstwhi l e fri ends and your fol l owers will seek you out ? I
regard this as a very f ai r questi on. I must not at t empt to argue agai nst i t.
All I can say i s that my fai th i s as strong as ever. It i s qui te possi bl e that my
techni que i s faul ty. Ther e ar e ol d and tri ed precedents to gui de one insuch
a compl exi ty. Onl y, no one shoul d act mechani cal l y. Hence, I can say to all
my counsel l ors that they shoul d have pati ence wi th me and even shar e my
bel i ef that there i s no hope for the achi ng worl d except t hrough the narrow
and strai ght path of non- vi ol ence. Mi l l i ons l i ke me may fai l to prove the
truth in thei r own l i ves, that woul d be thei r fai l ure, never of the eternal
l aw. rjo
G A N D H I
The parti ti on has come i n spi te of me. It has hurt me. But i t i s the way i n
whi ch the parti ti on has come that has hurt me more. I have pl edged mysel f
to do or di e inthe at t empt to put down the present confl agrati on. I l ove al l
manki nd as I l ove my own count rymen, because God dwel l s i n the heart of
every human bei ng, and I aspi re to real i ze the hi ghest in l i fe t hrough the
servi ce of humani ty. It i s true that the non- vi ol ence that we practi sed was
the non- vi ol ence of the weak, i .e., no non- vi ol ence at al l . But I mai ntai n
that this was not what I presented to my count rymen. Nor di d I present
to t hemthe weapon of non- vi ol ence because they wer e weak or di sarmed
or wi thout mi l i tary trai ni ng, but because my study of hi story has taught me
that hatred and vi ol ence used i n howsoever nobl e a cause onl y breed thei r
ki nd and i nstead of bri ngi ng peace j eopardi ze i t. Thanks to the tradi ti on of
our anci ent seers, sages and sai nts, if t here i s a heri tage that I ndi a can share
wi th the worl d, i t i s thi s gospel of f orgi veness and fai th whi ch i s her proud
possessi on. I have fai th that int i me tocome, I ndi a will pit that agai nst the
threat of destructi on whi ch the worl d has i nvi ted upon i tsel f by the di s-
covery of the at ombomb. The weapon of truth and l ove i s i nfal l i bl e, but
there i s somethi ng wr ong in us, i ts votari es, whi ch has pl unged us i nto the
present sui ci dal stri fe. I am, therefore, tryi ng to exami ne mysel f .
ZJZ
I have passed through many an ordeal i n my life. But perhaps thi s i s to be
the hardest. I l i ke i t. The f i ercer i t becomes, the cl oser i s the communi on
wi th God that I experi ence and the deeper gr ows my fai thinHis abundant
grace. So l ong as i t persi sts, I know i t i s wel l wi th me.
ZJZ
I f I wer e a perf ect man, I own, I shoul d not feel the mi seri es of nei ghbours
as I do. As a perf ect man I shoul d t ake note of t hem, prescri be a r emedy,
and compel adopti on by the force of unchal l engeabl e Trut h i n me. But as
yet I onl y see as through a gl ass darkl y and therefore have to carry convi c-
ti on by sl owand l abori ous processes, and then, too, not al ways wi th
success. . . . I woul d be l ess human if, wi th all my knowl edge of the avoi d-
abl e mi sery pervadi ng the l and. . . I di d not feel wi th and for all the suffer-
i ng of the dumb mi l l i ons of I ndi a. rj3
I want to decl are to the worl d that, whatever may be sai d to the contrary,
and al though I mi ght have forfei ted the regard and even the trust of many
J3
G A N D H r
in the West- and I bow my head l ow- but even for thei r fri endshi p or
thei r l ove, I must not suppress that voi ce wi thi n, call i t consci ence, call i t
the prompt i ng of my i nner basi c nature. Ther e i s somet hi ng wi thi n me
i mpel l i ng me to cry out my agony. I have known exactl y what i t i s. That
somet hi ng i n me whi ch never decei ves me tel l s me now: You have to
stand agai nst the whol e worl d al though you may have to stand al one. You
have to st are the worl d i nthe f ace al though the worl d may l ook at you wi th
bl ood- shot eyes. Do not f ear. Trust that l i ttl e thi ng i nyou whi ch resi des i n
the heart and says : Forsake fri ends, wi f e, al l ; but testify to that for whi ch
you have l i ved and for whi ch you have to di e.
zj4
My soul refuses to be sati sfi ed so l ong as i t i s a hel pl ess wi tness of a si ngl e
wr ong or a si ngl e mi sery. But i t i s not possi bl e for me, a weak, frai l , mi ser -
abl e bei ng, to mend every wr ong or to hol d mysel f f ree of bl ame for all
the wr ong I see. The spi ri t i nme pul l s one way, the fl eshinme pul l s i n the
opposi te di recti on. Ther e i s f reedomf r omthe acti on of t hese t wo forces
but that f reedomi s attai nabl e onl y by sl owand pai nful stages. I cannot
attai n f reedomby a mechani cal ref usal to act, but onl y by i ntel l i gent acti on
in a detached manner. Thi s struggl e resol ves i tsel f i nto an i ncessant cruci -
fixion of the fl esh so that the spi ri t may become enti rel y free.
rjj
I bel i eve in the message of truth del i vered by all the rel i gi ous teachers of
the worl d. And i t i s my constant prayer that I may never have a feel i ng of
anger agai nst my traducers, that even if I fal l a vi cti mto an assassi ns bul l et,
I may del i ver up my soul wi th the r emembr ance of God upon my lips. I
shal l be content to be wri tten down an i mpost or i f my lips utter a wor d of
anger or abuse agai nst my assai l ant at the l ast moment .
zj6
Have I that non- vi ol ence of the brave i nme ? My death al one will show that.
I f someone ki l l ed me and I di ed wi th pr ayer for the assassi n on my lips,
and God s r emembr ance and consci ousness of His l i vi ng presence i n the
sanctuary of my heart, then al one woul d I be sai d to have had the non-
vi ol ence of the brave. zj7
I do not want to di e. . . of a creepi ng paral ysi s of my facul ti es-a def eat ed
man. An assassi ns bul l et may put an end to my l i fe. I woul d wel come i t.
14
G A N D H I
But I woul d l ove, above all, to f ade out doi ng my duty wi th my l ast
breath. zj8
I amnot achi ng for mart yrdom, but if i t comes inmy way i n the prosecuti on
of what I consi der to be the supreme duty in def ence of the fai th I hol d
. . . I shal l have earned it.
zj9
Assaul ts have been made on my lifei n the past, but God has spared me ti l l
now, and the assai l ants have repented for thei r acti on. But if someone wer e
to shoot me in the bel i ef that he was getti ng rid of a rascal , he woul d kill
not the real Gandhi , but the one that appear ed to hima rascal . 160
I f I di e of a l i ngeri ng i l l ness, nay even by as much as a boi l or a pi mpl e,
i t will be your duty to procl ai mto the worl d, even at the ri sk of maki ng
peopl e angry wi th you, that I was not the man of God that I cl ai med to be.
I f you do that i t will gi ve my spi ri t peace. Not e down thi s also that if some-
one were to end my lifeby putti ng a bul l et t hrough me- as someone tri ed to
do wi th a bomb the other day- and I met his bul l et wi thout a groan, and
breathed my l ast taki ng God s name, then al one woul d I have made good
my c1ai m.l z6z
I f anybody tri ed to take out my body i n a processi on after I di ed, I woul d
certai nl y tell them-i f my corpse coul d speak-to spare me and cr emat e me
where I had di ed. 162
After I a m gone, no si ngl e person will be abl e compl etel y to represent me.
But a l i ttl e bit of me will l i ve i n many of you. I f each puts the cause first
and hi msel f last, the vacuumwill to a l arge extent be filled.
z63
I do not want to be reborn. But if I have to be reborn, I shoul d be born an
untouchabl e, so that I may share thei r sorrows, sufferi ngs, and affronts
l evel l ed at t hem, inorder that I may endeavour to f ree mysel f and t hemf r om
that mi serabl e condi ti on. 164
I. This was uttered on the night of 29 January 1948, less than twenty hours
before he was shot.
CHAPTER I1
REL I GI ON A ND T R U T H
By rel i gi on, I do not mean f ormal rel i gi on, or cust omary rel i gi on, but that
rel i gi on whi ch underl i es all rel i gi ons, whi ch bri ngs us face to f ace wi th our
Maker . I
Let me expl ai n what I mean by rel i gi on. It i s not the Hi ndu rel i gi on whi ch
I certai nl y pri ze above all other rel i gi ons, but the rel i gi on whi ch transcends
Hi ndui sm, whi ch changes one' s very nature, whi ch bi nds one i ndi ssol ubl y
to the truth wi thi n and whi ch ever puri fi es. It i s the permanent el ement i n
human nature whi ch counts no cost too great i n order to fi nd full expres-
si on and whi ch l eaves the soul utterl y restl ess unti l i t has f ound i tsel f,
known i ts Maker and appreci at ed the true correspondence bet ween the
Maker and itself. z
I have not seen Hi m, nei ther have I known Hi m. I have made the worl d' s
fai th i n God my own, and as my fai th i s i neffaceabl e, I regard that fai th as
amount i ng to experi ence. However , as i t may be sai d that to descri be fai th
as experi ence i s to t amper wi th truth, i t may perhaps be mor e correct to
say that I have no wor d for characteri zi ng my bel i ef i nGod.
3
Ther e i s an i ndefi nabl e mysteri ous Power that pervades everythi ng. I feel
i t, t hough I do not see i t. It i s this unseen Power whi ch makes i tsel f fel t
and yet def i es all proof , because i t i s so unl i ke all that I percei ve t hrough
my senses. It transcends the senses. But i t i s possi bl e to reason out the
exi stence of God to a l i mi ted extent.
4
G A N D H I
I do di ml y percei ve that whi l st everythi ng around me i s ever- changi ng,
ever- dyi ng, t here is underl yi ng al l that change a Li vi ng Power that i s
changel ess, that hol ds all together, that creates, di ssol ves, and re-creates.
That i nf ormi ng Power or Spi ri t i s God. And si nce nothi ng el se I see merel y
t hrough the senses can or will persi st, He al one i s.
J
And i s thi s Power benevol ent or mal evol ent ? I see i t as purel y benevol ent.
For I can see that i nthe mi dst of death lifepersi sts, i nthe mi dst of untruth
truth persi sts, in the mi dst of darkness l i ght persi sts. Hence I gather t hat
God i s Li fe, Trut h, Li ght. He i s Love. He i s the Supr eme God. 6
I know, too, that I shal l never know God i f I do not wr est l e wi th and agai nst
evil even at the cost of lifei tsel f. I a m forti fi edi nthe bel i ef by my own hum-
bl e and l i mi ted experi ence. The purer I try to become the nearer toGod I f eel
mysel f to be. Ho w much mor e shoul d I be near toHi mwhen my fai th i s not
a mer e apol ogy, as i t i s today, but has become as i mmovabl e as the Hi ma-
l ayas and as whi te and bri ght as the snows on thei r peaks ?
7
Thi s bel i ef i n God has to be based on fai th whi ch transcends reason. I n-
deed, even the so-cal l ed real i zati on has at bot t oman el ement of fai th wi th-
out whi ch i t cannot be sustai ned. I n the very nature of thi ngs i t must be so.
Who can transgress the l i mi tati ons of hi s bei ng ? I hol d that compl et e real i -
zati on i s i mpossi bl e in t hi s embodi ed life. Nor i s i t necessary. A l i vi ng
i mmovabl e fai th i s all that i s requi red for reachi ng the full spi ri tual hei ght
attai nabl e by human bei ngs. God i s not outsi de this earthl y case of ours.
Theref ore, exteri or proof i s not of much avai l , if any at all. We must ever
fai l to percei ve Hi mt hrough the senses, because He i s beyond t hem. We can
f eel Hi m, if we will but wi t hdrawoursel ves f r omthe senses. The di vi ne
musi c i s i ncessantl y goi ng on wi thi n oursel ves, but the l oud senses dr own
the del i cate musi c, whi ch i s unl i ke and i nfi ni tel y superi or to anythi ng we
can percei ve or hear wi th our senses. 8
But He i s no God who merel y sati sfi es the i ntel l ect, if He ever does. God
to be God must rul e the heart and transf ormit. He must express Himself
i n every the smal l est act of His votary. This can onl y be done t hrough a
defi ni te real i zati on mor e real than the fi ve senses can ever produce. Sense
17
G A N D H I
percepti ons can be, often are, fal se and decepti ve, however real they may
appear to us. Wher e t here i s real i zati on outsi de the senses i t i s i nfal l i bl e.
It i s proved not by extraneous evi dence but i n the transf ormed conduct and
character of those who have fel t the real presence of God wi thi n. Such
testi mony i s to be f ound i nthe experi ences of an unbroken l i ne of prophets
and sages i n all countri es and cl i mes. To rej ect t hi s evi dence i s to deny
onesel f. 9
To me God i s Trut h and Love; God i s ethi cs and moral i ty; God i s f earl ess-
ness. God i s the source of Li ght and Lifeand yet He i s above and beyond
all these. God i s consci ence. He i s even the at hei smof the athei st. . . . He
transcends speech and reason. . . . He i s a personal God to those who need
His personal presence. He i s embodi ed to those who need His touch. He i s
the purest essence. He si mpl y is to those who have fai th. He i s all thi ngs
to all men. He i s i n us and yet above and beyond us. . . . He i s l ong-suffer-
i ng. He i s pati ent but He i s al so terri bl e. . . . Wi th Hi mi gnorance i s no
excuse. And wi thal He i s ever forgi vi ng for He al ways gi ves us the chance
to repent. He i s the great est democrat the worl d knows, for He l eaves us
unfettered to make our own choi ce bet ween evi l and good. He i s the
greatest tyrant ever known, for He often dashes the cup f r omour l i ps and
under the cover of f ree will l eaves us a margi n so whol l y i nadequate as to
provi de onl y mi rth for Hi msel f . . . . Theref ore Hi ndui smcal l s i t al l His
sport. I O
To see the uni versal and al l -pervadi ng Spi ri t of Trut h face to f ace one
must be abl e to l ove the meanest of creati on as onesel f. And a man who
aspi res after that cannot afford to keep out of any fi el dof l i fe. That i s why my
devoti on to truth has dr awn me i nto the fi el d of pol i ti cs; and I can say
wi thout the sl i ghtest hesi tati on, and yet i nall humi l i ty, that those who say
that rel i gi on has nothi ng to do wi th pol i ti cs do not know what rel i gi on
means. II
I denti fi cati on wi th everythi ng that l i ves i s i mpossi bl e wi thout sel f-puri fi ca-
ti on; wi thout sel f-puri fi cati on the observance of the lawof ah&sZ must
remai n an empt y dr eam; God can never be real i zed by one who i s not pure
of heart. Sel f-puri fi cati on therefore must mean puri fi cati on i n all wal ks of
G A N D H I
life. And puri fi cati on bei ng hi ghl y i nfecti ous, puri fi cati on of onesel f
necessari l y l eads to the puri fi cati on of one s surroundi ngs. IT
But the path of sel f-puri fi cati on i s hard and steep. To attai n to perf ect
puri ty one has to become absol utel y passi on-free i n t hought , speech and
acti on ; to ri se above the opposi ng currents of l ove and hatred, attachment
and repul si on. I know that I have not i n me as yet that tri pl e puri ty, in
spi te of constant, ceasel ess stri vi ng for i t. That i s why the worl d s prai se
fai l s to move me, i ndeed i t very often sti ngs me. To conquer t he subtl e
passi ons seems to me to be f ar harder than the physi cal conquest of the worl d
by the force of ar ms.
13
I a m but a poor struggl i ng soul yearni ng to be whol l y good- whol l y truth-
ful and whol l y non- vi ol ent i nt hought , wor d and deed ; but ever fai l i ng to
r each the i deal whi ch I know tobe true. It i s a pai nful cl i mb, but the pai n of
i t i s a posi ti ve pl easure to me. Each st ep upwar d makes me feel stronger
and f i t for the next.
14
I a m endeavouri ng to see God t hrough servi ce of humani t y, for I know that
God i s nei ther i nheaven, nor down bel ow, but i nevery one.
I/
I ndeed rel i gi on shoul d pervade every one of our acti ons. Her e rel i gi on
does not mean sectari ani sm. It means a bel i ef in ordered moral govern-
ment of the uni verse. It i s not l ess real because i t i s unseen. This rel i gi on
transcends Hi ndui sm, I sl am, Chri sti ani ty, etc. It does not supersede them.
It harmoni zes t hemand gi ves t hemreal i ty. 16
Rel i gi ons ar e di fferent roads convergi ng to the same poi nt. What does i t
mat t er that we t ake di fferent roads, so l ong as we reach the same goal ?
I n real i ty, there ar e as many rel i gi ons as t here ar e i ndi vi dual s.
17
I f a man r eaches the heart of hi s own rel i gi on, he has reached the heart of
the others too. 18
So l ong as there are di fferent rel i gi ons, every one of t hemmay need some
di sti ncti ve symbol . But when the symbol i s made i nto a feti sh and an
/9
G A N D H I
i nstrument of provi ng the superi ori ty of one s rel i gi on over other s, i t i s
f i t onl y to be di scarded.
19
Af t er l ong study and experi ence, I have come to the concl usi on that
(I) all rel i gi ons are true; (2) al l rel i gi ons have some error i n t hem; (3) all
rel i gi ons are al most as dear to me as my own Hi ndui sm, i n as much as all
human bei ngs shoul d be as dear to one as one s own cl ose rel ati ves. My
own venerati on for other fai ths i s the same as that for my own fai th;
therefore no thought of conversi on i s possi bl e. 20
God has created di fferent fai ths j ust as He has the votari es thereof. Ho w can
I even secretl y harbour the t hought that my nei ghbour s fai th i s i nferi or to
mi ne and wi sh that he shoul d gi ve up his fai th and embrace mi ne ? As a
true and l oyal fri end, I can onl y wi sh and pray that he may l i ve and gr ow
perfect i nhi s own fai th. I n God s house there are many mansi ons and they
are equal l y hol y. 21
Let no one even for a moment entertai n the f ear that a reverent study
of other rel i gi ons i s l i kel y to weaken or shake one s fai th i n one s own.
The Hi ndu systemof phi l osophy regards all rel i gi ons as contai ni ng
the el ements of truth i n t hemand enj oi ns an atti tude of respect and
reverence towards t hemall. Thi s of course presupposes regard for one s
own rel i gi on. Study and appreci ati on of other rel i gi ons need not cause
a weakeni ng of that r egar d; i t shoul d mean extensi on of that regard to
other rel i gi ons. 22
It i s better to al l owour l i ves to speak for us than our words. God di d not
bear the Cross onl y 1, 900 years ago, but He bears i t today, and He di es and
i s resurrected f r omday to day. It woul d be poor comf ort to the worl d i f
i t had to depend upon a hi stori cal God who di ed 2,000 years ago. Do not
then preach the God of hi story, but show Hi mas He l i ves today t hrough
you. 23
I do not bel i eve in peopl e tel l i ng others of thei r fai th, especi al l y wi th a
vi ewto conversi on. Fai th does not admi t of tel l i ng. It has to be l i ved and
then i t becomes sel f-propagati ng. 24
60
G A N D H I
Di vi ne knowl edge i s not borrowed f rombooks. It has to be real i zed in
onesel f. Books are at best an ai d, often even a hi ndrance.
21
I bel i eve i n the f undament al truth of all great rel i gi ons of the worl d. I
bel i eve that they are al l God- gi ven, and I bel i eve that t hey wer e necessary
for the peopl e to whomt hese rel i gi ons wer e reveal ed. And I bel i eve that,
i f onl y we coul d all of us r ead the scri ptures of the di fferent fai ths f r omthe
standpoi nt of the fol l owers of those f ai ths, we shoul d fi nd that they wer e
at the bot t omal l one and wer e all hel pful to one another. 26
Bel i ef i n one God i s the corner- stone of all rel i gi ons. But I do not foresee
a t i me when there woul d be onl y one rel i gi on on eart h i npracti ce. In theory,
si nce t here i s one God, there can be onl y one rel i gi on. But i npracti ce, no
t wo persons I have known have had the same i denti cal concepti on of God.
Theref ore, t here wi l l , perhaps, al ways be di fferent rel i gi ons answeri ng to
di fferent t emperament s and cl i mati c condi ti ons.
27
I bel i eve that all the great rel i gi ons of the worl d are true mor e or l ess. I say
mor e or l ess because I bel i eve that everythi ng that the human hand touches,
by reason of the very f act that human bei ngs are i mperf ect, becomes i m-
perfect. Perfecti on i s the excl usi ve attri bute of God and i t i s i ndescri babl e,
untransl atabl e. I do bel i eve that i t i s possi bl e for every human bei ng to
become perfect even as God i s perfect. I t i s necessary for us all to aspi re
af ter perfecti on, but when that bl essed state i s attai ned, i t becomes i ndescri b-
abl e, i ndefi nabl e. And, I , therefore, admi t , i n al l humi l i ty, that even
the Vedas, the Kor an and the Bi bl e ar e i mperf ect wor d of God and,
i mperf ect bei ngs that we are, swayed to and fro by a mul ti tude of
passi ons, i t i s i mpossi bl e for us even to understand thi s wor d of God in
i ts ful l ness. 28
I do not bel i eve i n the excl usi ve di vi ni ty of the Vedas. I bel i eve the Bi bl e,
t he Kor an and the Zend Avesta, to be as much di vi nel y i nspi red as the
Vedas. My bel i ef i n the Hi ndu scri ptures does not requi re me to accept
every wor d and every verse as di vi nel y i nspi red. . . . I decl i ne to be bound
by any i nterpretati on, however l earned i t may be, if i t i s repugnant to
reason or moral sense. 29
61
G A N D H I
Templ es or mosques or churches . . . I make no di sti ncti on bet ween these
di fferent abodes of God. They are what faithhas made t hem. They are an
answer to man s cravi ng somehow to reach the Unseen.
30
The prayer has saved my l i fe. Wi t hout i t, I shoul d have been a l unati c l ong
ago. I had my share of the bi tterest publ i c and pri vate experi ences. They
t hrewme i n temporary despai r. I f I was abl e to get ri d of that despai r, i t
was because of prayer. It has not been a part of my l i fe as truth has been.
I t came out of sheer necessi ty, as I f ound mysel f i n a pl i ght wher e I coul d
not possi bl y be happy wi thout i t. And as ti me went on, my fai th i n God
i ncreased, and mor e i rresi sti bl e became the yearni ng for prayer. Lifeseemed
to be dul l and vacant wi thout i t. I had attended the Chri sti an servi ce i n
Sout h Afri ca, but i t had fai l ed to gri p me. I coul d not j oi n t hemi ni t. They
suppl i cated God, I coul d not ; I fai l ed egregi ousl y. I started wi th di sbel i ef
i n God and prayer, and unti l at a l ate st age i n life I di d not f eel anythi ng
l i ke a voi d i n life. But at that stage, I fel t that as f ood i s i ndi spensabl e for
the body, so was prayer i ndi spensabl e for the soul . I n fact f ood for the body
i s not so necessary as prayer for the soul . For starvati on i s often necessary
to keep the body i nheal th, but t here i s no such thi ng as prayer starvati on.
You cannot possi bl y have a surfei t of prayer. Thr ee of the greatest teachers
of the worl d- Buddha, J esus and Muhammad- have l eft uni mpeachabl e
testi mony, that they f ound i l l umi nati on t hrough prayer and coul d not
possi bl y l i ve wi thout i t. Mi l l i ons of Hi ndus, Mussul mans and Chri sti ans
fi nd thei r onl y sol ace i n l i fe in prayer. Ei ther you call t heml i ars or sel f-
del uded peopl e. I will say that this l yi ng has a char mfor me, a truth-seeker,
if i t i s l yi ng that has gi ven me that mai nstay or staf f of lifewi thout whi ch
I coul d not l i ve for a moment . I n spi te of despai r stari ng me i n the face on
the pol i ti cal hori zon, I have never l ost my peace. I n f act, I have f ound peopl e
who envy my peace. That peace comes f r omprayer. I a m not a man of
l earni ng, but I humbl y cl ai mto be a man of prayer. I a m i ndi fferent as to the
f orm. Everyone i s a l awunto hi msel f i n that respect. But t here ar e some
wel l mar ked roads, and i t i s saf e to wal k al ong the beaten tracks, trodden by
the anci ent teachers. I have gi ven my personal testi mony. Let every one
try and fi nd that as a resul t of dai l y prayer he adds somet hi ng new to hi s
l i fe. 3z
62
G A N D H I
Man s ul ti mate ai mi s the real i zati on of God, and all hi s acti vi ti es, pol i ti cal ,
soci al and rel i gi ous, have to be gui ded by the ul ti mate ai mof the vi si on of
God. The i mmedi at e servi ce of al l human bei ngs becomes a necessary part
of the endeavour si mpl y because the onl y way to fi nd God i s to see Hi mi n
His creati on and be one wi th i t. Thi s can onl y be done by servi ce of all.
And thi s cannot be done except t hrough one s country. I ama part and
parcel of the whol e, and I cannot fi nd Hi mapart f r omthe rest of the
humani t y. My count rymen are my nearest nei ghbours. They have become
so hel pl ess, so resourcel ess, so i nert that I must concentrate on servi ng
t hem. I f I coul d persuade mysel f that I shoul d fi nd Hi mi na Hi mal ayan cave
I woul d proceed there i mmedi at el y. But I know t hat I cannot fi nd Hi m
apar t f r omhumani ty. 3 2
It i s a tragedy that rel i gi on for us means today nothi ng mor e than restri c-
ti ons on f ood and dri nk, nothi ng mor e than adherence to a sense of supe-
ri ori ty and i nferi ori ty. Let me tel l you that there cannot be any grosser
i gnorance than thi s. Bi rth and observance of f orms cannot determi ne one s
superi ori ty and i nferi ori ty. Character i s the onl y determi ni ng factor. God
di d not create men wi th the badge of superi ori ty or i nferi ori ty ; no scri pture
whi ch l abel s a human bei ng as i nferi or or untouchabl e because of his or
her bi rth can command our al l egi ance, i t i s a deni al of God and Trut h whi ch
is God. 33
It i s my convi cti on that all the gr eat f ai ths of the worl d are true, are God-
ordai ned and that they serve the purpose of God and of those who have
been brought up in those surroundi ngs and those fai ths. I do not bel i eve
that the timewill ever come when we shal l be abl e to say there i s onl y one
rel i gi on i n the worl d. In a sense, even today there i s one f undament al rel i gi on
i nthe worl d. But there i s no such thi ng as a strai ght l i ne i n nature. Rel i gi on
is one tree wi th many branches. As branches, you may say rel i gi ons are
many, but as tree, rel i gi on i s onl y one.
34
Supposi ng a Chri sti an came to me and sai d he was capti vated by the r ead-
i ng of Bhrigavut and so want ed to decl are hi msel f a Hi ndu, I shoul d say to
hi m: No. What Bh@vat offers, the Bi bl e al so offers. You have not made
the at t empt to fi nd i t out. Make the at t empt and be a good Chri sti an. 31
G A N D H I
I do not concei ve rel i gi on as one of the many acti vi ti es of manki nd. The
same acti vi ty may be governed by the spi ri t ei ther of rel i gi on or of i rrel i -
gi on. Ther e i s no such thi ng for me therefore as l eavi ng pol i ti cs for rel i gi on.
For me every, the ti ni est, acti vi ty i s governed by what I consi der to be my
rel i gi on. 36
Ther e can be no manner of doubt that t hi s uni verse of senti ent bei ngs i s
governed by a Law. I f you can thi nk of Lawwi thout i ts Gi ver, I woul d
say that the Lawis the Law- gi ver, that i s God. When we pray to the Law
we si mpl y yearn af ter knowi ng the Lawand obeyi ng i t. We become what
we yearn after. Hence the necessi ty for prayer. Though our present l i fe i s
governed by our past, our future must by that very l aw of cause and effect
be affected by what we do now. To the extent therefore that we feel the
choi ce bet ween t wo or mor e courses we must make that choi ce.
Why evi l exi sts and what i t i s are questi ons whi ch appear to be beyond
our l i mi ted reason. I t shoul d be enough to know that both good and evi l
exi st. And as often we can di sti ngui sh between good and evi l , we must
choose the one and shun the other. 37
Those who bel i eve i n God s gui dance j ust do the best they can and never
worry. The sun has never been known to suffer f romoverstrai n and yet who
sl aves wi th such unexampl ed regul ari ty as he ! And why shoul d we thi nk that
the sun i s i nani mate? The di fference between hi mand us may be that
he has no choi ce, we have a margi n, no mat t er how precari ous i t may
be. But no mor e specul ati on of t hi s sort. Suffi ce i t for us that we
have his brilliant exampl e in the mat t er of ti rel ess energy. I f we
compl etel y surrender to His will and real l y become ciphers, we too
vol untari l y gi ve up the ri ght of choi ce and then we need no wear
and tear. j8
Yes, there are subj ects wher e reason cannot t ake us f ar and we have to
accept thi ngs on fai th. Fai th then does not contradi ct reason but transcends
i t. Fai th i s a ki nd of si xth sense whi ch wor ks incases whi ch are wi thout the
purvi ewof reason. Wel l then, gi ven these three cri teri a, I can have no
di ffi cul ty inexami ni ng all cl ai ms made on behal f of rel i gi on. Thus to bel i eve
that J esus i s the onl y begotten son of God i s to me agai nst reason, for God
Portrait of Gandhi, 1944
(Photo Keyst one)
G A N D H Z
can t mar r y and beget chi l dren. The wor d son can onl y be used ina fi gura-
ti ve sense. I n that sense everyone who stands in the posi ti on of J esus i s a
begotten son of God. I f a man i s spi ri tual l y mi l es ahead of us, we may say
that he i s in a speci al sense the son of God, t hough we are all chi l dren of
God. We repudi ate the rel ati onshi p inour l i ves, whereas his lifei s a wi tness
to that rel ati onshi p. 39
God i s not a person. . . God i s the force. He i s the essence of life. He i s
pure and undefi l ed consci ousness. He i s eternal . And yet, strangel y enough,
all are not abl e to deri ve ei ther benefi t f r omor shel ter inthe al l -pervadi ng
l i vi ng presence.
El ectri ci ty is a powerf ul force. Not all can benefi t f r omi t. It can onl y
be produced by f ol l owi ng certai n l aws. It i s a l i fel ess force. Man can utilize
i t if he l abours hard enough to acqui re the knowl edge of i ts l aws.
The l i vi ng force whi ch we cal l God can si mi l arl y be f ound if we know
and f ol l owHis l aw l eadi ng to the di scovery of Hi minus.
40
To seek God one need not go on a pi l gri mage or l i ght l amps and burn
i ncense before or anoi nt the i mage of the dei ty or pai nt i t wi th red vermi l i on.
For He resi des in our hearts. I f we coul d compl etel y obl i terate in us the
consci ousness of our physi cal body, we woul d see Hi mf ace to f ace. 41
No sear ch i s possi bl e wi thout some workabl e assumpti ons. I f we grant
nothi ng, we fi nd nothi ng. Ever si nce i ts commencement , the worl d, the
wi se and the fool i sh i ncl uded, has proceeded upon the assumpti on that if
we are, God i s, and that, if God i s not, we are not. And si nce bel i ef inGod
i s co-exi stent wi th the humanki nd, exi stence of God i s treated as a f act
mor e defi ni te than the f act that the sun i s. Thi s l i vi ng fai th has sol ved a
l arge number of puzzl es of life. It has al l evi ated our mi ser y. It sustai ns us i n
l i fe, i t i s our one sol ace indeath. The very search for Trut h becomes i nterest-
i ng and worthwhi l e, because of this bel i ef. But search for Trut h i s search
for God. Trut h i s God. God is, because Trut h is. We embar k upon the
search, because we bel i eve that there i s Trut h and that i t can be f ound by
di l i gent search and meti cul ous observance of the wel l - known and wel l -
tri ed rul es of search. Ther e i s no record in hi story of the fai l ure of such
search. Even the athei sts who have pretended to di sbel i eve in God have
G A N D H Z
bel i eved i n Trut h. The tri ck they have perf ormed i s that of gi vi ng God
another, not a new, name. His names are l egi on. Trut h i s the cr own of
t hemall.
What i s true of God i s true, t hough i na l ess degree, of the assumpti on
of the truth of some f undament al moral i ti es. As a mat t er of f act, they are
i mpl i ed i nthe bel i ef i nGod or Trut h. Depar t ur e f romthese has l anded the
truants i n endl ess mi sery. Di ffi cul ty of practi ce shoul d not be conf used
wi th di sbel i ef. A Hi mal ayan expedi ti on has al so i ts prescri bed condi ti ons
of success. Di ffi cul ty of fulfillingthe condi ti ons does not make the expedi -
ti on i mpossi bl e. It onl y adds i nterest and zest to the search. Wel l , thi s
expedi ti on i n search of God or Trut h i s i nfi ni tel y mor e than numberl ess
Hi mal ayan expedi ti ons and, therefore, much mor e i nteresti ng. I f we have
no zest for i t, i t i s because of the weakness of our fai th. What we see wi th
our physi cal eyes i s mor e real to us than the onl y Real i ty. We know that the
appearances are decepti ve. And yet we treat trivialities as realities. To see
the trivialities as such i s hal f the battl e won. I t consti tutes mor e than hal f
the search af ter Trut h or God. Unl ess we di sengage oursel ves f r omthese
tri vi al i ti es, we have not even the l ei sure for the great search, or i s i t to be
reserved for our l ei sure hours ?
42
Ther e are i nnumerabl e defi ni ti ons of God, because His mani festati ons are
i nnumerabl e. They over whel mme wi th wonder and awe and for a moment
stun me. But I worshi p God as Trut h onl y. I have not yet f ound Hi m, but I
a m seeki ng af ter Hi m. I am prepared to sacri fi ce the thi ngs dearest to me in
pursui t of thi s quest. Even if the sacri fi ce demanded be my very l i fe, I hope
I may be prepared to gi ve i t. But as l ong as I have not real i zed thi s Absol ute
Trut h, so l ong must I hol d by the rel ati ve truth as I have concei ved i t. 43
Of ten i nmy progress I have had fai nt gl i mpses of the Absol ute Trut h, God,
and dai l y the convi cti on i s growi ng upon me that He al one i s real and all
el se is unreal . Let those, who wi sh, real i ze how the convi cti on has gr own
upon me; l et t hemshar e my experi ments and shar e al so my convi cti on if
they can. The further convi cti on has been growi ng upon me that what ever
i s possi bl e for me i s possi bl e even for a chi l d, and I have sound reasons for
sayi ng so. The i nstruments for the quest of Trut h are as si mpl e as they ar e
difficult. They may appear qui te i mpossi bl e to an arrogant person, and
66
G A N D H I
qui te possi bl e to an i nnocent chi l d. The seeker af ter truth shoul d be
humbl er than the dust. 44
I f we had attai ned the full vi si on of Trut h, we woul d no l onger be mer e
seeker s, but have become one wi th God, for Trut h i s God. But bei ng onl y
seekers, we prosecute our quest, and are consci ous of our i mperf ecti on.
And if we are i mperf ect oursel ves, rel i gi on as concei ved by us must al so
be i mperf ect . We have not real i zed rel i gi on i n i ts perfecti on, even as we
have not real i zed God. Rel i gi on of our concepti on, bei ng thus i mperf ect,
i s al ways subj ect to a process of evol uti on. And if all f ai ths outl i ned by
men ar e i mperf ect , t he questi on of comparati ve meri t does not ari se. All
fai ths consti tute a revel ati on of Trut h, but all ar e i mper f ect , and l i abl e to
error. Reverence for other f ai ths need not bl i nd us to thei r faul ts. We must
be keenl y al i ve to the def ect s of our own fai th al so, yet not l eave i t on that
account, but try to over come those defects. Looki ng at all rel i gi ons wi th
an equal eye, we woul d not onl y not hesi tate, but woul d thi nk i t our duty,
to bl end i nto our fai th every acceptabl e feature of other fai ths.
Even as a tree has a si ngl e trunk, but many branchcs and l eaves, so t here
i s one true and perfect Rel i gi on, but i t becomes many, as i t passes t hrough
t he human medi um. The one Rel i gi on i s beyond all speech. I mperf ect men
put i t i nto such l anguage as they can command, and thei r wor ds ar e i nter-
pret ed by other men equal l y i mperfect. Whose i nterpretati on i s to be hel d
to be the ri ght one ? Everybody i s ri ght f r omhi s own standpoi nt, but i t i s
not possi bl e that everybody i s wr ong. Hence the necessi ty of tol erance,
whi ch does not mean i ndi fference to one s own fai th, but a mor e i ntel l i gent
and purer l ove for i t . Tol erance gi ves us spi ri tual i nsi ght, whi ch i s as f ar
f r omfanati ci smas the Nor t h Pol e f r omt he Sout h. Tr ue knowl edge of
rel i gi on br eaks down t he barri ers bet ween fai th and fai th.
4j
I bel i eve that we can all become messengers of God, i f we cease to f ear
man and seek onl y God s Truth. I do bel i eve I a m seeki ng onl y God s
Trut h and have l ost al l f ear of man. 46
I have no speci al revel ati on of God s will. My firmbel i ef i s that He reveal s
Hi msel f dai l y to every human bei ng, but we shut our ears tothe sti l l smal l
voi ce . We shut our eyes to the pi l l ar of fi re infront of us.
47
G A N D H I
I must go. . . wi th God as my onl y gui de. He i s a j eal ous Lord. He will
al l owno one to shar e His authori ty. One has, therefore, to appear before
Hi min all one s weakness, empt y- handed and in a spi ri t of full surrender,
and then He enabl es you to stand before a whol e worl d and protects you
f r omall harm. 48
I f I di d not feel the presence of God wi thi n me, I see so much of mi sery
and di sappoi ntment every day that I woul d be a ravi ng mani ac and my
desti nati on woul d be the Hooghli. 49
I n a stri ctl y sci enti fi c sense God i s at the bot t omof both good and evi l .
He di rects the assassi ns dagger no l ess than the surgeon s kni fe. But for
all that good and evi l are, for human purposes, f r omeach other di sti nct and
i ncompati bl e, bei ng symbol i cal of l i ght and darkness, God and Satan. J O
I a m surer of His exi stence than of the fact that you and I are si tti nginthi s
r oom. Then I can al so testi fy that I may livewi thout ai r and wat er but not
wi thout Hi m. You may pl uck out my eyes, but that cannot kill me. But
bl ast my bel i ef inGod, and I a m dead. You may cal l thi s a supersti ti on, but
I confess i t i s a supersti ti on that I hug, even as I used to do the name of
Rama i n my chi l dhood when t here was any cause of danger or al ar m.
That was what an ol d nurse had taught me.
JI
Not unti l we have reduced oursel ves to nothi ngness can we conquer the
evi l in us. God demands nothi ng l ess than compl ete sel f-surrender as the
pri ce for the onl y real f reedomthat i s wort h havi ng. And when a man thus
l oses hi msel f he i mmedi at el y fi nds hi msel f i n the servi ce of all that l i ves.
It becomes his del i ght and hi s recreati on. He i s a new man, never wear y of
spendi ng hi msel f in the servi ce of God s creati on.
JZ
Ther e ar e moment s inyour lifewhen you must act, even t hough you cannot
carry your best fri ends wi th you. The sti l l smal l voi ce wi thi n you must
al ways be the final arbi ter when there i s a confl i ct of duty.
13
I coul d not l i ve for a si ngl e second wi thout rel i gi on. Many of my pol i ti cal
fri ends despai r of me because they say that even my pol i ti cs are deri ved
68
G A N D H I
f romrel i gi on. And they are ri ght. My pol i ti cs and all other acti vi ti es of
mi ne ar e deri ved f r ommy rel i gi on. I go further and say that every acti vi ty
of a man of rel i gi on must be deri ved f r omhi s rel i gi on, because rel i gi on
means bei ng bound toGod, that i s to say God rul es your every breath.
For me, pol i ti cs bereft of rel i gi on are absol ute di rt, ever to be shunned.
Pol i ti cs concern nati ons and that whi ch concerns the wel fare of nati ons
must be one of the concerns of a man who i s rel i gi ousl y i ncl i ned, i n other
words, a seeker after God and Truth. For me God and Trut h are conver-
tiblet er ms, and i f anyone tol d me that God was a God of untruth or a God
of torture, I woul d decl i ne to worshi p Hi m. Theref ore, i n pol i ti cs al so we
have to establ i sh the Ki ngdomof Heaven.
JJ
I coul d not be l eadi ng a rel i gi ous life unl ess I i denti fi ed mysel f wi th the
whol e of manki nd, and that I coul d not do unl ess I t ook part i n pol i ti cs.
The whol e gamut of man s acti vi ti es today consti tutes an i ndi vi si bl e whol e.
