Gandhis life and experiences in England Essays - 1531 Words

On September 4, 1887, Mahatma Gandhi stepped on board a boat bound for England with the intention to further his academic career. Naà ¯ve and intensely shy, young Gandhi did not fully appreciate the extent to which his beliefs were to be challenged, transformed and eventually strengthened during this sojourn into the unknown. Nearly all aspects of his identity, including diet, social traditions, culture and religion, were scrutinized by Westerners and, in turn, as he adopted their perspective, judged unmercifully by Gandhi himself. Yet though threatened by the new environment, Gandhi recovered a sense of identity in his Indian culture and heritage stronger than he previously experienced. His encounter with the West lent him incredible†¦show more content†¦His triumph was great indeed, for despite anticipating some inconvenience, he was unprepared for the extent of the sacrifices required in keeping true to this life style. Gandhi vegetarianism met with constant disdain and pity even among his friends. He was forced to walk miles upon miles searching for appropriate restaurants, all the while living off insufficient meals provided by his landlady. Although physically malnourished, with only cocoa, porridge, or bread in his belly, Gandhi stubbornly held to his sacred vow out of respect for his mother. Eventually, the quick-witted young man came upon literature in a restaurant advocating vegetarianism and was able to use Western ideas to strengthen his vow to abstaining from meat. The consumption of meat was reported to be inefficient in providing nourishment and energy to the body, and furthermore, livestock and poultry were treated with ruthless apathy throughout captivity. This development in favor of his vow, for Gandhi was able to justify vegetarianism to himself through Western as well as Indain eyes. This justification allowed him some independence of his mother’s advice and council, and gave him a sense of individual agency. In addition to his substantiating vegetarianism, â€Å"†¦the result of reading all this literature was that dieteticShow MoreRelatedMahatma Gandhi Speeches904 Words   |  4 Pagesis to lose yourself in the service of others.† (BrainyQuote.com). Mahatma Gandhi participated in many mentionable functions throughout his life. He help Indians gain rights in Africa, to going on a fast to promote what he believed was right. He was an important tribute to India, and many people look up to him for his bravery. His childhood experiences, adult life struggles, and middle age successes tell his story well. Mahatma Gandhi went through many difficulties throughout his childhood. He alsoRead MoreMahatma Gandhi : An Important Contribution Of Society925 Words   |  4 Pagesviewed as an important individual that has used nonviolent ways to promote change in his society. Religion played an important part in Mahatma Gandhi’s life. His father served as a chief minister in Porbandar. His mother was very religious and fasted regularly. Mahatma Gandhi was born into a Hindu family in 1869, and remained a faithful Hindu throughout life. Ideas from several other religions influenced Gandhi, and eventually developed his own ideas about religion and the way to live. He practicedRead MoreGandhi, The Most Popular And Influential Figures Of The World1584 Words   |  7 Pagespopular and influential figures in the world. His political work, religious beliefs, values and morals captivated millions internationally. His path to become such a respected person is shaped by his religion and experiments occurred throughout his life. His relationship to food becomes a powerful fixation that allows him to form a greater connection to God as Truth, while leading him to express controversial disagreements during certain health issues. Gandhi becomes interested in his own dietaryRead MoreGandhi As A Spiritual Leader Of India1207 Words   |  5 Pagesyoung age had to bear with this second shock in just a year as earlier that same year Gandhi’s father Karamchand Gandhi had also died. Gandhi had four more children’s: Harilal, born in 1888; Manilal, born in 1892; Ramdas, born in 1897 and Devdas, born in 1900 (Mishra 2). In his life, Gandhi had six main principles: Truth, Non-violence, Vegetarianism, Brahmacharya, Simplicity, and Faith. Gandhi dedicated his whole life in discovering the Truth or Satya. He tried this by learning from his own mistakesRead MoreMahatma Gandhi : A Leader Of India s Independence Movement1230 Words   |  5 Pagesfollowed Jainism, a morally rigorous ancient Indian religion that espoused non-violence, fasting, meditation and vegetarianism. At the age of 13 Gandhi married a merchants daughter, in an arranged marriage. After his father’s death, Gandhi’s family sent him to England in 1888 to study law, where he became interested in the philosophy of nonviolence. Gandhi returned to India in 1891, because he found little success in his attempts to practice law. Seeking a change of scenery, he accepted a positionRead MoreMahatma Gandhi, An Inspirational And Non Violent Leader Essay1425 Words   |  6 Pageswhen many people began to analyze his practices. By compar ing Gandhi’s real life examples of leadership with the theories and concepts provided from various sources we can begin to understand how these principles can be used to lead in a multitude of environments. Gandhi had plans to study medicine but his father and family pushed him towards a career in law, wanting him to become a government minister. After attending university in England and an unsuccessful stint in India he signed a 1-year contractRead MoreGandhi : A Moral Exemplar1457 Words   |  6 Pagesabout the motivation that lay behind his power. Gandhi s values and philosophy grounded his work, evident in how he balanced his family and work, his sense of right and wrong, and how he carried out his beliefs through his civil disobedience. While Gandhi’s philosophy and values were exemplary, they primarily served to better his image rather than to better the world. Gandhi is most known for his actions of civil disobedience , which exemplified his values of kindness and righteousness, while alwaysRead MoreGandhi : The Father Of India1223 Words   |  5 Pagesyoung age had to bear with this second shock in just a year as earlier that same year Gandhi’s father Karamchand Gandhi had also died. Gandhi had four more children’s: Harilal, born in 1888; Manilal, born in 1892; Ramdas, born in 1897 and Devdas, born in 1900 (Mishra 2). In his life Gandhi had six main principles: Truth, Non-violence, Vegetarianism, Brahmacharya, Simplicity, and Faith. Gandhi dedicated his whole life in discovering the Truth or Satya. He tried this by learning from his own mistakesRead MoreGandy and the Ahimsa Philosophy Essay844 Words   |  4 PagesMost of Gandhi’s intellectual, social and political ethics and beliefs developed in the search of truth and non violence, or ahimsa, the opposite being himsa. Ahimsa is simply defined as to not injure, and himsa defined as to injure. Ahimsa is also referred to as nonviolence, according to many religions (Indian) it applies to all living beings including. â€Å"Ahimsa is a comprehensive principle. We are helpless mortals caught in the conflagration of himsa. The saying that life lives on life has aRead MoreComparation of Gandhi to Socrates, to buddha, to Jesus and to St. Fancis of Assisi924 Words   |  4 Pagesbut through the cogent example of a morally superior conduct o f life†. Other tributes compared Gandhi to Socrates, to Buddha, to Jesus, and to Saint Fancis of Assisi. The life of Mahatma (great soul) Gandhi is very documented. Certainly it was an extraordinary life, poking at the ancient Hindu religion and culture and modern revolutionary ideas about politics and society, an unusual combination of perceptions and values. Gandhi’s life was filled with contradictions. He was described as a gentle man