Painting by Gerald Brimacombe. gbrim@integraonline.com

Recently I had the distinct pleasure of traveling up into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in Northern Minnesota.  This is a wilderness area filled with beautiful and pristine lakes, woods, sheer cliffs and wildlife.  All of this was created and left behind by the last glaciers retreating across North America, perhaps 10,000 years ago?  One night we had a Loon (the State bird of Minnesota) float repeatedly 10 feet form our campsite and on another occasion we had a Snowshoe Hare visit us multiple times.  On our last night we camped 50 yards from Canada across a channel and saw a black bear swimming across!

Not only was it an invigorating experience—on our last day we battled as we canoed directly into constant 30 mph winds with gusts as high as 40 mph—but it made me think of Gandhi. Gandhi was all about self-reliance, self-restraint and being able to confront your situations with grace and character.  Put those notions together with his dislike of Modern Western Society and I am convinced that Gandhi would be quite at home in the BWCA!  Up there you cannot simply do as you please, you are part of a team and if the team does not function well together, with cooperation and understanding, then your life there (the quality of your experience) will simply not be as pleasant or as rewarding.

One is consistently challenged to do things you may not have thought possible. For example, that last day, with the 30 mph headwind, I was never afraid but I did wonder if I could keep paddling hard enough to get us to our destination. I have never been so tired or pushed physically.  I knew I could do it, but doubt did creep inward.  I must confess that twice I ranted at the wind and waves. In retrospect, that was disrespectful because raging at the wind and waves is to shout against nature.  It is not a sign of being in control of oneself.  Wilderness travel teaches us is that we are not in control; ultimately the elements are the master.  We can however, choose to control ourselves.  To bluster at nature was also not in good keeping with Gandhi’s ideas of spirituality.

In the end, it struck me that nowhere is ahimsa more in evidence than in the wilderness.   There, the things we take for granted as we live our daily lives are beyond our reach and we must, once more, rely on ourselves and our comrades for survival, good company and the best possible world.  There are no superiors and no disenfranchised.  There is only the good nature of humankind coexisting with the natural world.  That and the fabulous surroundings are more than enough to bring one true joy and happiness.  Gandhi would love it!

Chris Mason teaches history at Guy B. Phillips Middle School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He was a fellow at the Ahimsa Center in 2009.

Cast from the short lived MTV cartoon series "Clone High." The show lasted eight episodes, and was reportedly cancelled due to complaints over the representation of Gandhi. (from left: Robot, JFK, Cleopatra, Abe Lincoln, Joan of Arc, Principal, Gandhi). Courtesy MTV.

Since the end of my week doing my best to “Go Gandhi” I have continued to think about all the ideas that Gandhi’s life and his writings in Hind Swaraj bring to our lives. I find myself comparing every day situations to those that Gandhi faced during his work in South Africa and beyond. I have continued to see him come up in references, from intellectual to pop culture, and it is astounding the level of impact he continues to have. (Last night I was watching the television show “The West Wing” and they were talking about him explicitly – season six)

In thinking specifically about Gandhi’s ability to forgive people for their own wrongdoings, and seeing their trespasses against him as merely the results of a tainted system, I find myself thinking very specifically about the current challenges facing our world. I wonder: How would Gandhi deal with Osama Bin Laden? How would he address global warming? Would Gandhi see himself as part of the global citizenry, or would he stick to Indian affairs?

Then I wonder what tactics he would use in facing said challenges. Would he work with corporate-like NGOs and non-profits? Would he travel to other countries and live and work amongst the downtrodden? What would he have to say about the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society? Would he start a group on Facebook?

While I know that my learning about Gandhi through the Ahimsa Center will stick with me for the rest of my life, I am finding (as I do with most things), that Gandhi’s legacy leaves me with more questions than answers. I only hope that I will be able to continue living my life with those “Top 5” things that Dr. Parel outlined for me at the beginning of this study, and that the spirit of Gandhi’s actions will envelop me. I know that I will continue to experiment with my own life in search for truth, and I am depending on you to do the same.

