Just finished reading The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Gandhi, which is his autobiography and the story of his early years. In it he talks much of his views on, and experiments with, non-violence, vegetarianism, and religion.
His discipline in pursing what he perceived as truth is admirable, and his vision of simple living and eating is one I find compelling.
Of particular interest were his views on religion though. When asked once whether he was a Hindu, his reply is well-known:
Yes I am. I am also a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist and a JewIn his autobiography he speaks much of "God", and much of "Truth". Yet it is difficult to understand how he decides what Truth is, and who God is.
Surprisingly, in my view, going by this book, it seems that Truth for Gandhi was whatever his moral intuition and reason decided. As such, his God was a silent God, and his life was spent struggling with great zeal to achieve purity on his own terms.
A man I would certainly have enjoyed reasoning with, and a book worth reading to understand something this enigmatic figure in history.
