The Danish Peace Academy

GANDHI AND NORDIC COUNTRIES

Letter, September 6, 1917

Ahmedabad,

September 6, 1917

My dear Esther,

I was delighted to receive your note. I hope to be in Madras for a day only on the 14th instant. I shall have to leave on the 15th instant in the evening.

Ever since my arrival here, I have been on the move trying to spread the gospel of Satyagraha³⁵ in the place of methods of violence. It is an uphill task. You will see from the enclosed what I mean by Satyagraha.

It was not my intention that your remarks upon dress should be published.³⁶ I forgot to warn Dr. M. about it. He liked your views so much that he could not restrain himself. I do hope you don’t mind my sending to Dr. M. such of your letters as may appear to be helpful.

"To be free from desire" is a technical expression and means desire to be or possess something short of the highest. Thus, love of God is not ‘a desire.’ It is the natural longing. But to possess a fortune so that I may do good is a desire and therefore to be curbed. Our good acts must be as natural to us as the twinkling of our eyes. Without our desiring, they act automatically. The doing of good should be just as natural to us.

Yours ever,

Bapu

Source:My Dear Child, pages 21-22; Collected Works, Volume 13, pages 526-27

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