- Christopher

ps. Entries from other Ahimsa Center fellows will now start to be posted on the main page of this blog instead of the Ahimsa Opinion page.

Earlier this month when I spoke with Dr. Anthony Parel, a Gandhian scholar, he gave me the “top five things one could do to be more like Gandhi.” His list (which has its own page on this site) has been a great reference point throughout the week. So today, I worked on the last item on his list “To build a more just and less violent society and polity through constructive program.”

The “constructive program” that I have worked on building is a new project for both my English and Social Justice classes. This new assignment is called “Life Lab: The Experimental Life & Search for Truth”. The essence of the assignment is to experiment with the way you live so that you can gain some understanding of the a subject that you previously knew little about. Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock did this with his film “Supersize Me” and then with his FX television show “30 Days”. Author Barbara Ehrenreich did this and wrote about the experience in her work “Nickel and Dimed: On (not) getting by in America”.

Several other authors and journalists have done this as well.

My first blog, “One Dollar Diet Project” was also a Life Lab, as is this one. This experienced based model for learning seeks to give students the chance to experiment with how they live, in a sustained and reflective way. The project requires: changing the way you live, researching topics related to these changes, interviewing people, blogging every day about the experience, and building a multimedia presentation to share what you learned with a live audience. It is my hope that students will experiment with living (and ultimately truth) in order to deepen their thinking about a subject, transform their lives, and build character.

As Gandhi would say, “If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.”

- Chistopher

Soaking up the sun's energy at the John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies at Cal Poly Pomona. Photo by Nick Molander.

Waking up this morning was strange. I expected to be hungry, but as I peeled back the packaging on my Builder Bar and took a bite, I didn’t feel the need to devour my protein loaded treat. Breakfast and lunch came and went, and toward the end of the afternoon I was ready to visit the John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies here at Cal Poly. My suite mate Nick found the place on his morning run, and mentioned to me that there was a environmentally sustainable “village” just around the corner from us. In thinking about Gandhi’s experiment with his ashrams, I had to visit to see the modern day equivalent first hand and talk with someone there about its purpose.

Gandhi’s Phoenix settlement, while different from the center here at Cal Poly, had a spirit of experimentation and progress at it’s core. Gandhi’s ashrams became places of communal living that worked to be self-sufficient, and were eventually used to train people in satyagraha (nonviolent resistance).

The Center for Regenerative studies was designed to demonstrate sustainable living, and like the ashrams, provide a place for experimentation in the search for truth. The experimentation here however focuses on regenerative strategies, like passive-solar building design, solar energy technology, organic agriculture, and native plant community restoration. According to their literature, the Center, “uses the term ‘regenerative’ to emphasize the development of systems that restore and revitalize themselves, ensuring a sustainable future.”

The Center covers 16 acres, and in addition to housing graduate students who study sustainability, do research and work together, it also acts a place for outreach and education. By giving tours to other students, professionals, policy-makers, and the general public, people can see these experiments in sustainability for themselves.

However, what is most Gandhian about the Center is that they also participate in outreach efforts that include international projects serving communities in need. During our visit we were able to go inside an experimental housing prototype named “Habit 21″ that is low-cost and easy to build, with the right thermal comfort for people living in poverty in Tijuana, Mexico. According to graduate student Cristina Halsted, one of the goals in developing this “paper-crete” house (made from a mix of recycled newspaper and concrete) is to reach out to non-governmental organizations so that when they’re building houses in these communities they’ll have a affordable and sustainable model.

“It’s like a living laboratory for research, demonstration, outreach and education,” Halsted said.

By this definition it has much in common with Gandhi’s philosophy and life practice.

For me, I just enjoyed being in a lush green environment with thoughtfully designed buildings, and felt a surge of joy as I walked up a staircase and realized that there were grapes growing underneath the railings. Gandhi’s ashrams, and places like the Center for Regenerative Studies are good reminders that in today’s world, practicing self-sufficiency and sustainable living is one of the most concrete forms of nonviolent protest available. By experimenting, and saying “no” to a destructive way of living, you are saying “yes” to nonviolence.

