Over the past couple of years, I’ve started to read autobiographies of famous people to try understanding them a little better. So far I’ve enjoyed learning about Benjamin Franklin and Johnny Cash. Earlier this year I decided to start reading Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mohandas K. Gandhi and I’m just about wrapped up.
While I managed to get through it and learn quite a bit about the man, I struggled with it for a few reasons. First, it was difficult to wrap my head around the timeline and the state of the world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I don’t have a great understanding of the breadth and influence of the British monarch during this time period. Basically, I know that the sun never set on the British Empire and that India and South Africa were a part of that empire. Second, while I think the book is generally chronological, I had trouble figuring out precisely when some of the events were occurring. Third, the writing style isnāt that of a book but more like a well written diary. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I would need a mountain of footnotes to really get a good grasp of the timeline and how the events fit in to the world around him.
I think the best part was the glimpse he gave from his childhood to becoming a mature adult. It was interesting to see how he developed through his education in England, his various experiments with diets and fasting, and the early work he undertook in South Africa. I was particularly interested in the lengths that he went in learning about and trying to understand various religions. While I was raised Catholic, I haven’t considered myself Catholic for many years. I don’t really consider myself any religion at this point. But I have also spent some time reading various religious texts, specifically The Bhagavad Gita. A cherished favorite of Gandhi.
The concept of āahimsaā is really important to understanding the philosophical ideas championed by Gandhi. To him ahimsa was the idea that even if you may vehemently oppose someoneās ideas or actions, you should never take away an individualās humanity. He writes, āā¦the doer of the deed, whether good or wicked, always deserves respect or pity as the case may be. āHate the sin and not the sinnerā is a precept which, though easy enough to understand, is rarely practiced, and that is why the poison of hatred spreads in the world.ā Ahimsa was the foundation upon which Gandhi built all of his lifeās endeavors.
I plan to get a more general biography about Gandhi as well as a book specifically containing some of his writings. I think the first will give me a bit more context as his work relates to the era and the second should provide a more refined view of Gandhi’s philosophy.
And yeah, I’m all over the place with who I choose to read about. Once I move on from Gandhi, I’m looking forward to Nikola Tesla and Buddy Holly.
Links to each book on Goodreads: