Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Beacon Press
Pages
528
Description
In the mid-1920s, prompted by a "small, still voice" that encouraged him to lay bare what was known only to him and his God, M. K. Gandhi began writing and publishing his autobiography. Drafted during a period of intensive fasting and "in-dwelling" at his ashram in Ahmedabad, his story of the soul portrayed the deeper, more inward experiences that made him externally an innovator in the struggles against violence, racism, and colonialism. The book, written in Gujarati and translated into English by Mahadev Desai, would become an international classic, hailed as one of the "100 Best Spiritual Books of the 20th Century." This first critical edition of this seminal work by leading Gandhi scholar Tridip Suhrud offers an unprecedented window into the original Gujarati text. Including both alternative English translations and illuminating notes, as well as a deeply researched introduction, it will bring renewed critical attention to one of the world's most widely read books.… (more)
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1925-1929
Physical description
528 p.; 5.8 inches
ISBN
0807059099 / 9780807059098
UPC
046442059091
Media reviews
It illumines with candor all the developing phases of a great spirit
User reviews
LibraryThing member ashishg
Everyone must read this book irrespective of whether you agree with him or not. Not because it tells you about one of the greatest man ever lived but because it tells you what makes greatness.
LibraryThing member imamura.s
Gandhi is great man. becouse he contribute india independence. Moreover he action of independence is acocomplished no violence. gandhi`s key word is NO violence NO obedience.
LibraryThing member Carolfoasia
Story of what one man can do without violence. He was a great man, very disciplined and focused in all things. It was very interesting getting an insight into this culture too. It was a worthwhile read with some tedious parts.
LibraryThing member smith54a
He would have had trouble adjusting to the modern movement for women's rights!!
LibraryThing member JackBarrow
I started reading this because some one Facebook was posting a statement that Gandhi would have supported gun ownership rights in the US after the latest school shooting. I found this so outrageous that I got into a debate where the guy was posting quotes from his autobiography that meant that I
I had no idea how much time he had spent in both England and South Africa. The film started in South Africa but gives you the impression that this was a brief visit, however the book makes it clear that his last time in South Africa was for something like ten years. Before that he's been to South Africa on a number of occasions fighting for racial equality and he spent three years in London studying for his law degree.
There is a lot in here about his development of ideas such as non violence and passive resistance as well as his thoughts on vegetarianism and health issues. You get a really good idea of him as a political campaigner both as a lawyer and running newspapers. There is also a lot about his efforts to set up various communes and communities.
The only weakness of the book is that it's quite hard to follow the names of people and places as well as the non English terms. Someone has made an attempt to add clarification the text but it's simply not possible with every non English term. It is possible to look them us as you go (most of them have useful pages on Wikipedia that explain them) but after a while it's a bit difficult to keep track of.
Having said that it's still a good read and very enlightening, giving a real insight into the man and his values. The book only goes up to the mid twenties and so doesn't cover the last twenty years of his life but I'd recommend it all the same.
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couldn't adequately respond without first having read the book. I'm not sure I found the relevant quote but I'm very glad I read the book. I'm sorry to say that until I read this the only knowledge I had of Gandhi was from Richard Attenborough's 1982 bio pic. This was a great film but it leaves so much out. I had no idea how much time he had spent in both England and South Africa. The film started in South Africa but gives you the impression that this was a brief visit, however the book makes it clear that his last time in South Africa was for something like ten years. Before that he's been to South Africa on a number of occasions fighting for racial equality and he spent three years in London studying for his law degree.
There is a lot in here about his development of ideas such as non violence and passive resistance as well as his thoughts on vegetarianism and health issues. You get a really good idea of him as a political campaigner both as a lawyer and running newspapers. There is also a lot about his efforts to set up various communes and communities.
The only weakness of the book is that it's quite hard to follow the names of people and places as well as the non English terms. Someone has made an attempt to add clarification the text but it's simply not possible with every non English term. It is possible to look them us as you go (most of them have useful pages on Wikipedia that explain them) but after a while it's a bit difficult to keep track of.