You cannot di vi de soci al , economi c, pol i ti cal and purel y rel i gi ous wor k
i nto waterti ght compart ment s. I do not know any rel i gi on apart f r om
human acti vi ty. It provi des a moral basi s to all other acti vi ti es whi ch they
woul d otherwi se l ack, reduci ng lifeto a maze of sound and fury si gni fyi ng
nothi ng . 16
It i s fai th that steers us t hrough st ormy seas, fai th that moves mount ai ns
and fai th that j umps across the ocean. That fai th i s nothi ng but a l i vi ng,
wi de- awake consci ousness of God wi thi n. He who has achi eved that fai th
want s nothi ng. Bodi l y di seased, he i s spi ri tual l y heal thy ; physi cal l y poor,
he rolls in spi ri tual ri ches.
17
The f orms are many, but the i nf ormi ng spi ri t is one. Howcan there be r oom
for di sti ncti ons of hi gh and l ow where there i s t hi s al l - embraci ng f unda-
mental uni ty underl yi ng the out ward di versi ty ? For that i s a fact meeti ng
you at every step indai l y life. The final goal of all rel i gi ons is to real i ze thi s
essenti al oneness. j8
I n my earl y yout h I was taught to repeat what i n Hi ndu scri ptures are
known as the one t housand names of God. But t hese one t housand names
G A N D H I
of God wer e by no means exhausti ve. We bel i eve, and I thi nk i t i s the truth,
that God has as many names as t here are creatures. Theref ore, we al so say
that God i s namel ess, and si nce God has many f orms, we consi der Hi m
f orml ess, and si nce He speaks t hrough many tongues, we consi der Hi m
to be speechl ess and so on. And, so, when I came to study I sl am, I f ound
I sl amtoo had many names of God.
I woul d say wi th those who say God i s Love , God i s Love. But deep
down in me I used to say that t hough God may be Love, God i s Trut h
above al l . I f i t i s possi bl e for the human t ongue to gi ve the ful l est descri p-
ti on of God, I have come to the concl usi on that God i s Trut h. Two year s
ago I went a step further and sai d that Trut h i s God. You will see the fi ne
di sti ncti on bet ween the t wo statements, God i s Truth and Trut h i s God .
I came to that concl usi on af ter a conti nuous and rel entl ess sear ch af ter
truth whi ch began fi fty year s ago. I then f ound that the nearest approach
to truth was t hrough l ove. But I al so f ound that l ove has many meani ngs
i n the Engl i sh l anguage, and that human l ove inthe sense of passi on coul d
become a degradi ng thi ng. I f ound too that l ove i n the sense of ahi(7i-G had
onl y a l i mi ted number of votari es i n the worl d. But I never f ound a doubl e
meani ng in connexi on wi th truth and even athei sts had not demurred to
the necessi ty of power of truth. But i n thei r passi on for di scoveri ng truth,
athei sts have not hesi tated to deny the very exi stence of God- f rom thei r
own poi nt of vi ewri ghtl y. It was because of thi s reasoni ng that I saw that
rat her than say that God i s Tr ut h, I shoul d say that Trut h i s God. Add to
thi s the great di ffi cul ty, that mi l l i ons have taken the name of God and i n
I Hi s name commi t t ed namel ess atroci ti es. Not that the sci enti sts very often
do not commi t atroci ti es i nthe name of Trut h. Then there i s another thi ng
inHi ndu phi l osophy, namel y, God al one i s and nothi ng el se exi sts, and the
s ame truth you see emphasi zed and exempl i fi ed i nthe kalma of I sl am. And
t here you fi nd i t cl earl y stated that God al one is, and nothi ng el se exi sts.
In f act, the Sanskri t wor d for truth i s a wor d whi ch l i teral l y means that
whi ch exi sts, ut. For t hese and many other reasons, I have come to the
concl usi on that the defi ni ti on-Truth i s God- gi ves me the great est sati s-
facti on. And when you want to fi nd Trut h as God, the onl y i nevi tabl e means
is l ove, that i s, non- vi ol ence, and si nce I bel i eve that ul ti matel y the means
and ends are converti bl e t er ms, I shoul d not hesi tate to say that God i s
Love. j9
G A N D H 1
Fr omthe standpoi nt of pure Trut h, the body too i s a possessi on. It has
been trul y sai d that desi re for enj oyment creates bodi es for the soul . When
thi s desi re vani shes, there remai ns no further need for the body, and man
i s f ree f r omthe vi ci ous cycl e of bi rths and deaths. The soul i s omni present ;
why shoul d she care to be confi ned wi thi n the cage-l i ke body, or do evi l
and even kill for the sake of that cage ? We thus arri ve at the i deal of total
renunci ati on, and l earn to use the body for the purposes of servi ce so l ong
as i t exi sts, so much so that servi ce, and not bread, becomes wi th us the
staff of l i fe. We eat and dri nk, sl eep and wake, for servi ce al one. Such an
atti tude of mi nd bri ngs us real happi ness, and the beati fi c vi si on i n the
ful l ness of ti me. 60
What . . . i s Tr ut h? A difficult questi on; but I have sol ved i t for mysel f
by sayi ng that i t i s what the voi ce wi thi n tel l s you. Ho w then, you ask,
di fferent peopl e thi nk of di fferent and contrary truths ? Wel l , seei ng that
the human mi nd wor ks t hrough i nnumerabl e medi a and that the evol uti on
of the human mi nd i s not the same for al l , i t f ol l ows that what may be truth
for one may be untruth for another, and hence those who have made these
experi ments have come to the concl usi on that t here ar e certai n condi ti ons
to be observed in maki ng those experi ments. . . It is because we have at
the present moment everybody cl ai mi ng the ri ght of consci ence wi thout
goi ng t hrough any di sci pl i ne whatsoever that t here i s so much untruth
bei ng del i vered to a bewi l dered worl d. All that I can i n true humi l i ty
present toyou i s that Trut h i s not to be f ound by anybody who has not got
an abundant sense of humi l i ty. I f you woul d swi mon the bosomof the
ocean of Trut h you must reduce yoursel f to a zero. 61
Trut h resi des i nevery human heart, and one has tosearch for i t there, and
to be gui ded by truth as one sees i t. But no one has a ri ght to coerce others
to act accordi ng to his own vi ewof truth. 62
Li f e i s an aspi rati on. I ts mi ssi on i s to stri ve after perfecti on, whi ch is sel f -
real i zati on. The i deal must not be l owered because of our weaknesses or
i mperfecti ons. I a m pai nful l y consci ous of both i n me. The si l ent cry dai l y
goes out to Trut h to hel p me to r emove these weaknesses and i mperf ecti ons
of mi ne. 63
7 '
G A N D H I
There can be no r oomfor untruth i n my wri ti ngs, because i t i s my unshak-
abl e bel i ef that there is no rel i gi on other than truth and because I amcapabl e
of rej ecti ng aught obtai ned at the cost of truth. My wri ti ngs cannot but be f ree
f r omhatred towards any i ndi vi dual because i t is my firmbel i ef that i t i s l ove
that sustai ns the earth. Ther e onl y is life wher e t here i s l ove. Lifewi thout
l ove i s death. Love i s the reverse of the coi n of whi ch the obverse i s truth.
It i s my firmfai th. . . that we can conquer the whol e worl d by truth and
l ove. 64
I a m devoted to none but Trut h and I owe no di sci pl i ne to anybody but
Truth. 6j
Trut h is the fi rst thi ng to be sought for, and Beauty and Goodness will then
be added unto you. That i s what Chri st real l y taught inthe Ser mon on the
Mount . J esus was, to my mi nd, a supreme arti st because he s aw and expr es-
sed Tr ut h; and so was Muhammad, the Kor an bei ng the most perf ect
composi ti on i n all Arabi c l i terature-at any rate, that i s what schol ars say.
It i s because both of t hemstrove fi rst for Trut h that the grace of expressi on
natural l y came in and yet nei ther J esus nor Muhammad wrote on Art.
That i s the Truth and Beauty I crave for, l i ve for, and woul d di e for. 66
As regards God i t i s difficult to defi ne Hi m; but the defi ni ti on of truth i s
deposi ted i n every human heart. Trut h i s that whi ch you bel i eve to be true
at this moment , and that i s your God. If a man worshi ps this rel ati ve
truth, he i s sure to attai nthe Absol ute Trut h, i.e., God, i n course of time. 67
I know the path. I t i s strai ght and narrow. It i s l i ke the edge of a swor d.
I rej oi ce to wal k on i t. I weep when I slip. God s wor d i s : He who stri ves
never peri shes. I have i mpl i ci t fai th in that promi se. Though, therefore,
f r ommy weakness I fai l a thousand ti mes, I will not l ose fai th but hope
that I shal l see the Li ght when the fl esh has been brought under perf ect
subj ecti on, as some day i t must. 68
I a m but a seeker after Truth. I cl ai mto have f ound a way to i t. I cl ai mto
be maki ng a ceasel ess effort to fi nd i t. But I admi t that I have not yet f ound
it. To fi nd Trut h compl etel y is to real i ze onesel f and one s desti ny, i.e., to
7
G A N D H I
become perfect. I am pai nful l y consci ous of my i mperf ecti ons, and therei n
l i es all the strength I possess, because i t i s a rare thi ng for a man to know
hi s own l i mi tati ons. 69
I a m i n the worl d feel i ng my way to l i ght ami d the enci rcl i ng gl oom .
I often err and mi scal cul ate. . . . My trust i s sol el y i nGod. And I trust men
onl y because I trust God. I f I had no God to rel y upon, I shoul d be, l i ke
Ti mon, a hater of my speci es.
70
I amnot a statesman in the gar b of a sai nt. But si nce Trut h i s the hi ghest
wi sdom, somet i mes my acts appear to be consi stent wi th the hi ghest
statesmanshi p. But , I hope I have no pol i cy inme save the pol i cy of Trut h
and ahipsz. I will not sacri fi ce Trut h and ahips2 even for the del i verance of
my country or rel i gi on. That i s as much as to say that nei ther can be so
del i vered. 71
It seems to me that I understand the i deal of truth better than that of
uhipsz, and my experi ence tel l s me that i f I l et go my hol d of truth, I shal l
never be abl e to sol ve the ri ddl e of ahiysz.. . . I n other words, perhaps, I
have not the courage to f ol l owthe strai ght course. Bot h at bot t ommean
one and the same thi ng, for doubt i s i nvari abl y the resul t of want or
weakness of fai th. Lord, gi ve me fai th i s, therefore, my prayer day and
ni ght. 72
I n the mi dst of humi l i ati on and so-cal l ed def eat and a t empest uous l i fe,
I amabl e to retai n my peace, because of an underl yi ng fai th i n God, trans-
l ated as Trut h. We can descri be God as mi l l i ons of thi ngs, but I have for
mysel f adopted the f ormul a- Truth is God.
73
I cl ai mto have no i nfal l i bl e gui dance or i nspi rati on. So f ar as my expe-
ri ence goes, the cl ai mtoinfallibility on the part of a human bei ng woul d be
untenabl e, seei ng that i nspi rati on too can come onl y to one who i s f ree
f r omthe acti on of opposi tes, and i t will be difficult to j udge on a gi ven
occasi on whether the cl ai mto f reedomf r ompai rs of opposi tes i s j usti fi ed.
The cl ai mto infallibility woul d thus al ways be a most dangerous cl ai mto
make. This, however, does not l eave us wi thout any gui dance whatsoever.
73
G A N D H 1
The sum- total of the experi ence of the sages of the worl d i s avai l abl e to
us and woul d be for al l t i me to come. Moreover, t here ar e not many
f undament al truths, but t here i s onl y one f undament al truth whi ch is Trut h
i tsel f, otherwi se known as Non- vi ol ence. Fi ni te human bei ngs shal l never
know i n i ts ful l ness Trut h and Love whi ch i s i n i tsel f i nfi ni te. But we do
know enough for our gui dance. We shal l err, and somet i mes gri evousl y,
in our appl i cati on. But man i s a sel f - governi ng bei ng, and sel f - government
necessari l y i ncl udes the power as much to commi t errors as to set themri ght
as often as they are made.
74
I may be a despi cabl e person, but when Trut h speaks t hrough me I am
i nvi nci bl e. 7j
I have i n my life never been gui l ty of sayi ng thi ngs I di d not mean- my
nature i s to go strai ght to the heart and if often I fai l i n doi ng so for the
t i me bei ng, I know that Trut h will ul ti matel y make i tsel f heard and fel t, as
i t has often done inmy experi ence.
76
I a m a humbl e but very earnest seeker after Trut h. And i n my search, I t ake
all f el l ow- seekers i nuttermost conf i dence so that I may know my mi st akes
and correct t hem. I confess that I have often erred i n my est i mat es and
j udgement s. . . . And i nasmuch as i n every case I retraced my st eps, no
permanent har mwas done. O n the contrary, the f undament al truth of non-
vi ol ence has been made i nfi ni tel y mor e mani fest than i t ever has been, and
the country has in no way been permanentl y i nj ured.
77
I see and fi nd beauty i n Trut h or t hrough Trut h. All Trut h, not merel y
true i deas, but truthful faces, truthful pi ctures or songs ar e hi ghl y beauti ful .
Peopl e general l y fai l to see beauty i n Trut h, the ordi nary man runs away
f r omand becomes bl i nd to the beauty i n i t. Whenever men begi n to see
beauty in Trut h, then true art will ari se.
78
To a true arti st onl y that face i s beauti ful whi ch, qui t e apar t f r omi t s exteri or,
shi nes wi th the truth wi thi n the soul . There i s. . . no beauty apart f rom
Truth. O n the other hand, Trut h may mani fest i tsel f in f orms whi ch may
not be outwardl y beauti ful at all. Socrates, we are tol d, was the most
74
G A N D H r
truthful man of his ti me, and yet hi s features are sai d to have been the
ugl i est i n Greece. To my mi nd he was beauti ful because all hi s life was a
stri vi ng after Trut h, and you may r emember that t hi s out ward f or mdi d not
prevent Phi di as f r omappreci ati ng the beauty of Trut h i n hi m, t hough as
an arti st he was accust omed to see beauty i n out ward f orms al so.
79
But i t i s i mpossi bl e for us to real i ze perfect Trut h so l ong as we are i m-
pri soned in this mortal f r ame. We can onl y vi sual i ze i t i n our i magi nati on.
We cannot, t hrough the i nstrumental i ty of this ephemer al body, see face to
face Trut h whi ch i s eternal . That i s why i n the l ast resort one must depend
on fai th. 80
I l ay cl ai mto nothi ng excl usi vel y di vi ne i nme. I do not cl ai mprophetshi p.
I a m but a humbl e seeker af ter Trut h and bent upon fi ndi ng i t. I count no
sacri fi ce too great for the sake of seei ng God face to face. The whol e of my
acti vi ty whether i t may be cal l ed soci al , pol i ti cal , humani tari an or ethi cal
i s di rected to that end. And as I know that God i s f ound mor e often i nthe
l owl i est of His creatures than i n the hi gh and mi ghty, I a m struggl i ng to
reach the status of these. I cannot do so wi thout thei r servi ce. Hence my
passi on for the servi ce of the suppressed cl asses. And as I cannot render
thi s servi ce wi thout enteri ng pol i ti cs, I fi nd mysel f i n t hem. Thus I amno
mast er , I ambut a struggl i ng, erri ng, humbl e servant of I ndi a and, t here-
t hrough, of humani t y. 81
Ther e i s no rel i gi on hi gher than Trut h and Ri ghteousness. 82
Tr ue rel i gi on and true moral i ty ar e i nseparabl y bound up wi th each other.
Rel i gi on i s tomoral i ty what wat er i s to the seed that i s sown i nthe soil. 83
I rej ect any rel i gi ous doctri ne that does not appeal to reason and i s in
confl i ct wi th moral i ty. I tol erate unreasonabl e rel i gi ous senti ment when i t
i s not i mmoral . 8q
As soon as we l ose the moral basi s, we cease to be rel i gi ous. There is no
such thi ng as rel i gi on overri di ng moral i ty. Man for i nstance cannot be
untruthful , cruel and i nconti nent and cl ai mto have God on hi s si de. 81
71
G A N D H I
Our desi res and moti ves may be di vi ded i nto t wo cl asses-sel fi sh and
unsel fi sh. All selfish desi res are i mmoral , whi l e the desi re to i mpr ove
oursel ves for the sake of doi ng good to others i s trul y moral . The hi ghest
moral l aw i s that we shoul d unremi tti ngl y wor k for the good of man-
ki nd. 86
I f any acti on of mi ne cl ai med to be spi ri tual i s proved to be unpracti cabl e
i t must be pronounced to be a fai l ure. I do bel i eve that the most spi ri tual
act i s the most practi cal i nthe true sense of the t er m.
87
Scri ptures cannot transcend reason and truth. They are i ntended to puri fy
reason and i l l umi nate truth. 88
Error can cl ai mno exempt i on even if i t can be supported by the scri ptures
of the worl d. 89
An error does not become truth by reason of mul ti pl i ed propagati on, nor
does truth become error because nobody sees it.
9 0
I do not hol d that everythi ng anci ent i s good because i t i s anci ent. I do not
advocate surrender of God- gi ven reasoni ng facul ty in the face of anci ent
tradi ti on. Any tradi ti on, however anci ent, if i nconsi stent wi th moral i ty,
i s f i t to be bani shed f r omthe l and. Untouchabi l i ty may be consi dered tobe
an anci ent tradi ti on, the i nsti tuti on of chi l d wi dowhood and chi l d mar r i age
may be consi dered to be an anci ent tradi ti on, and even so many an anci ent
horri bl e bel i ef and supersti ti ous practi ce, I woul d sweep t hemout of
exi stence i f I had the power.
91
I do not di sbel i eve i n i dol worshi p. An i dol does not exci te any feel i ng of
venerati on in me. But I thi nk that i dol worshi p i s part of human nature.
We hanker af ter symbol i sm. 92
I do not forbi d the use of i mages i nprayer. I onl y pref er the worshi p of the
Forml ess. Thi s preference i s perhaps i mproper. One thi ng sui ts one man;
another thi ng will sui t another man, and no compari son can fai rl y be made
bet ween the t wo. 93
G A N D H I
I have come tofeel that l i ke human bei ngs words have thei r evol uti on f rom
st age to st age i n the contents they hol d. For i nstance the contents of the
ri chest word- God- are not the same to every one of us. They will vary
wi th the experi ence of each.
94
I see nei ther contradi cti on nor i nsani ty i n my l i fe. I t i s true that as a man
cannot see his back, so can he not see hi s errors or i nsani ty. But the sages
have often l i kened a man of rel i gi on to a l unati c. I therefore hug the bel i ef
that I may not be i nsane and may be trul y rel i gi ous. Whi ch of the t wo I am
intruth can onl y be deci ded af ter my death.
9j
Whenever I see an erri ng man, I say to mysel f I have al so erred ; when I see
a l ustful man I say to mysel f, so was I once; and i n thi s way I feel ki nshi p
wi th every one i n the worl d and feel that I cannot be happy wi thout the
humbl est of us bei ng happy.
96
I shal l have to answer my God and my Maker if I gi ve anyone l ess than hi s
due, but I amsure that He will bl ess me i f He knows that I gave one mor e
than hi s due. 97
Mi ne i s a l i fe full of j oy i n the mi dst of i ncessant wor k. I n not want i ng to
thi nk of what t omor r owwill bri ng for me I f eel as f ree as a bi rd. . . . The
thought that I a m ceasel essl y and honestl y struggl i ng agai nst the requi re-
ment s of t he fl esh sustai ns me.
98
I amtco consci ous of t he i mperf ecti ons of the speci es to whi ch I bel ong to
be i rri tated agai nst any member thereof. My r emedy i s to deal wi th the
wr ong wherever I see i t , not to hurt the wr ong- doer , even as I woul d not
l i ke to be hurt for the wr ongs I conti nual l y do.
99
I remai n an opti mi st, not that t here i s any evi dence that I can gi ve that ri ght
i s goi ng to prosper, but because of my unfl i nchi ng fai th that ri ght must
prosper i n the end. . . . Our i nspi rati on can come onl y f r omour fai th that
ri ght must ul ti matel y prevai l . r oo
77
G A N D H I
Ther e are limits to the capaci ty of an i ndi vi dual , and the moment he fl atters
hi msel f that he can undertake all tasks, God i s there to humbl e hi s pri de.
For mysel f, I a m gi fted wi th enough humi l i ty to l ook even to babes and
suckl i ngs for hel p. ZOI
A drop in the ocean part akes of the greatness of i ts parent al though i t i s
unconsci ous of it. But i t i s dri ed up as soon as i t enters upon an exi stence
i ndependent of the ocean. We do not exaggerate when we say that l i fe i s a
mer e bubbl e. 102
I a m an i rrepressi bl e opti mi st, because I bel i eve inmysel f. That sounds very
arrogant, doesn t i t ? But I say i t f r omthe depths of my humi l i ty. I bel i eve
inthe supreme power of God. I bel i eve in Truth and, therefore, I have no
doubt inthe future of this country or the future of humani ty.
I 03
Mi ne i s not a rel i gi on of the pri son- house. It has r oomfor the l east among
God s creati on. But i t i s proof agai nst i nsol ence, pri de of race, rel i gi on or
col our. 104
I do not share the bel i ef that there can or will be on eart h one rel i gi on. I a m
stri vi ng, therefore, to fi nd a common factor and to i nduce mutual tol erance.
I O J
I hol d that a life of perf ect conti nence in thought, speech and acti on i s
necessary for reachi ng spi ri tual perfecti on. And a nati on that does not
possess such men i s poorer for the want. 106
A si nner i s equal to the sai nt inthe eye of God. Bot h will have equal j usti ce,
and both an equal opportuni ty ei ther to go f orward or to go backwar d.
Bot h are Hi s chi l dren, His creati on. A sai nt who consi ders hi msel f superi or
to a si nner forfei ts hi s sai nthood and becomes worse than the si nner, who,
unl i ke t he proud sai nt, knows not what he i s doi ng.
107
W e often conf use spi ri tual knowl edge wi th spi ri tual attai nment. Spi ri tual i ty
i s not a mat t er of knowi ng scri ptures and engagi ng in phi l osophi cal
di scussi ons. It i s a mat t er of heart cul ture, of unmeasurabl e strength.
7?
G A N D H I
Fearl essness i s the fi rst requi si te of spi ri tual i ty. Cowar ds can never be
moral . I 08
Man shoul d earnestl y desi re the wel l -bei ng of all God s creati on and pray
that he mi ght have the strength to do so. I n desi ri ng the wel l - bei ng of all
l i es hi s own wel f ar e ; he who desi res onl y hi s own or his communi t y s wel -
fare i s selfishand i t can never be well wi th hi m. . . . I t i s essenti al for man to
di scri mi nate bet ween what he may consi der to be good and what i s real l y
good for hi m. io9
I bel i eve inthe absol ute oneness of God and, therefore, of humani t y. What
t hough we have many bodi es ? We have but one soul . The rays of the sun
are many through refracti on. But they have the same source. I cannot,
therefore, detach mysel f f r omthe wi ckedest soul nor may I be deni ed
i denti ty wi th the most vi rtuous. IZO
I f I wer e a di ctator, rel i gi on and State woul d be separate. I swear by my
rel i gi on. I will di e for it. But i t i s my personal affair. The State has nothi ng
todo wi th it. The State woul d l ook after secul ar wel fare, heal th, communi ca-
ti ons, forei gn rel ati ons, currency and so on, but not your or my rel i gi on.
That i s everybody s personal concern. zzz
I amsurrounded by exaggerati on and untruth. I n spi te of my best efforts to
fi ndi t, I do not know wher e Trut h l i es. But i t seems tome that I have come
nearer to God and Trut h. It has cost me ol d fri endshi ps but I am not sorry
for i t. To me i t i s a si gn of my havi ng come nearer to God that I can wri te
and speak to everybody pl ai nl y and f earl essl y about the del i cate i ssue in
the teeth of the fi ercest opposi ti on, practi se i n full the el even vows whi ch
I have professed, wi thout the sl i ghtest feel i ng of perturbati on or unrest.
Si xty years of stri vi ng have at l ast enabl ed me to real i ze the i deal of truth
and puri ty whi ch I have ever set before mysel f . ZIZ
All that we know i s that one shoul d do one s duty and l eave the resul ts in
the hands of God. Man i s supposed to be mast er of his own desti ny, but i t i s
onl y partl y true. He can make his own desti ny onl y inso f ar as he i s al l owed by
the Gr eat Power whi ch overri des all our i ntenti ons, all our pl ans and carri es
79
G A N D H I
out His own pl ans. I cal l that Power not by the name of Al l ah, Khuda or
God but Trut h. The whol e truth is embodi ed onl y wi thi n the heart of that
Gr eat Power- Trut h. r r j
I know of no great er si n than to oppress the i nnocent in the name of
God. rig
When I t hnk of my l i ttl eness and my l i mi tati ons on the one hand and of the
expectati ons rai sed about me on the other, I become dazed for t he moment ,
but I come to mysel f as soon as I real i ze that t hese expectati ons are a tri bute
not to me, a curi ous mi xture of J ekyl l and Hyde, but to the i ncarnati on,
however i mperf ect but comparati vel y great i n me, of the t wo pri cel ess
qual i ti es of truth and non- vi ol ence.
r r ~
Ther e i s nothi ng on earth that I woul d not gi ve up for the sake of the
country excepti ng of course t wo thi ngs and t wo onl y, namel y, truth and
non- vi ol ence. I woul d not sacri fi ce t hese t wo for al l the worl d. For to me
Tr ut h i s God and t here i s no way to fi nd Trut h except the way of non-
vi ol ence. I do not seek to serve I ndi a at the sacri fi ce of Trut h or God. For
I know that a man who forsakes Trut h can forsake his country, and hi s
nearest and dearest ones. rr6
80
Informal talk between Gandhi and some of his friends
(Henri Cartier-Bresson, Magnum)
CHAPTER I11
M E A N S A N D ENDS
Means and end are convertible terms in my philosophy of life. z
They say means are after all means. I would say means are after all every-
thing. As the means so the end. There is no wall of separation between
means and end. Indeed the Creator has given us control (and that too very
limited) over means, none over the end. Realization of the goal is in exact
proportion to that of the means. This is a proposition that admits of no
exception. 2
AhiyJa and Truth are so intertwined that it is practically impossible to
disentangle and separate them. They are like the two sides of a coin, or
rather a smooth unstamped metallic disc. W h o can say, which is the obverse,
and which the reverse ? Nevertheless, uhiysz is the means ; Truth is the end.
Means to be means must always be within our reach, and so ahiysz is our
supreme duty. If we take care of the means, we are bound to reach the end
sooner or later. When once we have grasped this point final victory is beyond
question. Whatever difficulties we encounter, whatever apparent reverses
we sustain, we may not give up the quest for Truth which alone is, being
God Himself. 3
I do not believe in short-violent-cuts to success. . . . However much I may
sympathize with and admire worthy motives, I am an uncompromising oppo-
nent of violent methods even to serve the noblest of causes. There is, there-
fore, really no meeting-ground between the school of violence and myself.
81
G A N D H Z
But my creed of non- vi ol ence not onl y does not precl ude me but compel s
me even to associ ate wi th anarchi sts and all those who bel i eve in vi ol ence.
But that associ ati on i s al ways wi th the sole obj ect of weani ng t hemf r om
what appear s to me thei r error. For experi ence convi nces me that permanent
good can never be the out come of untruth and vi ol ence. Even if my bel i ef
i s a f ond del usi on, i t will be admi tted that i t i s a fasci nati ng del usi on.
4
Your bel i ef that there i s no connexi on bet ween the means and the end i s a
great mi stake. Thr ough that mi stake even men who have been consi dered
rel i gi ous have commi t t ed gri evous cr i mes. Your reasoni ng i s the same as
sayi ng that we can get a rose through pl anti ng a noxi ous weed. I f I want to
cross the ocean, I can do so onl y by means of a vessel ; if I wer e to use a
cart for that purpose, both the cart and I woul d soon fi nd the bot t om. As
i s the God, so i s the votary i s a maxi mwort h consi deri ng. I ts meani ng has
been di storted and men have gone astray. The means may be l i kened to a
seed, the end to a t ree; and there i s j ust the same i nvi ol abl e connexi on be-
t ween the means and the end as there i s bet ween the seed and the tree. I am
not l i kel y to obtai n the resul t f l owi ng f romthe worshi p of God by l ayi ng
mysel f prostrate before Satan. I f, therefore, anyone wer e to say : I want to
worshi p God; i t does not mat t er that I do so by means of Satan , i t woul d
be set down as i gnorant fol l y. We r eap exactl y as we sow.
1
Soci al i smis a beauti ful wor d and, so f ar as I am aware, in soci al i small the
member s of soci ety ar e equal - none l ow, none hi gh. I n the i ndi vi dual body,
the head i s not hi gh because i t i s the top of the body, nor are the sol es of the
f eet low because they touch the earth. Even as member s of the i ndi vi dual
body are equal , so ar e the member s of soci ety. Thi s i s soci al i sm.
In i t the pri nce and the peasant, the weal thy and the poor, the empl oyer
and the empl oyee are all on the same l evel . In t er ms of rel i gi on, there i s no
dual i ty i n soci al i sm. It i s all uni ty. Looki ng at soci ety al l the worl d over,
t here i s nothi ng but dual i ty or pl ural i ty. Uni ty i s conspi cuous by i ts absence.
. . . In the uni ty of my concepti on there i s perfect uni ty in the pl ural i ty of
desi gns.
In order to reach thi s state, we may not l ook on thi ngs phi l osophi cal l y
and say that we need not make a move unti l all are converted to soci al i sm.
Wi t hout changi ng our lifewe may go on gi vi ng addresses, f ormi ng parti es
82
G A N D H I
and hawk- l i ke sei ze the game when i t comes our way. Thi s i s no soci al i sm.
The mor e we treat i t as game to be sei zed, the f arther i t must recede f r omus.
Soci al i smbegi ns wi th the fi rst convert. I f there i s one such you can
add zeros to the one and the fi rst zero will account for ten and every addi -
ti on will account for ten t i mes the previ ous number . If, however , the begi n-
ner i s a zero, in other words, no one makes the begi nni ng, mul ti pl i ci ty of
zeros will al so produce zero val ue. Ti me and paper occupi ed in wri ti ng
zeros will be so much wast e.
Thi s soci al i smi s as pure as crystal . It, therefore, requi res crystal -l i ke
means toachi eve it. I mpur e means resul t inan i mpure end. Hence the pri nce
and the peasant will not be equal l ed by cutti ng off the pri nce s head, nor
can the process of cutti ng off equal i ze the empl oyer and the empl oyed. One
cannot reach truth by untruthful ness. Truthf ul conduct al one can reach
truth. Are not non- vi ol ence and truth twi ns ? The answer i s an emphat i c
No . Non- vi ol ence i s embedded i n truth and vi ce versa. Hence has i t been
sai d that they are f aces of the same coi n. Ei ther i s i nseparabl e f r omthe other.
Read the coi n ei ther way- the spel l i ng of wor ds will be di fferent ; the val ue
i s the same. Thi s bl essed state i s unattai nabl e wi thout perf ect puri ty. Har -
bour i mpuri ty of mi nd or body and you have untruth and vi ol ence inyou.
Theref ore onl y truthful , non- vi ol ent and pure- hearted soci al i sts will be
abl e to establ i sh a soci al i sti c soci ety inI ndi a and the worl d. 6
The spi ri tual weapon of sel f-puri fi cati on, i ntangi bl e as i t seems, i s the most
potent means of revol uti oni zi ng one s envi ronment and l ooseni ng external
shackl es. It wor ks subtl y and i nvi si bl y; i t i s an i ntense process t hough i t
mi ght often seema wear y and l ong- dr awn process, i t i s the strai ghtest way
to l i berati on, the surest and qui ckest and no effort can be too great for i t.
What i t requi res i s fai th-an unshakabl e mountai n- l i ke fai th that fl i nches f r om
nothi ng. 7
I a m mor e concerned inpreventi ng the brutal i zati on of human nature than
in the preventi on of the sufferi ngs of my own peopl e. I know that peopl e
who vol untari l y undergo a course of sufferi ng rai se themsel ves and the
whol e of humani t y; but I al so know that peopl e who become brutal i zed
in thei r desper at e efforts to get vi ctory over thei r opponent s or to expl oi t
weaker nati ons or weaker men, not onl y drag down themsel ves but manki nd
G A N D H I
al so. And i t cannot be a mat t er of pl easure to me or anyone el se to see human
nature dr agged to the mi r e. I f we are al l sons of the s ame God and part ake
of the s ame di vi ne essence, we must partake of t he sin of every person
whet her he bel ongs to us or to another race. You can understand how repug-
nant i t must be to i nvoke the beast i n any human bei ng, how much mor e
so i n Engl i shmen, among whomI count numer ous fri ends. 8
The met hod of passi ve resi stance i s the cl earest and saf est, because, if the
cause i s not true, i t i s the resi sters, and they al one, who suffer.
9
CHAPTER IV
AHI MSA OR T HE W A Y
OF NON- VI OL ENCE
Non- vi ol ence i s the greatest force at the di sposal of manki nd. It is mi ghti er
than the mi ghti est weapon of destructi on devi sed by the i ngenui ty of man.
Destructi on i s not the lawof the humans. Man l i ves f reel y by his readi ness
to di e, if need be, at the hands of his brother, never by ki hng hi m. Every
murder or other i nj ury, no mat t er for what cause, commi t t ed or i nfl i cted
on another i s a cri me agai nst humani t y. I
The f i rst condi ti on of non- vi ol ence i s j usti ce all round i n every department
of life. Perhaps, i t i s too much to expect of human nature. I do not, however ,
thi nk so. No one shoul d dogmati ze about the capaci ty of human nature for
degradati on or exal tati on. z
J ust as one must l earn the art of ki l l i nginthe trai ni ng for vi ol ence, so one
must l earn the art of dyi ng inthe trai ni ng for non- vi ol ence. Vi ol ence does
not mean emanci pati on f r omfear, but di scoveri ng the means of combat i ng
the cause of fear. Non- vi ol ence, on the other hand, has no cause for fear.
The votary of non- vi ol ence has to cul ti vate the capaci ty for sacri fi ce of the
hi ghest type in order to be f ree f romfear. He recks not i f he shoul d l ose
hi s l and, hi s weal th, his life. He who has not over come all f ear cannot
practi se uhimsz to perfecti on. The votary of uhims,? has onl y one fear, that
i s of God. He who seeks ref uge i n God ought to have a gl i mpse of the
Atma that transcends the body; and the moment one has a gl i mpse of the
i mperi shabl e Afma one sheds the l ove of the peri shabl e body. Trai ni ng
in non- vi ol ence i s thus di ametri cal l y opposed ' to trai ni ng i n vi ol ence.
G A N D H I
Vi ol ence i s needed for the protecti on of thi ngs external , non- vi ol ence i s
needed for the protecti on of the Atma, for the protecti on of one s honour. 3
I t i s no non- vi ol ence if we merel y l ove those that l ove us. It i s non- vi ol ence
onl y when we l ove those that hate us. I know how difficult i t i s to f ol l ow
t hi s grand l aw of l ove. But are not all great and good thi ngs difficult todo ?
Love of the hat er i s the most difficult of al l . But by the grace of God even
this most difficult thi ng becomes easy to accompl i sh if we want to do i t. 4
I have f ound that lifepersi sts inthe mi dst of destructi on and therefore there
must be a hi gher lawthan that of destructi on. Onl y under that l aw woul d
a wel l -ordered soci ety be i ntel l i gi bl e and l i fe wort h l i vi ng. And if that i s
the l awof l i fe, we have to wor k i t out indai l y life. Whenever there are j ars,
wherever you are conf ronted wi th an opponent conquer himwi th l ove. I n
this crude manner I have wor ked i t out i n my life. That does not mean that
all my difficulties are sol ved. Onl y I have f ound that thi s l awof l ove has
answered as the l aw of destructi on has never done.
It i s not that I am i ncapabl e of anger, for i nstance, but I succeed on
al most all occasi ons to keep my feel i ngs under control . What ever may be
the resul t, there i s al ways i n me consci ous struggl e for f ol l owi ng the l aw
of non- vi ol ence del i beratel y and ceasel essl y. Such a struggl e l eaves one
stronger for i t. The mor e I wor k at t l us l aw, the mor e I feel the del i ght in
my life, the del i ght i n the scheme of the uni verse. I t gi ves me a peace and
a meani ng of the myst er i es of nature that I have no power to descri be. J
I saw that nati ons l i ke i ndi vi dual s coul d onl y be made through the agony
of the Cross and i n no other way. J oy comes not out of i nfl i cti on of pai n
on others but out of pai n vol untari l y borne by onesel f. 6
I f we turn our eyes to the timeof whi ch hi story has any record down to
our own t i me, we shal l fi nd that man has been steadi l y progressi ng towards
ahiqz.rZ. Our remot e ancestors wer e canni bal s. Then came a timewhen they
wer e fed up wi th canni bal i smand they began to l i ve on chase. Next came a
st age when man was ashamed of l eadi ng the l i fe of a wanderi ng hunter. He
therefore took to agri cul ture and depended pri nci pal l y on mot her earth for
his f ood. Thus f r ombei ng a nomad he settl ed down to ci vi l i zed stabl e life,
86
G A N D H I
f ounded vi l l ages and t owns, and f rommember of a fami l y he became
member of a communi t y and a nati on. All these are si gns of progressi ve
ahiF.6 and di mi ni shi ng h i ~ G . Had i t been otherwi se, the human speci es
shoul d have been exti nct by now, even as many of the l ower speci es have
di sappear ed.
Prophets and avatLirs have al so taught the l esson of ahiFsl more or l ess.
Not one of t hemhas professed to teach hi~n~Li. And how shoul d i t be other-
wi se ? Hi~isLi does not need to be taught. Man as ani mal i s vi ol ent, but as
Spi ri t i s non- vi ol ent. The moment he awakes to the Spi ri t wi thi n, he cannot
remai n vi ol ent. Ei ther he progresses t owards ahip~Li or rushes to hi s doom.
That i s why the prophets and auatin have taught the l esson of truth,
har mony, brotherhood, j usti ce, etc.-all attri butes of ahic.rLi.
7
I cl ai mthat even now, t hough the soci al structure i s not based on a consci ous
acceptance of non- vi ol ence, all the worl d over manki nd l i ves and men retai n
thei r possessi ons on the sufferance of one another. I f they had not done so,
onl y the f ewest and the most feroci ous woul d have survi ved. But such i s not
the case. Fami l i es are bound together by ti es of l ove, and so ar e groups i n
the so-cal l ed ci vi l i zed soci ety cal l ed nati ons. Onl y they do not recogni ze the
supremacy of the lawof non- vi ol ence. It f ol l ows, therefore, that they have
not i nvesti gated i ts vast possi bi l i ti es. Hi therto, out of sheer i nerti a, shal l I
say, we have taken i t for granted that compl et e non- vi ol ence i s possi bl e onl y
for the f ew who take the vow of non- possessi on and the alliedabsti nences.
Whi l st i t i s true that the votari es al one can carry on research wor k and de-
cl are f r omt i me to t i me the new possi bi l i ti es of the great eternal l aw govern-
i ng man, i f i t i s a l aw, i t must hol d good for al l . The many fai l ures we see
are not of the l aw but of the fol l owers, many of whomdo not even know
that they are under that lawwi l l y-ni l l y. When a mot her di es for her chi l d
she unknowi ngl y obeys the l aw. I have been pl eadi ng for the past fifty
years for a consci ous acceptance of the lawand i ts zeal ous practi ce even i n
the face of fai l ures. Fi fty years wor k has shown marvel l ous resul ts and
strengthened my fai th. I do cl ai mthat by constant practi ce we shal l come to
a state of thi ngs when l awful possessi on will commend uni versal and vol un-
tary respect. No doubt such possessi on will not be tai nted. It will not be
an i nsol ent demonstrati on of the i nequal i ti es that surround us everywhere.
Nor need the probl emof unj ust and unl awf ul possessi on appal the votary
87
G A N D H I
of non- vi ol ence. He has at hi s di sposal the non- vi ol ent weapon of Sat_vrigruha
and non- co- operat i on whi ch hi therto has been f ound to be a compl ete
substi tute of vi ol ence whenever i t has been appl i ed honestl y i n suffi ci ent
measure. I have never cl ai med to present the compl et e sci ence of non-
vi ol ence. I t does not l end i tsel f to such treatment. So f ar as J know, no
si ngl e physi cal sci ence does, not even the very exact sci ence of mathemati cs.
I a m but a seeker. 8
I n the appl i cati on of SutyZgraha, I di scovered i n the earl i est st ages that
pursui t of truth di d not admi t of vi ol ence bei ng i nfl i ctedon one s opponent
but that he must be weaned f r omerror by pati ence and sympat hy. For,
what appear s to be truth to the one may appear to be error to another.