- Christopher

Friend and colleague Chris Mason, who fasted with me, sips from his water bottle while everyone else enjoys lunch. Photo by Christopher Greenslate.

When I was a 17, I decided that I would start fasting on Thanksgiving. I did this out of a recognition that the holiday which most Americans celebrate as a day to be “thankful”, was also a day when the practice was anything but. A day of gorging on food until the point of bursting, in the name of togetherness with the native Americans that my ancestors worked keenly to subdue and control, was not something that I felt comfortable with. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was practicing a form of self-sacrifice in order to purify myself from this pious platitude.

I did this for several years up until recently, and the effect each year was that I actually did feel more thankful for what I had, and even had some naive sense of solidarity with those who were stolen from and murdered when this country was “born.” My family did not necessarily understand, or care, why I didn’t partake in the mashed potatoes. It was just another one of those “weird” things that I was doing.

Today’s fast was different. Today I fasted as a way to continue experimenting with the practices of Gandhi in order to deepen my experience in studying him here at the Ahimsa Center.

While Gandhi’s mother practiced this during the four month holy period for Hindus known as Chaturmas, Gandhi did it to purify himself, and ultimately to send a message that something needed to be done. Whatever it was, once Gandhi had become a fixture in the hearts of people in India, they would make the changes he requested in order to keep him alive. In trying to reconcile Hindu and Muslim relations in India he comments in his autobiography that, “Nothing evidently which I say or write can bring the two communities together.” If other forms of making change proved inadequate, Gandhi would fast.

I haven’t eaten since last night, and so far I feel pretty good. Focusing on my work made time move faster, and I think that I will go to bed early in order to avoid getting the munchies later tonight.

In addition, my colleague Chris decided to fast with me today. We sat together at lunch amidst the chewing and slurping, and I must admit that the food smelled delicious. Chris commented to me that he was tempted by the grapes, and when he went to fill up his water bottle near the fruit tray he almost ate one without thinking. We chatted about how this exercise in self-restraint is a good reminder that we have control over our impulses, our actions and ultimately our consciousness.

Looking forward to breakfast (which is actually when I will “break” my “fast”)…and thinking of re-committing to a fast this coming Thanksgiving…

- Christopher

Pictured here with Samani Charitrapragya and Samani Unnatpragya as his Jain spiritual advisers. Photo by Henry Seton.

Upon arriving at Cal Poly for the intial meeting of the Ahimsa Center fellows, I had the privilege of meeting Samani Charitrapragya and Samani Unnatpragya, two Jain nuns visiting the institute from Florida International University. Their plain white dress, and quiet friendly demeanor immediately stood out amongst the group. I sat down at their table and quickly made their acquaintance. They introduced themselves, and although I could not quite hear their names I felt thankful for their warmth.

Toward the end of the first week of the institute (when I formed this “Going Gandhi” idea), I decide to emulate Gandhi’s willingness to learn about religions foreign to him. During his time in South Africa Gandhi spends time working with Muslims, attending church and learning about Christianity, and all the while learning more about the Hinduism that his mother fervently practiced. So it is in this spirit that I sat with Unnat and Charitra and inquired about Jainism. I learned about their roles as nuns, gained insight into their belief system, and decided that I would practice as a Jain for a day.

After reading “An Introduction to Jainism”, researching online, and asking them to write me a “prescription” to practice as a Jain for a day, I was ready to go. Jainism is an ancient dharmic religion originating in India and dating back to 2000-1500 BCE. The Jain idea of “God” is the soul in it’s purist form, and we all have the potential to become God. One does this by practicing the Jain philosophy which is based on non-violence for all living beings. Those who practice it work on improving themselves in order to achieve a state like Jina (supreme being). The five basic ways to do this are:

• Non-violence (Ahimsa) – to cause no harm to living beings.
• Truth (Satya) – to always speak the truth in a harmless manner.
• Non-stealing (Asteya) – to not take anything that is not willingly given.
• Celibacy (Brahmacarya) – to not indulge in sensual pleasures.
• Non-possession (Aparigraha) – to detach from people, places, and material things.

