Gandhi: Two Books to Guide

Sitting alone in a motel room one night in Hawarden, Iowa, after working a long day blacktopping roads, I turned on the TV and came across a movie about this man Gandhi. I only caught the end, but I learned that he was a saintly man and that when mortally shot by an assassin, he uttered the words “God, God, God”. (To what extent this is accurate, I don’t know, although I think that the actual recitation would have been “Ram, Ram, Ram”.) In any event, I don’t recall if I’d heard of this man before, but the brief exposure the film piqued my curiosity. (N.B. This was well before Richard Attenborough’s 1982 film biography, Gandhi.) I went on to read Louis Fisher’s biography, The Life of Mahatma Gandhi (1948) and then Erik Erickson’s Gandhi’s Truth: On the Origins of Militant Nonviolence, a consideration of Gandhi from Erickson’s unique psychoanalytic perspective. After that flurry of interest, college and an introduction to a wider world of ideas and experiences led me off in other directions—until now, when I find myself in Gandhi’s homeland. I look upon his continence each time I hold a piece of paper money. 

The 20^th century is marked by a handful of titanic political figures. Hitler, Stalin, and Mao comprise a trio of titanic evil marked by war, genocide, and mass murder. Yet each is a complex, daunting, and fascinating human being embedded in their unique times and cultures. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill were titans in liberal democracies who rose in response to the crisis of the Great Depression (FDR) and WWII (WSC). Each led his respective nation into and through the war. Together they led their nations into a mutual alliance that triumphed by the end of the 20^th century. Both of them were immensely complex figures, certainly not angels, but canny politicians and strategic thinkers. And then there is the titan Gandhi. Gandhi, the rather unassuming young man turned barrister, turned activist, turned ascetic, turned politician, turned saint, turned father of the nation. One might argue that he proves more difficult to grasp than any of the other titanic political figures of the 20^th century. 

Two books of late, both by authors who attended and presented at JLF, have provided me with new insights into Gandhi. Richard Sorabji’s Gandhi and the Stoics: Modern Experiments in Ancient Values (2012, 203 p.) delves into Gandhi’s thought through the lens of the ancient Stoic philosophies. In Sorabji, a British academic born of Indian immigrant parents, one could not find anyone more qualified person to make this comparison. Sorabji is a revered scholar of ancient philosophy and a wonderfully precise thinker and writer. Sorabji makes his case through careful consideration of Gandhi’s writings and Stoic teaching, while acknowledging from the beginning that Gandhi was not acquainted with Stoic thought (except perhaps to the extent of some fleeting exposure to Epictetus). While Sorabji cannot locate any direct Stoic influence on Gandhi, he does note a number of other well-documented influences: Socrates, Jesus (Mathew’s Gospel and the Sermon on the Mount, in particular), Thoreau, John Ruskin (Unto this Last), Tolstoy (e.g., The Kingdom of God Is Within You), and the Bhagavad Gita are the most prominent and influential. (Gandhi was very well read man, and he continued to expand his reading while jailed.) In addition to knowing what Gandhi read, we have what he wrote, which is immense. Indeed, Sorabji argues that Gandhi qualifies as a philosopher because he led a very examined life, and he did so publicly in order to invite comment and criticism. 

Despite the lack of a direct connection between the Stoics and Gandhi, the comparison proves quite fruitful because both traditions (Gandhi alone, I think, can constitute a tradition) attempt to deal with love, emotion, and our engagement with the wider world. Our current, popular notion of Stoicism is quite warped in relation to the ancient practice. We think of Mr. Spock as the ideal Stoic, at his best when he allows his emotions to overcome his rational mind. But this understanding, along with any sense of Gandhi as bound by any absolute standards, misses the very carefully considered analysis of emotions (including love and care) that mark these two traditions. Sorabji’s thorough, point-by-point consideration of the particulars of each position, takes us deeply into each. And, as I believe, each tradition has a rich vein of wisdom that we should mine, the book proves very worthwhile. 

