With every “Great Soul” comes great complexity. Gandhi was no exception.
Gandhi the Lousy Husband and Absentee Father — After twenty-one years of marriage, of which he only spent nine living with his wife and family, he declared to her that there would be no more sex. Not long after, he told his family that his calling was higher than that of his husband and father. Without remorse, he made the disengagement with his family official. Gandhi’s wife was his greatest source of frustration. She didn’t believe like he did; the more welcoming he became of Untouchables, the more disgusted she became. Some have said that if Gandhi had ever been tempted to give up his belief in non-violence, it would have been with his wife. Gandhi’s four sons resented their absentee father, which caused family strife in later years. Gandhi seemed willing to lead people but not live with people; this was part of his commitment to detachment.
Gandhi the Celibate — Gandhi embraced a branch of Hinduism which taught that a man loses strength every time semen leaves his body. Thus, he encouraged anybody who would listen to give up sex. He was shocked and discouraged to discover that in his sixties, he would still have erections, so to practice detachment, he secured the services of a 17-year-old relative to sleep naked with him at night so he could learn to rid himself of lust finally. This created no small stir within his entourage. He eventually gave up the practice.
Gandhi the Detached - His 30-year tirade against sex was born out of a greater Hindu belief that sought to detach oneself from the trap of pleasure. The doctrine taught that giving in to strong urges and desires always leads to despair. Therefore, all strong urges for pleasure were to be resisted. Food, for example, was for sustenance only. Housing should be utilitarian and modest. Anger also was a desire that should never be acted on in violence to another. When Gandhi experienced anger and felt he must lash out, he would strike himself in the head as a compromise. Power was also to be shunned, and even though Gandhi wielded lots of it for much of his life, he seemed ambivalent about it, often disappearing for months at a time.
Gandhi, the Politician - National unity was his priority; his convictions to bring it about were:
Peace between Hindus and Muslims
The end of untouchability
Self-sustained living for each village in India by teaching everyone to grow their own food, make their own clothes
The use of non-violence as a way of life.
Gandhi had to prioritize these values, which often created controversy. To explain his flexibility in positions, Gandhi would often say, “The only reliable position I have on an issue is the last thing I have said about it.” Gandhi was also a solo show. He was not interested in consulting anyone about his leadership decisions. His preference was to be alone at the top.
Gandhi the Humble - He visited hospitals, nursed Untouchables in their dying hours, rode only third class, welcomed Untouchables into his schools, and wore the clothing of these despised people. All of this was unthinkable in his day. He cared nothing for power, prestige or image. He wanted to defend the weak by liberating them from the tyranny of their caste system. His peril and discomfort were always secondary in his mind. Often worshiped, Gandhi dismissed these affections, saying the time was not for hero worship but for service.
Gandhi the Hindu He was strongly influenced by Christianity but remained a Hindu, believing that “Everything you have in your Scriptures we have in ours.” He was a tremendous help to Muslims but didn’t want to become one. In the end, it was a Hindu assassin who killed him precisely because of his closeness to Muslims. As a Hindu, he had a real challenge before him:
Untouchability was a primary tenant of the Hindu faith. The caste system is based on the belief that a current life is a judgement or reward for a past life. If someone is in a low caste, it is because of past sins. Gandhi tried desperately to bend Hindu theology to improve the quality of life for the Untouchables. He had some success, but pragmatics, not compassion, made the way for some change. Untouchables, by their thousands, were converting to Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism to better their lives. For example, Ambedkar Jayanti, the other significant leader of that time period, converted to Buddhism and led about 2 million Untouchables into that faith. Hinduism had to adjust or run the risk of extinction. Part of me wishes that Gandhi, like Jayanti, would have abandoned Hinduism, seeing it for the bankrupt religion that it is, but to lead the Indian people, he had to remain loyal to the majority belief system.
Gandhi the Optimist: There is often little discernible difference between an optimist and a liar. For example, when Gandhi returned to India from South Africa, he credited himself with creating a virtual utopia of unity and independence among the Indians of South Africa. It’s a nice story, and Gandhi did many good things in Africa, but the hype doesn’t measure with the facts. Gandhi capitalized on this optimistic version of the events in Africa to get himself instant credibility in India and a clear path to positions of influence.
Gandhi the Idealist: Ideally, you would think if a bad person was doing bad things, and a good person protested in reasonable and non-violent ways. The bad person would feel guilty and change his ways. Gandhi projected this ideal into the real to a fault. For example, when asked what the Jews should do in Germany with Hitler, he suggested that if the Jews talked to him, Hitler would feel bad and then change his policies.
Gandhi the Brave: Confronting familiar ideas and accepted norms of living is more challenging than confronting armies. As history has proven, if you confront one, you almost certainly have to confront the other. Though flawed and “quirky” by Western standards, Gandhi fulfilled his confrontational destiny with humility, fearlessness and unyielding resolve.
My observations come from the book pictured above.