Just as in any religion, the degree to which these principles are practiced is different for each person. For me, the prescription from my new friends was essentially the same, but included some practical notations.

It was obvious that I would not eat animals, but I also did not eat any root vegetables, or walk on the grass. This acute attention to the possibility of harming any living being gave me a heightened sense of self during the day. I found myself looking at the ground while I walked, and actually discovered a type of grayish insect that I had never seen before; one that I would have otherwise crushed underneath the weight of my step. I also made sure to walk on paved paths, when I could have cut across the grass, and made sure not to brush against the many flowers and plants in the rose garden at the center of campus (which I noticed many people did as the petals fell to the ground behind them).

I did not take anything unwillingly given, I did purchase any material goods, I did not engage in any type of sexual activity (and purged lustful thoughts from my mind), and at the end of the day I practiced “samayik” for the prescribed 50 minutes. This was a time where I had to quit all worldly interaction (people, cell phones, etc.) so that I could be with myself and meditate in order to be more connected. Most of this was pretty simple, and had the added benefit of allowing me to be more mindful than usual.

The hardest part of the day was to “speak truth, without abusive language, or put downs on others, and to speak soft.” Several people throughout the day struggled to hear me during conversation, and speaking softly was a serious challenge. I am very accustomed to speaking without any thought to how much “sound pollution” I am creating, and what the effect my volume level has on others. This practice of speaking softly, a form of nonviolence, forced me to be highly aware of not only what I said, but what possible effects my voice could have. And the challenge to avoid sarcasm was just that, a challenge.

Although the day was pretty uneventful, I think that’s kind of the idea, and I didn’t feel any of the strange “you’re not worthy” or “you’re a sinner” that needs salvation, the hallmark of the more dogmatic forms of Christianity or Islam. Practicing as a Jain felt natural and organic, but made me more mindful of all things; a nice change.

Tomorrow I will be fasting…stay tuned!

- Christopher

Above the windows at One World Vegetarian there is string of photos of famous vegetarians, and we were happy to see Gandhi placed in a prominent postion, and right next to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Photo by Christopher.

After waking today the first thing I did was sit down for my morning session of guided meditation. It was a great way to start the day. I spent most of the morning writing about Gandhi’s experimental approach to life. His search for truth really pushed him to try new things. This is probably the strongest underlying current about who Gandhi was at his core. Among his many endeavors, Gandhi experimented with his diet early on.

Although he experimented with eating meat several times one year in his youth, and really liked it, he stopped because he couldn’t handle lying to his mother. When Gandhi first arrived in London for school he had taken a vow for his mother that he would be a vegetarian, and this forced him to reject the many pressures he faced while living in Britain. On several occasions Gandhi is pressured to eat meat, and even though one of the hosts he stays with leaves him alone about what he eats, her boiled vegetables were far from satisfying for him.

So Gandhi experiments with London vegetarian fare at a few different restaurants, as well as cooking his own food. This process ultimately leads him to become an ethical vegetarian and Gandhi writes that, “Many such experiments taught me that the real seat of taste was not in the tongue but in the mind.”

After reading several cases for ethical vegetarianism, including his subscription to the weekly publication from the Vegetarian Society in England, Gandhi soon joined the organization and found himself on the Executive Committee. Gandhi had decided that human power over animals gave people the responsibility to protect rather than destroy other living beings. He soon started a vegetarian club in his area and was the Secretary. As he writes in his autobiography,  this experience, “gave me some little training in organizing and conducting institutions.” It could be argued that his activism started in the animal rights community in England during the year 1890.

As an animal advocate I deeply identify with this. I cut (and sharpened) my activist teeth in the animal protection movement as a teenager. Like most vegetarians, I faced (and still do) all kinds of pressures to eat animals. So in this way I was already living a lot like Gandhi. However, I felt that just like Gandhi, I had a responsibility to find and give patronage to a vegan restaurant here in my new surroundings. So tonight, my suite-mate and I traveled six miles to West Covina to eat at One World Vegetarian which boasts a lengthy and engaging menu.

