Happy New Year!!!

This is a picture of the worldly possessions of Mahatma Gandhi at the time of his death. Mr. Gandhi was a political and religious figure in India in the the first half of the twentieth century. He led the Indian movement for independence from  British colonial rule.

He was a proponent of ahimsa, a philosophical commitment to non-violence towards all living things. Some zealous proponents go so far as to wear face masks so as not to inadvertently breath or ingest any insect life. Gandhi believed that armed with Truth, non-violent confrontation could challenge any injustice or evil and prevail.

He also espoused a simple life style. Certainly not the author of this idea, it was however remarkable to see someone who was an actor on the world stage, someone who wielded incredible influence within his own country, do so and resist the trappings of "success." When he died, he had few personal possessions -- a couple pair of sandals, glasses, a prayer book, a diary, two dinner bowls and two spoons, spittoon, watch, letter opener, and a small figurine of three monkeys (apparently a gift of sentimental value).

I do not wish to belittle in any way Gandhi's achievement, and certainly Jesus was as adamant about the both non-violence and a simple lifestyle as was Gandhi, but still I have to wonder where were all of Gandhi's underwear? Did he take them all with him? And did he just pile his underwear on the floor, one pile for clean and one for dirty? Perhaps there was a dresser in Gandhi's room for the underwear and, like so much of what we have in our house, it was invisible. If I was asked to list my possessions, I doubt that I would think to include the tube of Preparation H in the bathroom drawer, but it is mine, isn't it?

But I am quibbling. The truth is that Gandhi's garage probably had plenty of room for his car had he had one. I have not in my life been overly concerned with acquiring things, but that is more the result of being cheap than of a philosophical stance. None the less, I have ended up with more things than I need. I have clothes that I never wear, tools that I never use, CD's that I never listen to, some stuff that I don't even know what it is.

I am not real big on New Year's resolutions, but here is one I think I need to address: by the end of this year, I want to have less stuff than I do now. So I will have to think twice before I buy things, and I will have to be honest with myself about whether or not I really need all the things in the garage.

That should keep me busy for awhile.