Little Things to Make This World a Better Place

Gandhi. Photo credit: Google.

Pilgrim, the Higher Truth has thus be revealed to me

in a most profound way. I sat reading Gandhi’s Autobiography 

'The Story of My Experiments with Truth'

and inside the covers, I picked one important legacy he left for the world:

Service.

This world, Pilgrim, cries out for service.

Men and women who can do something for others—

not for money’s sake, not for fame’s sake,

but for the fulfillment of their mission on this Earth.

All around me I see these gallant men and women.

You might not find them on billboards and monuments

You see them everyday, some helping an old man

Crossing the road, some helping out an illiterate read a letter.

And when we are long gone, Pilgrim,

It will not matter what we accumulated in our sojourn here

But the little things we did to make this world a better place.

Note:

I have finished reading Mahatma’s Gandhi Autobiography titled ‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth’.  I hesitate to comment much on the book as I need time to digest what Gandhi’s life means to me. Of course, Gandhi is well known for the ‘Satyagraha’ and as satyagrahi ( or would-be’s), we have important lessons to pick there.

Allow me to say this. I have admired a great deal Gandhi’s service to humanity. He eschewed self aggrandizement. He strove for the others. As an advocate, I admired his truthfulness in his legal career, albeit intermittently. If a client was untrue to him, he would not take up the case. I also remember him pointing out an error to the court, which had the potential harm of them losing the case. This, despite the fact that his Senior in the case thought otherwise.

On humility, Gandhi would travel Third Class in trains and experience what those passengers went through ( Until later, much to his regret, when his health failed him and thus could not). Of course there are numerous other examples from his life. But today, it appears that humility is equated to weakness. Pomp, braggadocio, chest-thumping are seen as important ingredients for upward mobility. I have always remembered, much to my consternation, my clients telling me “you are so soft”, the other party needs somebody who will shout and create so much noise and intimidation. Unfortunately, I have never been this person. I always want to state my position and my convictions calmly and deliberately. Fanfare is not for me.

I intend to experiment on some of Gandhi’s experiments. As for now, I would not want to comment further. But there are important lessons I have drawn from the book.