And pati ence means sel f-sufferi ng. So the doctri ne came to mean vi ndi -
cati on of truth, not by i nfl i cti on of sufferi ng on the opponent , but on
one s self. 9
I n this age of wonders no one will say that a thi ng or i dea i s worthl ess be-
cause i t i s new. To say i t i s i mpossi bl e because i t i s di ffi cul t, i s agai n not i n
consonance wi th the spi ri t of the age. Thi ngs undreamt of are dai l y bei ng
seen, the i mpossi bl e i s ever becomi ng possi bl e. We ar e constantl y bei ng
astoni shed these days at the amazi ng di scoveri es i nthe fi el dof vi ol ence. But
I mai ntai n that f ar mor e undreamt of and seemi ngl y i mpossi bl e di scoveri es
will be made i n the fi el d of non- vi ol ence. I O
Man and his deed are t wo di sti nct thi ngs. It i s qui te proper to resi st and
attack a system, but to resi st and attack i ts author i s t ant amount to resi sti ng
and attacki ng onesel f. For we are all t arred wi th the same brush, and are
chi l dren of one and the same Creator, and as such the di vi ne powers wi thi n
us ar e i nfi ni te. To sl i ght a si ngl e human bei ng i s to sl i ght those di vi ne pow-
ers, and thus to har mnot onl y that bei ng but wi th hi mthe whol e worl d. II
Non- vi ol ence i s a uni versal pri nci pl e and i ts operati on i s not l i mi ted by a
hosti l e envi ronment . I ndeed, i ts effi cacy can be tested onl y when i t acts i n
the mi dst of and inspi te of opposi ti on. Our non- vi ol ence woul d be a hol l ow
thi ng and nothi ng wort h, if i t depended for i ts success on the goodwi l l of
the authori ti es. 12
88
G A N D H I
The onl y condi ti on of a successful use of thi s force i s a recogni ti on of the
exi stence of the soul as apart f romthe body and i ts permanent nature. And
thi s recogni ti on must amount to a l i vi ng fai th and not mer e i ntel l ectual
grasp. 13
Some fri ends have tol d me that truth and non- vi ol ence have no pl ace i n
pol i ti cs and worl dl y affai rs. I do not agree. I have no use for t hemas a
means of i ndi vi dual sal vati on. Thei r i ntroducti on and appl i cati on inevery-
day l i fe has been my experi ment all al ong.
14
No man coul d be acti vel y non- vi ol ent and not ri se agai nst soci al i nj usti ce
no mat t er wher e i t occurred.
rj
Passi ve resi stance i s a met hod of securi ng ri ghts by personal sufferi ng ; i t i s
the reverse of resi stance by ar ms. When I refuse to do a thi ng that i s repug-
nant to my consci ence, I use soul -force. For i nstance, the government of
the day has passed a l aw whi ch i s appl i cabl e to me. I do not l i ke i t. I f by
usi ng vi ol ence I force the government to repeal the l aw, I a m empl oyi ng
what may be t er med body- f orce. I f I do not obey the lawand accept the
penal ty for i ts breach, I use soul -force. It i nvol ves sacri fi ce of sel f.
Everybody admi t s that sacri fi ce of sel f i s i nfi ni tel y superi or to sacri fi ce
of others. Moreover, if thi s ki nd of force i s used i n a cause that i s unj ust,
onl y the person usi ng i t suffers. He does not make others suffer for hi s
mi stakes. Men have before now done many thi ngs whi ch wer e subsequentl y
f ound to have been wr ong. No man can cl ai mthat he i s absol utel y i n the
ri ght or that a parti cul ar thi ng i s wr ong because he thi nks so, but i t i s
wr ong for hi mso l ong as that i s hi s del i berate j udgement . I t i s therefore
meet that he shoul d not do that whi ch he knows to be wr ong, and suffer the
consequence whatever i t may be. Thi s i s the key to the use of soul -force. 16
A votary of ahiysi cannot subscri be to the uti l i tari an f ormul a (of the
great est good of the greatest number). He will stri ve for the greatest good
of all and di e in the at t empt to real i ze the i deal . He will therefore be wi l l i ng
to di e, so that the others may l i ve. He will serve hi msel f wi th the rest, by
hi msel f dyi ng. The greatest good of all i nevi tabl y i ncl udes the good of the
great est number , and, therefore, he and the uti l i tari anwill converge inmany
G A N D H I
poi nts i n thei r career but t here does come a t i me when they must part
company, and even wor k i nopposi te di recti ons. The uti l i tari antobe l ogi cal
will never sacri fi ce hi msel f. The absol uti st will even sacri fi ce hi msel f. 17
You mi ght of course say that there can be no non- vi ol ent rebel l i on and
t here has been none known to hi story. Wel l , i t i s my ambi ti on to provi de
an i nstance, and i t i s my dr eamthat my country may wi n i ts f reedom
t hrough non- vi ol ence. And, I woul d l i ke to r epeat to the worl d t i mes
wi thout number , that I will not purchase my country s f reedomat the cost
of non- vi ol ence. My mar r i age to non- vi ol ence i s such an absol ute thi ng
that I woul d rather commi t sui ci de than be defl ected f rommy posi ti on.
I have not ment i oned truth inthi s connexi on, si mpl y because truth cannot
be expressed except by non- vi ol ence. 18
The accumul ated experi ence of the past thi rty years, the f i rst ei ght of whi ch
wer e i n Sout h Afri ca, fi l l s me wi th the great est hope that in the adopti on
of non- vi ol ence l i es the future of I ndi a and the worl d. It i s the most har m-
l ess and yet equal l y effecti ve way of deal i ng wi th the pol i ti cal and economi c
wr ongs of the down- t r odden porti on of humani ty. I have known f r om
earl y yout h that non- vi ol ence i s not a cl oi stered vi rtue to be practi sed by t he
i ndi vi dual for the peace and final sal vati on, but i t i s a rul e of conduct for so-
ci ety if i t i s to l i ve consi stentl ywi th human di gni ty and make progress t owards
the attai nment of peace for whi ch i t has been yearni ng for ages past. 19
Up to the year 1906, I si mpl y rel i ed on appeal to reason. 1 was a very
i ndustri ous ref ormer. I was a good draf tsman, as I al ways had a cl ose gri p
of f acts whi ch i n i ts turn was the necessary resul t of my meti cul ous regard
for truth. But I f ound that reason fai l ed to produce an i mpressi on when the
cri ti cal moment arri ved i n Sout h Afri ca. My peopl e wer e exci ted; even a
wor mwill and does somet i mes turn-and there was tal k of wreaki ng
vengeance. I had then to choose bet ween al l yi ng mysel f to vi ol ence or
fi ndi ng out some other met hod of meeti ng the cri si s and stoppi ng the rot
and i t came to me that we shoul d refuse toobey l egi sl ati on that was degr ad-
i ng and l et t hemput us injail if they l i ked. Thus came i nto bei ng the moral
equi val ent of war. I was then a l oyal i st, because I i mpl i ci tl y bel i eved that
the sumtotal of the acti vi ti es of the Eri ti sh Empi r e was good for I ndi a
G A N D H I
and for humani t y. Arri vi ng in Engl and soon af ter the outbreak of the war
I pl unged i nto i t and l ater when I was forced to go to I ndi a as a resul t of
the pl euri sy that I had devel oped, I l ed a recrui ti ng campai gn at the ri sk
of my l i fe, and to the horror of some of my fri ends. The di si l l usi onment
came i n 1919 af ter the passage of the Bl ack Rowl att Act and the refusal of
the government to gi ve the si mpl e el ementary r edr ess of proved wr ongs
that we had asked for. And so, i n 1920, I became a rebel . Si nce then the
convi cti on has been growi ng upon me, that thi ngs of f undament al i mport -
ance tothe peopl e ar e not secured by reason al one but have to be purchased
wi th thei r sufferi ng. Sufferi ng i s the lawof human bei ngs ; war i s the law
of the j ungl e. But sufferi ng i s i nfi ni tel y mor e powerf ul than the lawof the
j ungl e for converti ng the opponent and openi ng his ears, whi ch are
otherwi se shut, to the voi ce of reason. Nobody has probabl y dr awn up
mor e peti ti ons or espoused mor e forl orn causes than I and I have come to
thi s f undament al concl usi on that if you want somet hi ng real l y i mportant
to be done you must not merel y sati sfy the reason, you must move the heart
al so. The appeal of reason i s mor e to the head but the penetrati on of the
heart comes f romsufferi ng. It opens up the i nner understandi ng i n man.
Sufferi ng i s the badge of the human race, not the sword.
Non- vi ol ence i s a power whi ch can be wi el ded equal l y by all-c hi l dren,
young men and women or grown up peopl e- provi ded they have a l i vi ng
fai th i n the God of Love and have therefore equal l ove for all manki nd.
When non- vi ol ence is accepted as the l awof lifei t must pervade the whol e
bei ng and not be appl i ed to i sol ated acts.
20
zz
I f we are to be non- vi ol ent, we must then not wi sh for anythi ng on this
earth whi ch the meanest or the l owest of human bei ngs cannot have. zz
The pri nci pl e of non- vi ol ence necessi tates compl et e abstenti on f r omex-
pl oi tati on i nany form. zj
My resi stance to war does not carry me to the poi nt of thwarti ng those
who wi sh to take part i n i t. I reason wi th t hem. I put before t hemthe
better way and l eave t hemto make the choi ce.
I.
24
Act depri vi ng I ndi ans of some f undamental ci vi l l i berti es.
G A N D H I
I woul d say to my critics to enter wi th me i nto the sufferi ngs, not onl y of
the peopl e of I ndi a but of those, whet her engaged i nthe war or not, of the
whol e worl d. I cannot l ook at thi s butchery goi ng on i n t he worl d wi th
i ndi fference. I have an unchangeabl e fai th that i t i s beneath the di gni ty of
man to resort to mut ual sl aughter. I have no doubt that t here i s a way
out. 2J
Perfect non- vi ol ence i s i mpossi bl e so l ong as we exi st physi cal l y, for we
woul d want some space at l east to occupy. Perfect non- vi ol ence whi l st
you are i nhabi ti ng the body i s only a theory l i ke Eucl i d s poi nt or strai ght
l i ne, but we have to endeavour every moment of our l i ves. 26
Taki ng life may be a duty. We do destroy as much l i fe as we thi nk neces-
sary for sustai ni ng our body. Thus for f ood we t ake life, vegetabl e and
other, and for heal th we destroy mosqui toes and the l i ke by the use of
di si nfectants, etc. , and we do not thi nk that we are gui l ty of i rrel i gi on i n
doi ng so. . . for the benefi t of the speci es, we kill carni vorous beasts. . . .
Even man- sl aughter may be necessary incertai n cases. Suppose a man runs
amuck and goes furi ousl y about, swor d in hand, and ki l l i ng anyone that
comes i n hi s way, and no one dar es to capture hi mal i ve. Anyone who
despatches thi s l unati c will earn the grati tude of the communi t y and be
regarded as a benevol ent man.
27
I see that t here i s an i nsti ncti ve horror of ki l l i ng l i vi ng bei ngs under any
ci rcumstances whatever. For i nstance, an al ternati ve has been suggested
in the shape of confi ni ng even rabi d dogs i n a certai n pl ace and al l owi ng
themto di e a sl owdeath. No w my i dea of compassi on makes thi s thi ng
i mpossi bl e for me. I cannot for a moment bear to see a dog, or for that
mat t er any other l i vi ng bei ng, hel pl essl y sufferi ng the torture of a sl ow
death. I do not kill a human bei ng thus ci rcumstanced because I have mor e
hopef ul r emedi es. I shoul d kill a dog si mi l arl y si tuated because i n i ts case I
a m wi thout a remedy. Shoul d my chi l d be attacked wi th rabi es and t here
was no hel pful r emedy to rel i eve his agony, I shoul d consi der i t my duty to
take hi s l i fe. Fatal i smhas i t s limits. We l eave thi ngs to f ate af ter exhausti ng
all the r emedi es. One of the r emedi es and the final one to rel i eve the agony
of a tortured chi l d is to t ake hi s life. z8
G A N D H I
I n i ts posi ti ve f orm, ahi~sz means the l argest l ove, greatest chari ty. I f I am
a f ol l ower of rzhipsri, I must l ove my enemy. I must appl y the same rul es to
the wr ong- doer who i s my enemy or a stranger to me, as I woul d to my
wr ong- doi ng f at her or son. Thi s acti ve ahiTsz necessari l y i ncl udes truth
and fearl essness. As man cannot decei ve the l oved one, he does not f ear or
fri ghten hi mor her. Gift of l i fe i s the greatest of all gi f ts; a man who gi ves
i t i n real i ty, di sar ms all hosti l i ty. He has paved the way for an honourabl e
understandi ng. And none who i s hi msel f subj ect to f ear can best owthat gi ft.
He must therefore be hi msel f fearl ess. A man cannot practi se ahi<ns~? and
be a coward at the s ame ti me. The practi ce of ahips3 calls forth the great est
courage. 29
Havi ng f l ung asi de the swor d, there i s nothi ng except the cup of l ove whi ch
I can offer to those who oppose me. It i s by offeri ng that cup that I expect
to dr aw t hemcl ose to me. I cannot thi nk of permanent enmi ty bet ween
man and man, and bel i evi ng as I do i n the theory of rebi rth, I l i ve i n the
hope that if not i nthi s bi rth, in some other bi rth, I shal l be abl e to hug al l
humani t y i n fri endl y embrace. jo
Love i s the strongest force the worl d possesses and yet i t i s the humbl est
i magi nabl e. jr
The hardest heart and the grossest i gnorance must di sappear before the
ri si ng sun of sufferi ng wi thout anger and wi thout mal i ce.
32
Non- vi ol ence i s not a resi gnati on f r omal l real fi ghti ng agai nst wi ckedness .
On the contrary, the non- vi ol ence of my concepti on i s a mor e acti ve and
real fi ght agai nst wi ckedness than retal i ati on whose very nature i s to i ncrease
wi ckedness. I contempl ate a mental and therefore a moral opposi ti on to
i mmoral i ti es. I seek enti rel y to bl unt the edge of the tyrants swor d, not by
putti ng up agai nst i t a sharper- edged weapon, but by di sappoi nti ng hi s
expectati on that I woul d be offeri ng physi cal resi stance. The resi stance of the
soul that I shoul d offer woul d el ude hi m. It woul d at fi rst dazzl e hi mand
at l ast compel recogni ti on f r omhi m, whi ch recogni ti on woul d not humi -
l i ate but woul d upl i ft hi m. It may be urged that thi s i s an i deal state. And
so i t i s. jj
G A N D H I
AhiysZ i s a comprehensi ve pri nci pl e. We are hel pl ess mortal s caught i nthe
confl agrati on of hipsz. The sayi ng that l i fe l i ves on lifehas a deep meani ng
init. Man cannot for a moment l i ve wi thout consci ousl y or unconsci ousl y
commi t t i ng out ward hi<nsi. The very f act of his l i vi ng-eati ng, dri nki ng
and movi ng about-necessari l y i nvol ves some hiysz, destructi on of l i fe,
be i t ever so mi nute. A votary of ahi~zsa therefore remai ns true to hi s fai th
i f the spri ng of all hi s acti ons i s compassi on, if he shuns to the best of his
abi l i ty the destructi on of the ti ni est creature, tri es to save i t , and thus
i ncessantl y stri ves to be f ree f r omthe deadl y coi l of hipsi He will be
constantl y growi ng i n sel f-restrai nt and compassi on, but he can never
become enti rel y f ree f r omout ward hiysz.
Then agai n, because underl yi ng ahi~sa i s the uni ty of al l l i fe, the error
of one cannot but affect al l , and hence man cannot be whol l y f ree
f r omhiysi. So l ong as he conti nues to be a soci al bei ng, he cannot
but parti ci pate i n the hipsi that the very exi stence i nvol ves. When t wo
nati ons are fi ghti ng, the duty of a votary of ahipsz i s to stop the war .
He who i s not equal to that duty, he who has no power of resi sti ng
war , he who i s not qual i fi ed to resi st war, may t ake part i n war , and
yet whol e- heartedl y try to f ree hi msel f, hi s nati on and the worl d f r om
war . 34
I make no di sti ncti on, f r omthe poi nt of vi ewof ahigsZ bet ween combat ant s
and non- combat ant s. He who vol unteers to serve a band of dacoi ts, by
worki ng as thei r carri er, or thei r wat chman whi l e they are about thei r
busi ness, or thei r nurse when they are wounded, i s as much gui l ty of
dacoi ty as the dacoi ts themsel ves. In the same way those who confi ne t hem-
sel ves to attendi ng to the wounded i n battl e cannot be absol ved f romthe
gui l t of war . 31
The questi on i s subtl e. It admi t s of di fferences of opi ni on, and therefore
I have submi tted my argument as cl earl y as possi bl e to those who bel i eve
inahz'psi and who are maki ng seri ous efforts to practi se i t in every wal k
of l i fe. A devotee of Trut h may not do anythi ng i n deference to con-
venti on. He must al ways hol d hi msel f open to correcti on, and whenever
he di scovers hi msel f to be wr ong he must confess i t at al l costs and atone
for i t. 36
94
G A N D H r
Non- vi ol ence to be a potent force must begi n wi th the mi nd. Non- vi ol ence
of the mer e body wi thout the co- operati on of the mi nd i s non- vi ol ence of the
weak or the cowardl y, and has therefore no potency. I f we bear mal i ce and
hatred i n our bosoms and pretend not to retal i ate, i t must recoi l upon us
and l ead to our destructi on. For abstenti on f rommer e bodi l y vi ol ence not
to be i nj uri ous, i t i s at l east necessary not to entertai n hatred if we cannot
generate acti ve l ove. 37
He i s no f ol l ower of ahieJii who does not care a st r awi f he kills a man by
i nches by decei vi ng hi min a t rade or who woul d protect by force of ar ms
a f ew cows and make away wi th the butcher or who, in order to do a sup-
posed good to his country, does not mi nd ki l l i ng off a f ewofficials. All
t hese are actuated by hatred, cowardi ce and fear.
38
I obj ect to vi ol ence because when i t appears to do good, the good i s onl y
t emporary; the evil i t does i s permanent. I do not bel i eve that the ki l l i ng
of even every Engl i shman can do the sl i ghtest good to I ndi a. The mi l l i ons
will be j ust as badl y off as they are today, if someone made i t possi bl e to
kill off every Engl i shman t omor r ow. The responsi bi l i ty is mor e ours than
that of the Engl i sh for the present state of thi ngs. The Engl i sh will be
powerl ess to do evi l if we will but be good. Hence my i ncessant emphasi s
on ref ormf r omwi thi n. 39
Hi story t eaches one that those who have, no doubt wi th honest moti ves,
ousted the greedy by usi ng brute force agai nst t hem, have in thei r turn
become a prey to the di sease of the conquered.
40
Fr omvi ol ence done to the forei gn rul er, vi ol ence to our own peopl e
whomwe may consi der to be obstructi ng the country s progress i s an easy
natural step. What ever may have been the resul t of vi ol ent acti vi ti es in
other countri es and wi thout reference to the phi l osophy of non- vi ol ence,
i t does not requi re much i ntel l ectual effort to see that i f we resort to vi ol -
ence for ri ddi ng soci ety of many abuses whi ch i mpede our progress, we
shal l add to our di ffi cul ti es and postpone the day of f reedom. The peopl e
unprepared for ref orms because unconvi nced of thei r necessi ty will be
maddened wi th r age over thei r coerci on, and wd seek the assi stance of the
91
G A N D H 1
forei gner i n order toretal i ate. Has not this been happeni ng before our eyes
for the past many years of whi ch we have still pai nful l y vi vi d recol l ec-
ti ons? 41
I f I can have nothi ng todo wi th the organi zed vi ol ence of the government ,
I can have l ess to do wi th the unorgani zed vi ol ence of the peopl e. I woul d
pref er to be crushed between the t wo.
42
I have been practi si ng wi th sci enti fi c preci si on non- vi ol ence and i ts possi -
bi l i ti es for an unbr oken peri od of over fifty years. I have appl i ed i t inevery
wal k of l i fe-domesti c, i nsti tuti onal , economi c and pol i ti cal . I know of no
si ngl e case in whi ch i t has fai l ed. Wher e i t has seemed somet i mes to have
fai l ed, I have ascri bed i t to my i mperf ecti ons. I cl ai mno perfecti on for
mysel f. But I do cl ai mto be a passi onate seeker af ter Truth, whi ch i s but
another name for God. I n the course of that search the di scovery of non-
vi ol ence came to me. I ts spread i s my l i fe mi ssi on. I have no i nterest in
l i vi ng except for the prosecuti on of that mi ssi on.
43
I t i s to me a mat t er of perenni al sati sfacti on that I retai n general l y the affec-
ti on and trust of those whose pri nci pl es and pol i ci es I oppose. The Sout h
Afri cans gave me personal l y thei r conf i dence and extended thei r fri endshi p.
I n spi te of my denunci ati on of Bri ti sh pol i cy and systemI enj oy the affecti on
of thousands of Engl i shmen and women, and in spi te of unqual i fi ed
condemnat i on of moder n materi al i sti c ci vi l i zati on, the ci rcl e of Eur opean
and Ameri can fri ends i s ever wi deni ng. It i s agai n a tri umph of non-
vi ol ence. 44
My experi ence, dai l y growi ng stronger and ri cher, tel l s me that there i s no
peace for i ndi vi dual s or for nati ons wi thout practi si ng truth and non-
vi ol ence to the uttermost extent possi bl e for man. The pol i cy of retal i ati on
has never succeeded. 4j
My l ove for non- vi ol ence i s superi or to every other thi ng mundane or
supramundane. It i s equal l ed onl y by my l ove for truth whi ch i s to me
synonymous wi th non- vi ol ence t hrough whi ch and whi ch al one I can see
and r each Truth. My scheme of l i fe, if i t dr aws no di sti ncti on bet ween
96
Gandhi with an Indian child, 194)
(By courtesy of the Information Service of India, Paris)
G A N D H Z
di fferent rel i gi oni sts i n I ndi a, al so dr aws none bet ween di fferent races.
For me A man s a man for a that.
46
I a m but a weak aspi rant, ever fai l i ng, ever tryi ng. My fai l ures make me
mor e vi gi l ant than before and i ntensi fy my fai th. I can see wi th the eye of
fai th that the observance of the twi n doctri ne of truth and non- vi ol ence has
possi bi l i ti es of whi ch we have but very i nadequate concepti on.
47
I am an i rrepressi bl e opti mi st. My opti mi smrests on my bel i ef i n the i nfi ni te
possi bi l i ti es of the i ndi vi dual to devel op non- vi ol ence. The mor e you
devel op i t i n your own bei ng, the mor e i nfecti ous i t becomes t i l l i t over-
whel ms your surroundi ngs and by and by mi ght oversweep the worl d. q8
I n my opi ni on non- vi ol ence i s not passi vi ty i n any shape or f orm. Non-
vi ol ence, as I understand i t, i s the most acti ve force i nthe worl d. . . . Non-
vi ol ence i s the supreme l aw. Dur i ng my hal f a century of experi ence I have
not yet come across a si tuati on when I had to say that I was hel pl ess, that
I had no remedy i n t er ms of non- vi ol ence.
49
It i s the aci d test of non- vi ol ence that i n a non- vi ol ent confl i ct there i s no
rancour l eft behi nd, and inthe end the enemi es ar e converted i nto fri ends.
That was my experi ence i n Sout h Afri ca wi th General Smut s. He started
wi th bei ng my bi tterest opponent and critic. Today he i s my war mest
fri end. jo
The strength to kill i s not essenti al for sel f - def ence; one ought to have
the strength to di e. When a man i s ful l y ready to di e, he will not even desi re to
offer vi ol ence. I ndeed, I may put i t down as a sel f-evi dent pr opo-
si ti on that the desi re to kill i s i n i nverse proporti on to the desi re to di e.
And hi story i s repl ete wi th i nstances of men who by dyi ng wi th courage
and compassi on on thei r l i ps converted the hearts of thei r vi ol ent oppo-
nents. J I
I a m but a humbl e expl orer of the sci ence of non- vi ol ence. I ts hi d-
den depths somet i mes stagger me just as much as they stagger f el l ow-
workers. jz
97
G A N D H I
I t has become the fashi on these days to say that soci ety cannot be organi zed
or run on non- vi ol ent l i nes. I j oi n i ssue on that poi nt. I n a f ami l y, when a
father sl aps his del i nquent chi l d, the l atter does not thi nk of retal i ati ng.
He obeys his father not because of the deterrent effect of the sl ap
but because of the offended l ove whi ch he senses behi nd i t. That , i n my
opi ni on, i s an epi tome of the way in whi ch soci ety i s or shoul d be
governed. What is true of the fami l y must be true of soci ety whi ch i s but a
l arger fami l y. 13
I do not want to l i ve at the cost of the lifeeven of a snake. I shoul d l et hi m
bi te me to death rather than kill hi m. But i t i s l i kel y that if God puts me to
that cruel test and permi ts a snake to assaul t me, I may not have the
courage to di e, but that the beast inme may assert i tsel f and I may seek to
kill the snake i n def endi ng thi s peri shabl e body. I admi t that my bel i ef has
not become so i ncarnate i n me as to warrant my stati ng emphati cal l y that
I have shed all f ear of snakes so as to befri end t hemas I woul d l i ke to be
abl e to.
I a m not opposed to the progress of sci ence as such. O n the contrary, the
sci enti fi c spi ri t of the West commands my admi rati on and if that admi rati on
i s qual i fi ed, i t i s because the sci enti st of the West takes no note of God' s
l ower creati on. I abhor vi vi secti on wi th my whol e soul. I detest the unpar-
donabl e sl aughter of i nnocent l i fe i n the name of sci ence and humani ty
so-cal l ed, and all the sci enti fi c di scoveri es stai ned wi th i nnocent bl ood
I count as of no consequence. I f the ci rcul ati on of bl ood theory coul d not
have been di scovered wi thout vi vi secti on, the human ki nd coul d well have
done wi thout i t. And I see the day cl earl y dawni ng when the honest sci en-
ti st of the Wes t will put l i mi tati ons upon the present met hods of pursui ng
knowl edge. JJ
Non- vi ol ence i s not an easy thi ng to understand, sti l l l ess topracti se, weak
as we are. We must all act prayerful l y and humbl y and conti nual l y aski ng
God to open the eyes of our understandi ng bei ng ever ready to act accord-
i ng to the l i ght as we dai l y recei ve i t. My task as a l over and promot er of
peace, therefore, today consi sts in unfl i nchi ng devoti on to non- vi ol ence
in the prosecuti on of the campai gn for regai ni ng our l i berty. And if I ndi a
98
G A N D H I
succeeds i nso regai ni ng i t, i t will be the greatest contri buti on to the worl d
peace. j6
Passi ve resi stance i s an al l -si ded swor d ; i t can be used anyhow ; i t bl esses
hi mwho uses i t and hi magai nst whomi t is used. Wi t hout drawi ng a drop
of bl ood i t produces far-reachi ng resul ts. It never rusts and cannot be
stol en. ~7
Di sobedi ence to be civil must be si ncere, respectful , restrai ned, never
defi ant, must be based upon some wel l - understood pri nci pl e, must not be
capri ci ous and above al l , must have no ill-will or hatred behi nd i t.
18
J esus Chri st, Dani el and Socrates represented the purest f or mof passi ve
resi stance or soul -force. All these t eachers counted thei r bodi es as nothi ng
in compari son to thei r soul . Tol stoy was the best and bri ghtest ( mo-
dern) exponent of the doctri ne. He not onl y expounded i t , but l i ved
accordi ng to i t. I n I ndi a, the doctri ne was understood and commonl y
practi sed l ong before i t came i nto vogue i n Europe. It i s easy to see
that soul -force i s i nfi ni tel y superi or to body- f orce. I f peopl e i n order to
secure r edr ess of wr ongs resort to soul - f orce, much of the present sufferi ng
will be avoi ded. j9
Buddha fearl essl y carri ed the war i nto the enemy s camp and brought
down on i ts knees an arrogant pri esthood. Chri st drove out the money-
changers f romthe t empl e of J erusal emand dr ew down curses f r om
Heaven upon the hypocri tes and the Phari sees. Bot h wer e for i ntensel y
di rect acti on. But even as Buddha and Chri st chasti sed, they showed
unmi stakabl e gentl eness and l ove behi nd every act of thei rs. They
woul d not rai se a fi nger agai nst thei r enemi es, but woul d gl adl y sur-
render themsel ves rat her than the truth for whi ch they l i ved. Buddha
woul d have di ed resi sti ng the pri esthood, i f t he maj esty of hi s l ove
had not proved to be equal to the task of bendi ng the pri esthood.
Chri st di ed on the cross wi th a cr own of thorns on hi s head def yi ng
the mi ght of a whol e empi re. And if I rai se resi stances of a non-
vi ol ent character, I si mpl y and humbl y f ol l owi n the footsteps of the great
teachers. 60
99
G A N D H I
It i s a l awof Sa&?graba that when a man has no weapon in hi s hands and
when he cannot thi nk of a way out, he shoul d t ake the final step of gi vi ng
up his body. 61
Ahic.rZ i s soul -force and the soul i s i mperi shabl e, changel ess and eternal .
The at ombomb is the acme of physi cal force and, as such, subj ect to the
l aw of di ssi pati on, decay and death that governs the physi cal uni verse. Our
scri ptures bear wi tness that when soul -f orce i s ful l y awakened in us, i t
becomes i rresi sti bl e. But the test and condi ti on of ful l awakeni ng i s that i t
must per meat e every pore of our bei ng and emanate wi th every breath
that we breathe.
But no i nsti tuti on can be made non- vi ol ent by compul si on. Non-
vi ol ence and truth cannot be wri tten i nto a consti tuti on. They have to be
adopted of one s own f ree will. They must si t natural l y upon us l i ke next-
to-ski n garments or el se they become a contradi cti on in terms. 62
Li fe i s an aspi rati on. I ts mi ssi on i s to stri ve after perfecti on, whi ch i s
sel f-real i zati on. The i deal must not be l owered because of our weak-
nesses and i mperf ecti ons. . . . One who hooks his fortunes to ahiy.rZ, the
l aw of l ove, dai l y l essens the ci rcl e of destructi on, and to that extent
promot es life and l ove; he who swear s by hipsZ, the l aw of hate,
dai l y wi dens the ci rcl e of destructi on, and to that extent promot es
death and hate. 6j
In life, i t i s i mpossi bl e to eschewvi ol ence compl etel y. Nowthe questi on
ari ses, where i s one to dr aw the l i ne ? The l i ne cannot be the same for every
one. For, al though, essenti al l y the pri nci pl e i s the same, yet everyone
appl i es i t in hi s or her own way. What i s one man s f ood can be another s
poi son. Meat- eati ng i s a si nfor me. Yet, for another person, who has al ways
l i ved on meat and never seen anythi ng wr ong in i t, to gi ve i t up, si mpl y
in order to copy me, will be a si n.
I f I wi sh to be an agri cul turi st and stay in a j ungl e, I will have
to use the mi ni mum unavoi dabl e vi ol ence, in order to protect my
fi el ds. I will have to klll monkeys, bi rds and i nsects, whi ch eat up
my crops. I f I do not wi sh to do so mysel f , I will have to engage
someone to do i t for me. Ther e i s not much di fference bet ween the
r o o
G A N D H I
t wo. To al l owcrops to be eaten up by ani mal s, i n the name of uhiysi,
whi l e there is a f ami ne i n the l and, i s certai nl y a si n. Evi l and good are
rel ati ve terms. What i s good under certai n condi ti ons can become an evil
or a si n, under a di fferent set of condi ti ons.
Man i s not to dr own hi msel f i n the wel l of the sh~?stras, but he i s to di ve
i nthei r broad ocean and bri ng out pearl s. At every step he has touse hi s
di scri mi nati on as to what i s ahips~? and what i s hiysi. I n thi s, there i s no
r oomfor shame or cowardi ce. The poet had sai d that the road l eadi ng up
to God i s for the brave, never for the cowardl y.
64
To say or wri t e a di stasteful wor d i s surel y not vi ol ent especi al l y when the
speaker or wri ter bel i eves i t to be true. The essence of vi ol ence i s that
there must be a vi ol ent i ntenti on behi nd a thought, wor d, or act, i.e., an
i ntenti on to do har mto the opponent so-cal l ed.
Fal se noti ons of propri ety or fear of woundi ng suscepti bi l i ti es often
deter peopl e f romsayi ng what they mean and ul ti matel y l and t hemon the
shores of hypocri sy. But i f non- vi ol ence of t hought i s to be evol ved i n
i ndi vi dual s or soci eti es or nati ons, truth has to be tol d, however harsh or
unpopul ar i t may appear tobe for the moment .
6j
Never has anythi ng been done on t hi s earth wi thout di rect acti on. I rej ect
the wor d passi ve resi stance because of i ts i nsuffi ci ency and i ts bei ng i nter-
preted as a weapon of the weak. 66
Non- vi ol ence presupposes abi l i ty to stri ke. I t i s a consci ous, del i berate
restrai nt put upon one s desi re for vengeance. But vengeance i s any day
superi or to passi ve, effemi nate and hel pl ess submi ssi on. Forgi veness i s
hi gher still. Vengeance too i s weakness. The desi re for vengeance comes out
of fear of har m, i magi nary or real . A man who f ears no one on eart h woul d
consi der i t troubl esome even to summon up anger agai nst one who i s
vai nl y tryi ng toi nj ure hi m.
67
Non- vi ol ence and cowardi ce go ill together. I can i magi ne a ful l y ar med
man to be at heart a coward. Possessi on of ar ms i mpl i es an el ement of f ear,
if not cowardi ce. But true non- vi ol ence is an i mpossi bi l i ty wi thout the
possessi on of unadul terated fearl essness. 68
IOI
G A N D H I
My creed of non- vi ol ence i s an extremel y acti ve force. I t has no r oomfor
cowardi ce or even weakness. There i s hope for a vi ol ent man to be some
day non- vi ol ent, but t here i s none for a coward. I have therefore sai d mor e
than once in these pages that if we do not know how to def end oursel ves,
our women and our pl aces of worshi p by the force of sufferi ng, i.e., non-
vi ol ence, we must, if we are men, be at l east abl e to def end all these by
fi ghti ng. 69
The peopl e of a vi l l age near Betti a tol d me that they had run away whi l st
the pol i ce wer e l ooti ng thei r houses and mol esti ng thei r womenf ol k. When
they sai d that they had run away because I had tol d t hemtobe non- vi ol ent,
I hung my head i n shame. I assured t hemthat such was not the meani ng of
my non- vi ol ence. I expected t hemto i ntercept the mi ghti est power that
mi ght be inthe act of harmi ng those who were under thei r protecti on, and
dr aw wi thout retal i ati on all har mupon thei r own heads even to the poi nt
of death, but never to run away f r omthe stormcentre. I t was manl y enough
to def end one s property, honour, or rel i gi on at the poi nt of the sword.
It was manl i er and nobl er to def end t hemwi thout seeki ng to i nj ure the
wrong- doer. But i t was unmanl y, unnatural and di shonourabl e to forsake
the post of duty and, i n order to save one s ski n, to l eave property, honour
or rel i gi on to the mer cy of the wrong- doer. I coul d see my way of del i ver-
i ng ahips2 to those who knew how to di e, not to those who wer e afrai d
of death. 70
I woul d ri sk vi ol ence a thousand t i mes than the emascul ati on of a whol e
race. 71
My non- vi ol ence does not admi t of runni ng away f r omdanger and l eavi ng
dear ones unprotected. Bet ween vi ol ence and cowardl y fl i ght, I can onl y
pref er vi ol ence to cowardi ce. I can no mor e preach non- vi ol ence to a
cowar d than I can t empt a bl i nd man toenj oy heal thy scenes. Non- vi ol ence
i s the summi t of bravery. And i n my own experi ence, I have had no di ffi -
cul ty i n demonstrati ng to men trai ned i n the school of vi ol ence the super-
i ori ty of non- vi ol ence. As a coward, whi ch I was for years, I harboured
vi ol ence. I began topri ze non- vi ol ence onl y when I began to shed cowar d-
i ce. 72
I02
G A N D H I
Non- vi ol ence cannot be taught to a person who f ears to di e and has no
power of resi stance. A hel pl ess mouse i s not non- vi ol ent because he is
al ways eaten by pussy. He woul d gl adl y eat the murderess if he coul d, but
he ever tri es to fl ee f r omher. We do not call hi ma coward, because he is
made by nature to behave no better than he does. But a man who, when
faced by danger, behaves l i ke a mouse, is ri ghtl y cal l ed a coward. He
harbours vi ol ence and hatred i n hi s heart and woul d kill hi s enemy if he
coul d wi thout hurti ng hi msel f . He i s a stranger to non- vi ol ence. All ser mon-
i zi ng on i t will be l ost on hi m. Bravery i s forei gn to his nature. Bef ore he
can understand non- vi ol ence he has to be taught to stand hi s ground and
even suffer death, i nthe at t empt to def end hi msel f agai nst the aggressor who
bi ds fair to over whel mhi m. To do otherwi se woul d be toconf i rmhi s
cowardi ce and take himfarther away f r omnon- vi ol ence. Whi l st I may
not actual l y hel p anyone to retal i ate, I must not l et a cowar d seek shel ter
behi nd non- vi ol ence so-cal l ed. Not knowi ng the stuff of whi ch non- vi ol ence
i s made, many have honestl y bel i eved that runni ng away f r omdanger every
t i me was a vi rtue compared to offeri ng resi stance, especi al l y when i t was
f raught wi th danger to one s life. As a teacher of non- vi ol ence I must , so
f ar as i t i s possi bl e for me, guard agai nst such an unmanl y bel i ef.
73
No matter how weak a person is i n body, if i t i s a shame to fl ee, he will
stand his ground and di e at hi s post. Thi s woul d be non- vi ol ence and
bravery. No mat t er how weak he i s, he will use what strength he has i n
i nfl i cti ng i nj ury on hi s opponent , and di e i n the attempt. Thi s i s bravery,
but not non- vi ol ence. If, when his duty i s to face danger, he fl ees, i t i s
cowardi ce. I n the fi rst case the man will have l ove or chari ty i n hi m. I n the
second and thi rd case, there woul d be a di sl i ke or di strust and f ear. 74
Supposi ng I was a Negr o, and my si ster was ravi shed by a whi te or l ynched
by a whol e communi t y, what woul d be my dut y? I ask mysel f. And the
answer comes to me: I must not wi sh i l l to these, but nei ther must I co-
oper at e wi th t hem. It may be that ordi nari l y I depend on the l ynchi ng
communi t y for my l i vel i hood. I refuse to co- operate wi th t hem, refuse even
to touch the f ood that comes f r omt hem, and I refuse to co- operate wi th
even my brother Negroes who tol erate the wr ong. That i s the sel f - i mmo-
l ati on I mean. I have often in my l i fe resorted to the pl an. Of course, a
G A N D H Z
mechani cal act of starvati on will mean nothi ng. One s fai th must remai n
undi mmed whi l st l i fe ebbs out, mi nute by mi nute. But I ama very poor
speci men of the practi ce of non- vi ol ence, and my answer may not convi nce
you. But I a m stri vi ng very har d, and even if I do not succeed ful l y inthi s
life, my fai th will not di mi ni sh.
71
I n thi s age of the rul e of brute force, i t i s al most i mpossi bl e for anyone to
bel i eve that anyone el se coul d possi bl y rej ect the l awof the final supremacy
of brute force. And so I recei ve anonymous l etters advi si ng me that I must
not i nterfere wi th the progress of the non- co- operat i on movement even
t hough popul ar vi ol ence may break out. Ot her s come to me and, assumi ng
that secretl y I must be pl otti ng vi ol ence, i nqui re when the happy moment
for decl ari ng open vi ol ence i s to arri ve. They assure me that the Engl i sh
will never yi el d to anythi ng but vi ol ence, secret or open. Yet others, I a m
i nf ormed, bel i eve that I amthe most rascal l y person l i vi ng i nI ndi a because
I never gi ve out my real i ntenti on and that they have not a shadow of a
doubt that I bel i eve i nvi ol ence j ust as much as most peopl e do.
Such bei ng the hol d that the doctri ne of the swor d has on the maj ori ty
of manki nd, and as success of non- co- operati on depends pri nci pal l y on
absence of vi ol ence duri ng i ts pendency, and as my vi ews i n t hi s mat t er
affect the conduct of a l arge number of peopl e, I a m anxi ous to state t hem
as cl earl y as possi bl e.