In perusing the speaker list for JLF,  I came across the names of Lloyd and Susanne Rudolph, and I learned that they are retired (but very active) University of Chicago political scientists who have written very extensively about Indian politics (and whom are part-time Jaipur residents). Upon checking, I learned that my trusty Kindle could deliver Postmodern Gandhi and Other Essays: Gandhi in the World and at Home (2006) to me, and I purchased it. This book of essays considers Gandhi, his life and thought, from a number of different angles: his critique of modernity, his reception in America, the effect of Nehru’s different relation to modernity on partition, the ashram as public space, and importance of courage to Gandhi and his movement. Each essay mines its topic carefully and with revealing and insightful conclusions. By referencing political thinkers with whom I have prior acquaintance, like Reinhold Niebuhr, Hannah Arendt, and Jürgen Habermas, the Rudolphs help better situate Gandhi and his project in my existing political taxonomy. 

Perhaps the only contention I have with their work is their designation of Gandhi as postmodern. I often worry that the term “postmodern”, along with its predecessor, “modern”, is too slippery. But even setting aside that concern (which can certainly be addressed by careful acknowledgments up-front), this designation of Gandhi as postmodern seems to reach too far. One can argue more persuasively that Gandhi is pre-modern: his dedication to spinning and village life hardly smack of 19^th century ideals, not to speak of 20^th or 21^st century norms. Gandhi and those he draws upon, like Ruskin and Tolstoy, are certainly critics of modernity that demand a hearing, but none of them strike me as having provided a compelling counter-narrative (although I’m sadly not well enough acquainted with Ruskin’s work to say that with certainty). Ashrams and village life may have their place in postmodern world, but only as one alternative in plural world. People in India and around the world have voted (and are voting) with their feet by leaving villages and migrating to cities for reasons economic and cultural. While I have a homespun (khadi) vest, I don’t delude myself that I and about 1.1 billion fellow humans here in India can cloth ourselves adequately without the aid of mechanical looms. People want the benefits of economic development and of (at least some) cultural freedom that the traditional (pre-modern) Indian life that Gandhi extolled can’t provide. Indeed, I perceive the village (and villagers transplanted into Indian megacities) as a huge and difficult challenge to India, especially for young Indian women who aspire to some level of gender equality and greater personal dignity, it appears to me that the pre- modern village mentality is a mortal threat. What Gandhi did not provide, and that we must, is a way through the problems of modernity, the problems of environmental degradation, rampant consumerism, and social alienation. In their place, we are challenged to establish new forms of meaning and society consistent with Enlightenment values. Gandhi as a critic of modernity and as a philosopher of personal values holds some sway with me, but Gandhi as political visionary does not. (N.B. Gandhi’s political heir, Nehru, did India no great favors with his modernist and statist political vision.)

I’m looking forward to reading more about Gandhi and grappling with the enigma of this amazing man, and I can do so with the greater insight having read these two excellent books.

Cross-posted on Taking Readings.

 

Abba Interviews Steve

 It wasn't Oprah, but long-time Oprah fan and fellow attendee at JLR this year, Abba, who interviewed me before her departure for Nepal and then on to the U.S. to find her fame and fortune. You can look forward to a soon-to-be-posted blog where I turn tables in the ace interviewer and report on my interview of her. By the way, no Lance Armstrong-like mea culpas here, and I'd rather be interviewed by Abba than Oprah.

ARG: Tell me about the food in India. What do you like, what do you dislike?

SNG: I like most of the food in India. I like rich, well-spiced foods, and so I’ve found a number of different types of dishes that I’ve enjoyed. That is true of both the veg and non-veg dishes.

Because beef and pork are not served in Indian cuisine, I’ve come to appreciate mutton as a tasty meat, whether grilled or included in various curries. 

The street foods familiar to Americans such as pakoras, samosas, etc. are also quite good.  The only foods I haven’t cared much for are Indian sweets.