Having said that it's still a good read and very enlightening, giving a real insight into the man and his values. The book only goes up to the mid twenties and so doesn't cover the last twenty years of his life but I'd recommend it all the same.
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LibraryThing member SajithBuvi
An Amazing life story of an amazing man. The guts shows in the work. He spares none. All aspects of his life is out there for anyone to read. If anyone writes autobiography this how it should be. Otherwise there is no point in writing an autobiography. Gandhi shows us the truth of life must be open
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to the world to experience the truth. Show Less
LibraryThing member sruszala
Not riveting, but an important part of my library and education.
LibraryThing member Awdhesh
I must have read this book at least fifteen years ago. This is a great book written by one of the greatest leader of the modern world--Mahatma Gandhi. If you wish to know who Gandhi was, you have no other book like this.
LibraryThing member fleurdiabolique
Frankly, there are just points at which this book gets annoying. It is not an autobiography in a typical sense; there frequently isn't enough background information provided for the reader to understand the context of events that Gandhi narrates without referencing some other text (or multiple
That said, if you're really interested in the inner workings of Gandhi's mind, this is an excellent discussion of events that influenced him and ways in which he came to think and believe the things that he did.
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texts). Gandhi himself often comes across as ridiculously puritanical or irritatingly simple and trusting. Both the trustingness and puritanism are integral parts of his philosophy, and I'm not criticizing them as such necessarily, but it does get pretty annoying to read 500 pages of it at times.That said, if you're really interested in the inner workings of Gandhi's mind, this is an excellent discussion of events that influenced him and ways in which he came to think and believe the things that he did.
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LibraryThing member npl
One of the most studied and revered protesters, Gandhi in his own words, is truly inspiring.
LibraryThing member RRHowell
Not the world's most fascinating read, but certainly a fascinating man.
LibraryThing member jddunn
I hate to harsh on Gandhi, but this is just interminable. 200 pages in, and most of it has been details of his dietary regimen. I guess this was all integral to the way he lived and how he managed to have the discipline and strength to do what he did, but it’s not very widely applicable or
There is good and wise and interesting stuff interspersed, but I’m having a hard time slogging through the minutia to get to it. Of course, he would probably say the minutia is the point and that concentrating on it is the way to live well, but that doesn’t make reading the endless details of his particular case any less mind-numbing. I’ll probably keep going because it’s freaking Gandhi, but I think I would have been better off reading a biography of him by someone else.
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interesting to read. And he skips right over the very stuff I most wanted to learn about, like the story of the Satyagraha movement in South Africa.There is good and wise and interesting stuff interspersed, but I’m having a hard time slogging through the minutia to get to it. Of course, he would probably say the minutia is the point and that concentrating on it is the way to live well, but that doesn’t make reading the endless details of his particular case any less mind-numbing. I’ll probably keep going because it’s freaking Gandhi, but I think I would have been better off reading a biography of him by someone else.
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LibraryThing member GShuk
Very, very long and boring audio. I did not finish it. It assumes you know the political events and personalities of the day in South Africa, England & India. To much detail of areas that did not seem worth mentioning at all. On the positive side it gave detailed insights into his thought process.
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It showed things like his lack of confidence when young and his characteristic of sticking to his principles no matter the cost for himself and those he was responsible for. To give an example when his son was deathly sick and the doctors said to give him meat he decided against that in order to stick with his beliefs. Show Less
LibraryThing member JBreedlove
A personal account of Ghandi's early years in South Africa and hos path to non-violence. A bit of an odd duck but truly sincere.
LibraryThing member HadriantheBlind
Extremely interesting view of the growth and spiritual development of one of the most illuminating figures of the last century. Covers a wide variety of topics. A shame that it only ends in the 1920s (but what autobiography could ever be called complete?), but it is still a fascinating portrait of
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the man. Show Less
LibraryThing member MarthaJeanne
I totally agree with the reviewers who talk about the boring aspects of this book, about how sorry they feel for his wife and family, about the aspects of his dietary and medical experiments that are excentric, to say the least. His insistence on the importance of avoiding sex for spiritual
However, I had set myself the task of finishing this book, and I have been greatly rewarded, as chapters 39 - 41 deal with spinning, weaving and khadi cloth. For me this was worth having slogged through the rest. Next time I'll just read those chapters.
