Gandhi's Teachers: Henry David Thoreau

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Henry David Thoreau whose writings influenced Gandhi was an unorthodox thinker and a political activist who lived in America between 1817 and 1862. In this short span of 45 years he left an indelible mark with his philosophy on how humanity should survive on the planet earth. He also showed a unique way to protest and resist the schemes and designs of state and people that go anti human and anti nature. There is perhaps a need to rediscover Thoreau as the Pole Star for the humanity in the present day crisis. Dr. Sharma's book on Thoreau introduces him as one of the Gandhi's religious gurus, and helps the readers see the person's thoughts and action in the backdrop of the life and thought processes in those days.

Interestingly, Thoreau was highly influenced by Indian philosophical thought. Bhagavad-Gita had influenced him deeply. In 'Walden' he says, "In the morning 1 bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of Bhagavad-Gita". The chapter "Monday' in his book, 'A Week on the Concord and Merrimac Rivers' is full of praise of the Hindu scriptures. Thoreau notes, "In comparison of the Philosophy of the East, we may say that Modern Europe is yet given birth to none. Beside the vast and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita, even our Shakespeare seems sometimes youthfully green and practical merely." Gandhi had categorically noted the influence of the Hindu philosophy on Thoreau and his writings. Someone else has noted that it was God's geographical mistake in Thoreau being born in America! During the times when the people in America were engaged in slave trade and wanted to increase their material prosperity, Thoreau emphatically opposed the slave trade and strongly recommended harmony with nature in living.

We know that more than Walden, Gandhi was influenced by Thoreau's essay 'On the Duty of Civil Disobedience'. As a citizen Thoreau had declared that he does not consider the state as his because it allowed and controlled slave trade. He protested in a non-violent way and refused to pay tax. He accepted a jail term for this violation against the state. The essay and Thoreau's action had impressed Gandhi deeply. He translated the essay in Gujarati in an abridged version and published in the Indian Opinion. Gandhi later noted that until he had read Thoreau's essay, he had not been able to coin proper word in English for Satyagraha. Once he read the essay, it struck him that the word was, 'Civil Disobedience' - savinaya kanoonbhang.

Dr. Sharma's effort in the Series has been to 'offer to reader in one volume pertinent information about each of the proclaimed teachers of Gandhi and that included background contexts, contours, and elucidation of his life, thoughts, works, endeavours and reforms efforts'. Hence, even in this book on Thoreau, the chapters cover a very vast ground on the circumstances that prevailed in USA when Thoreau lived and the ideas that influenced him. The book contains full information about Thoreau covering social, moral, and political realm. The size of the book may not unduly worry the reader as almost half of the book consists of notes and references, bibliography and appendix put together. Gujarat Vidyapith has already published three books in the series covering Shrimad Rajchandra, Leo Tolstoy and John Ruskin. This book on Thoreau is fourth and final. It appears that it has been a very valuable personal journey for the author. We hope that readers will welcome this last volume too with interest.

In these trying times of mushrooming violence, greed, apathy, and declining moral values Gandhi's life, thought, and endeavors assume greater importance in guiding people and societies to more sane alternatives of relationships, functioning, goal-seeking, and living. Gandhi himself was a simple man devoted completely to the seeking of "Truth," "Ahimsa," and "Aparigraha." He believed in character-building and felt that oppression and injustices were the result of improper socialization of individuals and societies. Character-building, therefore, was the key to personal and societal reform, rebuilding of the social order, and creation of a culture that accepted diversity of attitudes, opinions, and lifestyles. Character-building also guided individual and societal relationships, dealings, and helped people attain living on higher moral planes. Core values to be pursued were altruism, simplicity, modesty, self-discipline, tolerance, non-selfishness, and benevolence. Creativity, self-reliance, and self-dependence were to be maintained and common goals were to be sought so that the society was a "community of fate" where understanding, cooperation, and mutual-respect prevailed. Empathetic understanding of others was to be practiced, welfare of each and every person in the social order was to be considered, and friendship and goodwill toward all were to prevail.

Equality, fairness, egalitarianism, and justice were important considerations, no personal or societal problem was to be ignored, and no injustice was to be tolerated. Solutions to problems were to be amicable and those were not to leave winners or losers. Efforts to attain such a social order were to be constant and responsibility for that fell on the shoulders of each and every person in the society.

Gandhi devoted his whole life to the creation of above mentioned social order, while remaining interested in the attainment of moksha or self-realization of his soul. He stated in his autobiography: "What I want to achieve-what I have been striving and pining to achieve these thirty years - is self-realization, to see God face-to-face, to attain moksha. I live and move and have my being in pursuit of this goal. All that I do by way of speaking and writing, and all my ventures in the political field, are directed at the same end." Gandhi understood that the attainment of moksha necessitated individual effort, but he was also equally aware that final crowing of success did not come forth until one sought the guidance of a genuine guru. He stated:

"I think there is a great deal of truth in the doctrine that true knowledge is impossible without a guru. An imperfect teacher may be tolerable in mundane matters, but not in spiritual matters. Only a perfect jnani deserves to be enthroned as a guru. There must, therefore, be ceaseless striving after perfection, for one gets the guru that one deserves. This infinite striving after perfection is one's right. It is also its own reward."

A genuine guru for Gandhi was one who advised the disciple on all matters of daily conduct and living, helped him attain perfection in life, self-realization of soul, and ultimately the goal of moksha He was self-illuminated, self-realized, liberated, and had knowledge of soul and God. He was pure, inspiring, and worthy of reverence, was non-sectarian, infallible, free from wants and flaws, practiced what preached, and was capable of guiding by word and example.7 Inspirations for seeking such a guru came to Gandhi from both Eastern and Western traditions and in his writings, speeches, and addresses he mentioned five visionaries who had captivated him and made a deep impact on his life, thought, endeavors, and reform efforts. In the political arena Gandhi had found his guru in Gokhale. He was a stalwart politician and a well-known educator who met Gandhi's all requirements and expectations of a guru and henceforth Gandhi never questioned propriety of his views and instructions. In the religious realm the possibilities of a guru were Rajchandra from India, Leo Tolstoy from Russia, John Ruskin from England, and Henry David Thoreau from America.