ARG: Why not?

SNG:  Hard to say why not – I don’t like gooey sweets.

ARG: Do you like sweets in America?

SNG: No.  I only like chocolate. I never liked candy much.

ARG: So maybe you could say that you just don’t like sweets…

SNG: Um… I have a weakness for some types of sweets, like baked goods, cinnamon rolls, 3 Musketeers bars, French pastries, but not the Indian types of sweets. They have a fudge-like consistency… but they’re not chocolate.

ARG: What do you like about living in India?

SNG: First of all, the people we have met have been very kind and generous.  And the day-to-day life on the street is so different than what we experience in the US … in some ways that’s good, in some ways that’s bad. But it’s always challenging, so it gives you an appreciation of what we have in the US and what we don’t have.  Every day has been a learning adventure and the culture and tradition here is very rich and complex.

ARG: Do you feel like India is making you older or younger?

SNG: You know … in terms of responding to the challenges of living and working in a different culture, it’s keeping me younger.  On the other hand, I am not quite as healthy as I was living in the US.  I am on the verge of my third cold here. Because exercise, in terms of walking and easy access to yoga, is not the same as it was in the US, I’m probably not as overall fit.  So hard to say how that balances out.

ARG: What have been some of the interesting activities you have taken part in since you’re arrived here in India?

SNG: Well, we have attended an Indian wedding, which was a combination of ceremony, pot-latch, and social get-together that is more intense and different than any American wedding I’ve been to.

The celebration of Diwali was quite interesting and a couple of meals we have shared in Indian homes, just to see the diet and customs, has been quite insightful.

The JLF was a very interesting and unique experience. [Editor’s note: reference previous blogs for more on JLF]

ARG: Who do you think is going to be strong in the NBA this year?

SNG: I wonder about that because I have not been following the NBA.  So I don’t know who the current league leaders are. I feel very out of it.  I have to feel like the Heat have to be in a good position to defend their title. Lebron really proved himself in the playoffs. I don’t see anyone else has the complete tool-case that he does. I should check that. [Editor’s note:  The best record in NBA East right now is the Heat, by a 2-game margin followed by the Knicks, then the Pacers. San Antonio has the best record in the NBA right now at 41-12.  Steve was very excited about the Spurs having the best record in the NBA.]

ARG: Are there other things that you are less aware of since you’re in India?

SNG: Well, sure.  All those local things that go on in Iowa City, I have not kept track of very well.  I keep track of national news, but mostly through the New York Times.  That has been different. I used to be a regular viewer of The Daily Show and Colbert. I miss that because I got a lot of laughs out of them. I like political humor and their guests were often interesting.

ARG: The big news today was that the Pope has decided to step down. What nationality do you think will succeed the pope?

SNG: Well, with the surprise announcement by Pope Benedict of his resignation and the appropriate precedent he is setting, it may be time for another precedent breaking election.  Certainly the Catholic Church is strong in Latin America and Africa. It may be time to look beyond Europe for new leadership for the Catholic Church.

Outsiders & Insiders

Timothy Garton-Ash, whose book The File  I'm now reading (about the Stazi file kept upon him while a young man visiting East Germany), was a speaker at the Jaipur Literature Festival. This article captures many of my own observations and those who know India well from the outside.For anyone interested in India, and the ubiquitous "India v. China" debate, it's informative.

My point here is to ponder the importance of the outsider/insider: those who come to know a culture from the outside and who really reveal the culture and how it works in a way that seems very difficult for natives. Before considering India, think of America: who has exceeded Alexis Tocqueville's Democracy in America in capturing the American ethos? In India, I'm finding the likes of William Dalrymple, Edward Luce, Patrick French, John Elliot, and Tarquin Hall provide me with deep insights. Interestingly, Luce, French, and Hall all have native Indian spouses, while I believe that Dalrymple and Elliot make their homes in India. Also, they are all Brits. Among native Indians, we see the value of the outsider experience: Gandhi and Nehru were both deeply influenced by their time abroad. Other good, contemporary examples of native Indians with deep insight  include Amartya Sen, Akash Kapoor, Gucharan Das, and Shashi Tharoor, all of whom have all spent a significant amount of time in the U.S.. These individuals, and others I'm sure that I don't know about, have the insider/outsider perspective about India that gives their analysis real insight. I'm sure that there are many that I don't know about, but this provides a good sample. They are the persons that I read for insight.