This has not reduced my respect for Gandhiji, but it has reinforced my impression that I'd I'd rather not have to deal with saints.
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reasons, and of avoiding meat, milk, and other animal products to help in avoiding even the slightest thought of sex are luckily not going to take hold. Any reader not conversant with Indian history of the early 20th century will need to keep the internet or other reference source handy. The South African parts are easier to follow as he assumes that his reader needs to have that part explained.However, I had set myself the task of finishing this book, and I have been greatly rewarded, as chapters 39 - 41 deal with spinning, weaving and khadi cloth. For me this was worth having slogged through the rest. Next time I'll just read those chapters.
This has not reduced my respect for Gandhiji, but it has reinforced my impression that I'd I'd rather not have to deal with saints.
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
Gandhi had a profound effect on history. As such, I thought reading his autobiography a must. I knew I had a lot of disagreements with what he believed, big and small, but his attitude as alluded to in his title disarmed me at first. He writes that "far from claiming finality or infallibility"
You're not going to get a complete overview of his life and thinking from this work, since he stops the account at 1921 and he lived until 1948. Too often key events would be glossed over and he'd refer the reader to other writings to fill the gap. But having seen the famous film based on his life, it was interesting to read material not covered there from his childhood in India and his time in England as a young man. I was surprised at how accepted he seemed to be studying in England--he didn't relate encountering much color prejudice there--more the opposite--and this was in the late 1880s. It was a very different story in South Africa where he gained his first experience of law practice and political activism. At one time he was literally kicked to the curb as Indians weren't allowed on the pavement. I would have liked to read more about his development of Satyagraha (active non-violent resistance), particularly his use of Civil Disobedience, especially since I know it greatly influenced Martin Luther King. It was interesting to find out Ghandi himself was greatly influenced by Tolstoy's non-violent principles in The Kingdom of God Is Within You. He even called his ashram in South Africa "Tolstoy Farm" and I can see a lot of commonality between the two men. I could wish this was annotated, or at least a glossary provided. There were a lot of Hindu/Indian terms I had to jot down to look up later: ashram, darbar, darshan, dhoti, haveli, vakils, Khilafat, Madras, Parsi, Swaraj, Vaishnavas. Maps would have been nice too. But I found there was value enough in getting a feel for the man that on the whole I found it worth the read.
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truth is something he believes we seek and learn by testing. At first I found him likeable and admirable. I felt for his struggles with shyness and public speaking. But my respect for his views and my liking for him eroded over the course of his autobiography. I felt his family and especially his wife had a lot to put up with by his own account. And so much of the autobiography was taken up with frankly crackpot notions. Even he calls himself a "crank" at one point and refers to his practice of "quack medicine." That may have been meant ironically but I thought it fit. Long, dull stretches of the narrative were taken up with details of diet and hygiene. You're not going to get a complete overview of his life and thinking from this work, since he stops the account at 1921 and he lived until 1948. Too often key events would be glossed over and he'd refer the reader to other writings to fill the gap. But having seen the famous film based on his life, it was interesting to read material not covered there from his childhood in India and his time in England as a young man. I was surprised at how accepted he seemed to be studying in England--he didn't relate encountering much color prejudice there--more the opposite--and this was in the late 1880s. It was a very different story in South Africa where he gained his first experience of law practice and political activism. At one time he was literally kicked to the curb as Indians weren't allowed on the pavement. I would have liked to read more about his development of Satyagraha (active non-violent resistance), particularly his use of Civil Disobedience, especially since I know it greatly influenced Martin Luther King. It was interesting to find out Ghandi himself was greatly influenced by Tolstoy's non-violent principles in The Kingdom of God Is Within You. He even called his ashram in South Africa "Tolstoy Farm" and I can see a lot of commonality between the two men. I could wish this was annotated, or at least a glossary provided. There were a lot of Hindu/Indian terms I had to jot down to look up later: ashram, darbar, darshan, dhoti, haveli, vakils, Khilafat, Madras, Parsi, Swaraj, Vaishnavas. Maps would have been nice too. But I found there was value enough in getting a feel for the man that on the whole I found it worth the read.
