"It's message is one of simplicity, service of mankind, living so as not to hurt others..." - 'To American Friends,' Young India, 17 Sept. 1925
For most of his life, Gandhi spent a portion of nearly everyday spinning yarn and weaving his own clothes. He began this discipline in the early 1920's as part of his swadeshi movement. The idea was two fold. One, to deny the British income from the sale of foreign made products. The second, and more important, idea was to help the poor in India reclaim some independence and dignity by resurrecting a cottage industry, an industry that every Indian could participate in.
When I looked for pictures, I found the classic iconic photos and videos of Gandhi himself sitting at a spinning wheel. There were also photos of large spinning wheel gatherings with hundreds and perhaps thousands of Indians spinning. I could think of nothing comparable in this country.
Simplicity, service, living so as not to hurt others. These are not concepts I understand well.
Simplicity - There's a photo of the few possessions that Gandhi owned when he died. A couple of bowls, glasses, a prayer book, a couple pairs of sandals, a watch, wooden fork and spoon, porcelain monkeys, diary, spittoon, letter opener. I think about what I own. A home, two cars, three computers, five cell phones, dozens of other electric and electronic devices, many, many books, hundreds of pounds of furniture, more clothes than I will ever wear, photos, knick-knacks, bric-a-brac, what-nots, dodads, and thingamabobs galore. There more stuff in my attic and garage, most of which I use only rarely if at all. And my friends think I live simply
Service - Here I am not so bad. I'm a foster parent to two teenager girls and a third now emancipated attending college. I am a member of a twelve step recovery program and I help new members get a good start. I keep my eyes open for opportunities to assist friends and strangers with tasks large and small. I could do more.
Living So As Not To Hurt Others - I could talk about the food I eat or the trash I generate and the list of failures would be long. There are many other areas of my life where I don't live so as not to hurt others, but the one that always jumps out at me is my mode of transportation, my cars. This needs a post all its own. Check back tomorrow.
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