On Gandhi...

German author Herman Hesse, in his 1922 book "Siddhartha" includes a discussion that Siddhartha has with a trader regarding what his strengths are!  The trader asks Siddhartha (an ascetic who wants to work for the trader), "what are your strengths?" and the reply given by Siddhartha holds, in my opinion, the truth about India and Indians as observed by Hesse in 1910.

Siddhartha replied after a little bit of thought, "I can think. I can wait. And I can fast. These are my three strengths."  (Factor of 3 anyone???)


In a recent conversation with my father, he associated the lines from Herman Hesse's "Siddhartha" to Gandhi and it was as if a new world of thought opened up for me! How true it is that one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century survived on three major strengths and with three major principles. Gandhi's fundamental principles were truth, non-violence, and equality.

Here is a brief window to Gandhi - most of us know most of the logistical history of Gandhi, either because we grew up in India (a country that claims to function on Gandhian principles) or have watched Richard Attenborough's Gandhi. In either case, while this historical figure is impressive and attention-worthy, what is often overlooked is the sheer strength of character and commitment to truth that are demonstrated by the man!

Some day, when i have more time on hand, i will definitely devote a brief economic exploration into the ideas of Gandhi and how he, in terms of pure economic ideology, firmly establishes himself as a capitalist. In the mean time, I thought it was important to identify that along with his THREE principles, his THREE strengths were important to recognize.

1. I can think - Gandhi was an intelligent lawyer who was able to observe the conditions of Indians in a Colonial India when he returned from South Africa in 1915. He realized that the economic exploitation of local farmers and workers in India had resulted in a weak economic system that could not sustain itself even if the British left India immediately. He recognized that the root of the problem of colonization lay with economic interests and the only way to resolve the need for independence peacefully was to remove the economic incentive of the British in India. He quite literally thought things through to a point where removing economic incentives one after another led the British to finally, merely WALK out of India without further conflict.

2. I can wait - This is demonstrated by the fact that Gandhi spent 20 years in South Africa in order to get equal rights for Indians; and almost 30 years in getting the British to leave India. This demonstrates a strength of character - and a belief in truth. Having been influenced heavily by various religious texts, Gandhi realized that planning requires adequate amounts of time allocated for achieving success at any plan. The patience that is considered to be such a characteristic of the Gandhian philosophy comes out of the understanding that, in economic terms, at least - LONG TERM stability matters!!

3. I can fast - This is perhaps the most important learning from the Gandhian lifestyle. It is one of the easiest strengths to misunderstand, and one of the most difficult ones to follow. Fasting in this case does not necessarily refer to multiple fasts Gandhi undertook in order to establish peace and stability between groups of people. Fasting refers to the function of "doing without." I have found that fasting is a fairly foreign concept in the Western culture as a whole. Sacrificing personal convenience of any sort is almost looked down upon on the one hand or idealized on the other, without realizing the attainability of this goal and the value it has to survival. Don't get me wrong here, sacrificing personal convenience (also known as 'fasting") is NOT the same as "sacrificing" - a concept that abounds in the Western philosophy. The ability to do without is dwindling rapidly with each generation also. In a world of immediate gratification, i think it would serve us well to recognize the importance of surviving 'without.'

Once again, Gandhi does embody this very well. As a kid, i often made fun of the fact that Gandhi practically wore only a loincloth - i thought it was snobbish of him to be so "simple." To me, if a person's simplicity is encroaching on practicality,  it is basically a snobbery (a i-am-better-than-you approach). But, after a simple experiment carried out recently, i realized that something very powerful and goal-oriented is required within oneself to make a commitment of this nature. I had experimented with only wearing one pair of jeans and a couple of shirts throughout the semester (a couple semesters ago). I have seen my grandparents and my father live a very simple lifestyle by choice and was always thinking of the "snob" effect as i mentioned above. Once i started following the rules of limitation and simplicity, I have to honestly and embarrassingly admit, that i did not last for more than a week or two. The simplicity was not easy to stick with...it was boring, and yes, i did feel deprived to some extent. That was when i realized what a significant commitment Gandhi made to his cause of making the average Indian feel that he was understood!

Anyways, i am going to go start getting dressed for the State Fair of Texas!! Till tomorrow, or later...ADIOS!