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LibraryThing member uufnn
The reviewer for The Christian Century wrote of this book: "Here is an autobiography more captivating than fiction and more stimulating than romantic adventure. It is the most revealing study of the human soul that I have ever read." The reviewer for The New Statesman wrote: "An absorbing book that
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stands alone in frankness and plain honesty. . .Its place among the classics of autobiography cannot be in doubt." Finally the reviewer for Saturday Review wrote: "It is . . .only by reading the whole long and detailed day-by-day record that readers can sense the magic of Ganhi's being and discover him fully." Show Less
LibraryThing member dbsovereign
Gandhi stands as one of the most politically admirable personalities EVER, and this book shows us why. A bit of bore in parts, it nevertheless details his struggles and use of nonviolent demonstrations to liberate his country. Not a book to read for fun, but a necessary one to educate oneself. For
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all of his faults, he is one of my biggest heroes of all time. Show Less
LibraryThing member jigarpatel
Written in instalments from 1925 to 1929, Gandhi's autobiography charts his train of thought throughout his time in Africa and the beginnings of Satyagraha in India. Some of the ideas here about simple living, while not revolutionary to Indian culture, are admirable. His experiments with diet,
One still has to marvel at Gandhi's tact and ability, even if only for a while, to bring together communities across locations, languages and creeds. Gandhi takes Truth to another level: to say as you think and to do as you say. He shows how to practise such noble precepts in journalism, law and politics. A vow taken is important to fulfil just as much in order not to break one's word as for its desired purpose.
For a more factual biography, and one which delves deeper into his early influences and followers, I recommend Ramachandra Guha's Gandhi Before India.
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medicine and education leave much to be desired. It seems at times Gandhi places so much emphasis on moral and spiritual development that science and medicine are deemed irrelevant.One still has to marvel at Gandhi's tact and ability, even if only for a while, to bring together communities across locations, languages and creeds. Gandhi takes Truth to another level: to say as you think and to do as you say. He shows how to practise such noble precepts in journalism, law and politics. A vow taken is important to fulfil just as much in order not to break one's word as for its desired purpose.
For a more factual biography, and one which delves deeper into his early influences and followers, I recommend Ramachandra Guha's Gandhi Before India.
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LibraryThing member scottjpearson
Gandhi’s name sticks out in bold in twentieth-century history. Words associated with this great include India, non-violence, independence, integrity, and freedom. Yet those (like me) who have been schooled in a different religious tradition (for me, Protestant Christianity) might not be aware of
Gandhi is by no means perfect in my eyes. He writes about his exposure to Christianity while in England and why he saw no need to convert to it from the Hinduism of his upbringing. Further, he describes why he spent much of his life as an adamant vegetarian and refused even taking milk for the sake of his health. Finally, Gandhi’s family life seems arranged around patriarchy, and Gandhi never seems to wrestle with this inequality. While still disagreeing in reading this work, I found evident respect for his reasons as to why.
Even more, I found respect for how he overcame discrimination in South Africa and in India under the British Empire. He did so with an optimistic view of the law – that the law, at its best, is a chronicle of humans struggling with each other. He holds an unwavering faith in the eventual triumph of justice in human affairs on earth, and it seems that this faith is rooted in the very nature of the universe’s life as being sustained by God.
This autobiography describes Gandhi’s life from its earliest days (including an arranged marriage at age 13!), to his youth as a student, and to his adult years as a lawyer in South Africa and India. It covers his role in Indian independence and ceases with the assumption of his public role. Like most memoirs (and this book could certainly be categorized as a memoir), this work elucidates the formative events in his life and describes these events from the inside out.