I do bel i eve that, wher e there i s onl y a choi ce bet ween cowardi ce and
vi ol ence, I woul d advi se vi ol ence. Thus when my el dest son asked me what
he shoul d have done, had he been present when I was al most fatal l y
assaul ted i n 1708, whet her he shoul d have run away and seen me ki l l ed or
whet her he shoul d have used his physi cal force whi ch he coul d and want ed
to use, and def end me, I tol d hi mthat i t was hi s duty to def end me even
by usi ng vi ol ence. Hence i t was that I took part i n the Boer War , the so-
cal l ed Zul u Rebel l i on and the l ate war . Hence al so do I advocate trai ni ng
i n ar ms for those who bel i eve i n the met hod of vi ol ence. I woul d rather
have I ndi a resort to ar ms i norder to def end her honour than that she shoul d
in a cowardl y manner become or remai n a hel pl ess wi tness to her own
di shonour.
But I bel i eve that non- vi ol ence is i nfi ni tel y superi or to vi ol ence, for-
gi veness i s mor e manl y than puni shment . Forgi veness adorns a sol di er. But
G A N I1 H I
absti nence i s forgi veness onl y when t here is the power to puni sh; i t is
meani ngl ess when i t pretends to proceed f r oma hel pl ess creature. A mouse
hardl y forgi ves a cat when i t al l ows i tsel f to be torn to pi eces by her. I ,
therefore, appreci at e the senti ment of those who cry out for the condi gn
puni shment of General Dyer and his i l k. They woul d tear hi mto pi eces
i f they coul d. But I do not bel i eve I ndi a to be a hel pl ess creature. Onl y I
want to use I ndi a s and my strength for a better purpose.
Let me not be mi sunderstood. Strength does not come f r omphysi cal
capaci ty. It comes f roman i ndomi tabl e will. An average Zul u i s anyway
mor e than a mat ch for an average Engl i shman i n bodi l y capaci ty. But he
fl ees f r oman Engl i sh boy, because he f ears the bof s revol ver or those who
will use i t for hi m. He f ears death and i s nervel ess i nspi te of hi s burl y fi gure.
We i nI ndi a may in a moment real i ze that one hundred thousand Engl i sh-
men need not fri ghten three hundred mi l l i on human bei ngs. A defi ni te
forgi veness woul d, therefore, mean a defi ni te recogni ti on of our strength.
Wi th enl i ghtened forgi veness must come a mi ght y wave of strength inus,
whi ch woul d make i t i mpossi bl e for a Dyer and a Frank J ohnson to heap
affront on I ndi a s devoted head. It mat t er s l i ttl e to me that for the moment
I do not dri ve my poi nt home. We f eel too downt r odden not to be angry
and revengef ul . But I must not refrai n f r omsayi ng that I ndi a can gai n mor e
by wai vi ng the ri ght of puni shment . We have better wor k to do, a better
mi ssi on to del i ver to the worl d.
I a m not a vi si onary. I cl ai mto be a practi cal i deal i st. Rel i gi on of non-
vi ol ence i s not meant merel y for the rishis and sai nts. It i s meant for the
common peopl e as well. Non- vi ol ence i s the lawof our speci es as vi ol ence
i s the lawof the brute. The spi ri t l i es dor mant inthe brute, and he knows
no l aw but that of physi cal mi ght. The di gni ty of man requi res obedi ence
to a hi gher l aw, to the strength of the spi ri t.
I have ventured to pl ace before I ndi a the anci ent lawof sel f -sacri f i ce.
For Sa+@zha and i ts offshoots, non- co- operat i on and civil resi stance, ar e
nothi ng but new names for the l aw of sufferi ng. The rishis, who di scovered
the l aw of non- vi ol ence inthe mi dst of vi ol ence, wer e great er geni uses than
Newt on. They wer e themsel ves great er warri ors than Wel l i ngton. Havi ng
themsel ves known the use of arms, they real i zed thei r usel essness and taught
a wear y worl d that i ts sal vati on l ay not t hrough vi ol ence but t hrough non-
vi ol ence.
G A N D H r
Non- vi ol ence i n i ts dynami c condi ti on means consci ous sufferi ng. I t
does not mean meek submi ssi on to the will of the evi l -doer, but i t means
putti ng of one s whol e soul agai nst the will of the tyrant. Wor ki ng under
this l awof our bei ng, i t i s possi bl e for a si ngl e i ndi vi dual to defy the whol e
mi ght of an unj ust empi r e tosave hi s honour, hi s rel i gi on, his soul , and l ay
the f oundati on for that empi r e s fal l or i ts regenerati on.
And so I a m not pl eadi ng for I ndi a to practi se non- vi ol ence because i t i s
weak. I want her to practi se non- vi ol ence bei ng consci ous of her strength
and power. No trai ni ng i n ar ms i s requi red for real i zati on of her strength.
We seemto need it, because we seemto thi nk that we are but a l ump of
fl esh. I want to recogni ze that she has a soul that cannot peri sh and that can
ri se tri umphant above every physi cal weakness and defy the physi cal com-
bi nati on of a whol e worl d. . . . I f I ndi a t akes up the doctri ne of the sword,
she may gai n moment ar y vi ctory. Then I ndi a will cease to be the pri de of
my heart. I a m wedded to I ndi a because I owe my all to her. I bel i eve
absol utel y that she has a mi ssi on for the worl d. She i s not to copy Eur ope
bl i ndl y. I ndi a s acceptance of the doctri ne of the swor d will be the hour of
my tri al . I hope I shal l not be f ound wanti ng. My rel i gi on has no geograph-
ical l i mi ts. I f I have a l i vi ng faithinit, i t will transcend my l ove for I ndi a
hersel f . My life i s dedi cat ed to the servi ce of I ndi a t hrough the rel i gi on of
non- vi ol ence whi ch I bel i eve to be the root of Hi ndui sm.
76
I must conti nue to argue ti l l I convert opponent s or I own def eat. For my
mi ssi on i s to convert every I ndi an, even Engl i shmen and finally the worl d,
to non- vi ol ence for regul ati ng mut ual rel ati ons whet her pol i ti cal , economi c,
soci al or rel i gi ous. I f I amaccused of bei ng too ambi ti ous, I shoul d pl ead
gui l ty. I f I a m tol d that my dr eamcan never materi al i ze, I woul d answer
that i s possi bl e, and go my way. I ama seasoned sol di er of non- vi ol ence,
and I have evi dence enough to sustai n my fai th. Whet her , therefore, I have
one comr ade or mor e or none, I must conti nue my experi ment.
77
I t has been suggested by Ameri can fri ends that the at ombomb will bri ng
i nahi~ls~?, as nothi ng el se can. It wi l l , i f i t i s meant that i ts destructi ve power
will so di sgust the worl d, that i t will turn i t away f r omvi ol ence for the t i me
bei ng. And thi s i s very l i ke a man gl utti ng hi msel f wi th the dai nti es to the
poi nt of nausea, and turni ng away f romt hemonl y to return wi th redoubl ed
106
G A N D H r
zeal af ter the effect of nausea i s wel l over. Preci sel y i n the same manner will
the worl d return to vi ol ence wi th renewed zeal , af ter the effect of di sgust
i s wor n out.
Of ten does good come out of evil. But that i s God s, not man s pl an.
Man knows that onl y evil can come out of evi l , as good out of good. . . .
The moral to be l egi ti matel y dr awn f romthe supreme t ragedy of the at om
bomb i s that i t will not be destroyed by counter bombs, even as vi ol ence
cannot be by counter vi ol ence. Manki nd has to go out of vi ol ence onl y
t hrough non- vi ol ence. Hat r ed can be over come onl y by l ove. Count er
hatred onl y i ncreases the surface, as well as the depth of hatred.
I a m awar e that I a m repeati ng what I have many t i mes stated before
and practi sed to the best of my ability and capaci ty. What I fi rst stated was
i tsel f nothi ng new. It was as ol d as the hills. Onl y I reci ted no copy- book
maxi mbut defi ni tel y announced what I bel i eved i nevery fi bre of my bei ng.
Si xty years of practi ce i n vari ous wal ks of l i fe has onl y enri ched the bel i ef
whi ch the experi ence of fri ends forti fi ed. I t i s, however, the central truth
by whi ch one can stand al one wi thout fl i nchi ng. I bel i eve i n what Max
Mul l er sai d year s ago, namel y, that truth needed to be repeat ed, as l ong as
t here wer e men who di sbel i eved i t.
78
I f I ndi a makes vi ol ence her creed, and I have survi ved, I woul d not care
to l i ve i n I ndi a. She will cease to evoke any pri de i n me. My patri oti smi s
subservi ent to my rel i gi on. I cl i ng to I ndi a l i ke a chi l d to i ts mother s breast,
because I feel that she gi ves me the spi ri tual nouri shment I need. She has
the envi ronment that responds to my hi ghest aspi rati on. When that
fai th i s gone, I shal l f eel l i ke an orphan wi thout hope of ever fi ndi ng a
guardi an. 79
CHAPTER V
S E L F - D I S C I P L I N E
Ci vi l i zati on, in the real sense of the term, consi sts not inthe mul ti pl i cati on
but i n the del i berate and vol untary restri cti on of wants. Thi s al one pro-
mot es real happi ness and contentment, and i ncreases the capaci ty for
servi ce. I
A certai n degree of physi cal har mony and comf ort i s necessary, but above
that l evel , i t becomes a hi ndrance i nstead of a hel p. Theref ore the i deal of
creati ng an unl i mi ted number of want s and sati sfyi ng t hemseems to be
a del usi on and a snare. The sati sfacti on of one s physi cal needs, even the
i ntel l ectual needs of one s narrowsel f, must meet at a poi nt a dead stop
before i t degenerates i nto physi cal and i ntel l ectual vol uptuousness. A man
must arrange hi s physi cal and cul tural ci rcumstances so that they may not
hi nder hi minhi s servi ce of humani t y, on whi ch al l his energi es shoul d be
concentrated. 2
The rel ati on bet ween the body and the mi nd i s so i nti mate that, if ei ther
of t hemgot out of order, the whol e systemwoul d suf f er. Hence i t f ol l ows
that a pure character i s the f oundati on of heal th inthe real sense of the t er m;
and we may say that all evil thoughts and evil passi ons are but di fferent
f orms of di sease. 3
Perf ect heal th can be attai ned onl y by l i vi ng i n obedi ence to the laws of
God, and defyi ng the power of Satan. Tr ue happi ness i s i mpossi bl e wi thout
true heal th and true heal th i s i mpossi bl e wi thout a ri gi d control of the
108
G A N D H Z
pal ate. All the other senses will automati cal l y come under control when
the pal ate has been brought under control . And he who has conquered his
senses has real l y conquered the whol e worl d, and he becomes a part of
God. 4
I have taken up j ournal i smnot for i ts sake but merel y as an ai d to what I
have concei ved to be my mi ssi on i nl i fe. My mi ssi on i s to teach by exampl e
and precept under severe restrai nt the use of the aatchl ess weapon of
Jai_yL?grroha whi ch is a di rect corol l ary of non- vi ol ence and truth. I a m
anxi ous, i ndeed I ami mpati ent, to demonstrate that t here i s no r emedy for
the many i l l s of l i fe save that of non- vi ol ence. It i s a sol vent strong enough
to mel t the stoni est heart. To be true to my fai th, therefore, I may not wri te
i n anger or mal i ce. I may not wri t e i dl y. I may not wri te merel y to exci te
passi on. The r eader can have no i dea of the restrai nt I have to exerci se f rom
week to week inthe choi ce of topi cs and my vocabul ary. It i s a trai ni ng for
me. I t enabl es me to peep i nto mysel f and to make di scoveri es of my weak-
nesses. Of ten my vani ty di ctates a smar t expressi on or my anger a harsh
adj ecti ve. I t i s a terri bl e ordeal but a fi ne exerci se to r emove these weeds.
The r eader sees the pages of the Young India fai rl y wel l - dressed- up and
somet i mes, wi th Romai n Rol l and, he i s i ncl i ned to say what a fi ne ol d man
thi s must be ! Wel l , l et the worl d understand that the fi neness i s careful l y
and prayerful l y cul ti vated. And, if i t has proved acceptabl e to some whose
opi ni on I cheri sh, l et the r eader understand that when that fi neness has
become perf ectl y natural , i .e., when I have become i ncapabl e of evil and
when nothi ng harsh or haught y occupi es, be i t moment ari l y, my t hought -
worl d, then and not ti l l then, my non- vi ol ence will move all the hearts of
al l the worl d. I have pl aced before me and the r eader no i mpossi bl e i deal
or ordeal . It i s man s prerogati ve and bi rth-ri ght. We have l ost the paradi se
onl y to regai n i t. J
I have l earnt t hrough bi tter experi ence the one supreme l esson to conserve
my anger, and as heat conserved i s transmuted i nto energy, even so our anger
control l ed can be transmuted i nto a power whi ch can move the worl d. 6
It i s not that I do not get angry. I don t gi ve vent toanger. I cul ti vate the
qual i ty of pati ence as angerl essness, and general l y speaki ng, I succeed. But
G A N D H I
I onl y control my anger when i t comes. Ho w I fi nd i t possi bl e to control i t
woul d be a usel ess questi on, for i t i s a habi t that everyone must cul ti vate
and must succeed i n f ormi ng by constant practi ce.
7
It i s wr ong and i mmor al to seek to escape the consequences of one s acts.
It i s good for a person who over- eats to have an ache and a f ast. It i s bad
for hi mto i ndul ge hi s appeti te and then escape the consequences by taki ng
toni cs or other medi ci ne. It i s sti l l worse for a person to i ndul ge i n his
ani mal passi ons and escape the consequences of hi s acts. Nat ure i s rel entl ess
and will have full revenge for any such vi ol ati on of her l aws. Moral resul ts
can onl y be produced by moral restrai nts. All other restrai nts def eat the
very purpose for whi ch they are i ntended. 8
It i s not for us to fi nd faul t wi th anyone el se and si t i n j udgement over hi m.
We shoul d be exhausted j udgi ng oursel ves onl y, and so l ong as we noti ce
a si ngl e faul t i noursel ves and wi sh our rel ati ons and fri ends not to forsake
us i n spi te of such faul t, we have no ri ght to poke our nose i nto other
peopl e s conduct. I f i n spi te of oursel ves we noti ce another s faul t, we
shoul d ask hi mhi msel f i f we have the power and thi nk i t proper to do so,
but we have no ri ght to ask anybody el se.
9
Do not brood over the passi ons. When you have once come to a deci si on,
do not be reconsi deri ng it. Taki ng a vow i mpl i es that the mi nd ceases to
thi nk on the subj ect of that vow any l onger. When a merchant has sol d
some goods, he thi nks no mor e about t hem, but onl y about other thi ngs.
The same i s the case wi th the subj ect- matter of a vow. IO
You will wi sh to know what the mar ks of a man ar e who want s to real i ze
Trut h whi ch i s God. He must be compl etel y f ree f r omanger and l ust, greed
and attachment, pri de and f ear. He must reduce hi msel f to zero and have
perfect control over all hi s senses - begi nni ng wi th t he pal ate or tongue.
Tongue i s the organ of speech as well as of taste. I t i s wi th the t ongue that
we i ndul ge in exaggerati on, untruth and speech that hurts. The cravi ng
for taste makes us sl aves to the pal ate so that l i ke ani mal s we l i ve EO eat.
But wi th proper di sci pl i ne, we can make oursel ves i nto bei ngs onl y a little
bel owthe angel s . He who has mast er ed his senses i s fi rst and f oremost
IIO
G A N D H 1
among men. All vi rtues resi de i nhi m. God mani fests Himself t hrough hi m.
Such i s the power of sel f-di sci pl i ne. 11
All uni versal rul es of conduct known as God s commandment s are si mpl e
and easy to understand and to carry out, if the will i s there. They onl y
appear to be di ffi cdt because of the i nerti a whi ch governs manki nd. Ther e
i s nothi ng at a standsti l l in nature. Onl y God i s moti onl ess for He was, i s
and will be the same yest erday, today and t omor r ow, and yet i s ever
movi ng. . . . Hence I hol d that if manki nd i s to l i ve, i t has to come i ncreas-
i ngl y under sway of truth and non- vi ol ence. rz
J ust as for conducti ng sci enti fi c experi ments t here i s an i ndi spensabl e
scientific course of i nstructi on, i nthe same way, strict prel i mi nary di sci pl i ne
i s necessary to qual i fy a person to make experi ments i n the spi ri tual
r eal m. 13
Abstemi ousness f r omi ntoxi cati ng dri nks and drugs, and f r omall ki nds
of f oods, especi al l y meat , i s undoubt edl y a great ai d tothe evol uti on of the
spi ri t, but i t i s by no means an end i ni tsel f. Many a man eati ng meat and
l i vi ng in the f ear of God i s nearer hi s f reedomthan a man rel i gi ousl y
abstai ni ng f r ommeat and many other thi ngs, but bl asphemi ng God in
every one of hi s acts.
14
Experi ence teaches that ani mal food i s unsui ted to those who woul d curb
thei r passi ons. But i t i s wr ong to over- esti mate the i mport ance of f ood i n
the f ormati on of character or in subj ugati ng the fl esh. Di et i s a powerf ul
factor not to be negl ected. But to sumup al l rel i gi on i nt er ms of di et, as i s
often done i nI ndi a, i s as wr ong as i t i s to di sregard all restrai nt i nregard to
di et and to gi ve full rei ns to one s appeti te.
rj
Experi ence has taught me that si l ence i s a part of the spi ri tual di s-
ci pl i ne of a votary of truth. Proneness to exaggerate, to suppress or
modi f y the truth, wi tti ngl y or unwi tti ngl y, is a natural weakness of
man, and si l ence i s necessary i n order to sur mount it. A man of f ew
wor ds will rarel y be thoughtl ess i n hi s speech; he will measure every
word. 16
III
G A N D H r
I t [si l ence] has now become both a physi cal and spi ri tual necessi ty for me.
Ori gi nal l y i t was taken to rel i eve the sense of pressure. Then I want ed t i me
for wri ti ng. After, however, I had practi sed i t for some ti me, I saw the spi -
ri tual val ue of i t. It suddenl y f l ashed across my mi nd that that was the t i me
when I coul d best hol d communi on wi th God. And now I f eel as t hough
I was natural l y bui l t for si l ence.
17
Si l ence of the sewn- up l i ps i s no si l ence. One may achi eve t he s ame resul t
by choppi ng off one s t ongue, but that too woul d not be si l ence. He i s
si l ent who, havi ng t he capaci ty to speak, utters no i dl e wor d. 18
All power comes f r omthe preservati on of and subl i mati on of the vitality
that i s responsi bl e for the creati on of l i fe. Thi s vitality i s conti nuousl y and
even unconsci ousl y di ssi pated by evil or even rambl i ng, di sorderl y,
unwant ed thoughts. And si nce t hought i s the root of all speech and acti on,
the qual i ty of the l atter corresponds to that of the f ormer. Hence perfectl y
control l ed t hought i s i tsel f power of the hi ghest potency and becomes sel f-
acti ng. . . . I f man i s af ter the i mage of God, he has but to will a thi ng i n
the l i mi ted spher e al l otted to hi mand i t becomes. Such power i s i mpossi bl e
i none who di ssi pates hi s energy i n any way whatsoever.
19
It i s better to enj oy t hrough the body than to be enj oyi ng the t hought of i t.
It i s good to di sapprove of sensual desi res as soon as t hey ari se int he mi nd
and try to keep t hemdown; but if, for want of physi cal enj oyment , t he
mi nd wal l ows i n thoughts of enj oyment , then i t i s l egi ti mate to sati sf y the
hunger of the body. About thi s I have no doubt. 20
Sex urge i s a fi ne and nobl e thi ng. Ther e i s nothi ng tobe ashamed of i ni t.
But i t i s meant onl y for the act of creati on. Any other use of i t i s a sin
agai nst God and humani t y. 21
The worl d seems to be runni ng af ter thi ngs of transi tory val ue. It has no t i me
for the other. And yet, when one thi nks a l i ttl e deeper, i t becomes cl ear that
i t i s t he thi ngs eternal that count i n the end. . . . One such i s brahmachnya.
What i s brahnzachaya ? It i s the way of l i fe whi ch l eads us to Br ahma-
God. It i ncl udes full control over the process of reproducti on. The control
G A N D H I
must be i n thought, wor d and deed. I f the t hought i s not under control ,
the other t wo have no val ue. . . . For one whose t hought i s under control ,
the other i s mer e chi l ds pl ay. zz
I t i s true that he who has attai ned perf ect brabmacbaya does not stand in
need of protecti ng wal l s. But the aspi rant undoubt edl y needs t hem, even
as a young mango pl ant has need of a strong fence round i t. A chi l d goes
f romi t s mother s l ap to the cradl e and f r omcradl e to the push-cart-ti l l he
becomes a man who has l earnt to wal k wi thout ai d. To cl i ng to the ai d when
i t i s needl ess i s surel y harmf ul .
I t appears to me that even the true aspi rant does not need the above-
ment i oned restrai nts. Brahmacbaya i s not a vi rtue that can be cul ti vated by
out ward restrai nts. He who runs away f r oma necessary contact wi th a
woman does not understand the full meani ng of brabmacbaya. However
attracti ve a woman may be, her attracti on will produce no effect on the
man wi thout the urge. . . .
The true brabmacbari will shun f al se restrai nts. He must creat e hi s
own fences accordi ng to his l i mi tati ons, breaki ng t hemdown when
he feel s that they are unnecessary. The f i rst thi ng i s to know what true
brabmacbatya i s, then to real i ze i ts val ue, and lastly to try to cul ti vate thi s
pri cel ess vi rtue. I hol d that true servi ce of the country demands thi s obser-
vance. zj
I know f r ommy own experi ence, that as l ong as I l ooked upon my wife
carnal l y, we had no real understandi ng. Our l ove di d not reach a hi gh pl ane.
There was affecti on bet ween us al ways, but we came cl oser and cl oser, the
mor e we, or rat her I , became restrai ned. Ther e never was any want of
restrai nt on the part of my wi f e. Ver y often she woul d show restrai nt, but
she rarel y resi sted me al though she showed di si ncl i nati on very often. All
the t i me I want ed carnal pl easure I coul d not serve her. The moment I bade
goodbye to a l i fe of carnal pl easure, our whol e rel ati onshi p became spi ri tual .
Lust di ed and l ove rei gned i nstead.
zg
As an external ai d to brabmacbaya, fasti ng i s as necessary as sel ecti on and
restri cti on i n di et. So overpoweri ng are the senses that they can be kept
under control onl y when they are compl etel y hedged i n on all si des, f rom
G A N D H I
above and f r ombeneath. It i s common knowl edge that they are powerl ess
wi thout f ood, and so fasti ng undertaken wi th a vi ewto control of the senses
i s, I have no doubt , very hel pful . Wi t h some, fasti ng i s of no avai l , because
assumi ng that mechani cal fasti ng al one will make t hemi mmune, they keep
thei r bodi es wi thout f ood, but f east thei r mi nds upon all sorts of del i caci es,
thi nki ng all the whi l e what they will eat and what they will dri nk af ter
the f ast termi nates. Such fasti ng hel ps t hemi n control l i ng nei ther
pal ate nor l ust. Fasti ng i s useful when mi nd co- operates wi th starvi ng
body, that i s to say, when i t cul ti vates a di staste for the obj ects that
ar e deni ed to the body. Mi nd i s at the root of all sensual i ty. Fasti ng, there-
fore, has a l i mi ted use, for a fasti ng man may conti nue to be swayed by
passi on. ZJ
Brahmuchar_ya i s such onl y if i t persi sts under all condi ti ons and i n the f ace
of every possi bl e temptati on. I f a beauti ful woman approaches the mar bl e
statue of a man, i t will not be affected i nthe l east. A bruhmachari i s one who
reacts i na si mi l ar case i nthe same way as marbl e does. But j ust as the mar bl e
statue refrai ns f r omusi ng i ts eyes or ears, even so a man shoul d avoi d every
occasi on of si n.
You argue that the si ght and the company of woman have been f ound
to be i ni mi cal to sel f-restrai nt and are therefore tobe avoi ded. Thi s argument
i s fal l aci ous. Brahmuchapz hardl y deserves the name if i t can be observed
onl y by avoi di ng the company of women even when such company i s kept
wi th a vi ewto serve. It amount s to physi cal renunci ati on unbacked by the
essenti al mental detachment, and l ets us down incritical t i mes. 26
For 20 years I was i nthe cl osest t ouch wi th the Wes t i nSout h Af ri ca. I have
known the wri ti ngs on sex by emi nent wr i t er s l i ke Havel ock El l i s, Bertrand
Russel l , and thei r theori es. They ar e all thi nkers of emi nence, i ntegri ty and
experi ence. They have suffered for thei r convi cti ons and for gi vi ng expres-
si on to the same. Whi l e total l y repudi ati ng i nsti tuti ons l i ke mar r i age, etc.,
and the current code of moral s- and t here I di sagree wi th them- they are
firmbel i evers i n the possi bi l i ty and desi rabi l i ty of puri ty i n l i fe i ndepend-
entl y of those i nsti tuti ons and usages. I have come across men and women
i n the West who l ead a pure life al though they do not accept or observe
the current usages and soci al conventi ons. My research runs somewhat in
G A N D H I
that di recti on. I f you admi t the necessi ty and desi rabi l i ty of ref orm, of
di scardi ng the ol d, wherever necessary, and bui l di ng a new syst emof ethi cs
and moral s sui ted to the present age, then the questi on of seeki ng the per-
mi ssi on of others or convi nci ng t hemdoes not ari se. A ref ormer cannot
afford to wai t ti l l others are converted; he must take the l ead and venture
forth al one even inthe teeth of uni versal opposi ti on. I want to test, enl arge
and revi se the current defi ni ti on of bruhmachar_yu.. . i n the l i ght of my
observati on, study and experi ence. Theref ore, whenever an opportuni ty
presents i tsel f I do not evade i t or run away f r omi t. On the contrary,
I deemi t my duty, dhurmu, to meet i t squarel y i n the face and fi nd out
where i t l eads to and where I stand. To avoi d the contact of a woman,
or to run away f r omi t out of f ear, I regard as unbecomi ng of an aspi -
rant af ter true brahmachay. I have never tri ed to cul ti vate or seek sex
contact for carnal sati sfacti on. I do not claim to have compl etel y eradi -
cated the sex feel i ng in me. But i t i s my cl ai mthat I can keep i t under
control . 27
The whol e trai nof thought whi ch underl i es bi rth control i s erroneous and
dangerous. I t s supporters cl ai mthat a man has not onl y the ri ght, but i t i s
his duty to sati sfy the ani mal i nsti nct, and that his devel opment woul d
be arrested if he di d not di scharge this duty. I thi nk this cl ai mi s Ealse.
I t i s i dl e to expect sel f-restrai nt f r om one who takes to arti fi ci al
met hods. I n f act bi rth control i s advocated on the ground that restrai nt
of ani mal passi on i s an i mpossi bi l i ty. To say that such restrai nt i s
i mpossi bl e or unnecessary or harmf ul i s the negati on of all rel i gi on. For
the whol e superstructure of rel i gi on rests on the f oundati ons of sel f-
control . t8
I want to revert to the subj ect of bi rth control by contracepti ves. It i s
di nned i nto one s ears that the grati fi cati on of the sex urge i s a sol emn
obl i gati on like the obl i gati on of di schargi ng debts l awful l y i ncurred, and
that not to do so woul d i nvol ve the penal ty of i ntel l ectual decay. Thi s sex
urge has been i sol ated f r omthe desi re for progeny, and i t i s sai d by the
protagoni sts of the use of contracepti ves that the concepti on i s an acci dent
to be prevented except when the parti es desi re to have chi l dren. I venture
to suggest that this i s a most dangerous doctri ne to preach anywhere ;
G A N D H I
much mor e so i na country l i ke I ndi a, wher e the mi ddl e- cl ass mal e popul a-
ti on has become i mbeci l e t hrough abuse of the creati ve functi on. I f sati s-
facti on of the sex urge i s a duty, the unnatural vi ce and several other ways of
grati fi cati on woul d be commendabl e. The reader shoul d know that even
persons of note have been known to approve of what i s commonl y known
as sexual perversi on. He may be shocked at the statement. But if i t some-
how or other gai ns the st amp of respectabi l i ty, i t will be the r age amongst
boys and gi rl s to sati sf y thei r urge among the member s of thei r own sex.
For me, the use of contracepti ves i s not f ar r emoved f r omthe means to
whi ch persons have hi therto resorted for the grati fi cati on of thei r sexual
desi re wi th the resul ts that very f ew know. I know what havoc secret vi ce
has pl ayed among school boys and school gi rl s. The i ntroducti on of contra-
cepti ves under the name of sci ence and the i mpri mat ur of known l eaders of
soci ety has i ntensi fi ed the compl i cati on and made the task of the ref ormers
who wor k for puri ty of soci al l i fe wel l ni gh i mpossi bl e for the moment .
J betray no conf i dence when I i nf ormthe r eader , that there are unmarri ed
gi rl s of i mpressi onabl e age, studyi ng i n school s and col l eges, who study
bi rth control l i terature and magazi nes wi th avi di ty, and even possess
contracepti ves. It i s i mpossi bl e to confi ne thei r use to mar r i ed women.
Mar r i age l oses i ts sancti ty when i ts purpose and hi ghest use i s concei ved
to be the sati sfacti on of the ani mal passi on wi thout contempl ati ng the
natural resul t of such sati sfacti on. 29
It i s wr ong to call me an asceti c. The i deal s that regul ate my life are pr e-
sented for acceptance by manki nd i n general . I have arri ved at t hemby
gradual evol uti on. Every step was t hought out, wel l - consi dered, and taken
wi th the greatest del i berati on. Bot h my conti nence and non- vi ol ence wer e
deri ved f r ompersonal experi ence and became necessary i n response to the
calls of publ i c duty. The i sol ated lifeI had tol ead i n Sout h Afri ca whet her
as a househol der, l egal practi ti oner, soci al ref ormer or pol i ti ci an, requi red,
for the due ful fi l ment of these duti es, the stri ctest regul ati on of sexual life
and a ri gi d practi ce of non- vi ol ence and truth i nhuman rel ati ons, whether
wi th my own count rymen or wi th the Europeans. I cl ai mto be no mor e than
an average man wi th l ess than average abi l i ty. Nor can I cl ai many speci al
mer i t for such non- vi ol ence or conti nence as I have been abl e to r each
wi th l abori ous research. 30
G A N D H Z
My mi nd i s made up. O n the l onesome way of God on whi ch I have set
out, I need no eart hl y compani ons. Let those who will, therefore, denounce
me, if I amthe i mpostor they i magi ne me to be, t hough they may not say
so inso many words. It mi ght di si l l usi on mi l l i ons who persi st i nregardi ng
me as a Mahat ma. I must confess, the prospect of bei ng so debunked
greatl y pl eases me. jz
"7
CHAPTER VI
I NT ERNAT I ONAL P EACE
I do not bel i eve that an i ndi vi dual may gai n spi ri tual l y and those that sur-
round hi msuffer. I bel i eve inadvuitu. I bel i eve i n the essenti al uni ty of man
and for that mat t er of all that l i ves. Theref ore I bel i eve that if one man gai ns
spi ri tual l y, the whol e worl d gai ns wi th hi mand, if one man fal l s, the whol e
worl d fal l s to that extent. z
There i s not a si ngl e vi rtue whi ch ai ms at, or i s content wi th, the wel f are
of the i ndi vi dual al one. Conversel y, there i s not a si ngl e moral offence
whi ch does not, di rectl y or i ndi rectl y, affect many others besi des the actual
offender. Hence, whet her an i ndi vi dual i s good or bad i s not mer el y hi s
own concern, but real l y the concern of the whol e communi t y, nay, of the
whol e worl d. z
Though there i s repul si on enough inNature, she lives by attracti on. Mut ual
l ove enabl es Nature to persi st. Man does not l i ve by destructi on. Sel f-l ove
compel s regard for others. Nati ons cohere because there i s mutual regard
among i ndi vi dual s composi ng t hem. Some day we must extend the nati onal
l aw to the uni verse, even as we have extended the fami l y lawtof or mnati ons
-a l arger f ami l y. 3
Manki nd i s one, seei ng that all are equal l y subj ect to the moral l aw. All men
are equal in God's eyes. There are, of course, di fferences of race and status
and the l i ke, but the hi gher the status of a man, the greater i s his respon-
sibility. 4
r18
G A N D H I
My mi ssi on i s not mer el y brotherhood of I ndi an humani t y. My mi ssi on is
not mer el y f reedomof I ndi a, t hough today i t undoubt edl y engrosses prac-
tically the whol e of my lifeand the whol e of my ti me. But t hrough real i za-
ti on of f reedomof I ndi a I hope to real i ze and carry on the mi ssi on of the
brotherhood of man. My patri oti smis not an excl usi ve thi ng. It i s all-
embraci ng and I shoul d rej ect that patri oti smwhi ch sought to mount
upon the di stress or the expl oi tati on of other nati onal i ti es. The concepti on
of my patri oti smi s nothi ng if i t i s not al ways, i n every case wi thout excep-
ti on, consi stent wi th the broadest good of humani t y at l arge. Not onl y that,
but my rel i gi on and my patri oti smderi ved f rommy rel i gi on embrace all
life. I want to real i ze brotherhood or i denti ty not merel y wi th the bei ngs
cal l ed human, but I want to real i ze i denti ty wi th all life, even wi th such
thi ngs as cr awl upon earth. I want , if I don t gi ve you a shock, to real i ze
i denti ty wi th even the crawl i ng thi ngs upon earth, because we cl ai mdescent
f r omthe same God, and that bei ng so, al l life i nwhat ever f or mi t appears
must be essenti al l y one. J
It i s i mpossi bl e for one to be an i nternati onal i st wi thout bei ng a nati onal i st.
I nternati onal i smi s possi bl e onl y when nati onal i smbecomes a fact, i.e.,
when peopl es bel ongi ng to di fferent countri es have organi zed themsel ves
and ar e abl e to act as one man. It i s not nati onal i smthat i s evi l , i t is the
narrowness, sel fi shness, excl usi veness whi ch i s the bane of moder n nati ons
whi ch i s evi l . Each want s to profi t at the expense of, and ri se on the rui n of,
theother. 6
I am a humbl e servant of I ndi a and i ntryi ng toserve I da , I serve huma-
ni ty at l arge. . . . Af ter nearl y fiftyyears of publ i c l i fe, I amabl e to say today
that my fai th inthe doctri ne that the servi ce of one s nati on i s not i nconsi s-
tent wi th the servi ce of the worl d has gr own. It i s a good doctri ne. I ts
acceptance al one will ease the si tuati on i n the worl d and stop the mut ual
j eal ousi es bet ween nati ons i nhabi ti ng thi s gl obe of ours.
7
I nterdependence i s and ought to be as much the i deal of man as sel f -
suffi ci ency. Man i s a soci al bei ng. Wi t hout i nter-rel ati on wi th soci ety he
cannot real i ze hi s oneness wi th the uni verse or suppress his egoti sm. His
soci al i nterdependence enabl es himto test hi s fai th and to prove hi msel f
G A N D N r
on the touchstone of real i ty. I f man wer e so pl aced or coul d so pl ace hi m-
sel f as to be absol utel y above all dependence on hi s f el l ow- bei ngs he woul d
become so proud and arrogant as tobe a veri tabl e burden and nui sance to
the worl d. Dependence on soci ety teaches hi mthe l esson of humani t y. That
a man ought to be abl e to sati sfy most of his essenti al needs hi msel f i s
obvi ous ; but i t i s no l ess obvi ous to me that when sel f-suffi ci ency i s carri ed
to the l ength of i sol ati ng onesel f f r omsoci ety i t al most amount s to si n. A
man cannot become sel f-suffi ci ent even inrespect of all the vari ous opera-
ti ons f r omthe growi ng of cotton to the spi nni ng of the yarn. He has at
some st age or other to take the ai d of the member s of hi s fami l y. And if
one may take hel p f r omones own fami l y, why not f r omones nei ghbours ?
Or otherwi se what i s the si gni fi cance of the great sayi ng, The worl d i s
my f ami l y ? 8
Duti es to sel f, to the f ami l y, to the country and to the worl d are not in-
dependent of one another. One cannot do good tothe country by i nj uri ng
hi msel f or his fami l y. Si mi l arl y one cannot serve the country i nj uri ng the
worl d at l arge. In the final anal ysi s we must di e that the fami l y may l i ve,
the fami l y must di e that the country may l i ve and the country must di e
that the worl d may l i ve. But onl y pure thi ngs can be offered i n sacri fi ce.
Theref ore, sel f-puri fi cati on i s the fi rst step. When the heart i s pure, we at
once real i ze what i s our duty at every moment .
9
The gol den way i s to be fri ends wi th the worl d and to r egar d the whol e
human f ami l y as one. Hewho di sti ngui shes bet ween the votari es of one s
own rel i gi on and those of another mi s- educates the member s of hi s own
and opens the way for di scard and i rrel i gi on. I O
I l i ve for I ndi a s f reedomand woul d di e for i t, because i t i s part of
Trut h. Onl y a free I ndi a can worshi p the true God. I work for I ndi as
f reedombecause my swadeshi teaches me that bei ng born ini t and hav-
i ng i nheri ted her cul ture, I a m fi ttest to serve her and she has a pri or cl ai m
to my servi ce. But my patri oti smi s not excl usi ve; i t i s cal cul ated not
onl y not to hurt another nati on but to benefi t al l in the true sense of the
wor d. I ndi a s f reedomas concei ved by me can never be a menace tothe
worl d. I I
I20
G A N D H r
We want f reedomfor our country, but not at the expense or expl oi tati on
of others, not so as to degrade other countri es. I do not want the f reedomof
I ndi a if i t means the exti ncti on of Engl and or the di sappearance of Engl i sh-
men. I want the f reedomof my country so that other countri es may l earn
somet hi ng f rommy f ree country, so that the resources of my country
mi ght be uti l i zed for the benefi t of manki nd. J ust as the cul t of patri oti sm
teaches us today that the i ndi vi dual has to di e for the fami l y, the fami l y has
to di e for the vi l l age, the vi l l age for the di stri ct, the di stri ct for t he provi nce,
and the provi nce for the country, even so, a country has to be f ree i norder
that i t may di e, if necessary, for the benefi t of the worl d. My l ove therefore
of nati onal i smor my i dea of nati onal i sm, i s that my country may become
free, that if need be, the whol e country may di e, so that the human race may
l i ve. Ther e i s no r oomfor r ace- hat r ed there. Let that be our nati onal i sm. IZ
There i s no limit to extendi ng our servi ces to our nei ghbours across State-
made fronti ers. God never made those fronti ers.
rj
My goal i s fri endshi p wi th the whol e worl d and I can combi ne the great est
l ove wi th the greatest opposi ti on towr ong.
14
For me patri oti smi s the same as humani t y. I ampatri oti c because I am
human and humane. It i s not excl usi ve, I will not hurt Engl and or Ger many
to ser ve I ndi a. I mperi al i smhas no pl ace i nmy scheme of l i fe. The lawof a
patri ot i s not di fferent f r omthat of the patri arch. And a patri ot i s so much
the l ess a patri ot if he i s a l ukewar mhumani tari an. Ther e i s no confl i ct
bet ween pri vate and pol i ti cal l aw. rj
Our non- co- operat i on i s nei ther wi th the Engl i sh nor wi th the West . Our
non- co- operat i on i s wi th the systemthe Engl i sh have establ i shed, wi th the
mat eri al ci vi l i zati on and i ts attendant greed and expl oi tati on of the weak.
Our non- co- operat i on i s a reti rement wi thi n oursel ves. Our non- co- opera-
ti on i s a refusal to co- operate wi th the Engl i sh admi ni strators on thei r own
terms. We say to t hem: Come and co- operate wi th us on our t er ms and i t
will be wel l for us, for you and the worl d. We must refuse to be l i fted off
our feet. A drowni ng man cannot save others. In order to be f i t to save
others, we must try to save oursel ves. I ndi an nati onal i smi s not excl usi ve,
121
G A N D H I
nor aggressi ve, nor destructi ve. It i s heal th-gi vi ng, rel i gi ous and therefore
humani tari an. I ndi a must l earn to l i ve before she can aspi re to di e for
humani ty. 16
I do not want Engl and to be def eated or humi l i ated. It hurts me to fi nd
St. Paul s Cathedral damaged. It hurts me as much a5 I woul d be hurt if I
heard that Kashi Vi s hvanath t empl e or the J uma Masj i d was damaged.
