Learning from the Mahatma

I am grateful to have been born at a time just after the Mahatma's lifetime. He was still fresh in the memories of grand fathers, great aunts and elderly uncles who had seen the man in flesh and blood and could recall those encounters vividly. His name was always taken with bhakti and reverence. And I imbibed the spirit.

Later my history textbooks and Sir Richard Attenborough's movie added to my knowledge of the Mahatma's life and work. Much later as a young writer of value education textbooks I - guided by my editor and my co-authors - discovered Gandhian principles and philosophy and tried to adopt whatever I could.

In the last two decades I have derived much succour and strength from my readings of Gandhiji. I have taken to my heart whatever of his principles resonated with me and have chosen to respectfully put aside ideas and thoughts that did not fit in with my thinking or some twenty first century perspectives. Gandhiji's life was indeed a series of experiments with himself and his understanding of truth. Gandhiji was transparent in his presentation of these and frank in his contemplation of his own frailties and failures.

With sustainability becoming the mantra of the new outlook for the planet, and with poverty, equity, violation of human rights, and violence doggedly retaining their stranglehold on our country as indeed the world, I find much of the Gandhian way to be relevant even today. Some of his expression may sound dated and archaic today, some of the reasoning difficult to accept, but the inherent insights and principles have the potential to inspire change in oneself, or at least lead to reflection and introspection.

There is no political agenda here. This blog is my grateful offering of Gandhian thought and the Mahatma's life to contemporary readers. Much of it is derived from what I believe to be authentic sources in the public domain and from printed and published matter. I have no way of authenticating these materials, although I have done my best to pick from sources that are authentic. My sincere thanks to all those who made Gandhiji's thoughts and words easily available for seekers.

If some of this resonates with you, dear reader, it will make me happy. If you do not agree or you find it unacceptable, I do hope you will find the beacon for your journey through life elsewhere and it will help you tread gently on the earth. Thank you for stopping by.

Picture courtesy Tara Sudhakar