Any reader will have to grow comfortable with the mixing of words from many languages. Many non-English words, when pertaining to specific concepts rooted in culture, are not translated in this edition. This can serve as a good introduction to the subcontinent, however, and as a pericope into the linguistic challenges present in Indian life. These challenges persist today.
Gandhi does not come off as a self-absorbed narcissist. Rather, as the subtitle implies, Gandhi sees this story as “experiments with truth,” as a scientific, objective approach to human affairs. Although readers will be struck by Gandhi’s high view of justice, he does not seem particularly hung up on his ego needs. Rather, he seems genuinely concerned with speaking up with integrity for his fellow humans – particularly those who are not from a privileged background. That ethical excellence, combined with wide-ranging experience, is why this work is a classic and should continue to be read as a treasure by all.
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the depth of Gandhi’s greatness because of differing idioms. That’s why I originally picked up this book, and that’s why I suggest that your reading of this book is important, too.Gandhi is by no means perfect in my eyes. He writes about his exposure to Christianity while in England and why he saw no need to convert to it from the Hinduism of his upbringing. Further, he describes why he spent much of his life as an adamant vegetarian and refused even taking milk for the sake of his health. Finally, Gandhi’s family life seems arranged around patriarchy, and Gandhi never seems to wrestle with this inequality. While still disagreeing in reading this work, I found evident respect for his reasons as to why.
Even more, I found respect for how he overcame discrimination in South Africa and in India under the British Empire. He did so with an optimistic view of the law – that the law, at its best, is a chronicle of humans struggling with each other. He holds an unwavering faith in the eventual triumph of justice in human affairs on earth, and it seems that this faith is rooted in the very nature of the universe’s life as being sustained by God.
This autobiography describes Gandhi’s life from its earliest days (including an arranged marriage at age 13!), to his youth as a student, and to his adult years as a lawyer in South Africa and India. It covers his role in Indian independence and ceases with the assumption of his public role. Like most memoirs (and this book could certainly be categorized as a memoir), this work elucidates the formative events in his life and describes these events from the inside out.
Any reader will have to grow comfortable with the mixing of words from many languages. Many non-English words, when pertaining to specific concepts rooted in culture, are not translated in this edition. This can serve as a good introduction to the subcontinent, however, and as a pericope into the linguistic challenges present in Indian life. These challenges persist today.
Gandhi does not come off as a self-absorbed narcissist. Rather, as the subtitle implies, Gandhi sees this story as “experiments with truth,” as a scientific, objective approach to human affairs. Although readers will be struck by Gandhi’s high view of justice, he does not seem particularly hung up on his ego needs. Rather, he seems genuinely concerned with speaking up with integrity for his fellow humans – particularly those who are not from a privileged background. That ethical excellence, combined with wide-ranging experience, is why this work is a classic and should continue to be read as a treasure by all.
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LibraryThing member gottfried_leibniz
Finally, I read Gandhi's work.
Admirable, Inspiring life journey of Gandhi.
Reading this gives a glimpse of Gandhi's life.
Mahadev Desai, Gandhi's Personal Secretary has done excellent work.
He's translated, written it concisely. It's easy for readers to follow paragraphs.
Chapters, Paragraphs
Why?
A Tamil reader had posted a copy from another book, I peaked at it:
-No spaces
-Entire Page filled with one paragraph
-A Blob of Text
I thought, "Orae Vai la full plate sapadu sapdamudiyuma?", "Oru Vai Sapadu at a time."
[Can't eat entire rice in a plate, eat step by step]
As I lived abroad, I could deeply connect with Gandhi's stories.
Maybe, if I had read this 15 years ago, I would not have understood his life story much.
My Favorite Part, Gandhi's reaction, impression with Tolstoy's writings.
"Truth" is my sole objective.
I'd recommend this for everyone.
Deus Vult,
Gottfried
Admirable, Inspiring life journey of Gandhi.
Reading this gives a glimpse of Gandhi's life.
Mahadev Desai, Gandhi's Personal Secretary has done excellent work.
He's translated, written it concisely. It's easy for readers to follow paragraphs.
Chapters, Paragraphs
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neatly organized, concise. Why?