I woul d l i ke to def end both the Kashi Vi shvanath t empl e and the J uma
Masj i d and even St. Paul s Cathedral wi th my life, but woul d not take a
si ngl e life for thei r def ence. That i s my f undamental di fference wi th the
Bri ti sh peopl e. My sympat hy i s there wi th t hemneverthel ess. Let there be
no mi stake on the part of the Engl i shmen, Congressmen, or others whom
my voi ce reaches, as to where my sympat hy lies. It i s not because I l ove the
Bri ti sh nati on and hate the Ger man. I do not thi nk that the Ger mans as a
nati on are any worse than the Engl i sh, or the I tal i ans are any worse. We
are all tarred wi th the same brush ; we are aLl member s of the vast human
f ami l y. I decl i ne to dr awany di sti ncti ons. I cannot cl ai many superi ori ty
for I ndi ans. We have the same vi rtues and the same vi ces. Humani t y i s not
di vi ded i nto waterti ght compart ment s so that we cannot go f r omone to
another. They may occupy one thousand r ooms, but they are all rel ated to
one another. I woul d not say : I ndi a shoul d be al l i n al l , let the whol e worl d
peri sh. That i s not my message. I ndi a shoul d be al l i n al l , consi stentl y wi th
the wel l - bei ng of other nati ons of the worl d. I can keep I ndi a i ntact and i ts
f reedomalso i ntact onl y if I have goodwi l l towards the whol e of the human
fami l y and not mer el y for the human f ami l y whi ch i nhabi ts this little spot
of the earth cal l ed I ndi a. It i s bi g enough compared to other smal l er nati ons,
but what i s I ndi a inthe wi de worl d or i n the uni verse ?
z7
Not to bel i eve in the possi bi l i ty of permanent peace i s to di sbel i eve i n the
godl i ness of human nature. Met hods hi therto adopted have fai l ed because
rock- bot t omsi nceri ty on the part of those who have stri ven has been
l acki ng. Not that they have real i zed thi s l ack. Peace i s unattai ned by part
perf ormance of condi ti ons, even as a chemi cal combi nati on i s i mpossi bl e
wi thout compl ete ful fi l ment of the condi ti ons of attai nment thereof. I f the
recogni zed l eaders of manki nd who have control over the engi nes of des-
tructi ons wer e whol l y to renounce thei r use, wi th full knowl edge of i ts
G A N D H I
i mpl i cati ons, permanent peace can be obtai ned. Thi s i s cl earl y i mpossi bl e
wi thout the Gr eat Power s of the eart h renounci ng thei r i mperi al i sti c desi gn.
Thi s agai n seems i mpossi bl e wi thout great nati ons ceasi ng to bel i eve i n
soul - destroyi ng competi ti on and to desi re to mul ti pl y want s and, therefore,
i ncrease thei r mat eri al possessi ons. 18
I do suggest that the doctri ne [of non- vi ol ence] hol ds good al so as bet ween
States and States. I know that I a m treadi ng on del i cate ground if I ref er
to the l ate war . But I f ear I must i norder to make the posi ti on cl ear. It was
a war of aggrandi zement, as I have understood, on ei ther part. It was a war
for di vi di ng the spoi l s of the expl oi tati on of weaker races-otherwi se
euphemi sti cal l y cal l ed the worl d commer ce. . . . It woul d be f ound that
before general di sarmament in Eur ope commences, as i t must some day,
unl ess Eur ope i s to commi t sui ci de, some nati on will have to dar e to di sar m
hersel f and t ake l arge ri sks. The l evel of non- vi ol ence in that nati on, if
that event happi l y comes to pass, will natural l y have ri sen so hi gh as to
command uni versal respect. Her j udgement s will be unerri ng, her deci si ons
firm, her capaci ty for heroi c sel f -sacri f i ce will be great, and she will want to
l i ve as much for other nati ons as for hersel f .
29
One thi ng i s certai n. I f the mad race for armament s conti nues, i r. i s bound
to resul t i n a sl aughter such as has never occurred in hi story. I f there i s a
vi ctor l eft the very vi ctory will be a l i vi ng death for the nati on that emer ges
vi ctori ous. Ther e i s no escape f r omthe i mpendi ng doomsave t hrough a
bol d and uncondi ti onal acceptance of the non- vi ol ent met hod wi th all i ts
gl ori ous i mpl i cati ons. 20
I f there wer e no greed, t here woul d be no occasi on for armament s. The
pri nci pl e of non- vi ol ence necessi tates compl et e abstenti on f r omexpl oi ta-
ti on i nany f orm. ZI
I mmedi at el y the spi ri t of expl oi tati on i s gone, armament s will be fel t as a
posi ti ve unbearabl e burden. Real di sarmament cannot come unl ess the
nati ons of the worl d cease to expl oi t one another. zz
I woul d not l i ke tol i ve i nthis worl d if i t i s not tobe one worl d.
23
CHAPTER VI1
M A N A N D M A C H I N E
I must confess that I do not dr aw a sharp l i ne or any di sti ncti on bet ween
economi cs and ethi cs. Economi cs that hurt the moral wel l - bei ng of an
i ndi vi dual or a nati on are i mmor al and, therefore, si nful . Thus, the econo-
mies that per mi t one country to prey upon another are i mmoral . I
The end to be sought i s human happi ness combi ned wi th full mental and
moral growt h. I use the adj ecti ve moral as synonymous wi th spi ri tual . Thi s
end can be achi eved under decentral i zati on. Central i zati on as a systemi s
i nconsi stent wi th a non- vi ol ent structure of soci ety. z
I woul d categori cal l y state my convi cti on that the mani a for mass produc-
ti on i s responsi bl e for the worl d crisis. Granti ng for the moment that the
machi nery may suppl y al l the needs of humani t y, sti l l , i t woul d concentrate
producti on i n parti cul ar areas, so that you woul d have to go about i n a
roundabout way to regul ate di stri buti on, wher eas, if there i s producti on and
di stri buti on both i n the respecti ve areas wher e thi ngs ar e requi red, i t i s auto-
mati cal l y regul ated, and there i s l ess chance for f raud, none for specul ati on. ;3
Mas s producti on t akes no note of the real requi rement of the consumer. I f
mass producti on wer e i n i tsel f a vi rtue, i t shoul d be capabl e of i ndefi ni te
mul ti pl i cati on. But i t can be defi ni tel y shown that mass producti on carri es
wi thi n i t i ts own l i mi tati ons. I f all countri es adopted the systemof mass
producti on t here woul d not be a bi g enough mar ket for thei r products.
Mass producti on must then come to a stop.
4
G A N D H I
I don t bel i eve that i ndustri al i zati on is necessary i nany case for any country.
It i s much l ess so for I ndi a. I ndeed I bel i eve that i ndependent I ndi a can
onl y di scharge her duty t owards a groani ng worl d by adopti ng a si mpl e
but ennobl ed l i fe by devel opi ng her thousands of cottages and l i vi ng at
peace wi th the worl d. Hi gh thi nki ng i s i nconsi stent wi th a compl i cated ma-
teri al l i fe, based on hi gh speed i mposed on us by Mammon worshi p. All
the graces of l i fe ar e possi bl e, onl y when we l earn the art of l i vi ng nobl y.
There may be sensati on i nl i vi ng dangerousl y. We must dr aw the di sti nc-
ti on bet ween l i vi ng i n the face of danger and l i vi ng dangerousl y. A man
who dar es to l i ve al one in a forest i nfested by wi l d beast s and wi l der men
wi thout a gun and wi th God as hi s onl y hel p, l i ves i n t he face of danger.
A man who l i ves perpetual l y i nmi d- ai r and di ves to the earth bel owto the
admi rati on of a gapi ng worl d l i ves dangerousl y. One i s a purposef ul , the
other a purposel ess life. J
What i s the cause of the present chaos ? It i s expl oi tati on, I will not say,
of the weaker nati ons by the stronger, but of si ster nati ons by si ster nati ons.
And my f undament al obj ecti on to machi nery rest s on the fact that i t i s
machi nery that has enabl ed these nati ons to expl oi t others. 6
I woul d destroy that systemtoday, if I had the power. I woul d use the most
deadl y weapons, i f I bel i eved that they woul d destroy i t. I refrai n onl y
because the use of such weapons woul d onl y perpetuate the syst em, t hough
i t may destroy i ts present admi ni strators. Those who seek to destroy men
rat her than manners, adopt the l atter and become worse than those whom
they destroy under the mi staken bel i ef that the manners will di e wi th the
men. They do not know the root of the evi l .
7
Machi nery has i ts pl ace; i t has come to stay. But i t must not be al l owed to
di spl ace necessary human l abour. An i mproved pl ough i s a good thi ng.
But i f by some chance one man coul d pl ough up, by some mechani cal
i nventi on of hi s, the whol e of the l and of I ndi a and control all the agri cul tural
produce and i f the mi l l i ons had no other occupati on, t hey woul d starve,
and bei ng i dl e, they woul d become dunces, as many have al ready become.
Ther e i s hourl y danger of many mor e bei ng reduced to that unenvi abl e
state.
G A N D H I
I woul d wel come every i mpr ovement i nthe cottage machi ne, but I know
that i t i s cri mi nal to di spl ace hand- l abour by the i ntroducti on of power -
dri ven spi ndl es unl ess one i s at the same t i me ready to gi ve mi l l i ons of
f ar mer s some other occupati on i n thei r homes. 8
What I obj ect to, i s the craze for machi nery, not machi nery as such. The
craze i s for what they call l abour- savi ng machi nery. Men go on savi ng
l abour ti l l thousands ar e wi thout wor k and t hr own on the open streets to
di e of starvati on. I want to save time and l abour, not for a fracti on of man-
ki nd, but for al l ; I want the concentrati on of weal th, not i n the hands of
a f ew, but i n the hands of all. Today machi nery merel y hel ps a few
to ri de on the back of mi l l i ons. The i mpet us behi nd i t all i s not the phi l -
anthropy to save l abour, but gr eed. It i s agai nst this consti tuti on of thi ngs
that I a m fi ghti ng wi th all my mi ght.
The supreme consi derati on i s man. The machi ne shoul d not tend to make
atrophi ed the l i mbs of man. For i nstance, I woul d make i ntel l i gent excep-
ti ons. Take the case of the Si nger Sewi ng Machi ne. It i s one of the f ew
useful thi ngs ever i nvented, and t here i s a r omance about the devi ce itself.
Si nger saw his wi f e l abouri ng over t he tedi ous process of sewi ng and seam-
i ng wi th her own hands, and si mpl y out of his l ove for her he devi sed the
sewi ng machi ne inorder to save her f r omunnecessary l abour. He, however,
saved not onl y her l abour but al so the l abour of everyone who coul d pur-
chase a sewi ng machi ne.
It i s an al terati on in the condi ti on of l abour that I want. Thi s mad rush
for weal th must cease, and the l abourer must be assured, not onl y of a l i vi ng
wage, but a dai l y t ask that i s not a mer e drudgery. The machi ne will, under
t hese condi ti ons, be as much a hel p to the man worki ng i t as to the State,
or the man who owns i t. The present mad rush will cease, and the l abourer
will wor k (as I have sai d) under attracti ve and i deal condi ti ons. Thi s i s but
one of the excepti ons I have in mi nd. The sewi ng machi ne had l ove at i ts
back. The i ndi vi dual i s the one supreme consi derati on. The savi ng of l abour
of the i ndi vi dual shoul d be the obj ect, and the honest humani tari an con-
si derati on, and not greed, the moti ve. Repl ace greed by l ove and everythi ng
will come ri ght. 9
Hand- spi nni ng does not, i t i s not i ntended that i t shoul d, compet e wi th, in
126
G A N D H I
order to dl spl ace, any exi sti ng type of i ndustry; i t does not ai mat wi t h-
drawi ng a si ngl e abl e- bodi ed person, who can otherwi se fi nd a remunera-
ti ve occupati on f r omhis wor k. The sol e cl ai madvanced on i ts behal f i s that
i t al one offers an i mmedi at e, practi cabl e, and permanent sol uti on of that
probl emof probl ems that conf ronts I ndi a, vi z., the enf orced i dl eness for
nearl y six mont hs i n the year of an overwhel mi ng maj ori ty of I ndi a' s
popul ati on, owi ng to l ack of a sui tabl e suppl ementary occupati on toagri -
cul ture and the chroni c starvati on of the masses that resul ts theref rom. I O
I have not contempl ated, much l ess advi sed, the abandonment of a si ngl e
heal thy, l i fe-gi vi ng i ndustri al acti vi ty for the sake of hand- spi nni ng. The
enti re f oundati on of the spi nni ng wheel rest s on the fact that there are
crores of semi - empl oyed peopl e in I ndi a. And I shoul d admi t that i f there
wer e none such, there woul d be no r oomfor the spi nni ng wheel . rz
A starvi ng man thi nks fi rst of sati sfyi ng hi s hunger before anythi ng el se.
He will sel l hi s l i berty and all for the sake of getti ng a morsel of f ood. Such
i s the posi ti on of mi l l i ons of the peopl e of I ndi a. For t hem, l i berty, God and
all such wor ds are merel y l etters put together wi thout the sl i ghtest meani ng.
They j ar upon t hem. I f we want to gi ve t hese peopl e a sense of f reedomwe
shal l have to provi de t hemwi th wor k whi ch they can easily do in thei r
desol ate home and whi ch woul d gi ve t hemat l east the barest l i vi ng. This
can onl y be done by the spi nni ng wheel . And when they have become sel f-
rel i ant and are abl e to support themsel ves, we are i n a posi ti on to talk to
t hemabout f reedom, about Congress, etc. Those, therefore, who bri ng t hem
wor k and means of getti ng a crust of bread will be thei r del i verers and will
be al so the peopl e who will make t hemhunger for l i berty. zt
Littledo town- dwel l ers know how the semi - starved masses of I ndi a ar e
sl owl y si nki ng to l i fel essness. Little do they know that thei r mi serabl e
comf ort represents the brokerage they get for the work they do for the
forei gn expl oi ter, that the profi ts and the brokerage are sucked f r omthe
masses. Little do they real i ze that the government establ i shed by l aw in
Bri ti sh I ndi a i s carri ed on for t hi s expl oi tati on of the masses. No sophi stry,
no j uggl ery i n fi gures can expl ai n away the evi dence that the skel etons in
many vi l l ages present to the naked eye. I have no doubt what soever that
'4
G A N D H Z
both Engl and and the town- dwel l ers of I ndi a will have to answer, if there
i s a God above, for thi s cri me agai nst humani t y whi ch i s per haps unequal l ed
inhi story. r3
I woul d f avour the use of the most el aborate machi nery if t hereby I ndi a s
pauper i sm and resul ti ng i dl eness be avoi ded. I have suggested hand-
spi nni ng as the onl y r eady means of dri vi ng away penury and maki ng f ami ne
of wor k and weal th i mpossi bl e. The spi nni ng wheel i tsel f i s a pi ece of val u-
abl e machi nery, and i nmy own humbl e way I have tri ed to secure i mprove-
ment s ini t i nkeepi ng wi th the speci al condi ti ons of I ndi a.
r4
I woul d say that if the vi l l age peri shes, I ndi a will peri sh too. I ndi a will be
no mor e I ndi a. Her own mi ssi on i n the worl d will get l ost. The revi val of
the vi l l age i s possi bl e onl y when i t i s no mor e expl oi ted. I ndustri al i zati on
on a mass scal e will necessari l y l ead to passi ve or acti ve expl oi tati on of the
vi l l agers as the probl ems of competi ti on and marketi ng come i n. Theref ore
we have to concentrate on the vi l l age bei ng sel f-contai ned, manuf acturi ng
mai nl y for use. Provi ded thi s character of the vi l l age i ndustry i s mai ntai ned,
there woul d be no obj ecti on to vi l l agers usi ng even the moder n machi nes
and tool s that they can make and can afford to use. Onl y they shoul d not be
used as a means of expl oi tati on of others.
rj
128
CHAPTER VI11
POVERTY I N T HE MI DST
OF P L E N T Y
That economi cs i s untrue whi ch i gnores or di sregards moral val ues. The
extensi on of the l aw of non- vi ol ence i n the domai n of economi cs means
nothi ng l ess than the i ntroducti on of moral val ues as a factor to be con-
si dered in regul ati ng i nternati onal commer ce. r
Accordi ng to me the economi c consti tuti on of I ndi a and for that mat t er of
t he worl d, shoul d be such that no one under i t shoul d suffer f r omwant of
f ood and cl othi ng. In other wor ds everybody shoul d be abl e to get suffi -
ci ent wor k to enabl e hi mto make the t wo ends meet. And thi s i deal can be
uni versal l y real i zed onl y if the means of producti on of the el ementary
necessari es of l i fe remai n i n the control of the masses. These shoul d be
freel y avai l abl e to all as God's ai r and wat er are or ought tobe; they shoul d
not be made a vehi cl e of traffi c for the expl oi tati on of others. Thei r monopo-
l i zati on by any country, nati on or group of persons woul d be unj ust. The
negl ect of this si mpl e pri nci pl e i s the cause of the desti tuti on that we wit-
ness today not onl y in this unhappy l and but i n other parts of the worl d
too. 2
My i deal i s equal di stri buti on, but so f ar as I can see, i t i s not to be real i zed.
I therefore wor k for equi tabl e di stri buti on.
3
Love and excl usi ve possessi on can never go together. Theoreti cal l y when
t here is perf ect l ove, there must be perf ect non- possessi on. The body i s our
l ast possessi on. So a man can onl y exerci se perfect l ove and be compl etel y
G A N D H Z
di spossessed, if he i s pr epar ed to embrace death and renounce his body for
the sake of human servi ce.
But that is true i n theory onl y. In actual l i fe, we can hardl y exerci se
perfect l ove, for the body as a possessi on will al ways remai n wi th us. Man
will ever remai n i mperf ect and i t will al ways be hi s part totry tobe perfect.
So that perfecti on i n l ove or non- possessi on will remai n an unattai nabl e
i deal as l ong as we are al i ve, but t owards whi ch we must ceasel essl y
stri ve. 4
I suggest that we are thi eves i na way. I f I t ake anythi ng that I do not need
for my own i mmedi at e use, and keep i t , I thi eve i t f romsomebody el se.
I venture to suggest that i t i s the f undament al lawof Nature, wi thout
excepti on, that Nat ure produces enough for our want s f r omday to day,
and if onl y everybody took enough for hi msel f and nothi ng more, there
woul d be no pauperi sminthi s worl d, there woul d be no man dyi ng of starva-
ti on in thi s worl d. But so l ong as we have got thi s i nequal i ty, so l ong we are
thi evi ng. I a m no soci al i st and I do not want to di spossess those who have
got possessi ons ; but I do say that, personal l y, those of us who want to see
l i ght out of darkness have to f ol l owthis rul e. I do not want to di spossess
anybody. I shoul d then be departi ng f r omthe rul e of ah&~Z. I f somebody
el se possesses mor e than I do, l et hi m. But so f ar as my own life has to be
regul ated, I do say that I dar e not possess anythi ng whi ch I do not want.
In I ndi a we have got t hree mi l l i ons of peopl e havi ng tobe sati sfi ed wi th one
meal a day, and that meal consi sti ng of a chapzti contai ni ng no fat init, and
a pi nch of sal t. You and I have no ri ght to anythi ng that we real l y have
unti l these three mi l l i ons are cl othed and f ed better. You and I , who ought
to know better, must adj ust our wants, and even undergo vol untary starva-
tion inorder that they may be nursed, f ed and cl othed.
J
Non- possessi on i s al l i ed to non- steal i ng. A thi ng not ori gi nal l y stol en must
neverthel ess be cl assi fi ed stol en property, if one possesses i t wi thout need-
i ng i t. Possessi on i mpl i es provi si on for the future. A seeker after Trut h,
a f ol l ower of the Lawof Love cannot hol d anythi ng agai nst t omor r ow.
God never stores for the mor r ow; He never creates mor e than what is
stri ctl y needed for the moment . I f, therefore, we repose fai th i n His pro-
vi dence, we shoul d rest assured, that He will gi ve us everythi ng that we
G A N D H Z
requi re. Sai nts and devotees, who have l i ved i n such fai th, have al ways
deri ved a j usti fi cati on for i t f r omthei r experi ence. Our i gnorance or negl i -
gence of the Di vi ne Law, whi ch gi ves to man f r omday to day hi s dai l y
br ead and no more, has gi ven ri se to i nequal i ti es wi th all the mi seri es attend-
ant upon t hem. The ri ch have a superf l uous store of thi ngs whi ch they do
not need, and whi ch are therefore negl ected and wasted, whi l e mi l l i ons are
starved to deat h for want of sustenance. I f each retai ned possessi on onl y of
what he needed, no one woul d be i nwant , and all woul d l i ve i ncontentment.
As i t i s, the ri ch are di scontented no l ess than t he poor. The poor man woul d
fai n become a mi l l i onai re, and the mi l l i onai re a mul ti mi l l i onai re. The ri ch
shoul d take the i ni ti ati ve in di spossessi on wi th a vi ewto a uni versal di ffu-
si on of the spi ri t of contentment. I f onl y they keep thei r own property
wi thi n moderat e limits, the starvi ng will be easi l y fed, and will l earn the
l esson of cont ent ment al ong wi th the ri ch. 6
Economi c equal i ty i s the mast er key to non- vi ol ent i ndependence. Wor ki ng
for economi c equal i ty means abol i shi ng the eternal confl i ct bet ween capi tal
and l abour. It means the l evel l i ng down of the f ew ri ch inwhose hands i s
concentrated the bul k of the nati on s weal th on the one hand, and a l evel -
l i ng up of the semi - starved naked mi l l i ons on the other. A non- vi ol ent
systemof government i s cl earl y an i mpossi bi l i ty so l ong as the wi de gul f
bet ween the ri ch and the hungry mi l l i ons persi sts. The contrast bet ween the
pal aces of NewDel hi and the mi serabl e hovel s of the poor, l abouri ng class
cannot l ast one day ina f ree I ndi ai n whi ch the poor will enj oy the samepower
as the ri chest i nthe l and. A vi ol ent and bl oody revol uti on i s a certai nty one
day unl ess t here i s a vol untary abdi cati on of ri ches and the power that
ri ches gi ve and shari ng t hemfor the common good. I adhere to my doctri ne
of trusteeshi p i n spi te of the ri di cul e that has been poured upon it. I t i s
true that i t i s difficult to reach. So i s non- vi ol ence difficult to attai n.
7
The real i mpl i cati on of equal di stri buti on i s that each man shal l have the
wherewi thal to suppl y all hi s natural want s and more. For exampl e, if one
man has a weak di gesti on and requi res onl y a quarter of a pound of fl our
for his bread and another needs a pound, both shoul d be i n a posi ti on to
sati sfy thei r wants. To bri ng this i deal i nto bei ng the enti re soci al order has
got to be reconstructed. A soci ety based on non- vi ol ence cannot nurture
G A N D w r
any other i deal . We may not perhaps be abl e to real i ze the goal but we must
bear i t i n mi nd and wor k unceasi ngl y to near i t. To the same extent as we
progress t owards our goal we shal l fi nd cont ent ment and happi ness, and to
that extent too, shal l we have contri buted t owards the bri ngi ng i nto bei ng
of a non- vi ol ent soci ety.
Now l et us consi der how equal di stri buti on can be brought about
t hrough non- vi ol ence. The fi rst st ep t owards i t i s for hi mwho has made
thi s i deal part of his bei ng to bri ng about the necessary changes i n his
personal life. He woul d reduce his wants toa mi ni mum, beari ng inmi nd the
poverty of I ndi a. His earni ngs woul d be f ree of di shonesty. The desi re for
specul ati on woul d be renounced. Hi s habi tati on woul d be i n keepi ng wi th
hi s new mode of life. Ther e woul d be sel f-restrai nt exerci sed i nevery sphere
of life. When he has done all that i s possi bl e i nhis own l i fe, then onl y will
he be i na posi ti on to preach thi s i deal among his associ ates and nei ghbours.
I ndeed at the root of t hi s doctri ne of equal di stri buti on must l i e that of
the trusteeshi p of the weal t hy for superfl uous weal th possessed by t hem. For
accordi ng to the doctri ne they may not possess a rupee mor e than thei r
nei ghbours. Ho w i s this to be brought about ? Non- vi ol ent l y? Or shoul d
the weal thy be di spossessed of thei r possessi ons? To do thi s we woul d
natural l y have to resort tovi ol ence. Thi s vi ol ent acti on cannot benefi t the
soci ety. Soci ety will be the poorer, for i t will l ose the gi fts of a man who
knows how to accumul ate weal th. Theref ore the non- vi ol ent way i s evi dent-
ly superi or. The ri ch man will be l eft i n possessi on of hi s weal th, of whi ch
he will use what he reasonabl y requi res for hi s personal needs and will act
as a trustee for the remai nder to be used for the soci ety. I n t hi s argument
honesty on the part y of the trustee i s assumed.
I f however, i n spi te of the ut most effort, the ri ch do not become guard-
i ans of the poor i n the true sense of the t er mand the l atter are mor e and
mor e crushed and di e of hunger, what i s tobe done ? I n tryi ng to fi nd out
the sol uti on of thi s ri ddl e I have l i ghted on non- vi ol ent non- co- operat i on
and civil di sobedi ence as the ri ght and i nfal l i bl e means. The ri ch cannot
accumul ate weal th wi thout the co- operati on of the poor i n soci ety. I f this
knowl edge wer e to penetrate to and spread amongst the poor, they woul d
become strong and woul d l earn how to f ree themsel ves by means of non-
vi ol ence f r omthe crushi ng i nequal i ti es whi ch have brought t hemto the
verge of starvati on. B
G A N D H Z
I cannot i magi ne anythi ng nobl er or mor e nati onal than that for, say, one
hour in the day, we shoul d all do the l abour that the poor must do, and thus
i denti fy oursel ves wi th t hemand t hrough t hemwi th all manki nd. I cannot
i magi ne better worshi p of God than that in His name I shoul d l abour for
the poor even as they do.
9
Earn thy bread by the sweat of thy br ow says the Bi bl e. Sacri fi ces may be
of many ki nds. One of t hemmay wel l be br ead l abour. I f all l aboured for
thei r br ead and no mor e, then there woul d be enough f ood and enough
l ei sure for all. Then t here woul d be no cry of over- popul ati on, no di sease
and no such mi sery as we see around. Such l abour will be the hi ghest f orm
of sacri fi ce. Men will no doubt do many other thi ngs ei ther t hrough thei r
bodi es or t hrough thei r mi nds, but all this will be l abour of l ove for the
common good. Ther e will then be no ri ch and no poor, none hi gh and none
l ow, no touchabl e and no untouchabl e. IO
Why shoul d I , who have no need to wor k for f ood, spi n ? may be the ques-
ti on asked. Because I ameati ng what . does not bel ong tome. I aml i vi ng on
the spol i ati on of my count rymen. Tr ace the course of every pi ce that fi nds
i ts way i nto your pocket, and you will real i ze the truth of what I wri t e. . . .
I must refuse to i nsul t the naked by gi vi ng t hemcl othes they do not
need, i nstead of gi vi ng t hemwor k whi ch they sorel y need. I will not com-
mit the sinof becomi ng thei r patron, but on l earni ng that I had assi sted i n
i mpoveri shi ng t hem, I woul d gi ve t hemnei ther cr umbs nor cast-off cl othi ng,
but the best of my f ood and cl othes and associ ate mysel f wi th t hemi nwor k. . . ,
God created man to wor k for hi s f ood and sai d that those who ate
wi thout wor k wer e thi eves. r r
We shoul d be ashamed of resti ng or havi ng a square meal so l ong as t here
i s one abl e- bodi ed man or woman wi thout wor k or f ood. IZ
I hate pri vi l ege and monopol y. What ever cannot be shared withthe masses
i s t aboo to me. r3
I t i s open to the wor l d. . . to l augh at my di spossessi ng mysel f of all pro-
perty. For me the di spossessi on has been a posi ti ve gai n. I woul d l i ke
33
G A N D H I
peopl e tocompet e wi th me i n my contentment. I t i s the ri chest treasure I
own. Hence i t i s perhaps ri ght to say that t hough I preach poverty, I am
ar i chman! z4
No one has ever suggested that gri ndi ng pauperi smcan l ead to anythi ng
el se than moral degradati on. Every human bei ng has a ri ght to l i ve and
therefore to fi nd the wherewi thal to f eed hi msel f and where necessary to
cl othe and house hi msel f. But for t hi s very si mpl e perf ormance we need no
assi stance f r omeconomi sts or thei r l aws.
Take no t hought for the mor r ow i s an i nj uncti on whi ch fi nds an echo
i nal most al l the rel i gi ous scri ptures of the worl d. In a wel l - ordered soci ety
the securi ng of one s l i vel i hood shoul d be and i s f ound to be the easi est
thi ng i n the worl d. I ndeed the test of orderl i ness i n a country i s not the
number of mi l l i onai res i t owns, but the absence of starvati on among i ts
masses. zj
My uhi~sd woul d not tol erate the i dea of gi vi ng a f ree meal to a heal thy
person who has not wor ked for i t i n some honest way and if I had the
power , I woul d stop every sudrivrutu where f ree meal s are gi ven. It has
degraded the nati on and i t has encouraged l azi ness, i dl eness, hypocri sy and
even cri me. 16
Tr ue to hi s poeti cal i nsti nct, the poet l i ves for the mor r ow and woul d have
us do l i kewi se. He presents to our admi ri ng gaze the beauti ful pi cture of
the bi rds earl y i nthe morni ng si ngi ng hymns of prai se as they soar i nto the
sky. These bi rds have had thei r day s f ood and soared wi th rested wi ngs,
i n whose vei ns new bl ood had flown duri ng the previ ous ni ght. But I have
had the pai n of watchi ng bi rds who for want of strength coul d not be
coaxed even i nto a fl utter of thei r wi ngs. The human bi rd under the I ndi an
sky gets up weaker than when he pretended to reti re. For mi l l i ons i t i s an
eternal vi gi l or an eternal trance. It i s an i ndescri babl y pai nful state whi ch has
got to be experi enced to be real i zed. I have f ound i t i mpossi bl e to soothe
sufferi ng pati ents wi th a song f r omKabi r . The hungry mi l l i ons ask for one
poem- i nvi gorati ng f ood. They cannot be gi ven it. They must earn i t. And
they can earn only by the sweat of thei r br ow.
17
34
G A N D H Z
I magi ne, therefore, what a cal ami ty i t must be to have 300 mi l l i ons un-
empl oyed, several mi l l i ons becomi ng degraded every day for want of
empl oyment , devoi d of sel f-respect, devoi d of fai th i n God. I may as well
pl ace bef ore the dog over there the message of God as before those hungry
mi l l i ons who have no l ustre i n thei r eyes and whose onl y God i s thei r bread.
I can take bef ore t hema message of God onl y by taki ng the message of
sacred wor k bef ore t hem. It i s good enough totalk of God whdst we are
si tti ng here af ter a ni ce breakf ast and l ooki ng f orward toa ni cer l uncheon,
but how amI to tal k of God to the mi l l i ons who have togo wi thout two
meal s a day ? To t hemGod can onl y appear as bread and butter. I 8
To a peopl e f ami shi ng and i dl e, the onl y acceptabl e f or mi n whi ch God can
dare appear i s wor k and promi se of f ood as wages.
19
For the poor the economi c is the spi ri tual . You cannot make any other
appeal to those starvi ng mi l l i ons. It will fall fl at on them. But you take f ood
to t hemand they will regard you as thei r God. They are i ncapabl e of any
other thought. 20
By the non- vi ol ent met hod, we seek not to destroy the capi tal i st, we seek
to destroy capi tal i sm. We i nvi te the capi tal i st to regard hi msel f as a trustee
for those on whomhe depends for the maki ng, the retenti on and the i ncrease
of his capi tal . Nor need the worker wai t for hi s conversi on. I f capi tal i s
power , so i s wor k. Ei ther power can be used destructi vel y or creati vel y.
Ei ther i s dependent on the other. I mmedi atel y the worker real i zes hi s
strength, he is ina posi ti on tobecome a co- sharer wi th the capi tal i st i nstead
of remai ni ng hi s sl ave. I f he ai ms at becomi ng the sol e owner , he wdl
most l i kel y be ki l l i ng the hen that l ays gol den eggs. zz
Every man has an equal ri ght to the necessari es of life even as bi rds and
beasts have. And si nce every ri ght carri es wi th i t a correspondi ng duty and
the correspondi ng r emedy for resi sti ng any attack upon it, i t is merel y a
mat t er of fi ndi ng out the correspondi ng duti es and r emedi es to vi ndcat e
the el ementary f undament al equal i ty. The Correspondi ng duty is to l abour
wi th my l i mbs and the correspondi ng remedy i s tonon- co- operat e wi th him
who depri ves me of the frui t of my l abour. And if I woul d recogni ze the
G A N D H I
f undament al equal i ty, as I must , of the capi tal i st and the l abourer, I
must not aimat his destructi on. I must stri ve for his conversi on. My
non- co- operat i on wi th hi mwill open his eyes to the wr ong he may be
doi ng. 22
I cannot pi cture to mysel f a timewhen no man shal l be ri cher than another.
But I do pi cture to mysel f a t i me when the ri ch will spurn to enri ch t hem-
sel ves at the expense of the poor and the poor will cease to envy the ri ch.
Even ina most perf ect worl d, we shal l fai l to avoi d i nequal i ti es, but we can
and must avoi d stri f e and bi tterness. Ther e are numer ous exampl es extant
of the ri ch and the poor l i vi ng in perf ect fri endl i ness. We have but to
mul ti pl y such i nstances. 23
I do not bel i eve that the capi tal i sts and the l andl ords are al l expl oi ters by
an i nherent necessi ty, or t hat t here i s a basi c or i rreconci l abl e ant agoni sm
bet ween thei r i nterests and those of the masses. All expl oi tati on i s based on
co- operati on, wi l l i ng or f orced, of the expl oi ted. However much we may
detest admi tti ng i t , the fact remai ns that there woul d be no expl oi ta-
ti on i f peopl e refused to obey the expl oi ter. But sel f comes in and we hug
the chai ns that bi nd us. Thi s must cease. What i s needed i s not the exti nc-
ti on of l andl ords and capi tal i sts, but a transf ormati on of t he exi sti ng
rel ati onshi p bet ween t hemand the masses i nto somet hi ng heal thi er and
purer. 24
The i dea of cl ass war does not appeal to me. I n I ndi a a cl ass war i s not onl y
not i nevi tabl e, but i t i s avoi dabl e if we have understood t he message of non-
vi ol ence. Those who tal k about cl ass war as bei ng i nevi tabl e have not
understood t he i mpl i cati ons of non- vi ol ence or have understood t hemonl y
ski n- deep. rj
Expl oi tati on of the poor can be exti ngui shed not by effecti ng the destruc-
ti on of a f ew mi l l i onai res, but by removi ng the i gnorance of the poor and
teachi ng t hemto non- co- operat e withthei r expl oi ters. That will convert t he
expl oi ters al so. I have even suggested that ul ti matel y i t will l ead to both
bei ng equal partners. Capi tal as such i s not evi l ; i t is i ts wr ong use that i s
evi l . Capi tal in some f or mor other will al ways be needed. 26
G A N D H I
Those who own money now are asked to behave l i ke the trustees hol di ng
thei r ri ches on behal f of the poor. You may say that trusteeshi p i s a l egal
fi cti on. But, if peopl e medi t at e over i t constantl y and try to act up to it,
then l i fe on earth woul d be governed f ar mor e by l ove than i t i s at present.
Absol ute trusteeshi p i s an abstracti on l i ke Eucl i d s defi ni ti on of a poi nt, and
i s equal l y unattai nabl e. But i f we stri ve for it, we shal l be abl e to go further
in real i zi ng a state of equal i ty on earth than by any other met hod. 27
Compl et e renunci ati on of one s possessi ons i s a thi ng whi ch very f eweven
among ordi nary fol k are capabl e of. All that can l egi ti matel y be expected
of the weal t hy cl ass i s that they shoul d hol d thei r ri ches and tal ents intrust
and use t hemfor the servi ce of the soci ety. To i nsi st on mor e woul d be to
kill the goose that l ai d the gol den eggs. 2#
37
CHAPTER IX
D G M O C R A C Y A N D T HE PEOPL E
My noti on of democracy i s that under i t the weakest shoul d have the same
opportuni ty as the strongest. That can never happen except t hrough
non- vi ol ence. z
I have al ways hel d that soci al j usti ce, even unt o the l east and l owl i est, i s
i mpossi bl e of attai nment by force. I have bel i eved that i t i s possi bl e by
proper trai ni ng of the l owl i est by non- vi ol ent means to secure the r edr ess
of the wr ongs suffered by t hem. That means i s non- vi ol ent non- co- opera-
ti on. At ti mes, non- co- operat i on becomes as much a duty as co- operati on.
No one i s bound to co- operate inone s own undoi ng or sl avery. Fr eedom
recei ved t hrough the effort of others, however benevol ent, cannot be
retai ned when such effort i s wi t hdrawn. I n other words, such f reedomi s
not real f reedom. But the l owl i est can feel i ts gl ow, as soon as they l earn
the art of attai ni ng i t t hrough non- vi ol ent non- co- operati on. 2
Ci vi l di sobedi ence i s the i nherent ri ght of a ci ti zen. He dar e not gi ve i t up
wi thout ceasi ng to be a man. Ci vi l di sobedi ence i s never f ol l owed by
anarchy. Cri mi nal di sobedi ence can l ead to i t. Every State puts down
cri mi nal di sobedi ence by force. It peri shes if i t does not. But to put down
civil di sobedi ence i s to at t empt to i mpri son consci ence.
3
Tr ue democracy or the mar@ of the masses can never come t hrough
untruthful and vi ol ent means, for the si mpl e reason that the natural corol -
l ary to thei r use woul d be to r emove all opposi ti on t hrough the suppressi on
G A N D H I
or extermi nati on of the antagoni sts. That does not make for i ndi vi dual
f reedom. I ndi vi dual f reedomcan have the ful l est pl ay onl y under a regi me
of unadul terated ahimsz. 4
The f act that there are so many men sti l l al i ve i nthe worl d shows that i t i s
based not on the force of ar ms but on the force of truth or l ove. Theref ore,
the great est and most uni mpeachabl e evi dence of the success of thi s force i s
to be f ound inthe fact that, i nspi te of the war s of the worl d, i t sti l l l i ves on.
Thousands, i ndeed tens of thousands, depend for thei r exi stence on a
very acti ve worki ng of thi s force. Li ttl e quarrel s of mi l l i ons of f ami l i es i n
thei r dai l y l i ves di sappear before the exerci se of thi s force. Hundr eds of
nati ons l i ve i n peace. Hi story does not and cannot t ake note of thi s fact.
Hi story i s real l y a record of every i nterrupti on of the even worki ng of the
force of l ove or of the soul . Two brothers quarrel ; one of t hemrepents
and re- awakens the l ove that was l yi ng dor mant i n hi m; the t wo agai n
begi n to l i ve i n peace; nobody t akes note of thi s. But if the t wo brothers,
t hrough the i nterventi on of sol i ci tors or some other reason t ake up ar ms
or go tol aw- whi ch i s another f or mof the exhi bi ti on of brute force-thei r
doi ngs woul d be i mmedi atel y noti ced i n the press, they woul d be the tal k
of thei r nei ghbours and woul d probabl y go down i n hi story. And what i s
true of f ami l i es and communi t i es i s true of nati ons. Ther e i s no reason to
bel i eve that there i s one l aw for f ami l i es and another for nati ons. Hi story,
then, i s a record of an i nterrupti on of the course of nature. Soul - f orce, bei ng
natural , i s not noted i n hi story.
J
Sel f - government depends enti rel y upon our own i nternal strength, upon
our abi l i ty to fi ght agai nst the heavi est odds. I ndeed, sel f - government whi ch
does not requi re that conti nuous stri vi ng to attai n i t and to sustai n i t, i s
not wort h the name. I have therefore endeavoured to show both i n word
and deed that pol i ti cal sel f - government- that i s sel f - government for a
l arge number of men and women- i s no better than i ndi vi dual sei - gover n-
ment , and therefore, i t i s to be attai ned by preci sel y the same means that are
requi red for i ndi vi dual sel f - government or sel f-rul e. 6
The true source of ri ghts i s duty. I f we all di scharge our duti es, ri ghts will
not be f ar to seek. I f l eavi ng duti es unperf ormed we run af ter ri ghts, they
G A N D H I
will escape us l i ke a wi l l -o -the-wi sp. The more we pursue t hem, the farther
will they fly. 7
To me pol i ti cal power i s not an end but one of the means of enabl i ng
peopl e to better thei r condi ti on i n every depart ment of l i fe. Pol i ti cal power
means capaci ty to regul ate nati onal l i fe t hrough nati onal representati ves.
I f nati onal l i fe becomes so perfect as to become sel f-regul ated, no repre-
sentati on becomes necessary. Ther e i s then a state of enl i ghtened anarchy.
