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My interest in Gandhiji became deeper as I realized that he held the key to understanding India. How else could he have enormous influence over 300 million Indians, many of whom hadn't even seen him? One only has to read Gandhiji’s writings to agree with his assessment that he merely awakened our dormant memories of what we used to be. When I visited Sevagram recently, my hosts gave me several examples of Gandhiji’s views. Gandhiji’s immense influence on India implies that we must take these views very seriously. For, although western-educated Indians like us have disconnected ourselves from our past, the consciousness of most Indians continues to be shaped by it. Therefore, it is worth deliberating whether the development we support is, in fact, consistent with the chitta (consciousness) and manas (mindset) of the Indian people. For instance, we consider it good health care when there are doctors and hospitals within reach of everyone. However, Gandhiji considered this to be a measure of sickness of society, not its health! And he would surely denounce our strange practice of paying now for our future illnesses. At Sevagram, I asked my host, Shri Shivdutt Mishra, why there is no leader of Gandhiji’s caliber today. His insight was that no one has the tej (radiance) that comes from tapasya (austerity). I mused about this for a long time. Indeed, in most Indian legends, men and women obtain powers through tapasya. Today, we “give in” more often than we “give up”, so our minds are weak. Indian sages will contend that true mental strength is obtained through renunciation, not indulgence. Visiting Sevagram gave me hints of the tremendous personal tapasya it will take to understand India: it will require us to understand who we were, renounce who we are now, and decide who we must be. I’m afraid – that nothing less will do. --- Arun Sripati, Pittsburgh
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