Gandhi mentioned that he was doing poorly in English during his high school time. Contrary to what he believed, his writing style on this autobiography, his rich choice of words making up sentences like an erudite gentleman. The writings was beautiful, it’s like reading a poet with many intricate details. This is the initial reason I decided to read the book after listening to its audiobook version. Eloquent way to express himself which he assured this is of his way of documenting his experiment of truth. Reading this book, it feels like you’re reading modern day Shakespeare literature only to realised it is written by Gandhi, whom his friend mentioned that no one outside western culture ever done something like this before. This person inspire not only people on his land but his wisdom transcends to many continents and nations.
Gandhi puts practical definition about servanthood, that is loosely interpretation of Satyagraha. Started from his promise to his mother to keep practising his beliefs by not eating meat when he was abroad. He kept his promise even when he’s sick, his wife was sick, and many of his followers followed the same promise. Gandhi reframed the definition of his devotion into practical ways of serving as he’s saying
“But I know that I still have before me a difficult path to traverse. I must reduce myself to zero . So long as a man does not of his own free will put himself last among his fellow creatures, there is no salvation for him”
In a search of the true meaning of serving, he also put some interest to read and learn from the Christian Bible, and Islamic Quran. He mentioned the Christian literature The Kingdom of God is Within You by Leo Tolstoy that “…left an abiding impression on me. Before the independent thinking, profound morality, and the truthfulness of this book…”. Gandhi also named one of his ashram in South Africa as Tolstoy Farm.
He praised Sermon on the Mount from Christian New Testament Bible and compare it with the teaching of Gautama’s The Light of Asia as “the highest form of religion”.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi died on 1948 (aged 78) when somebody shot him. Before, this was what he said if someone would carry out their threats, “I hope God will give me the courage and the sense to forgive them and to refrain from bringing them to lay. I have no anger against them. I am only sorry for their ignorance and their narrowness. I know that they sincerely believe that what they are doing today is right and proper. I have no reason therefore to be angry with them.”
There are a lot of wisdom on this autobiography. How could it even possible for a man, without using violence and oppression, influence the birth of a nation and influence many generations after him. A man that is only want to serve God by serving others become one of the most influencial leaders beyond his time.
David Sudjiman 