I n such a state every one i s hi s own rul er. He rul es hi msel f i nsuch a manner
that he i s never a hi ndrance to his nei ghbour. I n the i deal State, therefore,
t here i s no pol i ti cal power because there i s no State. But the i deal i s never
ful l y real i zed in l i fe. Hence the cl assi cal statement of Thoreau that that
gover nment i s best whi ch governs the l east. 8
I bel i eve that true democracy can onl y be an out come of non- vi ol ence. The
structure of a worl d federati on can be rai sed onl y on a f oundati on of non-
vi ol ence, and vi ol ence will have tobe total l y gi ven up i nworl d affai rs. 9
My i dea of soci ety i s that whi l e we are born equal , meani ng that we have a
ri ght toequal opportuni ty, all have not the same capaci ty. It i s, i nthe nature
of thi ngs, i mpossi bl e. For i nstance, all cannot have the same hei ght, or
col our or degr ee of i ntel l i gence, etc. ; therefore i nthe nature of thi ngs, some
will have abi l i ty to earn mor e and others l ess. Peopl e wi th tal ents will have
more, and they will utilize thei r tal ents for thi s purpose. I f they utilize
ki ndl y, they will be perf ormi ng the wor k of the State. Such peopl e exi st as
trustees, on no other terms. I woul d al l owa man of i ntel l ect to earn mor e,
I woul d not cr amp his tal ent. But the bul k of his greater earni ngs must be
used for the good of the State, j ust as the i ncome of all earni ng sons of the
f at her go to the common fami l y f und. They woul d have thei r earni ngs
onl y as trustees. It may be that I woul d fail mi serabl y in thi s. But that is
what I amsai l i ng for. I O
I hope to demonstrate that real mar$ will come not by the acqui si ti on of
authori ty by a f ewbut by the acqui si ti on of the capaci ty by all to resi st
authori ty when abused. I n other words, war* i s to be attai ned by educati ng
the masses to a sense of thei r capaci ty to regul ate and control authori ty. IZ
G A N D H r
Mer e wi thdrawal of the Engl i sh is not i ndependence. It means the consci ous-
ness i nthe average vi l l ager that he i s the maker of his own desti ny, he i s hi s
own l egi sl ator t hrough hi s chosen representati ve. zz
We have l ong been accust omed to thi nk that power comes onl y t hrough
l egi sl ati ve assembl i es. I have regarded this bel i ef as a grave error brought
about by i nerti a or hypnot i sm. A superfi ci al study of the Bri ti sh hi story has
made us thi nk that all power percol ates to the peopl e f r omparl i aments.
The truth i s that power resi des i n the peopl e and i t i s entrusted for the t i me
bei ng to those whomthey may choose as thei r representati ves. The parl i a-
ment s have no power or even exi stence i ndependentl y of the peopl e. It has
been my effort for the l ast t went y- one years to convi nce the peopl e of thi s
si mpl e truth. Ci vi l di sobedi ence i s the storehouse of power. I magi ne a
whol e peopl e unwi l l i ng to conf ormto the l aws of the l egi sl ature and pre-
pared to suffer the consequences of non- compl i ance ! They will bri ng the
whol e l egi sl ati ve and the executi ve machi nery to a standsti l l . The pol i ce
and the mi l i tary ar e of use to coerce mi nori ti es however powerf ul they
may be. But no pol i ce or mi l i tary coerci on can bend the resol ute will of a
peopl e, out for sufferi ng to the uttermost.
And parl i amentary procedure i s good onl y when i ts member s are wi l l i ng
to conf ormto the will of the maj ori ty. I n other words, i t i s fairly effecti ve
onl y among compati bl es. zj
What we want , I hope, i s a government not based on coerci on even of a
mi nori ty but on i ts conversi on. I f i t i s a change f r omwhi te mi l i tary rul e
to a br own, we hardl y need make any fuss. At any rate the masses then do
not count. They will be subj ect tothe same spol i ati on as now, if not even
worse. 14
I feel that f undamental l y the di sease i s the same i n Eur ope as i t i s i nI ndi a,
i nspi te of the fact that i nthe f ormer the peopl e enj oy pol i ti cal sel f - govern-
ment . . . . The same r emedy i s, therefore, l i kel y to be appl i cabl e. Shorn of
al l camouf l age, the expl oi tati on of the masses of Eur ope i s sustai ned by
vi ol ence.
Vi ol ence on the part of the masses will never r emove the di sease.
Anyway up to now experi ence shows that success of vi ol ence has been
G A N D H I
short-l i ved. It has l ed to great er vi ol ence. What has been tri ed hi therto has
been a vari ety of vi ol ence and artificial checks dependent mai nl y upon the will
of the vi ol ent. At the cruci al moment these checks have natural l y broken
down. It seems to me, therefore, that sooner or l ater, the European masses
will have to take to non- vi ol ence if they are to fi nd thei r del i verance. zj
I a m not i nterested i n freei ng I ndi a merel y f r omthe Engl i sh yoke. I a m
bent upon freei ng I ndi a f romany yoke whatsoever. I have no desi re to
exchange ' ki ng log for ki ng stork'. Hence for me the movement of Jwurg
i s a movement of sel f-puri fi cati on. 16
Our tyranny, if we i mpose our will on others, will be i nfi ni tel y worse than
that of the handf ul of Engl i shmen who f or mthe bureaucracy. Thei rs i s a
terrori smi mposed by a mi nori ty struggl i ng to exi st in the mi dst of oppo-
si ti on. Our s will be a terrori smi mposed by a maj ori ty and therefore worse
and real l y mor e godl ess than the f i rst. We must therefore el i mi nate compul -
si on i n any shape f romour struggl e. I f we are onl y a handf ul hol di ng
freel y the doctri ne of non- co- operat i on, we may have to di e in the at t empt
toconvert others to our vi ew, but we shal l have trul y def ended and r epr e-
sented our cause. I f however we enl i st under our banner men by force, we
shal l be denyi ng our cause and God, and i f we seemto succeed for the
moment , we shal l have succeeded i n establ i shi ng a worse terror.
z7
A born democrat i s a born di sci pl i nari an. Democr acy comes natural l y to
hi mwho i s habi tuated normal l y to yi el d wi l l i ng obedi ence to all l aws,
human or di vi ne. I cl ai mto be a democrat bot h by i nsti nct and trai ni ng.
Let those who ar e ambi ti ous to serve democracy qual i fy themsel ves by
sati sfyi ng f i rst thi s aci d test of democracy. Moreover, a democrat must be
utterl y sel fl ess. He must thi nk and dr eamnot in t er ms of self or party but
onl y of democracy. Onl y then does he acqui re the ri ght of civil di sobedi ence.
I do not want anybody to gi ve up his convi cti ons or to suppress hi msel f.
I do not bel i eve that a heal thy and honest di fference of opi ni on will i nj ure
our cause. But opport uni sm, camouf l age or patched up compromi ses cer-
tai nl y will. If you must di ssent, you shoul d take care that your opi ni ons
voi ce your i nnermost convi cti ons and are not i ntended merel y as a con-
veni ent party cry.
G A N D H Z
I val ue i ndi vi dual f reedombut you must not forget that man i s essen-
tially a soci al bei ng. He has ri sen to his present status by l earni ng to adj ust
hi s i ndi vi dual i smto the requi rements of soci al progress. Unrestri cted
i ndi vi dual i smi s the l aw of the beast of the j ungl e. We have l earnt tostri ke
the mean bet ween i ndi vi dual f reedomand soci al restrai nt. Wi l l i ng sub-
mi ssi on to soci al restrai nt for the sake of the wel l - bei ng of the whol e
soci ety enri ches bot h the i ndi vi dual and the soci ety of whi ch one i s a
member . z8
The gol den rul e of conduct , therefore, is mut ual tol erati on, seei ng that we
will never all thi nk al i ke and we shal l see Trut h i n f ragment and f rom
di fferent angl es of vi si on. Consci ence i s not the same thi ng for al l . Whi l st,
therefore, i t i s a good gui de for i ndi vi dual conduct, i mposi ti on of that
conduct upon al l will be an i nsufferabl e i nterference wi th everybody s
f reedomof consci ence. 19
Di fferences of opi ni on shoul d never mean hosti l i ty. I f they di d, my wife
and I shoul d be swor n enemi es of one another. I do not know t wo persons
in the worl d who had no di fference of opi ni on, and as I a m a f ol l ower of
the Gi ta, I have al ways at t empt ed toregard those who differ f r omme wi th
the same affecti on as I have for my nearest and dearest. 20
I shal l conti nue to confess bl unders each t i me the peopl e commi t t hem.
The onl y tyrant I accept in thi s worl d i s the sti l l smal l voi ce wi thi n me.
And even t hough I have to face the prospect of a mi nori ty of one, I humbl y
bel i eve I have the courage to be i n such a hopel ess mi nori ty. 21
I can truthful l y say that I a m sl owto see the bl emi shes of fel l owbei ngs,
bei ng mysel f full of t hem, and therefore bei ng i n need of thei r chari ty.
I have l earnt not to j udge any one harshl y and to make al l owances for defects
that I may detect. zz
1 have often been charged wi th havi ng an unyi el di ng nature. I have
been tol d that I woul d not bow to the deci si ons of the maj ori ty. I have been
accused of bei ng autocrati c. . . . I have never been abl e to subscri be tothe
charge of obsti nacy or autocracy. On the contrary, I pri de mysel f on my
G A N D H Z
yi el di ng nature in non- vi tal matters. I detest autocracy. Val ui ng my
f reedomand i ndependence I equal l y cheri sh t hemfor others. I have no
desi re to carry a si ngl e soul wi th me, if I cannot appeal to hi s or her reason.
My unconventi onal i ty I carry to the poi nt of rej ecti ng the di vi ni ty of the
ol dest shlistms if they cannot convi nce my reason. But I have f ound by
experi ence that, if I wi sh to l i ve i nsoci ety and still retai n my i ndependence,
I must limit the poi nts of utter i ndependence to mat t er s of f i rst- rate i mport -
ance. I n all others whi ch do not i nvol ve a departure f r omone' s personal
rel i gi on or moral code, one must yi el d to the maj ori ty.
23
I do not bel i eve i nthe doctri ne of the greatest good of the greatest number .
It means i n i ts nakedness that i n order to achi eve the supposed good of
I per cent the i nterest of 49 per cent may be, or rather, shoul d be sacri fi ced.
It i s a heartl ess doctri ne and has done har mto humani t y. The onl y real ,
di gni fi ed, human doctri ne i s the greatest good of al l , and t hi s can onl y be
achi eved by uttermost sel f-sacri fi ce. 24
Those who cl ai mto l ead the masses must resol utel y refuse to be l ed by
t hem, i f we want to avoi d mob l aw and desi re ordered progress for the
country. I bel i eve that mer e protestati on of one' s opi ni on and surrender to
the mass opi ni on i s not onl y not enough, but i n mat t er s of vi tal i mportance,
l eaders must act contrary to the mass of opi ni on if i t does not commend
i tsel f tothei r reason. ZJ
A l eader i s usel ess when he acts agai nst the prompt i ng of hi s own con-
sci ence, surrounded as he must be by peopl e hol di ng all ki nds of vi ews.
He will dri ft l i ke an anchorl ess shi p, if he has not the i nner voi ce to hol d
hi mfirmand gui de hi m. 26
Whi l e admi tti ng that man actual l y l i ves by habi t, I hol d that i t is better for
hi mto l i ve by the exerci se of will. I al so bel i eve that men are capabl e of
devel opi ng thei r will to an extent that will reduce the expl oi tati on to a
mi ni mum. I l ook upon an i ncrease of the power of the State wi th the
great est f ear because, al though whi l e apparentl y doi ng good by mi ni mi zi ng
expl oi tati on, i t does the greatest har mto manki nd by destroyi ng i ndi vi dual -
i ty whi ch l i es at the root of all progress. We know of so many cases where
'44
Gandhi and J awahar l al Nehr u, 1943
(By courtesy of the Information Service of India, Paris)
G A N D H I
men have adopted trusteeshi p, but none wher e the State has real l y l i ved
for the poor. 27
The State represents vi ol ence i n a concentrated and organi zed f orm. The
i ndi vi dual has a soul , but as the State i s a soul l ess machi ne, i t can never be
weaned f romvi ol ence to whi ch i t owes i ts very exi stence. 28
I t i s my firmconvi cti on that if the State suppressed capi tal i smby vi ol ence,
i t will be caught i n the coi l of vi ol ence itself and fail to devel op non-
vi ol ence at any t i me. 29
Sel f - government means conti nuous effort to be i ndependent of government
control whet her i t i s forei gn government or whet her i t i s nati onal . Slyat-+
government will be a sorry affai r i f peopl e l ook up to i t for the regul ati on
of every detai l of life.
30
We must be content to di e, if we cannot l i ve as f ree men and women.
jz
The rul e of maj ori ty has a narrowappl i cati on, i .e., one shoul d yi el d tothe
maj ori ty inmat t er s of detai l . But i t i s sl avery tobe amenabl e to the maj ori ty,
no mat t er what i ts deci si ons are. Democr acy i s not a state i n whi ch peopl e
act l i ke sheep. Under democracy i ndi vi dual l i berty of opi ni on and acti on
i s j eal ousl y guar ded. jz
I n mat t ers of consci ence t he l awof maj ori ty has no pl ace.
33
I t i s my certai n convi cti on that no man l oses his f reedomexcept t hrough
his own weakness. 34
J t i s not so much Bri ti sh guns that are responsi bl e for our subj ecti on as
our vol untary co- operati on. 3 J
Even the most despoti c government cannot stand except for the consent
of the governed whi ch consent i s often forci bl y procured by the despot.
I mmedi atel y the subj ect ceases to f ear the despoti c force, hi s power i s
gone. j6
G A N D H I
Most peopl e do not understand the compl i cated machi nery of the govern-
ment . They do not real i ze that every ci ti zen si l entl y but none the l ess cer-
tai nl y sustai ns the government of the day inways of whi ch he has no know-
l edge. Every ci ti zen therefore renders hi msel f responsi bl e for every act of
hi s government . And i t i s qui te proper to support i t so l ong as the acti ons
of the government are bearabl e. But when they hurt hi mand his nati on, i t
becomes hi s duty to wi t hdrawhi s support.
37
It is true that i n the vast maj ori ty of cases, i t i s the duty of a subj ect to
submi t towr ongs on fai l ure of the usual procedure, so l ong as they do not
affect hi s vital bei ng. But every nati on and every i ndi vi dual have the ri ght,
and i t i s thei r duty, to ri se agai nst an i ntol erabl e wr ong.
38
Ther e i s no bravery great er than a resol ute refusal to bend the knee to
an earthl y power , no mat t er how great, and that wi thout bi tterness of
spi ri t and i n the ful l ness of fai th that the spi ri t al one l i ves, nothi ng el se
does. 39
The out ward f reedomthat we shal l attai n will onl y be i n exact proporti on
to the i nward f reedomto whi ch we may have gr own at a gi ven moment .
And if thi s i s the correct vi ewof f reedom, our chi ef energy must be con-
centrated upon achi evi ng ref ormf r omwi thi n.
40
The true democrat i s he who wi th purel y non- vi ol ent means def ends his
l i berty and, therefore, his country s and ul ti matel y that of the whol e of
manki nd. 41
Democr acy di sci pl i ned and enl i ghtened i s the fi nest thi ng in t he worl d. A
democracy prej udi ced, i gnorant, supersti ti ous will l and i tsel f in chaos and
may be sel f-destroyed. 42
Democr acy and vi ol ence can i l l go together. The States that are today
nomi nal l y democrati c have ei ther to become frankl y total i tari an or, if t hey
are to become trul y democrati c, they must become courageousl y non-
vi ol ent. It i s a bl asphemy to say that non- vi ol ence can onl y be pract i sed by
i ndi vi dual s and never by nati ons whi ch ar e composed of i ndi vi dual s. 43
G A N D H I
For me the onl y trai ni ng inswarg we need i s the abi l i ty to def end oursel ves
agai nst the whol e worl d and to l i ve our lifei nperfect f reedomeven t hough
i t may be full of defects. Good gover nment i s no substi tuti on for sel f-
government . 44
I do not bl ame the Bri ti sh. I f we wer e weak i n number s as the Bri ti sh are,
we woul d perhaps have resorted to the same met hods as they are empl oyi ng.
Terrori smand decepti on are weapons not of the strong but of the weak.
The Bri ti sh are weak i n numbers, we are weak i n spi te of our numbers.
The resul t i s that each i s draggi ng the other down. It i s common experi ence
that Engl i shmen l ose i n character after resi dence in I ndi a and that I ndi ans
l ose incourage and manl i ness by contact wi th Engl i shmen. Thi s process of
weakeni ng i s good nei ther for us t wo nati ons, nor for the worl d.
But if we I ndans take care of oursel ves the Engl i sh and the rest of the
worl d woul d take care of themsel ves. Our contri buti on to the progress of
the worl d must , theref ore, consi st in setti ng our own house i n order. 41
What then i s the meani ng of non- co- operat i on i n t er ms of the l aw of suffer-
i ng? We must vol untari l y put up wi th the l osses and i nconveni ences
that ari se f r omhavi ng to wi thdraw our support f r oma gover nment
that i s rul i ng agai nst our will. Possessi on of power and ri ches i s a cri me
under an unj ust government , poverty i n that case i s a vi rtue, says
Thoreau. I t may be that i n the transi ti on state we may make mi stakes;
there may be avoi dabl e sufferi ng. These thi ngs are pref erabl e to nati onal
emascul ati on.
We must ref use to wait for the wr ong tobe ri ghted t i l l the wr ong- doer
has been. roused to a sense of hi s i ni qui ty. We must not, for f ear of oursel ves
or others havi ng to suffer, remai n parti ci pators in i t. But we must combat
the wr ong by ceasi ng to assi st the wr ong- doer di rectl y or i ndi rectl y.
I f a f ather does i nj usti ce, i t i s the duty of his chi l dren to l eave the
parental roof. I f the headmaster of a school conducts hi s i nsti tuti on on an
i mmoral basi s, the pupi l s must l eave the school . I f the chai rman of a cor-
porati on i s corrupt, the member s thereof must wash thei r hands cl ean of hi s
corrupti on by wi t hdrawi ng f r omi t ; even so if a government does a grave
i nj usti ce the subj ect must wi t hdrawco- operati on whol l y or parti al l y, suffi -
ci entl y to wean the rul er f r omwi ckedness. I n each case concei ved by me
G A N D H Z
there i s an el ement of sufferi ng whet her mental or physi cal . Wi t hout such
sufferi ng i t i s not possi bl e to attai n f reedom.
46
The moment I became a sutyligrahi f r omthat moment I ceased to be a
subj ect, but never ceased to be a ci ti zen. A ci ti zen obeys l aws vol untari l y and
never under compul si on or for f ear of the puni shment prescri bed for thei r
breach. He breaks t hemwhen he consi ders i t necessary and wel comes the
puni shment . That robs i t of i ts edge or of the di sgrace whi ch i t i s supposed
toi mpl y. 47
Compl et e civil di sobedi ence i s rebel l i on wi thout the el ement of vi ol ence i n
i t. An out - and- out civil resi ster si mpl y i gnores the authori ty of the State.
He becomes an outl awcl ai mi ng to di sregard every unmoral State l aw.
Thus, for i nstance, he may refuse to pay taxes, he may refuse to recogni ze
the authori ty i n hi s dai l y i ntercourse. He may refuse to obey the l aw of
trespass and cl ai mto enteE mi l i tary barracks in order to speak to the sol -
di ers, he may refuse to submi t to l i mi tati ons upon the manner of pi cketi ng
and may pi cket wi thi n the proscri bed area. I n doi ng all thi s he never uses
force and never resi sts force when i t i s used agai nst hi m. I n f act, he i nvi tes
i mpri sonment and other uses of force agai nst hi msel f. Thi s he does because
and when he fi nds the bodi l y f reedomhe seemi ngl y enj oys to be an i ntol e-
rabl e burden. He argues to hi msel f that a State al l ows personal f reedomonl y
i n so f ar as the ci ti zen submi ts to i ts regul ati ons. Submi ssi on to the State
l aw i s the pri ce a ci ti zen pays for hi s personal l i berty. Submi ssi on, t here-
fore, to a State l aw whol l y or l argel y unj ust i s an i mmor al barter for l i berty.
A ci ti zen who thus real i zes the evi l nature of a State i s not sati sfi ed to l i ve
on i ts sufferance, and therefore appear s to the others who do not shar e hi s
bel i ef to be a nui sance to soci ety whi l st he i s endeavouri ng to compel the
State, wi thout commi t t i ng a moral breach, to arrest hi m. Thus consi dered,
civil resi stance i s a most powerf ul expressi on of a soul's angui sh and an
el oquent protest agai nst the conti nuance of an evi l State. I s not thi s the
hi story of all ref orm? Have not ref ormers, much to the di sgust of thei r
fel l ows, di scarded even i nnocent symbol s associ ated wi th an evi l practi ce ?
When a body of men di sown the State under whi ch they have hi therto
l i ved, they nearl y establ i sh thei r own government . I say nearl y, for they do
not go to the poi nt of usi ng force when they are resi sted by the State. Thei r
G A N D H I
busi ness , as of the i ndi vi dual , i s to be l ocked up or shot by the State, un-
l ess i t recogni zes thei r separat e exi stence, i n other words bows to thei r will.
Thus t hree thousand I ndi ans i nSout h Afri ca af ter due noti ce to the Gover n-
ment of the Trapsvaal crossed the Transvaal border i n 1914 i n defi ance of
the Transvaal I mmi grat i on Lawand compel l ed the gover nment to arrest
t hem. When i t fai l ed to provoke t hemto vi ol ence or to coerce t hemi nto
submi ssi on, i t yi el ded to thei r demands. A body of civil resi sters is, there-
fore, l i ke an ar my subj ect to all the di sci pl i ne of a sol di er, onl y har der
because of want of exci tement of an ordi nary sol di ers l i fe. And as
a civil resi stance ar my i s or ought to be f ree f r ompassi on because f ree
f romthe spi ri t of retal i ati on, i t requi res the f ewest number of sol di ers.
I ndeed one pe7fect civil resi ster i s enough to wi n the battl e of Ri ght agai nst
Wr ong. 48
Di sci pl i ne has a pl ace i n non- vi ol ent strategy, but much mor e i s requi red.
I n a Sut_yr?gruhu ar my everybody i s a sol di er and a servant. But at a pi nch
every sut_llyr?gruhi sol di er has al so to be his own general and l eader. Mer e
di sci pl i ne cannot make for l eadershi p. The l atter cal l s for fai th and vi si on.
49
Wher e sel f-rel i ance i s the order of the day, wher e no one has to l ook
expectantl y at another, wher e t here are no l eaders and no fol l owers, or where
all are l eaders and al l are fol l owers, the death of a fi ghter, however emi nent,
makes not for sl ackness but on the other hand i ntensi fi es the struggl e. J O
Every good movement passes t hrough fi ve st ages, i ndi fference, ri di cul e,
abuse, repressi on, and respect. We had i ndi fference for a f ew mont hs. Then
the Vi ceroy graci ousl y l aughed at i t. Abuse, i ncl udi ng mi srepresentati on,
has been the order of the day. The Provi nci al Governors and the anti - non-
co- operati on press have heaped as much abuse upon the movement as they
have been abl e to. No w comes repressi on, at present yet i n i ts fairly mi l d
f orm. Every movement that survi ves repressi on, mild or severe, i nvari abl y
commands respect whi ch i s another name for success. Thi s repressi on, i f
we are true, may be treated as a sure si gn of the approachi ng vi ctory. But ,
if we are true, we shal l nei ther be cowed down nor angri l y retal i ate and be
vi ol ent. Vi ol ence i s sui ci de. J I
49
G A N D H I
My conf i dence i s unshaken. I f a si ngl e sagrigruhi hol ds out to the end, vi c-
tory i s absol utel y certai n. 12
My wor k will be fi ni shed, if I succeed i ncarryi ng convi cti on to the human
f ami l y that every man or woman, however weak in body, i s the guardi an
of his or her sel f-respect and l i berty. This def ence avai l s, t hough the whol e
worl d may be agai nst the i ndi vi dual resi ster.
JJ
CHAPTER X
E D U C A T I O N
Real educati on consi sts i n drawi ng the best out of yoursel f. What better
book can there be than the book of humani t y ? I
I hol d that true educati on of the i ntel l ect can onl y come t hrough a proper
exerci se and trai ni ng of the bodi l y organs, e.g., hands, feet, eyes, ears, nose,
etc. I n other wor ds an i ntel l i gent use of the bodi l y organs ina chi l d provi des
the best and qui ckest way of devel opi ng hi s i ntel l ect. But unl ess the devel op-
ment of the mi nd and body goes hand i n hand wi th a correspondi ng
awakeni ng of the soul , the f ormer al one woul d prove to be a poor l op-
si ded affair. By spi ri tual trai ni ng I mean educati on of the heart. A proper
and al l - round devel opment of the mi nd, therefore, can take pl ace onl y when
i t proceeds pari PaJm wi th the educati on of the physi cal and spi ri tual
facul ti es of the chi l d, They consti tute an i ndi vi si bl e whol e. Accordi ng to
thi s theory, therefore, i t woul d be a gross fal l acy to suppose that they can
be devel oped pi ecemeal or i ndependentl y of one another. z
By educati on I mean an al l -round drawi ng out of the best i nchi l d and man
- body, mi nd and spi ri t. Li teracy i s not the end of educati on nor even the
begi nni ng. It i s onl y one of the means whereby man and woman can be
educated. Li teracy i n i tsel f i s no educati on. I woul d therefore begi n the
chi l d s educati on by teachi ng i t a useful handi craft and enabl i ng i t to pro-
duce f r omthe moment i t begi ns i ts trai ni ng. Thus every school can be
made sel f - supporti ng, the condi ti on bei ng that the State t akes over the
manuf actures of these school s.
G A N D H I
I hol d that the hi ghest devel opment of the mi nd and the soul i s
possi bl e under such a systemof educati on. Onl y every handi craft has to
be taught not merel y mechani cal l y as i s done today but sci enti fi cal l y, i.e.,
the chi l d shoul d know the why and the wheref ore of every process. I a m
not wri ti ng thi s wi thout some conf i dence, because i t has the backi ng
of experi ence. Thi s met hod i s bei ng adopted mor e or l ess compl etel y
wher ever spi nni ng i s bei ng taught to workers. I have mysel f taught
sandal - maki ng and even spi nni ng on these l i nes wi th good resul ts. Thi s
met hod does not excl ude a knowl edge of hi story and geography. But I
fi nd that thi s i s bei ng taught by transmi tti ng such general i nf ormati on
by wor d of mout h. One i mpart s ten t i mes as much i n thi s manner as by
readi ng and wri ti ng. The si gns of the al phabet may be taught l ater when
the pupi l has l earnt to di sti ngui sh wheat f r omthe chaff and when he
has somewhat devel oped hi s or her tastes. Thi s i s a revol uti onary pro-
posal , but i t saves i mmense l abour and enabl es a student to acqui re in
one year what he may t ake much l onger to l earn. Thi s means al l - round
economy. Of course the pupi l l earns mathemati cs whi l st he i s l earni ng
hi s handi craft. 3
I admi t my l i mi tati ons. I have no uni versi ty educati on wort h the name. My
hi gh school career was never above the average. I was thankf ul if I coul d
pass my exami nati ons. Di sti ncti on i nthe school was beyond my aspi rati on.
Neverthel ess I do hol d very strong vi ews on educati on i n general , i ncl ud-
i ng what i s cal l ed hi gher educati on. And I owe i t to the country that my
vi ews shoul d be cl earl y known and taken for what they may be worth. I must
shed the ti mi di ty that has l ed al most to sel f-suppressi on. I must not f ear
ri di cul e, and even l oss of popul ari ty or presti ge. I f I hi de my bel i ef, I shal l
never correct errors of j udgement . I amal ways eager todi scover t hemand
mor e than eager to correct t hem.
Let me now state my concl usi ons hel d for a number of years and
enf orced wherever I had opportuni ty of enforci ng t hem:
I . I amnot opposed to educati on even of the hghest type attai nabl e inthe
z. The State must pay for i t wherever i t has defi ni te use for i t.
3. I amopposed to al l hi gher educati on bei ng pai d for f r omthe general
worl d.
revenue.
G A N D H I
4. I t i s my firmconvi cti on that the vast amount of the so-cal l ed educati on
i narts, gi ven i nour col l eges, i s sheer wast e and has resul ted inunempl oy-
ment among the educated cl asses. What i s more, i t has destroyed the
heal th, both mental and physi cal , of the boys and gi rl s who have the
mi sf ortune to go t hrough the gri nd i n our col l eges.
5. The medi umof a forei gn l anguage t hrough whi ch hi gher educati on has
been i mpar t ed i n I ndi a has caused i ncal cul abl e i ntel l ectual and moral
i nj ury to the nati on. We are too near our own t i mes to j udge the enor m-
ity of the damage done. And we who have recei ved such educati on have
both tobe vi cti ms and j udges-an al most i mpossi bl e feat.
I must gi ve my reasons for the concl usi ons set forth above. Thi s I can best
do, perhaps, by gi vi ng a chapter f r ommy own experi ence.
Up to the age of IZ al l the knowl edge I gai ned was t hrough Guj arati ,
my mother tongue. I knew then somet hi ng of ari thmeti c, hi story and geo-
graphy. Then I entered a Hi gh School . For the f i rst t hree years the mot her
t ongue was sti l l the medi um. But the school master' s busi ness was to dri ve
Engl i sh i nto the pupil's head. Theref ore mor e than hal f of our t i me was
gi ven to l earni ng Engl i sh and masteri ng i ts arbi trary spel l i ng and pronun-
ci ati on. I t was a pai nful di scovery to have to l earn a l anguage that was not
pronounced as i t was wri tten. I t was a strange experi ence to have to l earn
the spel l i ng by heart. But that i s by the way, and i rrel evant to my argument .
However , for the fi rst three years, i t was comparati vel y pl ai n sai l i ng.
The pi l l ory began wi th the f ourth year. Everythi ng had to be l earnt
t hrough Engl i sh- geometry, al gebra, chemi stry, ast ronomy, hi story, geo-
graphy. The tyranny of Engl i sh was so great that even Sanskri t or Persi an
had to be l earnt t hrough Engl i sh, not t hrough the mot her tongue. I f any
boy spoke i n Guj arati whi ch he understood, he was puni shed. I t di d not
mat t er to the teacher, i f a boy spoke bad Engl i sh whi ch he coul d nei ther
pronounce correctl y nor understand ful l y. Why shoul d the t eacher worry ?
His own Engl i sh was by no means wi thout bl emi sh. It coul d not be other-
wi se. Engl i sh was as much a forei gn l anguage to hi mas to his pupi l s. The
resul t was chaos. We the boys had to l earn many thi ngs by heart, t hough we
coul d not understand t hemful l y and often not at all. My head used to reel
as the teacher was struggl i ng to make hi s exposi ti on on geomet ry understood
by us. I coul d make nei ther head nor tai l of geomet ry ti l l we reached the
thi rteenth t heoremof the fi rst book of Eucl i d. And l et me confess to the
G A N D H I
r eader that i n spi te of all my l ove for the mot her t ongue, I do not to this
day know the Guj arati equi val ents of the techni cal t er ms of geomet ry,
al gebra and the l i ke. I know now that what I t ook f our years to l earn of
ari thmeti c, geomet ry, al gebra, chemi st r y and ast ronomy, I shoul d have
l earnt easi l y i n one year, if I had not to l earn t hemt hrough Engl i sh but
Guj arati . My gr asp of the subj ects woul d have been easi er and cl earer.
My Guj arati vocabul ary woul d have been ri cher. I woul d have made use of
such knowl edge in my own home. Thi s Engl i sh medi umcreat ed an i m-
passabl e barri er bet ween me and the member s of my fami l y, who had not
gone t hrough Engl i sh school s. My f at her knew nothi ng of what I was
doi ng. I coul d not, even if I had wi shed i t , i nterest my f at her i n what I
was l earni ng. For t hough he had ampl e i ntel l i gence, he knew not a wor d of
Engl i sh. I was f ast becomi ng a stranger i n my own home. I certai nl y be-
came a superi or person. Even my dr ess began to undergo i mpercept i bl e
changes. What happened to me was not an uncommon experi ence. I t was
common to the maj ori ty.
The fi rst three years inthe Hi gh School made little addi ti on to my stock
of general knowl edge. They wer e a preparati on for fi tti ng the boys for
teachi ng t hemeverythi ng t hrough Engl i sh. Hi gh School s wer e school s for
cul tural conquest by the Engl i sh. The knowl edge gai ned by the t hree
hundred boys of my Hi gh School became a ci rcumscri bed possessi on. I t
was not for transmi ssi on to the masses.
A wor d about l i terature. We had to l earn several books of Engl i sh prose
and Engl i sh poetry. No doubt all thi s was ni ce. But that knowl edge has
been of no use to me i n servi ng or bri ngi ng me i n touch wi th the masses.
I amunabl e to say that if I had not l earnt what I di d of Engl i sh prose and
poetry, I shoul d have mi ssed a rare treasure. I f I had, i nstead, passed those
preci ous seven years i n masteri ng Guj arati and had l earnt mat hemat i cs,
sci ences, and Sanskri t and other subj ects t hrough Guj arati , I coul d easi l y
have shared the knowl edge so gai ned with my nei ghbours. I woul d have
enri ched Guj arati , and who can say that I woul d not have wi th my habi t
of appl i cati on and my i nordi nate l ove for the country and mot her t ongue,
made a ri cher and great er contri buti on tothe servi ce of the masses ?
I must not be understood to decry Engl i sh or i ts nobl e l i terature. The
col umns of the Hargan ar e suffi ci ent evi dence of my l ove of Engl i sh. But
the nobi l i ty of i ts l i terature cannot avai l the I ndi an nati on any mor e than
G A N D H I
the t emper at e cl i mat e or the scenery of Engl and can avai l her. I ndi a has to
fl ouri sh i nher own cl i mate and scenery and her own l i terature, even t hough
all the t hree may be i nferi or to the Engl i sh cl i mate, scenery and l i terature.
We and our chi l dren must bui l d on our own heri tage. I f we bor r owanother,
we i mpoveri sh our own. We can never gr ow on forei gn vi ctual s. I want the
nati on to have the treasures contai ned in that l anguage, for that mat t er
in other l anguages of the worl d, t hrough i ts own vernacul ars. I do not
need to l earn Bengal i in order to know the beauti es of Rabi ndranath s
matchl ess producti ons. I get t hemt hrough good transl ati ons. Guj arati boys
and gi rl s do not need to l earn Russi an to appreci ate Tol stoy s short stori es.
They l earn themt hrough good transl ati ons. It i s the boast of Engl i shmen
that the best of t he worl d s l i terary output i s in the hands of that nati on i n
si mpl e Engl i sh i nsi de of a week of i ts publ i cati on. Why need I l earn
Engl i sh to get at the best of what Shakespear e and Mi l ton t hought and
wrote ?
It woul d be good economy to set apart a cl ass of students whose busi -
ness woul d be to l earn the best of what i s to be l earnt i n the di fferent l an-
guages of the worl d and gi ve the transl ati on i nthe vernacul ars. Our mast er s
chose the wr ong way for us, and habi t has made t he wr ong appear as ri ght.. . .
Uni versi ti es must be made sel f-supporti ng. The State shoul d si mpl y
educat e those whose servi ces i t woul d need. For all other branches of l earn-
i ng i t shoul d encourage pri vate effort. The medi umof i nstructi on shoul d
be al tered at once and at any cost, the provi nci al l anguages bei ng gi ven thei r
ri ghtful pl ace. I woul d pref er t emporary chaos in hi gher educati on to the
cri mi nal wast e that i s dai l y accumul ati ng. . . .
Thus I cl ai mthat I amnot an enemy of hi gher educati on. But I a m an
enemy of hi gher educati on as i t i s gi ven i nthi s country. Under my scheme
there will be mor e and better l i brari es, mor e and better l aboratori es, mor e
and better r esear ch i nsti tutes. Under i t we shoul d have an ar my of chemi sts,
engi neers and other expert s who will be real servants of the nati on, and
answer the vari ed and growi ng requi rements of a peopl e who ar e becomi ng
i ncreasi ngl y consci ous of thei r ri ghts and wants. And al l t hese experts will
speak, not a forei gn t ongue, but the l anguage of the peopl e. The know-
l edge gai ned by t hemwill be the common property of the peopl e. There
will be trul y ori gi nal wor k i nstead of mer e i mi tati on. And the cost will be
evenl y and j ustl y di stri buted. 4
G A N D H r
The I ndi an cul ture of our t i mes i s i nthe maki ng. Many of us are stri vi ng
to produce a bl end of all the cul tures whi ch seemtoday to be incl ash wi th
one another. No cul ture can l i ve, if i t at t empt s to be excl usi ve. Ther e i s no
such thi ng as pure Aryan cul ture i n exi stence today i n I ndi a. Whet her the
Aryans wer e i ndi genous to I ndi a or wer e unwel come i ntruders, does not
i nterest me much. What does i nterest me i s the f act that my remot e ancestors
bl ended wi th one another wi th the ut most f reedomand we of the present
generati on are a resul t of that bl end. Whet her we are doi ng any good to the
country of our bi rth and the ti ny gl obe whi ch sustai ns us or whet her we
are a burden, the future al one will show.
J
I do not want my house to be wal l ed i non all si des and my wi ndows to be
stuffed. I want the cul tures of all l ands to be bl own about my house as
freel y as possi bl e. But I refuse to be bl own off my f eet by any. I woul d have
our young men and women wi th l i terary tastes to l earn as much of Engl i sh
and other worl d- l anguages as they l i ke, and then expect t hemto gi ve the
benefi ts of thei r l earni ng toI ndi a and to the worl d l i ke a Bose, a Ray or the
Poet hi msel f.1 But I woul d not have a si ngl e I ndi an to forget, negl ect or be
ashamed of hi s mot her t ongue, or to feel that he or she cannot thi nk or
express the best thoughts i nhi s or her own vernacul ar. Mi ne i s not a rel i -
gi on of the pri son- house. 6
Musi c means rhyt hm, order. I ts effect i s el ectri cal . It i mmedi at el y soothes.
Unf ortunatel y l i ke our JhZ.rtras, musi c has been t he prerogati ve of the f ew.
I t has never become nati onal i zed i nthe moder n sense. I f I had any i nfl uence
wi th vol unteer boy scouts and Seva Samiti organi zati ons, I woul d make
compul sory a proper si ngi ng i n company of nati onal songs. And to that
end I shoul d have great musi ci ans attendi ng every congress or conf erence
and teachi ng mass musi c. 7
I n Pandi t Khare s opi ni on, based upon wi de experi ence, musi c shoul d f or m
part of the syl l abus of pr i mar y educati on. I hearti l y endorse the proposi -
ti on. The modul at i on of the voi ce i s as necessary as t he trai ni ng of the hand.
Physi cal dri l l , handi crafts, drawi ng and musi c shoul d go hand i n hand in
I. Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose and Sir P. C. Ray were eminent Indian scientists ;
the Poet refers to Rabindranath Tagore.
G A N D H I
or der to dr aw the best out of the boys and gi rl s and creat e in t hema real
i nterest i nthei r tui ti on. 8
The eyes, the ears and the t ongue come before the hand. Readi ng comes
before wri ti ng and drawi ng before traci ng the l etters of the al phabet . I f thi s
natural met hod i s f ol l owed, the understandi ng of the chi l dren will have
much better opportuni ty of devel opment than when i t i s under check by
begi nni ng the chi l dren s trai ni ng wi th the al phabet.
9
Not hi ng can be f arther f r ommy t hought than that we shoul d become
excl usi ve or erect barri ers. But I do respectful l y cont end that an appr eci a-
ti on of other cul tures can fitly f ol l ow, never pr ecede, an appreci ati on and
assi mi l ati on of our own. . . . An academi c grasp wi thout practi ce behi nd i t
i s l i ke an embal med corpse, perhaps l ovel y to l ook at but nothi ng toi nspi re
or ennobl e. My rel i gi on forbi ds me to bel i ttl e or di sregard other cul tures,
as i t i nsi sts under pai n of civil sui ci de upon i mbi bi ng and l i vi ng my own. I O
The utterl y f al se i dea that i ntel l i gence can be devel oped onl y t hrough book-
readi ng shoul d gi ve pl ace to the truth that the qui ckest devel opment of t he
mi nd can be achi eved by arti sans wor k bei ng l earnt in a sci enti fi c manner.
Tr ue devel opment of the mi nd commences i mmedi at el y the apprenti ce i s
taught at every st ep why a parti cul ar mani pul ati on of the hand or a tool i s
requi red. The probl emof the unempl oyment of students can be sol ved wi th-
out di ffi cul ty, if they will rank themsel ves among t he common l abourers. I I
I amnot sure that i t i s not better for the chi l dren tohave much of the pr e-
l i mi nary i nstructi on i mpart ed to t hemvocal l y. To i mpose on chi l dren of
tender age a knowl edge of the al phabet and the abi l i ty to r ead before they
can gai n general knowl edge i s to depri ve t hem, whi l st they are f resh, of the
power of assi mi l ati ng i nstructi on by wor d of mout h. IZ
Li terary trai ni ng by i tsel f adds not an i nch to one s moral hei ght and
character-bui l di ng i s i ndependent of l i terary trai ni ng.