After enjoying some edamame, Nick had the pho, which included “beef” and had him sweating all through dinner. The hot and spicy noodle soup forced him to order an extra side of brown rice to soak up some of the heat. I ordered the special, “Mother’s Love,” which was a rotisserie style chicken dish with steamed vegetables and brown rice. Both of us were deeply satisfied with our meals. Since I took my vow yesterday to avoid packaged cookies, I felt as though I could indulge in some dessert. I was hedging between the cheesecake and the chocolate cake, but after our server promised that I could try the cheesecake and trade it in if I didn’t like it, I was sold. The cheesecake was good, and as an added bonus she sent us home with a piece of the decadent chocolate cake for free. Talk about good vibes.

Tomorrow I will be practicing as a Jainist. We’ll see how it goes.

To experimentation,

Christopher

PS. For those who don’t understand or have never researched why eating and using animals is an unconcinable act in a modern society, check out this reading and this award winning film. There are many philosophical and well stated cases in book format as well. I recommned anything by Gary Francione.

Practicing meditation is something I have never tried before, but so far I have found that it helps me relax and gives me a clarity that is hard to describe. Photo by Michael Galli.

After a late night of chatting with new friends and trying not to remember the talking penis in the film “Bruno,” I came back to my room at around 2 a.m. and had to sit down to do my daily meditation. According to Dr. Anthony Parel, a Gandhian scholar from the University of Calgary, Gandhi made prayer and meditation a part of his daily practice. So, I must as well.

I attended meditation yesterday in the morning, led by two Jain nuns who are here participating in the institute, but I didn’t think stopping by their room late at night would go over so well, so my evening meditation was on my own. I searched “guided meditation” on YouTube, found one that I liked, and let it rip. I have never meditated before this point in my life. I remember staying over at a friend’s house as a kid and walking in on his mom doing it one time, and her eyes were rolling back in her head; it scared me.

The experience of meditation was difficult at first for me. Trying to maintain the prescribed posture, and relax my muscles at the same time was a challenge. Plus, I kept having this ache in my lower back. Not cool. However, what was cool was the dream like state that I was able to enter about half way through. In my mind I was transported to a northeastern rocky shore in the dark of the night, with a pulsating white light that I envisioned coming from a lighthouse. As I exited my state of meditation I felt relaxed and ready to move on.

This clarity of vision and calming effect enabled me to feel energized and helped me focus on today’s daily writing “A response to Gandhi on Celibacy.” The practice of writing this piece helped me clarify my thoughts concerning my view on the subject, and helped me realize the immense scope of what sex means. It’s not too often that we reflect on the implications of the activity, as it usually stays locked in the bedroom, or over-hyped and on display. I would love to hear your take on it, so please feel encouraged to comment on the Ahimsa Opinion page.

Later tonight I am going to take a walk, as Gandhi made this part of his daily ritual. I’m not sure where I’ll go, but I’m sure I’ll end up discovering some place new.

Ready for dinner,

Christopher

January 1 1930: Gandhi leads the Salt March in protest at the government monopoly on salt production. Central Press/Getty Images

Trying to “Go Gandhi” is probably one of the most difficult things that one could ever attempt. The obvious inability to actually live like Gandhi presents some serious challenges for the following reasons: I don’t live in India, nor have I ever been there, things have changed exponentially since Gandhi’s time, and I don’t face the struggle that oppressed people do the world over.

However, if it is true that Gandhi said, “An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching,” then it is my hope that this small exercise for the next week or so will allow me to better understand him through trying to live like him in some small way. So here’s what I intend to do:

1. Follow the prescription that Gandhian scholar Dr. Anthony Parel outlined for me as the “Top 5 things to do to be more like Gandhi.”

2. Practice the following activities daily: meditation, walking, reading, writing for publication.

3. Learn about a religion that I am unfamiliar with and adopt the parts of it that I agree with.

4. Fast as a form of self-sacrifice to purify my soul concerning an issue.

5. Take part in a mass movement for principled nonviolent action.

If there are things you would like to see, or suggestions of things for me to try experimenting with, let me know and I will consider them.

Here’s to “Going Gandhi”

- Christopher!