A Tamil reader had posted a copy from another book, I peaked at it:
-No spaces
-Entire Page filled with one paragraph
-A Blob of Text
I thought, "Orae Vai la full plate sapadu sapdamudiyuma?", "Oru Vai Sapadu at a time."
[Can't eat entire rice in a plate, eat step by step]
As I lived abroad, I could deeply connect with Gandhi's stories.
Maybe, if I had read this 15 years ago, I would not have understood his life story much.
My Favorite Part, Gandhi's reaction, impression with Tolstoy's writings.
"Truth" is my sole objective.
I'd recommend this for everyone.
Deus Vult,
Gottfried
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LibraryThing member RajivC
This book is quaint. He has written the book in a rather simplistic style. He does give some insight into his development, and focusses a lot on his eccentricities.
For some reason, he does not write much about his thoughts and feelings concerning the age of the times, and how he got to where he
A good book, but one written by a seasoned politician.
For some reason, he does not write much about his thoughts and feelings concerning the age of the times, and how he got to where he
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was.A good book, but one written by a seasoned politician.
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LibraryThing member literarysarah
Rather long-winded and preachy - much like the man, I imagine.
LibraryThing member goosecap
[“I have considered myself a heavy eater. What friends have thought to be my restraint has never appeared to me in that light. If I had failed to develop restraint to the extent I have, I should have descended lower than the beasts and met my doom long ago.”
This reminds me of a character from
Just read it slowly, people. Read one or two at a time, and don’t expect it to be over and done with immediately. [I’ll admit it’s not paced like a novel; it’s more like a historical or scientific work. A lecture on mathematics or economics doesn’t necessarily have a passionate climax. “And That, is why the answer is two point five!” It’s incremental. Real life is often the same. It’s not meaningless, however; every increment of the book is a little sliver of India, and truth.]
Read more than one book at a time. And be patient. Books telescope years and years into maybe a dozen hours or whatever, but this generation (“what shall I say about this generation?”) expects everything to be like a movie—by the time you get up, it’s over. One and done. Also, I think an unfortunately post-feminist and anti-intellectual generation has substituted the easy weak of whining about great men for the difficult work of raising up free women and men—and becoming one yourself.
I’m a vegetarian myself, so I admire Gandhi for being one, despite the fact that it sounds like it was more difficult in his day. Personally, I haven’t encountered much anti-vegetarian sentiment, so I’m a little surprised to read about the whining people feel the need to burden us with when they have to learn about what some people do to avoid animal cruelty. (I’m actually a vegan during Lent, by the way; cheese is what I give up.)
[Of course, I’m not sure I can approve of Gandhi’s dietary experiments on technical grounds, but it’s hard to escape the conclusion that the medical advice he was offered was anti-vegan. (Eat like an Englishman, Gendhy.) And of course, I approve of his motivation rather than I do of Churchill’s diet, which was to eat too much, and drink too much. On non-technical grounds, I think you have to choose between them, too. Either you are more like the one’s restraint, or the other’s lack of restraint.]
Gandhi may not have been a Christian and may have had a somewhat negative opinion of the imperial Christians of his day, but I think he shows far more charity than he received. Peas are good food; they have protein, but if you served them laced with rat poison a body could be forgiven for saying, I think something’s off about those peas. Christian imperialism was laced with racism, like most things that white people did at that period in history. People pretend to be so woke nowadays, I wonder why most do not see fit to mention that the central struggle of Gandhi’s life was combating white British racism. Is it not sensational enough? Is it not as interesting as the movie? Are we seriously that *paranoid* about people who try to abstain from sex?
At that time in Indian history, like in many places, women were seen as whores or mothers, but either way as breeders, and Gandhi identified this attitude as the reason why people seldom bothered to teach them to read. Gandhi’s choice to abstain from sex has to be seen in this light, this background. Why should his wife live only to serve his sexual needs, and to care for an ever-growing family? Why, because we apparently are such orthodox little post-Freudians that we think that man must live for sex, or else be an external loser. Try to keep up!
Freud: Why does Gandhi refuse me the pleasure of knowing he’s having sex.