13
I ama firmbel i ever in the pri nci pl e of f ree and compul sory pr i mar y educa-
ti on for I ndi a. I al so hol d that we shal l real i ze thi s onl y by teachi ng t he
17
G A N D H I
chi l dren a useful vocati on and uti l i zi ng i t as a means for cul ti vati ng thei r
mental , physi cal and spi ri tual facul ti es. Let no one consi der t hese economi c
cal cul ati ons i nconnexi on wi th educati on as sordi d or out of pl ace. There i s
nothi ng essenti al l y sordi d about economi c cal cul ati ons. Tr ue economi cs
never mi l i tates agai nst the hi ghest ethi cal standard, j ust as true ethi cs to be
wor t h i ts name must , at the same ti me, be al so good economi cs.
14
I val ue educati on i n the di fferent sci ences. Our chi l dren cannot have too
much of chemi stry and physi cs.
11
I woul d devel op in the chi l d his hands, his brai n and hi s soul . The hands
have al most atrophi ed. The soul has been al together i gnored. 16
As regards chi l dren s curi osi ty about the f acts of l i fe, we shoul d tel l t hem
if we know, and admi t our i gnorance i f we do not. If i t i s somet hi ng that
must not be tol d, we shoul d check t hemand ask t hemnot to put such ques-
ti ons even to anyone el se. We must never put t hemoff. They know mor e
thi ngs than we i magi ne. I f they do not know and if we refuse to tell them,
they try to acqui re the knowl edge i n a questi onabl e manner. But if i t has
to be wi thhel d f romt hem, we must take such ri sk.
z7
A wi se parent al l ows the chi l dren to make mi stakes. It i s good for t hemonce
i na whi l e to burn thei r fi ngers. 18
We cannot properl y control or conquer the sexual passi on by turni ng a
bl i nd eye to i t. I am, therefore, strongl y in f avour of teachi ng young boys
and young girls the si gni fi cance and ri ght use of thei r generati ve organs. In
my own way I have tri ed to i mpart thi s knowl edge to young chi l dren of
both sexes, for whose trai ni ng I was responsi bl e. But the sex educati on that
I stand for must have for i ts obj ect the conquest and subl i mati on of the sex
passi on. Such educati on shoul d automati cal l y serve to bri ng home tochi l d-
ren the essenti al di sti ncti on bet ween man and brute, to make t hemreal i ze
that i t i s man s pri vi l ege and pri de tobe gi fted wi th the facul ti es of head and
heart both, that he i s a thi nki ng no l ess than a feel i ng ani mal , and to re-
nounce the soverei gnty of reason over the bl i nd i nsti nct is, therefore, to
renounce a man s estate. I n man, reason qui ckens and gui des the feel i ng, i n
G A N D H I
brute the soul l i es ever dormant . To awaken the heart i s to awaken the dor-
mant soul , toawaken reason and to i ncul cate di scri mi nati on bet ween good
and evil. Today, our enti re envi ronment- our readi ng, our thi nki ng, and
our soci al behavi our-i s general l y cal cul ated to subserve and cater for the
sex urge. To break t hrough i ts coi l s i s no easy task. But i t i s a t ask wort hy of
our hi ghest endeavour. 19
CHAPTER XI
W O M E N
I a m f i rml y of opi ni on that I ndi a s sal vati on depends on the sacri fi ce and
enl i ghtenment of her women. z
,4hip~2 means i nfi ni te l ove, whi ch agai n means i nfi ni te capaci ty for suffer-
i ng. Who but woman, the mot her of man, shows thi s capaci t y inthe l argest
measure ? She shows i t as she carri es the i nfant and f eeds i t duri ng ni ne
mont hs and deri ves j oy inthe sufferi ng i nvol ved. What can beat the suffer-
i ng caused by the pangs of l abour? But she forgets t hemin the j oy of
creati on. Who agai n suffers dai l y so that her babe may wax f romday to day ?
Let her transfer that l ove to the whol e of humani t y, l et her forget that she
ever was or can be the obj ect of man s l ust. And she will occupy her proud
posi ti on by the si de of man as hi s mot her, maker and si l ent l eader. It i s gi ven
to her to t each the art of peace tothe warri ng worl d thi rsti ng for that nectar. 2
RIy own opi ni on i s that, just as f undamental l y man and woman are one,
thei r probl emmust be one inessence. The soul inboth i s the same. The t wo
l i ve the same life, have the same feel i ngs. Each i s a compl ement of the other.
The one cannot l i ve wi thout the other s acti ve hel p.
But somehow or other man has domi nat ed woman f romages past , and
so woman has devel oped an i nferi ori ty compl ex. She has bel i eved in the
truth of man s i nterested teachi ng that she i s i nferi or to hi m. But the seers
among men have recogni zed her equal status.
Neverthel ess there i s no doubt that at some poi nt t here i s bi furcati on.
Whi l st both are f undamental l y one, i t i s al so equal l y true that in the f or m
I 60
Last rites of Mahatma Gandhi. Huge crowds following the procession of Gandhi's
ashes through the streets of Bombay on their way to the sea, 1948
(Photo Keystone)
G A N D H I
there i s a vital di fference bet ween the t wo. Hence the vocati ons of the two
must al so be di fferent. The duty of mot herhood, whi ch the vast maj ori ty of
women will al ways undertake, requi res qual i ti es whi ch man need not pos-
sess. She i s passi ve, he i s acti ve. She i s essenti al l y mi st ress of the house. He
i s the bread- wi nner. She i s the keeper and di stri butor of the bread. She i s
the care-taker i nevery sense of the t er m. The art of bri ngi ng up the i nfants
of the race i s her speci al and sol e prerogati ve. Wi t hout her care the race
must become exti nct.
I n my opi ni on i t i s degradi ng both for man and woman that woman
shoul d be cal l ed upon or i nduced to forsake the hearth and shoul der the
ri fl e for the protecti on of that hearth. It is a reversi on tobarbari ty and the
begi nni ng of the end. I n tryi ng to ri de the horse that man ri des, she bri ngs
hersel f and hi mdown. The si nwill be on man s head for tempti ng or com-
pel l i ng hi s compani on to desert her speci al cal l i ng. Ther e i s as much bravery
i nkeepi ng one s home ingood order and condi ti on as there i s i n def endi ng
i t agai nst attack f r omwi thout.
3
I f I wer e born a woman, I woul d ri se i n rebel l i on agai nst any pretensi on
on the part of man that woman i s born to be hi s pl aythi ng. I have mental l y
become a woman i norder to steal i nto her heart. I coul d not steal i nto my
wi f e s heart unti l I deci ded to treat her di fferentl y than I used to do, and so
I restored to her al l her ri ghts by di spossessi ng mysel f of all my so-cal l ed
ri ghts as her husband. 4
Of all the evi l s for whi ch man has made hi msel f responsi bl e, non2 i s so
degradi ng, so shocki ng or so brutal as his abuse of the better hal f of human-
ity-to me, the f emal e sex, not the weaker sex. I t i s the nobl er of the t wo,
for i t i s even today the embodi ment of sacri fi ce, si l ent sufferi ng, humi l i ty,
fai th and knowl edge. J
Woman must cease to consi der hersel f the obj ect of man s l ust. The r emedy
is mor e inher hands than man s. 6
Chasti ty i s not a hot - house growt h. It cannot be protected by the surround-
i ng wall of the purdah. It must gr ow f r omwi thi n, and to be wort h anythi ng
i t must be capabl e of wi thstandi ng every unsought temptati on.
7
I 61
G A N D H r
And why is there all thi s morbi d anxi ety about f emal e puri ty ? Have women
any say inthe mat t er of mal e puri ty ? We hear nothi ng of women s anxi ety
about men s chasti ty. Why shoul d men arrogate tothemsel ves the ri ght to
regul ate f emal e puri ty? I t cannot be superi mposed f r omwi thout. I t i s a
matter of evol uti on f r omwi thi n and therefore of i ndi vi dual sel f-effort. 8
Woman, I hol d, i s the personi fi cati on of sel f-sacri fi ce, but unfortunatel y
today she does not real i ze what a t remendous advantage she has over man.
As Tol stoy used to say, they are l abouri ng under the hypnoti c i nf l uence of
man. I f they woul d real i ze the strength of non- vi ol ence they woul d not
consent to be cal l ed the weaker sex.
9
To cal l woman the weaker sex i s a l i bel ; i t is man s i nj usti ce to woman. I f
by strength i s meant brute strength, then, i ndeed, i s woman l ess brute than
man. If by strength i s meant moral power, then woman i s i mmeasurabl y
man s superi or. Has she not great er i ntui ti on, i s she not mor e sel f-sacri fi c-
i ng, has she not greater powers of endurance, has she not great er courage ?
Wi t hout her man coul d not be. If non- vi ol ence i s the l aw of our bei ng, the
future i s wi th woman. . . . Who can make a mor e effecti ve appeal to the
heart than woman ? I O
Women are speci al custodi ans of all that i s pure and rel i gi ous inlife. Con-
servati ve by nature, if they are sl owto shed supersti ti ous habi ts, they are
al so sl owto gi ve up all that is pure and nobl e inlife. II
I bel i eve i n the proper educati on of women. But I do bel i eve that woman
will not make her contri buti on to the worl d by mi mi cki ng or runni ng a
race wi th men. She can run the race, but she will not ri se to the great
hei ghts she i s capabl e of by mi mi cki ng man. She has tobe the compl ement
of man. 22
Woman i s the compani on of man gi fted wi th equal mental capaci ti es. She
has the ri ght toparti ci pate inthe mi nutest detai l of the acti vi ti es of man, and
she has the same ri ght of f reedomand l i berty as he. She i s enti tl ed to a
supreme pl ace inher own sphere of acti vi ty as man i s i n hi s. This ought to
be the natural condi ti on of thi ngs, and not a resul t onl y of l earni ng to r ead
I 62
G A N D H I
and wri te. By sheer force of a vi ci ous cust om, even the most i gnorant and
worthl ess men have been enj oyi ng a superi ori ty over women whi ch they
do not deserve and ought not to have.
13
I f onl y women will forget that they bel ong to the weaker sex, I have no
doubt that they can do i nfi ni tel y mor e than men agai nst war. Answer for
yoursel ves what your great sol di ers and general s woul d do, if thei r wi ves
and daughters and mothers refused to countenance thei r parti ci pati on in
mi l i tari smi n any shape or f or m.
r4
A si ster who is a good worker, and was anxi ous to remai n cel i bate i n order
to serve better the country s cause, has recentl y marri ed havi ng met the
mat e of her dreams. But she i magi nes that indoi ng so she has done wr ong
and fal l enf r omthe hi gh i deal whi ch she had set before hersel f. I have tri ed
to ri d her mi nd of this del usi on. It i s no doubt an excel l ent thi ng for girls
to remai n unmarri ed for the sake of servi ce, but the f act i s that onl y one in
a mi l l i on i s abl e to do so. Mar r i age i s a natural thi ng inlifeand to consi der
i t derogatory in any sense i s whol l y wr ong. When one i magi nes any act a
fal l i t i s difficult, however hard one tri es, to rai se onesel f. The i deal i s to
l ook upon marri age as a sacrament and therefore to l ead a l i fe of sel f-
restrai nt in the marri ed estate. Marri age in Hi ndui smi s one of the f our
d m m a s . In f act the other three are based on it.
The dut y of the above- ment i oned and other si sters who thi nk l i ke
her i s, therefore, not to l ook down upon mar r i age but to gi ve i t i ts due
pl ace and make of i t the sacrament i t i s. I f they exerci se the necessary
sel f-restrai nt, they will fi nd growi ng wi thi n themsel ves a greater strength
for servi ce. She who wi shes to serve will natural l y choose a partner inl i fe
who i s of the same mi nd, and thei r j oi nt servi ce will be the country s
gai n. rj
Marri age confirms the ri ght of uni on bet ween t wo partners tothe excl usi on
of all the others when inthei r j oi nt opi ni on they consi der such uni on to be
desi rabl e, but i t confers no ri ght upon one partner to demand obedi ence
of the other to one s wi sh for uni on. What shoul d be done when one part -
ner on moral or other grounds cannot conf ormto the wi shes of the other
is a separat e questi on. Personal l y if di vorce was the onl y al ternati ve, I
G A N D H I
shoul d not hesi tate to accept i t, rather than i nterrupt my moral progress
assumi ng that I want to restrai n mysel f on purel y moral grounds. 16
It i s a t r agedy that general l y speaki ng our gi rl s are not taught the duti es of
mot herhood. But if marri ed l i fe i s a rel i gi ous duty, mot herhood must be
too. To be an i deal mot her i s no easy task. The procreati on of chi l dren has
to be undertaken wi th a full sense of responsi bi l i ty. The mot her shoul d
know what i s her duty f r omthe moment she concei ves ri ght up to the t i me
the chi l d i s born. And she who gi ves i ntel l i gent, heal thy and wel l brought
up chi l dren to the country i s surel y renderi ng a servi ce. When the l atter
gr ow up t hey too will be r eady to serve. The truth of the mat t er i s that those
who are fi l l ed wi th a l i vi ng spi ri t of servi ce will al ways serve whatever
thei r posi ti on i n l i fe. They will never adopt a way of life whi ch will i nter-
f ere wi th servi ce. r7
Some peopl e oppose a modi fi cati on of l aws rel ati ng tothe ri ght of a mar -
ri ed woman to own property on the ground that economi c i ndependence
of woman woul d l ead to the spread of i mmoral i ty among women and di s-
rupti on of domesti c l i fe. What i s your atti tude on the questi on ?
I woul d answer the questi on by a counter questi on : Has not i ndepend-
ence of man and hi s hol di ng property l ed tothe spr ead of i mmoral i ty among
men ? I f you answer yes then l et i t be so al so wi th women. And when women
have ri ghts of ownershi p and the rest l i ke men, i t will be f ound that the
enj oyment of such ri ghts i s not responsi bl e for thei r vi ces or thei r vi rtues.
Moral i ty whi ch depends upon the hel pl essness of a man or woman has not
much to r ecommend i t. Moral i ty i s rooted inthe puri ty of our hearts. 18
A young man has sent me a l etter whi ch can be gi ven her e onl y insubstance.
I t i s as under:
I a m a mar r i ed man. I had gone out to a forei gn country. I had a fri end
whomboth I and my parents i mpl i ci tl y trusted. Dur i ng my absence he
seduced my wi f e who has now concei ved of hi m. My f ather now i nsi sts
that the gi rl shoul d resort to aborti on; otherwi se, he says, the f ami l y woul d
be di sgraced. To me i t seems that i t woul d be wr ong to do so. The poor
woman i s consumed wi th remorse. She cares nei ther to eat nor dri nk, but i s
al ways weepi ng. Will you ki ndl y tel l me as to what my duty i s inthe case ?
G A N D H I
I have publ i shed t hi s l etter wi th great hesi tati on. As everybody knows
such cases are by no means i nfrequent i n soci ety. A restrai ned publ i c
di scussi on of the questi on, therefore, does not seemto me to be out of
pl ace.
It seems to me cl ear as dayl i ght that aborti on woul d be a cri me. Count -
l ess husbands are gui l ty of the same l apse as thi s poor woman, but nobody
ever questi ons t hem. Soci ety not onl y excuses t hembut does not even
censure t hem. Then, agai n, the woman cannot conceal her shame while
man can successful l y hi de hi s si n.
The woman i n questi on deserves to be pi ti ed. I t woul d be the sacred
duty of the husband tobri ng up the baby wi th all the l ove and tenderness
that he i s capabl e of and to refuse to yi el d to the counsel s of hi s father.
Whet her he shoul d conti nue to l i ve wi th hi s wi f e i s a ti ckl i sh questi on.
Ci rcumstances may warrant separati on f r omher. I n that case he woul d be
bound to provi de for her mai ntenance and educati on and to hel p her to
l i ve a pure l i fe. Nor shoul d I see anythi ng wr ong i n hi s accepti ng her re-
pentance if i t i s si ncere and genui ne. Nay, further, I can i magi ne a si tuati on
when i t woul d be the sacred duty of the husband to t ake back an erri ng
wi f e who has compl etel y expi ated for and redeemed her error.
19
Passi ve resi stance i s regarded as the weapon of the weak, but the resi stance
for whi ch I had to coi n a new name al together i s the weapon of the strong-
est. I had to coi n a new wor d to si gni fy what I meant . But i ts matchl ess
beauty l i es i nthe fact that, t hough i t is the weapon of the strongest, i t can
be wi el ded by the weak i n body, by the aged, and even by the chi l dren if
they have stout hearts. And si nce resi stance i nJutyligruhu i s offered t hrough
sel f-sufferi ng, i t is a weapon pre- emi nentl y open to women. We f ound l ast
year that women i n I ndi a, i n many i nstances, surpassed thei r brothers i n
sufferi ngs and the t wo pl ayed a nobl e part i nthe campai gn. For the i deal of
sel f-sufferi ng became contagi ous and they embarked upon amazi ng acts of
sel f-deni al . Supposi ng that the women and the chi l dren of Eur ope became
fired wi th the l ove of humani t y, they woul d take the men by st ormand re-
duce militarismto nothi ngness i nan i ncredi bl y short ti me. The underl yi ng
i dea i s that women, chi l dren and others have the same soul , the same
potenti al i ty. The questi on i s one of drawi ng out the l i mi tl ess power of
truth. 20
G A N D H I
When a woman i s assaul ted, she may not stop to thi nk i nt er ms of hiysa or
ahi~sa. Her pr i mar y duty i s sel f-protecti on. She is at l i berty to empl oy every
met hod or means that comes to her mi nd, in order to def end her honour.
God has gi ven her nai l s and teeth. She must use t hemwi th all her strength
and, if need be, di e i nthe effort. The man or woman who has shed al l f ear
of death will be abl e not onl y to protect hi msel f or hersel f but others al so
t hrough l ayi ng down his or her l i fe. I n truth, we f ear death most , and hence
we ul ti matel y submi t to superi or physi cal force. Some will bend the knee
to the i nvader, some will resort to bri bery, some will crawl on thei r bel l i es
or submi t to other f orms of humi l i ati on, and some women will even gi ve
thei r bodi es rat her than di e. I have not wri tten thi s i na carpi ng spi ri t. I am
onl y i l l ustrati ng human nature. Whet her we crawl on our bel l i es, or whet her
a woman yi el ds to the l ust of man, i s symbol i c of that same l ove of l i fe
whi ch makes us stoop to anythi ng. Theref ore, onl y he who l oses hi s l i fe
shal l save it. To enj oy l i fe one shoul d gi ve up the l ure of life. That shoul d
be part of our nature. 21
For me there can be no preparati on for vi ol ence. All preparati on must be
for non- vi ol ence if courage of the hi ghest type i s to be devel oped. . . . I f
there are women who when assai l ed by mi screants cannot resi st themsel ves
wi thout ar ms, they do not need tobe aduised to carry arms. They will do so.
There i s somet hi ng wr ong in thi s constant i nqui ry as to whether to bear
ar ms or not. Peopl e have to l earn to be natural l y i ndependent. I f t hey will
r emember the central teachi ng, namel y, that t he real , effecti ve resi stance l i es
i n non- vi ol ence, they will moul d thei r conduct accordi ngl y. And that i s
what the worl d has been doi ng, al though unthi nki ngl y. Si nce i t has not
the hi ghest courage, namel y, courage born of non- vi ol ence, i t ar ms i tsel f
even unt o the at ombomb. Those who do not see in i t the futi l i ty of vi ol ence
will natural l y ar mthemsel ves to the best of thei r abi l i ty. 22
It i s for Ameri can women to show what power women can be i nthe worl d.
But that can only be when you cease to be the toys of men s i dl e hours. You
have got f reedom. You can become a power for peace by refusi ng to be
carri ed away by the fl ood-ti de of the pseudo- sci ence gl ori fyi ng sel f-i ndul -
gence that i s engul fi ng the West today and appl y your mi nds i nstead to the
sci ence of non- vi ol ence ; for forgi veness i s your nature. By api ng men, you
I 66
G A N D H r
nei ther become men nor can you f uncti on as your real sel ves and devel op
your speci al tal ent that God has gi ven you. God has vouchsaf ed towomen
the power of non- vi ol ence mor e than to man. I t i s all the mor e effecti ve
because i t i s mut e. Women are the natural messengers of the gospel of non-
vi ol ence if onl y they will real i ze thei r hi gh estate.
23
But i t i s my firm convi cti on that if the men and women of I ndi a cul ti vate
i nthemsel ves the courage to face death bravel y and non- vi ol entl y, they can
l augh to scorn the power of armament s and real i ze the i deal of unadul ter-
ated i ndependence i n t er ms of the masses whi ch woul d ser ve as an exampl e
to the worl d. In that women can take the l ead for they are a personi fi cati on
of the power of sel f-sufferi ng.
24
CHAPTER XI1
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
I do not want toforesee the future. I a m concerned wi th taki ng care of the
present. God has gi ven me no control over the moment f ol l owi ng. I
I have been known as a crank, f addi st, madman. Evi dentl y the reputati on
i s well deserved. For wherever I go, I dr aw to mysel f cranks, f addi sts and
madmen. z
The worl d knows so little of how much my so-cal l ed greatness depends
upon the i ncessant toil and drudgery of si l ent, devoted, abl e and pure
workers, men as well as women.
3
I l ook upon mysel f as a dul l person. I take mor e t i me than others inunder-
standi ng some thi ngs, but I do not care. There i s a limit to man s progress
i n i ntel l i gence; but the devel opment of the qual i ti es of the heart knows no
bounds. 4
It may fairly be sai d that i ntel l ect has pl ayed a subordi nate part i nmy l i fe.
I thi nk I a m a dul l person. I t i s l i teral l y true i nmy case that God provi des
the man of fai th wi th such i ntel l i gence as he needs. I have al ways honoured
and reposed fai th inel ders and wi se men. But my deepest fai th i s i n truth
so that my path t hough difficult to tread has seemed easy to me.
I n the maj ori ty of cases addr esses presented tome contai n adj ecti ves whi ch
I ami l l abl e to carry. Thei r use can do good nei ther to the wri t ers nor to
J
168
G A N D H I
me. They unnecessari l y humi l i ate me, for I have to confess that I do not
deserve t hem. When they are deserved, thei r use i s superf l uous, They can-
not add to the strength of the qual i ti es possessed by me. They may, if I a m
not on my guard, easi l y turn my head. The good that a man does i s mor e
often than not better l eft unsai d. I mi tati on i s the si ncerest fl attery. 6
The goal ever recedes f r omus. The greater the progress the greater the
recogni ti on of our unworthi ness. Sati sfacti on l i es i n the effort, not i n the
attai nment. Ful l effort i s full vi ctory.
7
I have not concei ved my mi ssi on to be that of a kni ght- errant wanderi ng
everywhere to del i ver peopl e f r omdifficult si tuati ons. My humbl e occupa-
ti on has been to show peopl e how they can sol ve thei r own di ffi cul ti es. 8
I f I seemto take part i npol i ti cs, i t i s onl y because pol i ti cs enci rcl e us today
l i ke the coi l of a snake f romwhi ch one cannot get out, no mat t er how
much one tries. I wi sh therefore to wrest l e wi th the snake.
9
My wor k of soci al ref ormwas i n no way l ess or subordi nate to pol i ti cal
wor k. The f act i s, that when I s aw that to a certai n extent my soci al wor k
woul d be i mpossi bl e wi thout the hel p of pol i ti cal wor k, I t ook to the latter
and onl y to the extent that i t hel ped the f ormer. I must therefore confess
that wor k of soci al ref ormor sel f-puri fi cati on of this nature i s a hundred
t i mes dearer to me than what i s cal l ed purel y pol i ti cal work. I O
I am, mysel f , the f at her of f our boys whomI have brought up to the best
of my l i ghts. I have been an extremel y obedi ent son to my parents, and an
equal l y obedi ent pupi l to my t eachers. I know the val ue of filial duty. But
I count duty to God above al l these. IZ
I deny bei ng a vi si onary. I do not accept the cl ai mof sai ntl i ness. I a m of the
eart h, earthy. . . . I amprone to as many weaknesses as you are. But I have
seen the worl d. I have l i ved i n the worl d wi th my eyes open. I have gone
t hrough the most fi ery ordeal s that have fal l en to the lot of man. I have
gone t hrough thi s di sci pl i ne. 12
G A N D H I
I have never made a feti sh of consi stency. I a m a votary of Trut h and I must
say what I f eel and thi nk at a gi ven moment on the questi on, wi thout regard
to what I may have sai d before on i t. . . . As my vi si on gets cl earer, my
vi ews must gr ow cl earer wi th dai l y practi ce. Wher e I have del i beratel y
al tered an opi ni on, the change shoul d be obvi ous. Onl y a careful eye woul d
noti ce a gradual and i mpercepti bl e evol uti on.
rj
I a m not at all concerned wi th appeari ng to be consi stent. I n my pursui t
af ter Trut h I have di scarded many i deas and l earnt many new thi ngs. Ol d
as I a m i nage, I have no feel i ng that I have ceased to gr ow i nwardl y or that
my growt h will stop wi th the di ssol uti on of the fl esh. What I am concerned
withi s my readi ness to obey t he call of Trut h, my God, f r ommoment to
moment . 14
At the t i me of wri ti ng I never thi nk of what I have sai d before. My ai mi s
not to be consi stent wi th my previ ous statements on a gi ven questi on,
but to be consi stent wi th truth, as i t may present i tsel f to me at a gi ven
moment . The resul t has been that I have gr own f r omtruth to truth;
I have saved my memor y an undue strai n; and what is more, whenever I
have been obl i ged to compar e my wri ti ng even fifty years ago wi th the
l atest, I have di scovered no i nconsi stency bet ween the t wo. But fri ends who
observe i nconsi stency will do wel l to take the meani ng that my l atest writ-
ings may yi el d unl ess of course they pref er the ol d. But before maki ng
the choi ce, they shoul d try to see if t here i s not an underl yi ng and abi di ng
consi stency bet ween the t wo seemi ng i nconsi stenci es.
ZJ
It i s better i n pr ayer to have a heart wi thout wor ds than wor ds wi thout a
heart. 16
Behi nd my non- co- operat i on there i s al ways the keenest desi re to co- operate
on the sl i ghtest pretext even wi th the worst of opponents. To me, a very i m-
perfect mortal , ever inneed of God s grace, no one i s beyond redempt i on. 17
My non- co- operat i on has i ts root not in hat red, but in l ove. My personal
rel i gi on peremptori l y forbi ds me to hat e anybody. I l earnt thi s si mpl e yet
grand doctri ne when I was twel ve years ol d t hrough a school book and the
G A N D H I
convi cti on has persi sted up to now. I t i s.dai l y growi ng on me. It i s a burni ng
passi on wi th me. 18
What i s true of i ndi vi dual s is true of nati ons. One cannot forgi ve too much.
The weak can never forgi ve. Forgi veness i s the attri bute of the strong. 29
Sufferi ng has i ts wel l -defi ned l i mi ts. Sufferi ng can be both wi se and unwi se,
and when the limit is reached, to prol ong i t woul d be not wi se, but the
hei ght of fol l y. 20
Our s will onl y then be a trul y spi ri tual nati on when we shal l show mor e
truth than gol d, greater fearl essness than pomp of power and weal th, greater
chari ty than l ove of sel f. I f we will but cl ean our houses, our pal aces and
templ es of the attri butes of weal th and show i n t hemthe attri butes of
moral i ty, one can offer battl e to any combi nati on of hosti l e forces, wi thout
havi ng to carry the burden of a heavy mi l i ti a. zz
I woul d far rather that I ndi a peri shed than that she won f reedomat the
sacri f i ce of truth. zz
If I had no sense of humour , I shoul d l ong ago have commi t t ed sui ci de.
23
My phi l osophy, if I can be sai d to have any, excl udes the possi bi l i ty of
har mto one s cause by outsi de agenci es. The har mcomes deservedl y and
onl y when the cause i tsel f i s bad or, bei ng good, i ts champi ons are untrue,
fai nt-hearted or uncl ean. 24
Somehow I a m abl e to dr awthe nobl est i n manki nd, and that is what
enabl es me to mai ntai n my fai thi n God and human nature.
2j
I f I was what I want to be I woul d not then need to argue wi th anyone.
My wor d woul d go strai ght home. I ndeed I woul d not even need to utter
the wor d. The mer e will on my part woul d suffi ce to produce the requi red
effect. But I a m pai nful l y awar e of my l i mi tati ons. 26
G A N D H I
Rati onal i sts are admi r abl e bei ngs, rati onal i smi s a hi deous monst er when i t
cl ai ms for i tsel f omni pot ence. Attri buti on of omni pot ence to reason is as
bad a pi ece of i dol atry as i s worshi p of stock and stone bel i evi ng i t to be
God. I pl ead not for the suppressi on of reason, but for a due recogni ti on of
that i n us whi ch sancti f i es reason. 27
I n ever y branch of ref ormconstant study gi vi ng one a mast er y over one s
subj ect i s necessary. I gnorance i s at t he root of fai l ures, parti al or compl ete,
of al l ref ormmovement s whose mer i t s are admi t t ed, for every proj ect
masqueradi ng under the name of ref ormi s not necessari l y wort hy of bei ng
so desi gnat ed. 28
I n deal i ng wi th l i vi ng enti ti es, the dry syl l ogi sti c met hod l eads not onl y to
bad l ogi c but somet i mes to fatal l ogi c. For if you mi ss even a ti ny factor-
and you never have control over al l the factors that enter i nto deal i ngs wi th
human bei ngs-your concl usi on i s l i kel y to be wr ong. Theref ore, you never
r each the final truth, you onl y r each an approxi mati on ; and t hat too if you
ar e extra caref ul in your deal i ngs. 29
I t i s a bad habi t to say that another man s thoughts are bad and ours only
are good and that those hol di ng di fferent vi ews f romours are the enemi es
of the country. 30
Let us honour our opponent s for the same honesty of purpose and patri oti c
moti ves t hat we cl ai mfor oursel ves.
31
I t i s t rue t hat I have often been l et down. hi any have decei ved me and
many have been f ound wanti ng. But I do not repent of my associ ati on
wi th them. For I know how t onon- co- operat e, as I know how toco- operate.
The most practi cal , the most di gni fi ed way of goi ng on in the worl d
is to t ake peopl e at thei r wor d, when you have no posi ti ve reason to the
contrary. 3 2
I f we are to make progress, we must not repeat hi story but make new hi s-
tory. We must add to t he i nheri tance l eft by our ancestors. I f we may
make new di scoveri es and i nventi ons i n the phenomenal worl d, must we
G A N D H I
decl are our bankruptcy i nthe spi ri tual domai n ? I s i t i mpossi bl e to mul ti pl y
the excepti ons so as to make t hemthe rul e ? Must man al ways be brute fi rst
and man after, if at all ?
33
I n every great cause i t i s not the number of fi ghters that counts but i t i s the
qual i ty of whi ch they are made that becomes the deci di ng factor. The great -
est men of the worl d have al ways stood al one. Take the great prophets,
Zoroaster, Buddha, J esus, Muhammad- t hey all stood al one l i ke many
others whomI can name. But they had l i vi ng fai th i n themsel ves and thei r
God, and bel i evi ng as they di d that God was on thei r si de, they never fel t
l onel y. 34
Meet i ngs and group organi zati ons are all ri ght. They are of some hel p, but
very l i ttl e. They are l i ke the scaffol di ng that an archi tect erects-a t emporary
and makeshi f t expedi ent. The thi ng that real l y mat t er s i s an i nvi nci bl e fai th
that cannot be quenched. 3,
No mat t er how i nsi gni fi cant the thi ng you have to do, do i t as well as you
can, gi ve i t as much of your care and attenti on as you woul d gi ve to the
thi ng you r egar d as most i mportant. For i t will be by those smal l thi ngs
that you shal l be j udged.
36
As to the habi t of l ooki ng to the West for l i ght, I can gi ve l i ttl e gui dance if
the whol e of my l i fe has not provi ded any. Li ght used to go out f r omt he
East . I f the Eastern reservoi r has become empt y, natural l y the East will
have to bor r owf r omthe West . I wonder if l i ght, i f i t is l i ght and not a
mi asma, can ever be exhausted. As a boy I l earnt that i t gr ewwi th the gi vi ng.
Anyway I have acted i n that bel i ef and have, therefore, traded on the
ancestral capi tal . I t has never fai l ed me. Thi s, however, does not mean that
I must act l i ke a f rog inthe well. There i s nothi ng to prevent me f rompro-
fi ti ngby the l i ght that may come f r omthe West . Onl y I must take care that
I a m not overpowered by the gl amour of the West . I must not mi stake the
gl amour for true l i ght. 37
1 do not subscri be tothe supersti ti on that everythi ng i s good because i t is
anci ent. I do not bel i eve ei ther that anythi ng i s good because i t i s I ndi an. 38
G A N D H I
I a m no i ndi scri mi nate worshi pper of all that goes under the name anci ent .
I never hesi tate todemol i sh all that i s evil or i mmoral , no mat t er how anci ent
i t may be, but wi th that reservati on, I must confess to you, that I a m an
adorer of anci ent i nsti tuti ons and i t hurts me to thi nk that peopl e in thei r
rush for everythi ng moder n despi se all thei r anci ent tradi ti ons and i gnore
t heminthei r l i ves. 39
Tr ue moral i ty consi sts, not i n f ol l owi ng the beaten track, but infi ndi ng out
the true path for oursel ves and in fearl essl y f ol l owi ng i t.
40
No acti on whi ch i s not vol untary can be cal l ed moral . So l ong as we act l i ke
machi nes, there can be no questi on of moral i ty. I f we want to cal l an acti on
moral , i t shoul d have been done consci ousl y and as a mat t er of duty. Any
acti on that i s di ctated by f ear or by coerci on of any ki nd ceases to be
moral . 4z
One earns the ri ght of fi ercest cri ti ci smwhen one has convi nced one s
nei ghbours of one s affecti on for t hemand one s sound j udgement, and
when one i s sure of not bei ng inthe sl i ghtest degr ee ruffl edif one s j udgement
i s not accepted or enf orced. I n other words, t here shoul d be l ove facul ty
for cl ear percepti on and compl ete tol erati on to enabl e one to cri ti ci ze. 42
The wor d cri mi nal shoul d be taboo f r omour di cti onary. Or we are all
cri mi nal s. Those of you that are wi thout si n cast the fi rst stone. And no
one was f ound to dar e cast the stone at the si nni ng harl ot. As a j ai l er once
sai d, all are cri mi nal s i n secret. There i s prof ound truth i n that sayi ng,
uttered hal f i n j est. Let t hembe therefore good compani ons. I know that
thi s i s easi er sai d than done. And that i s exactl y what the Gi t a and as a
mat t er of f act all rel i gi ons enj oi n upon us to do.
43
Man i s the maker of hi s own desti ny in the sense that he has the f reedom
of choi ce as to the manner in whi ch he uses hi s f reedom. But he i s no con-
trol l er of resul ts. 44
Goodness must be j oi ned wi th knowl edge. Mer e goodness i s not of much
use. One must retai n the fi ne di scri mi nati ng qual i ty whi ch goes wi th spi ri t-
G A N D H Z
ual courage and character. One must know in a cruci al si tuati on when to
speak and when to be si l ent, when to act and when to refrai n. Acti on and
non- acti on i n these ci rcumstances become i denti cal i nstead of bei ng
contradi ctory. 4j
Everythi ng cr eat ed by God, ani mate or i nani mate, has i t s good si de and
bad si de. The wi se man, l i ke the f abl ed bi rd whi ch separati ng the creamof
mi l k f r omi ts wat er hel ps hi msel f to the cr eaml eavi ng the wat er al one, will
t ake the good f r omeverythi ng l eavi ng the bad al one.
46
I t was forty year s back, when I was passi ng t hrough a severe crisis of
scepti ci smand doubt , that I came across Tol stoy s book, The Kingdom of God
is Within You, and was deepl y i mpr essed by i t. I was at that t i me a bel i ever
invi ol ence. I t s readi ng cured me of my scepti ci smand made me a firmbe-
l i ever in ahimsti. What has appeal ed to me most i n Tol stoy s l i fe i s that he
pract i sed what he preached and reckoned no cost too gr eat i n his pursui t
of truth. Take the si mpl i ci ty of hi s l i fe, i t was wonderf ul . Bor n and brought
up i n the mi dst of l uxury and comf ort of a ri ch ari stocrati c fami l y, bl essed
in an abundant measure wi th all the stores of the eart h that desi re can covet,
thi s man who had ful l y known all the j oys and pl easures of life turned hi s
back upon t hemi n the pr i me of his yout h and af terwards never once
l ooked back.
He was the most truthful man of thi s age. His lifewas a constant endea-
vour, an unbroken ti de of stri vi ng to seek the truth, and to practi se i t as he
f ound i t. He never tri ed to hi de truth or tone i t down but set i t before the
worl d in i t s enti rety wi thout equi vocati on or compr omi se, undeterred by
the f ear of any earthl y power.
He was the great est apostl e of non- vi ol ence that the present age has
produced. No one i nthe West , before hi mor si nce, has wri tten and spoken
on non- vi ol ence so ful l y or i nsi stentl y and wi th such penetrati on and i n-
si ght as he. I woul d even go further and say that hi s r emar kabl e devel op-
ment of this doctri ne puts to shame the present- day narrowand l op- si ded
i nterpretati on put upon i t by the votari es of ahips2 i n thi s l and of ours.
I n spi te of I ndi a s proud cl ai mof bei ng the karmabhumi, the l and of real i za-
ti on, and i n spi te of some of the great est di scoveri es i n the fi el d of ahipsti
that our anci ent sages have made, what often goes by the name of ahinis2
71
G A N D w I
among us today is a travesty of i t. Tr ue ahimsi shoul d mean a compl et e
f reedomf r omi l l will and anger and hat e and an overf l owi ng l ove for al l .
For i ncul cati ng thi s true and hi gher type of a h p i amongst us, Tol stoy s
l i fe wi th i t s ocean- l i ke l ove shoul d serve as a beacon l i ght and a never-
fai l i ng source of i nspi rati on. Tol stoy s critics have somet i mes sai d that hi s
life was a col ossal f ai l ure, that he never f ound hi s i deal , the mysti cal green
sti ck, i n whose quest his enti re life was passed. I do not hol d wi th t hese
cri ti cs. True, he hi msel f sai d so. But that onl y shows his greatness. I t may
be that he fai l ed ful l y to real i ze hi s i deal i nl i fe, but that i s onl y human. No
one can attai n perfecti on whi l e he i s i n the body for the si mpl e reason that
the i deal state i s i mpossi bl e so l ong as one has not compl etel y over come
his ego, and ego cannot be whol l y got ri d of so l ong as one i s ti ed down
by shackl es of the fl esh. It was a favouri te sayi ng of Tol stoy that the moment
one bel i eves that he has reached his i deal , his further progress stops and
his retrogressi on begi ns and that the very vi rtue of an i deal consi sts i n
that i t recedes f r omus the nearer we go. To say, therefore, that Tol stoy on
his own admi ssi on f ai l ed to reach his i deal does not detract a jot f r omhi s
greatness, i t onl y shows his humi l i ty.
Much has been often sought to be made of the so-cal l ed i nconsi stenci es
of Tol stoy s l i fe; but they wer e mor e apparent than real . Constant devel op-
ment i s the l aw of l i fe and a man who al ways tri es tomai ntai n hi s dogmas in
order to appear consi stent dri ves hi msel f i nto a f al se posi ti on. That i s why
Emer son sai d that fool i sh consi stency was the hobgobl i n of l i ttl e mi nds.
Tol stoy s so-cal l ed i nconsi stenci es wer e a si gn of hi s devel opment and hi s
passi onate regard for truth. He often seemed i nconsi stent because he was
conti nuousl y out growi ng his own doctri nes. His fai l ures wer e publ i c, hi s
struggl es and tri umphs pri vate. The worl d sawonl y the f ormer, the l atter
remai ned unseen probabl y by Tol stoy hi msel f most of al l . His cri ti cs tri ed
to make capi tal out of hi s faul ts, but no critic coul d be mor e exacti ng than
he was wi th r egar d to hi msel f . Ever on the al ert for hi s shortcomi ngs, be-
fore hi s critics had t i me to poi nt at t hem, he had al ready procl ai med t hem
to the worl d magni f i ed a thousandf ol d and i mposed upon hi msel f the pen-
ance that seemed to hi mnecessary. He wel comed cri ti ci smeven when i t
was exaggerated and l i ke all trul y great men dr eaded the worl d s prai se.
He was great even inhi s fai l ures and hi s fai l ures gi ve us a measure not of the
futility of hi s i deal s but of hi s success.
G A N D H Z
The thi rd great poi nt was a doctri ne of bread l abour , that every one
was bound to l abour wi th hi s body for bread and most of the gri ndi ng
mi ser y in the worl d was due to the fact that men fai l ed to di scharge thei r
duti es in thi s respect . He regarded all schemes to amel i orate the poverty of
the masses by the phi l anthropy of the ri ch, whi l e they themsel ves shi rked body
l abour and conti nued to l i ve i n l uxury and ease, as hypocri sy and a sham,
and suggested that if onl y man got off the backs of the poor, much of the
so-cal l ed phi l anthropy woul d be rendered unnecessary.