I have to say that being out of the U.S. now for about five months, I've come to a new appreciation (good and bad points) of our nation. However, compared to India, U.S. politics, society, and culture seem a cakewalk!

A Match Made in . . . This World

Pico Iyer's The Open Road: The Global Journeyof the Fourteenth Dalai Lama (2008) (252 p.) proved itself the ideal read following the Jaipur Literature Festival. As readers will know from either this blog or Iowa Guru's, these two individuals were both favorites in our family. The combination of subject and author didn't disappoint. 

Pico Iyer was a teenager when his parents drug him to Dharmasala, India to meet with the Dalai Lama, at that time a young and virtually unknown figure. The Dalai Lama had fled from the Chinese occupiers of Tibet in the late 1950's, and he'd taken with him a remnant of the nation and culture that was Tibet. Iyer's early introduction to this unique personage allowed Iyer access to the Dalai Lama and his community that few in the world can match. The even better news, however, isn't just Iyer's access, but his attitude. This is not an exercise in hagiography; instead, it’s a frank treatment of the many worlds in which this ordinary, extraordinary person lives. The extraordinary aspect of the DL's life arises from the requirement of fate (or karma?) that he must exist in multiple worlds at one time. The DL is political leader of the Tibetan people (although he's attempted—unsuccessfully—to slough off this burden), while at the same time, he serves as a global figure for peace and justice, as recognized by his Nobel Peace Prize. Even as a representative for Buddhism, he must occupy two positions simultaneously. As a representative for the values of Buddhism around the world, he emphasizes our common humanity and the universal concerns that Buddhism addresses to the world at large, including those of different religions or no religion at all. On the other hand, as a leading figure of the unique tradition of Buddhism that came from Tibet, he heads a practice that maintains shamanistic and ritual elements that are truly esoteric to most people, rather bizarre. Indeed, the Tibetan Buddhist tradition splits between the shamanistic rituals that seek to probe the interior world and another aspect of the tradition that emphasizes a highly developed philosophy that thrives on language and argumentation. Imagine the DL sitting pensively (as happens) as a young monk enters into argumentation with him and steps forward in a loud voice clapping his hands in the face of this revered figure to make a point. (Check out this video, which seems tame compared to a demonstration that I saw in Macbride Hall at the UI. Iyer notes that they trash talk playing b-ball, too.)

These and the many other dualities (or multiple realities) mark the DL's existence and create and define him. Arising at 3:30 every morning and meditating for four hours, he then enters into discussions and debates with scientists, religious leaders, and ordinary people (as he did at the Jaipur Literature Festival). When one contemplates this performance, it becomes truly mind-boggling. An ordinary peasant boy becomes a world-historical figure, coming out of one of the most remote and forbidding places in the world, but a country with a culture that is deeply rich in learning and art. 

Given his own multi-polarities, I can't imagine anyone more qualified to write this book than Pico Iyer. As a global wanderer and the product of multiple cultures, Iyer appears to gain some additional insight into this extraordinary man that I wouldn’t expect from others. Iyer understands and appreciates the ordinariness of him that complement his extraordinary performances. Iyer also describes the places, persons, and issues that surround the DL in a way that deepens and situates his observations of the man himself. 

For anyone interested in the Dalai Lama, Buddhism, Tibet, or, more widely, the challenges of how someone with deep moral convictions attempts to navigate this all-too cruel world, I can't recommend this book too highly.