Nehru: Gandhi is India’s MLK; he’s leading a struggle. Living for sex would distract him from living a life of service to others.
Freud: He must be thwarted in his desire to have sex with his mother and be normal like me, and that’s why you say these big words.
Nehru: I’m an atheist too you know, but I think you have a dirty mouth.
Freud: The truth is cynical. You’re afraid of the truth.
Nehru: Where is the West headed nowadays, man. Where are you people going?
Einstein: Future generations will wonder that such a one as this walked the earth.
Future Generations: Mommy I don’t like Gandhi. Mommy I want candy. Mommy why does Gandhi have such a funny name; Sue and Billy don’t have names like that. Mommy I want candy. Mommy it must be time for my nap.
Tolstoy: In the future, you have to say something sensational within the first ten to sixty pages, and keep it under 225 pages, or be considered a blast from the past, a blast from the past.
Future Generations: Mommy where’s Daddy? Mommy why didn’t you become an astronaut? Mommy why is the opinion of the multitudes of so little value? Why do people want want want until they kill kill kill Mommy? Mommy are some people in the world intelligent?
Medieval mob: *heresy baiting/doing theology* No, it means, it means: it means that if I don’t understand something, that means you’re not allowed to say it!
…. Nehru: I can’t believe those people don’t like you!
Gandhi: Don’t punish yourself; your blood pressure will thank you.
…. N.B. I also think it’s nice to know that Gandhi was a Gujarati, coming from Gujarat, the Indian state where the language Gujarati is spoken—much like an Italian would probably identify as being from Italy, the region of Europe where Italian is spoken. Indians were driven together by colonialism in a way that Europeans weren’t, despite the fact that Europeans have largely tentatively come together in the shadow of America and China and so on. But most people don’t confuse French and German the way they don’t know (care?) about Hindi and Gujarati. [Also, according to Wikipedia, Gujarat has about a tenth of the per capita GDP of Italy.]
So, there’s that.
[…. Re: his brief official statement in Hindustani, by a Gujarat, as the only use of an Indian language in a British imperial conference in India about India—
It would be like if an American President were allowed by his Chinese overlords to say something, maybe not in English, but perhaps Spanish or French.
To be a cracker is to have double standards. If you don’t have double standards, you must not be quite like that, you know.]
[non-co-operation = non-Coletting lol]
[politics/religion—The business of life is worth nothing if it is based on pillaging and looting, however artfully devised and effective; our love is worth nothing unless we can see the other as our sibling, and include him or her when it is our business to do so.]
This reminds me of a character from
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“Anna Karenina”, Levin’s brother, I think, whose (non-alcoholic/neuro-normative) friends make fun of him for being very religious, observant, ascetic, pious, and then when he snaps and starts eating and drinking, going to brothels and becoming a ruined man, boy do they get a load out of that! What a loser, they chortle!]Just read it slowly, people. Read one or two at a time, and don’t expect it to be over and done with immediately. [I’ll admit it’s not paced like a novel; it’s more like a historical or scientific work. A lecture on mathematics or economics doesn’t necessarily have a passionate climax. “And That, is why the answer is two point five!” It’s incremental. Real life is often the same. It’s not meaningless, however; every increment of the book is a little sliver of India, and truth.]
Read more than one book at a time. And be patient. Books telescope years and years into maybe a dozen hours or whatever, but this generation (“what shall I say about this generation?”) expects everything to be like a movie—by the time you get up, it’s over. One and done. Also, I think an unfortunately post-feminist and anti-intellectual generation has substituted the easy weak of whining about great men for the difficult work of raising up free women and men—and becoming one yourself.
I’m a vegetarian myself, so I admire Gandhi for being one, despite the fact that it sounds like it was more difficult in his day. Personally, I haven’t encountered much anti-vegetarian sentiment, so I’m a little surprised to read about the whining people feel the need to burden us with when they have to learn about what some people do to avoid animal cruelty. (I’m actually a vegan during Lent, by the way; cheese is what I give up.)