And wi th hi mto bel i eve was to act. So i nthe af ternoon of hi s l i fe, thi s
man who had passed all hi s days i nthe soft l ap of l uxury t ook to a lifeof
toil and hard l abour. He took to boot - maki ng and f armi ng at whi ch he
wor ked hard for full ei ght hours a day. But hi s body l abour di d not bl unt
hi s powerf ul i ntel l ect; on the contrary i t rendered i t all the mor e keen and
respl endent and i t was i nt hi s peri od of hi s lifethat hi s most vi gorous book
-What ir Art ?- whi ch he consi dered to be his mast erpi ece, was wri tten
inthe i nterval s saved f r omthe practi ce of his sel f-chosen vocati on.
Li terature, full of the vi rus of sel f-i ndul gence, and served out inattract-
i ve f orms, i s fl oodi ng our country f r omthe West and there is the great est
need for our yout h to be on thei r guard. The present i s for t heman age of
transi ti on of i deal s and ordeal s; the one thi ng needful for the worl d, i ts
yout h and parti cul arl y the yout h of I ndi a i n this cri si s, i s Tol stoy s progres-
si ve sel f-restrai nt, for i t al one can l ead to true f reedomor themsel ves, the
country and the worl d. It i s we oursel ves, wi th our i nerti a, apat hy and soci al
abuse that mor e than Engl and or anybody el se bl ock our way tof reedom.
And i f we cl eanse oursel ves of our short comi ngs and faul ts, no power on
eart h can even for a moment wi thhol d swurzj f romus. . . . The three essenti al
qual i ti es of Tol stoy s life ment i oned by me are of the ut most use to the
yout h in this hour of the worl d s tri al .
47
It is my settl ed convi cti on that no deservi ng i nsti tuti on ever di es for
want of support. I nsti tuti ons that have di ed have done so ei ther because
t here was nothi ng i n t hemto commend t hemto the publ i c or because
those i ncontrol l ost fai th, or whi ch i s perhaps the same thi ng, lost st ami na.
I woul d therefore urge the conductors of such i nsti tuti ons not togi ve i n
because of the general depressi on. It i s a timeof test for wort hy i nsti tu-
ti ons. 48
G A N D H I
I hadl earntat theoutset not t ocarryonpubl i cworkwi t hborrowedmoney. One
coul d rel y on peopl e s promi se inmost mat t ers except inmat t er s of money. 49
I di sbel i eve i n the conversi on of one person by another. My effort shoul d
never be to undermi ne another s fai th but to make hi ma better f ol l ower of
hi s own fai th. Thi s i mpl i es the bel i ef i nthe truth of al l rel i gi ons and respect
for t hem. It agai n i mpl i es true humi l i ty, a recogni ti on of the fact that the
di vi ne l i ght havi ng been vouchsaf ed to all rel i gi ons t hrough an i mperf ect
medi umof fl esh, they must share i n mor e or l ess degree the i mperf ecti on
of the vehi cl e. . jo
[To X who asked if i t was true that Gandhi had al l owed a venomous snake
to pass over his body, he wrote :]
It i s both true and not true. The snake was passi ng over my body. I n a
case l i ke that, what coul d I or anyone el se do except to lie moti onl ess ?
This hardl y calls for any prai se. And who knows whet her or not the snake
was poi sonous ? The i dea that death i s not a fearful event has been cheri shed
by me for many a year, so that I recover soon enough f r omthe shock of
the death even of near and dear ones.
jr
We have been taught to bel i eve that what i s beauti ful need not be useful
and what i s useful cannot be beauti ful . 1 want to show that what i s useful
can al so be beauti ful . j2
Peopl e who cl ai mto pursue art for art s sake are unabl e to make good thei r
cl ai m. Ther e i s a pl ace for art inlife, apart f romthe questi on- What i s art ?
But art can onl y be a means to the end whi ch we must all of us achi eve. I f
however i t becomes an end initself, i t ensl aves and degrades humani t y. 13
Ther e are t wo aspect s of thi ngs-the out ward and the i nward. I t is purel y
a mat t er of emphasi s wi th me. The out ward has no meani ng except i n so
f ar as i t hel ps the i nward. All true art i s thus the expressi on of the soul . The
out ward f orms have val ue onl y i n so far as they are the expressi on of the
i nner spi ri t in man. Art of that nature has the greatest possi bl e appeal for
me. But I know that many call themsel ves arti sts, and are recogni zed as such,
and yet inthei r works t here i s absol utel y no trace of the soul s upwar d urge
and unrest. j4
G A N D H 1
All true art must hel p the soul to real i ze i ts i nner self. In my own case, I
fi nd that I can do enti rel y wi thout external f orms i n my soul s real i zati on.
My r oommay have bl ank wal l s ; and I may even di spense wi th the roof , so
that I may gaze out upon the starry heavens overhead that stretch i n an
unendi ng expanse of beauty. What consci ous art of man can gi ve me the
panorami c scenes t hat open out before me, when I look up tothe sky above
wi th all i ts shi ni ng stars ? Thi s, however, does not mean that I refuse to
accept the val ue of producti ons of art, general l y accepted as such, but only
that I personal l y feel how i nadequate these are compared wi th the eternal
symbol s of beauty i n Nature. These producti ons of man s art have thei r
val ue onl y so f ar as t hey hel p the soul onwar d towards sel f-real i zati on. J /
I l ove musi c and al l the other arts, but I do not attach such val ue to t hemas
i s general l y done. I cannot, for exampl e, recogni ze the val ue of those
acti vi ti es whi ch requi re techni cal knowl edge for thei r understandi ng. . . .
When I gaze at the st ar- sown heaven, and the i nfi ni te beauty i t affords my
eyes, that means to me mor e than al l that human art can gi ve me. That does
not mean that I i gnore the val ue of those wor ks general l y cal l ed arti sti c;
but personal l y, i n compari son wi th the i nfi ni te beauty of Nat ure, I feel
thei r unreal i ty too i ntensel y. . . . Lifei s greater than all art. I woul d go even
further and decl are that the man whose l i fe comes nearest to perfecti on i s
the greatest arti st ; for what i s art wi thout the sure f oundati on and f rame-
wor k of a nobl e life?
j6
Trul y beauti ful creati ons come when ri ght percepti on i s at wor k. I f t hese
moment s are rare i nl i fe they are al so rare i nart.
17
Tr ue art t akes note not merel y of f or mbut al so of what l i es behi nd. Ther e i s
an art that kills and an art that gi ves life. Tr ue art must be evi dence of happi -
ness, cont ent ment and puri ty of i ts authors.
18
We have somehow accust omed oursel ves to the bel i ef that art i s i ndepend-
ent of the puri ty of pri vate l i fe. I can say wi th all the experi ence at my com-
mand that nothi ng coul d be mor e untrue. As I am neari ng the end of my
earthl y life I can say that puri ty of l i fe i s the hi ghest and truest art. The art
of produci ng good musi c f r oma cul ti vated voi ce can be achi eved by many,
79
G A N D H I
but the art of produci ng that musi c f romthe har mony of a pur e life i s
achi eved very rarel y. j9
I f I can say so wi thout arrogance and wi th due humi l i ty, my message and
met hods are, i ndeed, i nthei r essenti al s for the whol e worl d and i t gi ves me
keen sati sfacti on to know that i t has al ready recei ved a wonderf ul response
i n t he heart s of a l ar ge and dai l y growi ng number of men and women i n
t he West. 60
The hi ghest honour that my fri ends can do me i s to enf orce i n thei r own
l i ves the pr ogr amme that I stand for or toresi st me to thei r utmost if they
do not bel i eve i nit. 61
I 80
GLOSSARY
Advuita Non-duality. A school of philosophy associated with the Indian philo-
sopher, SankarZchZrya (788-Szo), which believes that there is only one Absolute
Truth ; all else is appearance.
AhiyJZ
A h a m (&am.) Hermitage; a quiet place where people having common
ideals lead a community life and follow a particular discipline. The place where
Gandhi resided with his co-workers and disciples was referred to as the iishrum.
Asbramu (Ayamu) Hindu idealism prescribes four stages or periods of good
life, called %bramar: the period of study and self-discipline; of life as a house-
holder and man of the world; of contemplation and gradual withdrawal from
worldly ties ; of total renunciation.
Atma Soul, self.
Non-violence, positively the practice of love.
AuutZr A divine incarnation.
Bunla
tion is trade and commerce.
BhZguvat (BhZgauutu)
and teachings of Lord Krishna.
Bruhmacharya (Brahma-carya j
dedicated to higher pursuits.
BrZhmin (Brihma?uj
tional occupation is priesthood or devotion to learning.
Member of the third caste among the Hindus, whose traditional occupa-
A sacred book of the Hindus dealing also with the life
Celibacy ; a life of self-discipline and continence
Member of the first caste among the Hindus whose tradi-
I 81
G A N D H I
Chap& Cake of unl eavened bread.
CharkE Spi nni ng wheel .
Dharma
DiwZn
Hi+ Vi ol ence.
K a h a Desi gnat es the prof essi on of fai th wher eby a bf usl i m wi tnesses the
uni ty of God.
Khaddar Hand- spun and hand- woven cl oth.
MahZtmii
was general l y ref erred to i n I ndi a as the Mahat ma.
Manu
Mohha (Mobsa)
cycl e of bi rths.
dlrrni
NawZb Musl i mdi gni tary or rul er.
Piirdab
Rirhi (Rsi) Sage.
Safivrata
Sap& (Sazp&ra)
SatyZgraQa
non- vi ol ent resi stance as practi sed by hi mand under hi s gui dance.
SevZ Samiti
ShiiJtra (S&tra) Hi ndu scri pture.
Swadch
nati ve.
Rel i gi on ; mor al l aw or practi ce; dut y.
Chi ef mi ni ster of a pri ncel y state.
Lit. A great soul ; a titlegeneral l y gi ven tosai nts. I n l ater years Gandhi
A n anci ent preceptor and aut hor of the Code of Laws, named after hi m.
Emanci pat i on f romearthl y at t achment s ; l i berati on f romthe
Seer ; sage; parti cul arl y a J ai na sai nt.
Vei l worn by woman i n some eastern countri es.
Gi vi ng of al ms to the poor .
I ndel i bl e i mpressi on left by past acti on.
Lit. Hol di ng on totruth. Name gi ven by Gandhi tothe t echni que of
A soci ety for vol untary soci al servi ce.
Love of one s own count ry or pat ronage of thi ngs i ndi genous and
I 82
G A iv D H I
Sumarij Self-rule.
Vakil Pleader ; lawyer.
IedaJ (Veda)
Upanisbad (Upani!ad) Ancient discourses on philosophy which are generally
regarded as the source material of Hindu metaphysics. There are more than a
hundred such Upanishads of which ten are considered as principal.
The earliest and most sacred writings of the Hindus.
SOURCES
The abbreviations used below refer to the following books which were consulted :
AMG An autobiography or the story of my experiments with Truth, by M. K. Gandhi.
Published by Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, originally in two volumes,
vol. I in 1927 and vol. I1 in 1929; the present edition used was published in
August 1948.
MGP Mahatma Gandbi, the la~t pbaze, by Pyarelal. Published by Navajivan
Publishing House, Ahmadebad, in two volumes, vol. I in February 1956 and
vol. I1 in February 1958.
MT Mahatma, Ige of Mobandas Karamchand Gandhi, by D. G. Tendulkar. Pub-
lished by Vithalbhai K. Jhaveri & D. G. Tendulkar, Bombay 6, in eight volumes,
vol. I in August 195 I, vol. I1 in December 19j1, vol. 111 in March 1952, vol. IV
in July 1912, vol. V in October 1952, vol. VI in March 1953, vol. VI1 in August
1953, vol. VI11 in January 1954.
B M
August 1949.
CWMG The collected work of Mahatma Gandhi. Published by The Publications
Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India,
N e w Delhi; vol. I was published in January 1958.
DM
Ahmedabad ; vol. I was published in 195 3.
HS Hind Sward or Indian Home Rule, by M . K. Gandhi. Published by Navajivan
Publishing House, Ahmedabad, originally in 1938 ; the present edition used was
published in 1946.
Bapusletters to Mira. Published by Navajivan Publishing House,Ahmedabad,
The diary of Mabadev Derai. Published by Navajivan Publishing House,
G A N D H Z
WSI Women and rociai ityustice, by hf. K. Gandhi . Publ i shed by Navaj i van
Publ i shi ng House, Ahmedabad. ori gi nal l y i n 1942 ; the present edi ti on used was
publ i shed i n 1954.
MM
Publ i shed by Oxf or d Uni versi ty Press, London, i n Mar ch 1945.
SB
Publ i shi ng House, Ahmedabad, i n 1948.
Ref erence to t he j ournal s i n whi ch the passages wer e ori gi nal l y publ i shed will be
f ound i n the above books.
The mind ~f Mahatma Gandhi, compi l ed by R. K. Pr abhu and U. R. Rao.
Selectionr from Gandhi, by Ni rmal Kumar Bose. Publ i shed by Navaj i van
Chapter I
I . AMG, 4.
2. Ahl G, 4.
3. AMG, 4-5.
4. AMG, 5.
5. SB, 45.
6. AMG, 11.
7. AMG, 12.
8. ARI G, 12-13.
9. Ahf G, 14.
I O. AMG, 15.
11. AMG, 15- 16.
12. AMG, 18.
13. AMG, 19.
14. ARI G, 21.
16. AMG, 26-27.
17. AMG, 31.
18. AMG, 31-32.
19. AMG, 32-33.
20. AAI G, 33.
21. AhI G, 33.
22. AMG, 33.
23. AMG, 36.
24. AMG, 37.
21. AMG, 37.
26. Ahf G, 38.
27. AMG, 38.
15. Ahf G, 23-24.
28. AMG, 47.
30. hfT, 11, 47-48.
31. AMG, 52.
32. AMG, 52.
34. AMG, 54.
35. CWMG, I, 3.
36. AMG, 63.
37. AMG, 64-61.
38. AMG, 66-67.
40. AMG, 81-82.
41. AMG, 84.
42. AMG, 101.
43. AhI G, 101.
44. Ahf G, IOZ.
45. Ahf G, 105.
46. AMG, I I 5.
47. Ahf G, 118.
48. AMG, 123.
49. AMG, 128.
50. AMG, 129.
51. AMG, 130.
52. AhI G, 134.
~3~ AMG, 135.
55. AAl G, 157.
56. Ahl G, 157-58.
29. AMG, 50-51.
33. AMG, 12-53.
39. AMG, 79-80.
54. AMG, 140-41.
57. AMG, 162-63.
59. AMG, 165.
60. AMG, 168.
61. AMG, 190.
58. AMG, 163-64.
62. AMG, 190-91.
63. AMG, 191-92.
64. AMG, 192.
65. AMG, 197.
66. AMG, 212.
67. AMG, 205.
68. AMG, 229-30.
69. AMG, 231.
70. AhI G, 232-33.
71. Ahf G, 235.
72. AhI G, 236-37.
73. AMG, 239-40.
75. AhI G, 249-50.
74. AMG, 241.
76. Ahf G, 250.
78. AhI G, 251.
79. AAI G, 256.
80. AhI G, 257.
81. AhI G, 334.
82. Ahf G, 261.
83. Ahf G, 262- 63.
84. AMG, 264.
85. AMG, 268.
77. AMG, 250-51.
G A N D N Z
86. AMG, 337.
87. AMG, 338.
88. MT, 11, 49.
89. AMG, 342.
91. AMG, 364-65.
92. AMG, 383.
93. AMG, 384.
95. AMG, 386.
97. AMG, 391-92.
98. AMG, 392-93.
90. AMG, 349.
94. AMG, 385.
96. AMG, 391.
99. AMG, 398.
100. AMG, 398.
IOI. AMG, 406.
roz.AMG,406.
103. AMG, 409.
104. AMG. 41 1-1 2.
IO!. AMG, 414.
107. AMG, 415.
108. AMG, 418.
109. AMG, 418-19.
110. AMG, 419.
III. AMG, 443-44.
112. AMG, 449.
113. AMG, 421-23.
114. AMG, 424-25.
115. AMG, 425.
116. AMG, 427.
117. SB, 167-68.
118. SB, 168-70.
119. SB, 214.
120. SB, 214.
121. MT, 11, 113.
122. MT, IT, 340.
123. AMG, 614; see
also MRI , 4.
124. AMG, 615.
125. AMG, 616.
126. MM, 7.
127. MM, 8.
106. AMG, 414-13.
128. MT, 11, 417.
129. SB, 150.
130. MT, 11, 421-23.
131. MT, 11, 425-26.
132. MT, 111, 142.
134. MT, IV, 93.
136. MT, VI, 356.
138. MGP, 11, 475.
140. MT, VI, 777.
141, MT, V, 241-42.
142. MT, V, 378-79.
143. MT, VII, 100.
145. MGP, 11, 808.
146. hIT, I, 285.
147. MGP, 11, 800.
148. MGP, 11, 453.
149. MGP, 11, 463.
150. MT, VIII, 22- 23.
I 5 I. MGP, 11, 246.
IJZ. MGP, 11, 246.
153. MGP, 11, 324.
154. MM, 16.
1 5 5 . MGP, 11, 324.
156. MGP, 11, 101.
157. MGP, 11, 327.
I 5 8. MGP, I , 562.
159. MM, 9.
160. MM, 9.
161. MGP, 11, 766.
163. MGP, 11, 782.
164. SB, 238.
133. MT, 111, 155-57.
731. MT, IV, 95.
137. SB, 216.
139. MT, IV, 66-67.
144. MGP, 11, 801.
162. MGP, 11, 417.
Chapter II
I. MM, 85.
2. SB, 223.
3. AhlG, 341.
4. MM, 21.
5. MM, 22.
6. MM, 22.
7. MM, 22.
8. MM, 22-23.
9. SB, 9.
IO. MGP. I, 421-22.
11. AMG, 615.
12. AMG, 61j-16.
13. AMG, 616.
14. SB, 8.
15. MM, 24.
IG. SB, 224.
17. SB, 224.
18. SB, 225.
20. SB, 226-27.
21. SB, 228.
22. SB, 226.
23. SB, 227-28.
24. SB, 228.
25. SB, 228.
26. MM, 84.
27. MM, 84.
28. MM, 82.
29. MM. 86.
30. MM, 96.
32. MT, IV, 108-09.
34. MT, 111, 300.
35. MT, IV, 121.
36. DM, 138.
37. DM, 227-28.
38. BM, 171.
39. MT, IV, 167-68.
41. MGP, 11, 247.
42. MT, 111, 319-60.
43. AMG. 6.
44. AMG, 6-7.
46. MM, 23.
48. MM, 24.
'9. SB, 225.
31. MT, 111, 139-40.
33. MT, 111, 343.
40. MGP, I, 599.
45. SB, 225.
47. MM, 23.
186
G A N D H 1
49. MM, 24.
jo. MM, 27.
51. Mhf, 27.
52. MM, 30.
54. MhI, 70.
56. MM, 71.
57. MM, 80.
58. MM, 78.
59. MT, 111, 176-77.
60. SB, 17.
61. Mhf, 17.
63. MM, 20.
64. MM, 21.
65. MM, 23.
66. MM, 38.
68. MM, 12.
69. MM, 13.
70. MM, 13.
71. MM, I.
72. MM, 5.
73. MM, IO.
53. bfM, 13.
55. MM, 70.
62. hihi, 19-20.
67. DM, 249-30.
74. MM, 15.
75. MM, 23.
78. MM, 37.
76. MM, 20.
77. MM, 20.
79. MM, 38.
80. SB, 9.
81. SB, 46-47.
82. SB, 223.
83. SB, 223.
84. SB, 223.
85. SB, 223.
86. SB, 223.
87. SB, 224.
88. SB, 229.
89. SB, 229.
90. SB, 229.
92. SB, 230.
91. SB, 229.
93. DRI, 168.
94. SB, 238.
gj. MM, I.
96. MM, 2-3.
97. hfM, 3.
98. MM, 3.
99. MM, 3.
100. MM, 5.
101. MM, 5.
102. MM, 5.
103. MM. I O.
104. MM, 81.
105. MM, 82.
106. MM, 106.
107. MM, 167.
108. SB, 2x0.
109. MGP, I, 348.
1x0. MGP, 11, 784.
I I I. MT, VII, 264.
1x2. MGP, 11, 143.
113. MGP, 11, 91.
114. MGP, 11, 143.
115. MM, 14.
116. MT, 11, 312.
Chapter III
I. SB, 13.
3. SB, 14.
4. MM, 126.
2. SB, 37.
5. HS, 51-52.
6. MGP, 11, 140-41.
7. SB, 160-61.
8. SB, 161.
9. SB, 162.
Chapter I I/
I . MM, 49.
2. MT, V, 344.
3. SB, 16.
4. SB, 18.
5. SB, 24.
6. SB, 18.
7. SB, 23.
9. SB, 17-18.
XI. SB, 27-28.
12. SB, 33.
13. SB, 32.
14. SB, 33.
15. SB, 33.
16. SB, 34.
17. SB, 38-39.
19. SB, 145.
8. SB, 24-23.
IO. SB, 31-32.
18. SB, 142-43.
20. SR, 146-47.
21. SB, 147.
22. SB, 16.
23. SB, 33.
24. SB, 144.
21. SB, 145.
26. SB, 147.
28. SB, 149.
29. SB, 151.
30. SB, 151-52.
31. SB, 152.
32. SB, 152.
33. SB, 152.
35. AMG, 428.
36. AMG, 429.
38. SB, 155.
40. SB, 157.
41. SB, 159-60.
42. SB, 206.
27. SB, 149.
34. AMG, 427-28.
37. SB, 154.
39. SB, 157.
43. MM, 42.
44. MM, 3-4.
45. MM, 44.
46. MM, 44.
47. Mhf, 44.
G A N D H Z
48. AIM, 46.
50. hIM, 46.
5 I . hfM, 48-49.
52. M i M , 48.
53. hiM, 50.
55. 54.
56. h[hf, 58.
57. hfM, 63.
58. MM, 64.
59. MM, 68.
60. Mbl, 68-69.
61. DM, 296.
62. MGP, 11, 124-25.
63. MGP, 11, 507.
64. MT, VI 1 I 5 2-5 3
66. SB, 153.
67. SB, 153.
68. SB, 154.
69. SB. 154.
70. SB. I 5 5-56.
71. SB, 156.
73 MM, 49.
74. MM, so.
75. MT, I V, 61.
76. MT, 11, 5-8.
77- MT, v, 273.
49. MM, 46.
54. MM, 52.
65. SB, 150-51.
72. MM, 47.
78. MT, VI I , 171-73
79. MM, 733.
Chapter V
8. MM, 108.
9. DM, 98.
IO. DM, 298.
11. hlGP, 11, 233.
12. MGP, 11, 442.
13. MGP, 11, 792.
14. SB, 221.
15. SB, 221.
16. MM, 32.
17. MM, 33.
18. MM, 32-33.
20. SB, 217.
21. SB, 18.
22. MGP, 1, 599.
23. MGP, I, 600.
24. MT, I V, 57- 58.
25. AMG, 258.
26. Dhf, 80.
27. MGP, I , 588-89.
28. Dhl, 253.
29. MT, I V, 73.
30. SB, 215-16.
31. MGP, I , 586.
19. MGP, I , 573.
Chapter VZ
I. SB, 27.
3. SB, 22.
4. hfM, 137.
5. MM, 135.
6. MM, 134.
8. hlM. 1z6.
2. SB, 27.
7. MM, 135-36.
I. SB, 39. 9. DM,'~~~.
3. SB, 268.
2. SB, 39.
4. SB, 268.
5. SB, 271-72; see also
6. MM, 11.
7. MM, 11.
I O. MGP, I , 359.
12. SB, 43.
13. SB, 44.
MM, 44. 14. SB, 152.
15. MM, 153.
16. SB, I I 3.
11. SB, 43.
17. SB, 171-72.
18. MM, 59-60.
19. MM, 60-61.
20. MM, 63.
21. MM, 63.
22. MhI, 63.
23. MGP, 11, 90.
Chapter VZZ
I . MM, 128.
2. SE, 73.
3. SB, 71.
4. hfM, 121.
6. SB, 64-65.
7. SB, 66.
8. SB, 66.
9. SB, 67-68.
IO. SB, 58.
1 1 . SB, 58.
13. SB, 65.
14. SB, 66-67.
5. MT, VI I , 224-25
12. SB, 59.
15. SB, 77.
Chapter VZZI
I. SB, 41.
2. SB, 40.
3. SB, 77.
4. SB, 17.
6. SB, 75-76.
5. SB, 75.
7. SB, 77-78.
8. SB, 78-79.
9. SB, 52.
IO. SB, 54.
11. SB, 50.
12. SB, 49.
13. MM, 11.
14. hlhI, IOI.
I 88
G A N D H r
15. SB, 76.
18. SB, 49.
'9. SB, 49.
20. hlhl, 104.
21. hlhl, 116.
22. MhI, 117.
23. SB, 81.
24. SB, 91.
25. SB, 92.
26. SR, 94.
27. XIT, I V, 13-14.
28. MGP, I , 66.
16. SB, 49.
17. SB, 48-49.
Chapter ZX
I . MT, V, 343,
3. MM, 65.
2. &IT, V, 342.
4. SB, '43.
5. SB, 22.
6. SB, 37.
7. SB, 38.
8. SB, 41.
9. SB, 43.
IO. SB, 82-83.
11. SB, 109.
12. SB, 109.
13. MT, VI , 23.
14. SB, III.
15. SB, III.
16. SB, 118.
18. SB, 190.
19. SB, 20.
20. MM, 3,
21. Mhl, 9,
22. Mhl, 9.
23. MM, 11.
17. SB, '93-94.
24. Dhl , 149.
25. SB, 201.
26. SB, 201-02.
27. MT, I V, I 5.
28. SB, 42.
29. SB, 42.
30. SB, 109.
31. SB, 109.
32. SB, IIO.
33. SB, 110.
34. SB, 116.
35. SB, 116.
36. SB, 116.
37. SB, 191.
38. SB, 191.
39. MM, 100.
40. SB, 36.
41. hIhI, 132.
42. MM, 130.
43. MM, 131.
44. MT, 11, 24.
45. MT, 11, 25-26.
47. hlT, VI , 269.
46. &.IT, I , 357.
49. SB, 203.
48. SB, 192-93.
50. SB, 203.
5 I. SB, 204.
52. SB, 203.
j3. MT, VI, 336.
Chapter X
I. SB, 251.
2. SB, 256.
3. SB, 256-57.
4. SB, 261-66.
5. SB, 266-67.
6. SB, 267.
7. SB, 274.
8. SB, 274.
9. MhZ, 162.
IO. SR, 254.
11. SB, 256.
12. SB, 256.
13. SB, 255.
14. SB, 258.
15. MXI, 161.
16. MM, 161.
17. DM, 188.
18. MGP, 1, 44.
19. MT, I V, 76.
Chapter X1
I. SB, 239.
2. SB, 241.
4. MM, III.
6. MM, I I I .
8. SB, 248.
9. RfM, 112.
IO. RIM, 112.
11. MM, 112.
12. MM, 113.
14. WSI, 18.
15. SB, 246.
16. SB, 246-47.
17. WSI , 180.
18. WSI , 184.
19. WSI , 87.
20. WSI , 187.
21. MT, VI , 78.
22. MGP, I , 327.
23. MGP, 11, 103.
24. MGP, 11, 104.
3. SB, 2 3 9-40.
5. MM, 111-12.
7. SB, 248.
'3. WSI , 4-5.
Chapter XI1
I. SB, 11.
2. hIM, 4.
3. MM, 8.
4. DM, 315.
5. DM, 318.
6. MM, 8-9.
G A N D H r
7. SB, 19.
8. SB, 44.
9. SB, 45.
IO. SB, 45.
11. MT, 11, 27-26.
12. MM, 16.
13. MM, 41.
14. MM, 41.
15. MT, V, 206.
16. MM, 31.
17. MM, 69.
18. MM, 70.
20. MM, 66.
22. MM, 14~.
23. MM, 9.
24. MM, 12.
25. MM, 12.
19. MM, 79.
21. MT, I, 241~42.
26. MM, 12.
27. SB, 28-29.
28. SB, 29.
29. SB, 45.
30. SB, 193.
31. SB, 193.
32. SB, 193.
33. SB, 182.
34. SB, 209.
35. SB, 209.
36. SB, 209.
37. SB, 278.
38. SB, 275.
40. SB, 300.
41. SB,,joo.
43. BM, 218.
44. MGP, I, 421.
39. SB, 275-76.
42. BM, 59.
45. MGP, I, 429-30.
46. MT, 11, 384.
47. MT, 11, 418-20.
48. SB, 268-69.
49. SB, 269.
50. MT, 11, 450.
51. DM, 167-68.
52. MGP, I, 168.
53. DM, 160.
54. SB, 273.
55. SB, 273.
56. MM, 39.
57. SB, 274.
59. SB, 274.
58. SB, 274.
60. Mhf, 135.
61. MM, 8.
A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHIEF WORKS BY GANDHI
A guide to health, Madr as, S. Ganesan, 1921.
Basic education, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 195 I.
Bapus letters fo Mira (1924-1948), Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House,
Christian minions, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Press, I 941.
Communal unity, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 1949.
Delhi diary, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 1948.
Diet and diet reform, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 1949.
Economics of Khadi, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Press, 1941.
Ethical reiigion, Madr as, S. Ganesan, 1922.
For pact$Jts, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 1949.
Ftom Yeravda Mandir, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Press, 1937.
Hargan, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Press, 193 3-40, 1942, 1946-48.
Hind Swaraj, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Press, 1938.
Jail experiences, Madr as, Tagor e & Co. , 1922.
My earb /$e (edi ted by Mahadev Dcsai ), Bombay, Oxf or d Uni versi ty Press,
M y rouls agony, Ahmcdabad, Navaj i van Press, 1932.
Non-violence in peace and war, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House. Part 1,
Rebuilding our villages, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng Housc, 195 2.
Survodaya, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 195 I.
Satyagraha, Ahmcdabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 195 I .
Sagagraha in South Africa, Madr as, S. Gancsm, 1928.
Self-restraint U. Self-indulgence, Ahmcdabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 1947.
Songs from prison (adapted by J ohn S. Hoyl and) , London, Al l en & Unwi n, 1934.
I . Thi s bi bl i ography has been suppl i ed t hr ough the courtesy of Sahi tya Akademi .
949.
1932.
1945, Part 11, 1949.
G A N D H I
Speeches and writings, Madr as, G. A. Nat esan & Co. , 193 3.
Swadeshi, true and false, Poona, 1939.
The story of my experiments with truth, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House,
Towards new education, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 195 3.
Towardr non-violent socialism, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, I 95 I.
To a Gandhian capitalist, Bombay, Hi nd Ki t abs, 1951.
To the students, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 1949.
Unto thiJ last, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 195 I.
Women and social injustice, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Press, 1942.
Young India, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Press, 1919-32.
Young India, LMadr as, S. Ganesan, 1919-22, 1924-26, 1927-28 (Vol s. I, 2, 3).
1940.
WORKS ON GANDHI
English
Al l - I ndi a Congr ess Commi t t ee
Andr ews, C. F.
Satyagraha in Gandhijis own words, Al l ahabad, I g 3 5.
Mahatma Gandhis ideas, London, Al l en & Unwi n, 1929,
Mahatma Gandhi at work, London, Al l en & Unwi n, 1931.
In the shadow of the Mahatma, I ndi a, Ori ent Longmans Lt d. , 195 3.
Studies in Gandhism, Cal cutta, I ndi an Associ ated Publ i shi ng Co. , 1947.
Selections from Gandhi, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 1948.
M y days with Gandhi, Cal cutta, Ni shana, 1953.
Rebel India, London, Vi ctor Gol l ancz, 193 I.
The Indian crisis, London, Vi ctor Gol l ancz, 1930.
Bi rl a, G. D.
Bose, Ni rmal Kumar
Brai l sf ord, H. N.
Br ockway, Fenner A.
Cambel l - J ohnson, Alan
Catl i n, Geor ge
Chakravart y, Ami ya
Mission witb Mountbatten, London, Rober t Hal e T, td. , 191 I.
In thepatb of Mabatma Gandhi, London, Macdonal d Co. , 1948.
Mabatma Gandhi and the modern world, Cal cutta, Book House, 1945.
G A N D H I
Desai . Mahadev
The diary, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 195 3.
The epic of Travancore, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Press, 1937.
Gandhiji in Indian villages, Madr as, S. Ganesan, 1927.
The story of Bardoli, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Press, 1929.
With Gandhii in Cylon, Madr as, S. Ganesan, 1928.
Di wakar , R. R.
Glimpm of Gandhiji, Bombay, Hi nd Ki t abs, 1949.
Sagagraha-iir technique and history, Bombay, Hi nd Ki t abs, I 946,
Doke, J oseph J .
M . K. Gandhi, Madr as, G. A. Nat esan & Co. , 1909.
Fi scher, Loui s
A week with Gandhi, Ne w Yor k, Duel l , Sl oan & Pearce, 1942.
Thel i f t of Mahatma Gandhi, Ne w Yor k, Har per & Brot hers, 19jo.
Bapu-my mother, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, I 949.
Gandhi , Manubehn
Gover nment of I ndi a
Gandhian oidlook and techniqrres, Nc w Del hi , 19 5 3.
Hornale to Mahatma Gandhi, Ne w Del hi , 1948.
Gr egg, Ri chard B.
A dircipline for non-iolence, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Press, 1941.
The pou'er of non-violence, Ahmcdabad, Navaj i van Press, 1938.
Which way lies hope? Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Press, 1952.
Heat h, Carl
Gandhi, London, Al l en & Unwi n, 1944.
Hol mes, J ohn Hnynes
The Chrixt of today, Madr as, Tagor e & Co. , 1922.
M y Gandhi, Ne w Yor k, Har per & Brot hers, 19j3.
Indian cri.rir, Ne w Yor k, Macmi l l an, 1944.
The Cross mover East, London, Al l en & Unwi n, 1931.
Hoyl and, J ohn S.
I ndi an Opi ni on
GoldenNumber (Passi ve resi stance movement in Sout h Af ri ca, 1906-14), Nat al ,
Phoeni x, 1914.
J ones, E. Stanl ey
Mahatma Gandhi: an interpretation, London, Hodder & St ought on, 1948.
I93
G A N D H I
J ones, M. E.
Kal el kar, Kaka
Kri pal ani , J . B.
Gandhi lives, Phi l adel phi a, Davi d Mckay Co. , 1948.
Stray glimpses of Bap, Ahmcdabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 19jo.
The Gandhian way, Bombay, Vora & Co. , 1938.
The latestfad, Al l ahabad, 1939.
On toirr witb Gandhii, Aundh, 1945.
Kumar appa, Bharat an
Lester, Muri el
Entertaining Gandhi, London, Ivor Ni chol son & Watson, 1932.
Gandbi-world citizen, Al l ahabad, Ki t ab Mahal .
Mi r a
Gleanings, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House, 1949.
Mabatma Gandhi-the man and his mis~ion, Madr as, I 943.
Nat esan, G. A.
Nehr u, J awaharl al
A n autobiograpb, London, J ohn Lane, 1936.
Tbe discovery of India, Cal cutta, Si gnet Press, 1941.
Eighteen months in India, Al l ahabad, Ki tabi stan, 1938.
Mahatma Gandhi, Cal cutta, Si gnet Press, 19-19.
The unify of India, London, Li ndsay Dr ummond, 1941.
Pol ak, H. S. L. ; Brai l sf ord, H. N. ; Lor d Pet hi ck- Lawr ence
Mahatma Gandhi, London, Odhams Pr ess, 19-19.
Pol ak, Mi l l i e Gr aham
Pr abhu, R. K. ; Rao, U. R. (Eds. )
Mr. Gandhi-the man, London, Al l en & Unwi n, 1931.
India of my dreams, Bombay, Hi nd Ki t abs, 1947.
The mind of Mahatma Gandhi, Bombay, Oxf or d Uni versi ty Pr ess, 1945
Gandhiji in Champaran. Madr as, S. Ganesan, 1928.
Mahatma Gandhi and Hibar, Bombay, Hi nd Ki tabs, 1949.
The epicfast, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Press, 1932.
A pilgrimage for peace, Ahmcdnbad, Navaj i van Press, 1950.
A nation builder at work, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Press, 1952.
Gandhian techniques in the modern world, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng tI ouse,
195 3.
Prasad, Raj endra
Pyarel al
G A N D H I
Mahatma Gandhi, the last phase, Ahmedabad, Navaj i van Publ i shi ng House,
1956 and 1957 (2 vol s.).
Mahatma Gandhi, London, Al l cn & Unwi n, 1939.
A sherrfof Gandhi anecdotes, Bombay, I i nd Ki tabs, 1946.
India, Gandhi and world peare, London, 193 I
Mahatma Gandhi, London, Al l en & Unwi n, 1924.
Lead, Kind4 Light, New l ork, RandomHouse, 1949.
War u,ithout uiohce, NewYork, Harcourt Brace & Co. , 1939.
Mahatmaji and the depressed humatdy, Cal cutta, Vi sva- Rharati , I 93 2.
Mahatma, lqe of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Bombay, Vi thal bhai I<. J haveri
and D. G. Tendul kar , 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1954 (8 vol s.).
Tendul kar , D. G. ; Rau, Chal apathi M. ; Sarabhai , Mr i dul a; J haveri , Vi thal bhai K.
(Eds. )
Vi sva- Bharati Quarterl y
Wal ker , Roy
Radhakr i shnan, S. (Ed. )
Ramachandr an, G.
Reynol ds, Regi nal d
Rol l and, Romai n
Shccan, Vi ncent
Shri dharani , K.
Tagor e, Rabi ndranat h
Tendul kar , D. G.
GandhGi : his &fe and work, Bombay, Kar nat ak Publ i shi ng House, I 944.
Gandhi Memorial Peace Number, Santi ni ketan, I 949.
Sword of gold, London, 1945.
The utisdom of Gandhi, London, Andr ew Pakers Lt d. , 1943.
Gandhi as I know him, Del hi , 1945.
Yagni k, I ndul al K.
French
Rol l and, Romai n
Mahatma Gandhi, i rdi ti on nouvel l e augment t e d une postf ace, Pari s, Del amai n
et Boutel l eau, 1924.
Mahatma Gandhi, tdi ti on nouvel l e, revue, corri gee et augment ke, Pari s,
Del amai n et Boutel l eau, 1929.
G A N D H I
Vul da, Laur a
Lhde sous Gandhi, Ai x- en- Pr ovence, Les Edi ti ons du f eu, 193 I .
I n Larousse du xxe &le, publ i t sous la di recti on de Paul Augt , Pari s,
Larousse, 1928-33.
M . K. Gandhi 2 lauvre, sui te de sa vi c, kcri te par hi - mPme ; tradui t de l angl ai s
par Andr e Bernard, 6 e ed. , Pari s, Ri eder, 1934. (Col l ecti on Europe.)
Aux Indes avec Gandhi, Pari s, V. Atti nger, 1934. (Stri e Orient, no I I.) Nouvel l e
edi ti on, 1948, publ i ke par La Concor de, Lausanne.
Gandhi tel que je lai connu, Pari s, 1938.
L a sainte vie de Mahatma Gandhi, pri f ace de J can Herbert , 3e ed. , Gap, Ophr ys,
1947. (Col l ecti on Krishna.)
Gandhi , Mohandas Kar amchand
Pri vat, Edmond Tht ophi l e
Landeau, Marcel
Sami os, Eleni
Kapl an, Al exandre
Gandhi et ToLtoz; les sources dune filiation spirituelle, prtf ace de M. I abbt
Pi erre, Nancy, I mpr i mer i e L. Stoqucrt, 1949.
Dr evet , Cami l l e
Sheean. Vi ncent
Mahatma Gandhi, St rasbourg, Le Roux, 19~1.
Le chemin vers la lrrm3re, tradui t par Cl aude El sen et J acquel i ne Sel l ers, Pari s,
Non, 191 I . (Col l ecti on L+i, nouvel l e stri e. )
Fi scher, Loui s
Vie du Mahatma Gandhi, tradui t de l ameri cai n par Eugene Best aux, Pari s,
Cal mann- Levy, 191 2. (Col l ecti on Precurserrrs de ginie.)
Spanish
Gandhi , Mohandas Kar ar nchand
I n : Enciclopedia universal ilustrada ecrropeo-americana, Barcel ona, Espasa- Cal pe,
905-3 3.
Mahatma Gandhi, traducci bn del f rancts por el Dr. Sal om6n Margul i s, Buenos
Ai res, S. A. D. E. , 1942.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, el gran politico indio, Madr i d, Casa Goni , I 948.
Rol l and, Romai n
Andr esco, Vi ctor