The Law Of Love: Tolstoy And Gandhi Letters For 2018.

Originally posted on September 1, 2014 by Jerry Alatalo

he following extraordinary letters between two highly respected, influential figures of world history – Russia’s Leo Tolstoy and India’s Mahatma Gandhi – represent one of the most important compilations of spiritual and/or philosophical documents ever recorded. For men and women alive in the year 2018 and reading their words, the thoughts shared between these towering personalities in discussions conducted over 100 years ago remain deeply resonant – offering profound, ever-relevant and essential wisdom to humanity.

Considering the extraordinary nature of this material – in addition to the aspect of it occurring shortly before the passing of Tolstoy (1910), as well as Gandhi’s later, major involvement in the attainment of India’s independence (1948) – every human being unaware of these writings misses out on their relationship, especially distinctive and outstanding for the men take on directly the issue of war and peace.

The Tolstoy-Gandhi Letters are a profound discussion between, arguably, two of the world’s greatest spiritual thought leaders. Will the year 2018 become remembered by future generations as the time when “The Law of Love” began its all-powerful, all-encompassing, and eternal rule upon this Earth?

Please feel free, and do not hesitate for an instant, to pass this true literary treasure along to family, friends, associates, etc., – and, otherwise, as widely as possible.

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Leo Tolstoy

The following is a translation of Tolstoy’s letter written in Russian in reply to one from the Editor of Free Hindustan. After having passed from hand to hand, this letter came into my possession through a friend who asked me, as one much interested in Tolstoy’s writings, whether I thought it worth publishing. I at once replied in the affirmative, and told him I should translate it myself into Gujarati and induce others to translate and publish it in various Indian vernaculars.

The letter as received by me was a typewritten copy. It was therefore referred to the author, who confirmed it as his and kindly granted me permission to print it. To me, as a humble follower of that great teacher whom I have long looked upon as one of my guides, it is a matter of honor to be connected with the publication of his letter, such especially as the one which is now being given to the world.

What Is Art? Leo Tolstoy.

Cover of What Is Art?

July 7, 2013 by Jerry Alatalo

It has been some time since first reading Leo Tolstoy‘s nonfiction masterpiece, “What Is Art?.”  It is interesting how we come to take certain actions after minor events coincide. Or perhaps we just think that events are minor when the smallest action sometimes leads to large changes in one’s life and perspective. The library at Northern Michigan University had the book.

While reading Mahatma Gandhi‘s book “All Men Are Brothers” Gandhi came to mention that “What Is Art?” was, in Gandhi’s opinion, Tolstoy’s masterpiece. So, after reading Gandhi’s book, Tolstoy’s was the next on the list for reading.Thinking about what Tolstoy had to say about the art world around the year 1900 we find that there has not been a great deal of change in the meantime. Tolstoy described a situation at that time where the so-called works of art were forms of entertainment for the leisure class of that time.

We find today that there is not much different between what Tolstoy described then and what we see now. How many works of art have literally changed you for the better in your life? We are talking about say, a movie where you cannot leave your seat right away when the credits come to the screen. You are frozen to your seat because the film moved you in a profound way. You finally walk out of the theater and you are changed.

Tolstoy listed some needed elements of a creative work which had to be present in the work for it to be called true art. He thought that a work must convey the highest spiritual feeling on Earth. He thought that the work had to result in a literal improvement in the lives of men, women and children on this planet.

I forget the year (1991) but it was when “Silence of the Lambs” won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It was up against “JFK” by Oliver Stone. I thought about Tolstoy’s criteria and “Silence of the Lambs” met neither. It conveyed the lowest spiritual feeling on Earth. It probably resulted in a literal degradation of the human condition.

The movies “Schindler’s List” and “The Deer Hunter” come to mind when considering movies that met Tolstoy’s necessary ingredients to be seen as true art. Perhaps as a result of reading Gandhi’s “All Men Are Brothers” and Tolstoy’s “What Is Art?”, many times I would look at almost every movie at the rental store and walk out with nothing which was able to meet Tolstoy’s high standards.

We are grateful to have come across Tolstoy’s book. Because of reading it, we have avoided ingesting a lot of rubbish that many have erroneously considered “art” through the years.

Please share any and all films, books, music, plays etc. which you have experienced and believe reached the goals that Tolstoy set for a true work of art.  What are your thoughts on the state of art in 2013?

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