[Of course, I’m not sure I can approve of Gandhi’s dietary experiments on technical grounds, but it’s hard to escape the conclusion that the medical advice he was offered was anti-vegan. (Eat like an Englishman, Gendhy.) And of course, I approve of his motivation rather than I do of Churchill’s diet, which was to eat too much, and drink too much. On non-technical grounds, I think you have to choose between them, too. Either you are more like the one’s restraint, or the other’s lack of restraint.]
Gandhi may not have been a Christian and may have had a somewhat negative opinion of the imperial Christians of his day, but I think he shows far more charity than he received. Peas are good food; they have protein, but if you served them laced with rat poison a body could be forgiven for saying, I think something’s off about those peas. Christian imperialism was laced with racism, like most things that white people did at that period in history. People pretend to be so woke nowadays, I wonder why most do not see fit to mention that the central struggle of Gandhi’s life was combating white British racism. Is it not sensational enough? Is it not as interesting as the movie? Are we seriously that *paranoid* about people who try to abstain from sex?
At that time in Indian history, like in many places, women were seen as whores or mothers, but either way as breeders, and Gandhi identified this attitude as the reason why people seldom bothered to teach them to read. Gandhi’s choice to abstain from sex has to be seen in this light, this background. Why should his wife live only to serve his sexual needs, and to care for an ever-growing family? Why, because we apparently are such orthodox little post-Freudians that we think that man must live for sex, or else be an external loser. Try to keep up!
Freud: Why does Gandhi refuse me the pleasure of knowing he’s having sex.
Nehru: Gandhi is India’s MLK; he’s leading a struggle. Living for sex would distract him from living a life of service to others.
Freud: He must be thwarted in his desire to have sex with his mother and be normal like me, and that’s why you say these big words.
Nehru: I’m an atheist too you know, but I think you have a dirty mouth.
Freud: The truth is cynical. You’re afraid of the truth.
Nehru: Where is the West headed nowadays, man. Where are you people going?
Einstein: Future generations will wonder that such a one as this walked the earth.
Future Generations: Mommy I don’t like Gandhi. Mommy I want candy. Mommy why does Gandhi have such a funny name; Sue and Billy don’t have names like that. Mommy I want candy. Mommy it must be time for my nap.
Tolstoy: In the future, you have to say something sensational within the first ten to sixty pages, and keep it under 225 pages, or be considered a blast from the past, a blast from the past.
Future Generations: Mommy where’s Daddy? Mommy why didn’t you become an astronaut? Mommy why is the opinion of the multitudes of so little value? Why do people want want want until they kill kill kill Mommy? Mommy are some people in the world intelligent?
Medieval mob: *heresy baiting/doing theology* No, it means, it means: it means that if I don’t understand something, that means you’re not allowed to say it!
…. Nehru: I can’t believe those people don’t like you!
Gandhi: Don’t punish yourself; your blood pressure will thank you.
…. N.B. I also think it’s nice to know that Gandhi was a Gujarati, coming from Gujarat, the Indian state where the language Gujarati is spoken—much like an Italian would probably identify as being from Italy, the region of Europe where Italian is spoken. Indians were driven together by colonialism in a way that Europeans weren’t, despite the fact that Europeans have largely tentatively come together in the shadow of America and China and so on. But most people don’t confuse French and German the way they don’t know (care?) about Hindi and Gujarati. [Also, according to Wikipedia, Gujarat has about a tenth of the per capita GDP of Italy.]
So, there’s that.
[…. Re: his brief official statement in Hindustani, by a Gujarat, as the only use of an Indian language in a British imperial conference in India about India—
It would be like if an American President were allowed by his Chinese overlords to say something, maybe not in English, but perhaps Spanish or French.
To be a cracker is to have double standards. If you don’t have double standards, you must not be quite like that, you know.]
[non-co-operation = non-Coletting lol]
[politics/religion—The business of life is worth nothing if it is based on pillaging and looting, however artfully devised and effective; our love is worth nothing unless we can see the other as our sibling, and include him or her when it is our business to do so.]
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Awards
Call number
SOC H.300