During my varied trip around the streets and back alleys of Mumbai today, one of the highlights on my "grand tour" of the city was Gandhi's Mumbai home, which now houses a modest museum to the father of modern India.
The more that I am learning about Gandhi, and the longer (only two days so far) that I am in India, especially Mumbai, the more I am simply in awe of the man. In the hallways of the home are various pictures of Gandhi with some of India's and the world's most powerful people of the time and he is always there in his khadi loincloth and wrap, smiling serenely while enormous world events were unfolding. However, this did not mean that Gandhi was not one to act, and boldly at that.
In one of the main rooms, there was a display board with two letters, one to President Roosevelt, and the other to Adolf Hitler, the latter is dated July 23, 1939, and is addressed to "Dear friend,".
Now, Gandhi was anything but chums with Der Führer, but he did not let his personal agenda stand in the way of his message, and one of Gandhi's quotes highlighted at the museum (and on t-shirts outside of the caves of Elephanta) was "My life is my message."
In the letter, Gandhi appeals to Hitler's conscience by saying that "[i]t is quite clear that you are today the one person in the world who can prevent a war which may reduce humanity to the savage state. Must you pay that price for an object however worthy it may appear to you to be?"
Less than six weeks later, Germany invades Poland, determining the course of humanity's reduction to savagery for quite some time.
Gandhi signed the letter, "I remain, Your sincere friend"
If it were not Gandhi, you would think that was the work of a madman. However, knowing that Gandhi drew his inspiration from the Gita, it is not hard to comprehend.
In my hotel room, there is a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, so I opened it to the following verses, which I found appropriate for Gandhi's letter.
When the lessons of history are forgotten, or ignored..
The more that I am learning about Gandhi, and the longer (only two days so far) that I am in India, especially Mumbai, the more I am simply in awe of the man. In the hallways of the home are various pictures of Gandhi with some of India's and the world's most powerful people of the time and he is always there in his khadi loincloth and wrap, smiling serenely while enormous world events were unfolding. However, this did not mean that Gandhi was not one to act, and boldly at that.
In one of the main rooms, there was a display board with two letters, one to President Roosevelt, and the other to Adolf Hitler, the latter is dated July 23, 1939, and is addressed to "Dear friend,".
Now, Gandhi was anything but chums with Der Führer, but he did not let his personal agenda stand in the way of his message, and one of Gandhi's quotes highlighted at the museum (and on t-shirts outside of the caves of Elephanta) was "My life is my message."
In the letter, Gandhi appeals to Hitler's conscience by saying that "[i]t is quite clear that you are today the one person in the world who can prevent a war which may reduce humanity to the savage state. Must you pay that price for an object however worthy it may appear to you to be?"
Less than six weeks later, Germany invades Poland, determining the course of humanity's reduction to savagery for quite some time.
Gandhi signed the letter, "I remain, Your sincere friend"
If it were not Gandhi, you would think that was the work of a madman. However, knowing that Gandhi drew his inspiration from the Gita, it is not hard to comprehend.
In my hotel room, there is a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, so I opened it to the following verses, which I found appropriate for Gandhi's letter.
When the lessons of history are forgotten, or ignored..
dhyãyato vishayãn pumsah
sangas teshupajãyate
sangãt sañjãyate kãmah
kãmãt krodho 'bhijãyate
krodhãd bhavati sammohah
sammohãt smrti-vibhramah
smrit-bhramshãd buddhi-nãsho
buddhi-nãshãt pranashyati
When focused intently upon sensory objects,
An attachment to them grows in one, and
From such attachment develops lustful greed, and
From such lust, anger comes about.
From anger, utter delusion takes hold, and
From delusion, the bewilderment of the memory.
When memory is thoroughly distorted, intelligence is lost, and
When intelligence is lost, one drowns in the material.
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