Gandhi. When one hears that name it solicits a variety of thoughts. For some, it evokes a sense of awe and wonder over one of the most influential individuals of the 20th century. For others still it brings forth feelings of reverence for a man who faced adversity with sheer willpower. Yet what was the main driving force behind his selflessness? What was the catalyst that brought about reform throughout India while he was alive, the nations of the world in decades to follow, and still echoes within everyone even today?
At the very core of this subject lies Gandhi’s education. It was his education that molded him into what he became; his education being his “experiments with truth.” These then became his experiences that followed him for the rest of his days. Experience being education itself, and thus knowledge. And from his eclectic conglomeration of experiences Gandhi obtained knowledge that many individuals strive to possess but never quite achieve. Drawing from this Gandhi was able to affect his homeland of India and the world in ways that he could never have imagined.
However, his vast source of knowledge can be traced to its roots in his humble beginnings in the Bania caste. Innocent of the workings of the world Gandhi attended grade school like everyone else and acquired a formal education. However, as Gandhi himself once noted, “I could only have been a mediocre student.” What made Gandhi innately different from everyone else was that he considered life a constantly evolving state of education. One where you are never truly done learning nor acquiring knowledge. And this approach agrees entirely with my philosophy to the process of learning. Like Gandhi, I find that experiencing for oneself the nature of things is the best education one can receive. No books, lectures, or diagrams can replace what is obtained firsthand. Furthermore, one of my favorite quotes from Gandhi that I have taken as my own personal mantra is, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Such a powerful statement is exemplary of the way Gandhi lived his life, and really resonates with me.
I have always gone though life with an open-mind, taking everything in stride and absorbing as much as possible in order to make my day-to-day routine a learning process – thus making me more attentive to my surroundings and increasing my degree of perception. Like Gandhi, I tend to be more on the quiet side while around others. In this sense I do agree with his statement that, “Experience has taught me that silence is part of the spiritual discipline of a votary of truth…taught me the economy of words…[that] a man of few words will rarely be thoughtless in his speech; he will measure every word.” I agree with this remark because I feel as if I can learn more by listening and watching other people, and adding their collective thoughts into my own; thus formulating a melting pot of ideas. And throughout my educational career I have always been one of those who sit there and listen attentively. I find that hearing what other people have to say is far more educational than attempting to boast one’s knowledge in a group, contributing only when necessary. And Gandhi found this important as well, his experience in education revealing to him that, “my constitutional shyness has been no disadvantage whatsoever.”
Gandhi considered all facets of knowledge to be educational; however, he named a few in particular within the first few chapters of his autobiography “The Story of My Experiments With Truth.” I can recall one that really stood out, and that was his take on exercise. He believed wholeheartedly that “physical training should have as much place in the curriculum as mental training.” This I can personally relate to and therefore I feel as if it pertains to me more so than a lot of his other subjects. I had been raised in an environment where athletics was an integral part of my family’s daily routine. My parents encouraged me to go through life well-rounded, and my participation on many different sports teams instilled many a valuable lesson. Through athletics I learned much about my character, and also how to strive for and obtain goals personally set forth by myself. I learned the value of hard work, self-worth, and also personal leadership skills that I carry with me to this day. And, like Gandhi, I believed that a strong body perpetuated a strong mind, and vice-versa. If one was lacking in either the mental or the physiological aspect then he could not truly reach self actualization.
Of course Gandhi considered all sorts of knowledge to be educational; the majority of which I have not delved into discourse with. However, even with my limited background knowledge on such an influential individual I can honestly say that much of his attitude towards knowledge and education reflects my own. I am certain that I can learn much more from this man, and by getting a glimpse into one such as Gandhi I will be receiving an education nearly unparalled.