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[Reporting this letter in The Christian Century (November 11, 1931), Mr. Reese wrote:
"When any man's religious faith has gained the attention and respect of the whole world, it becomes a matter of interest as to how he came by that faith. Was it by an instant conversion or by a gradual growth? I determined to put the question squarely to Mahatma Gandhi, and see what his answer would be.
"Does one who has progressed so far in controlling his desires pass beyond temptation? Or does temptation persist? And if it does, by what means is it overcome? That, likewise, I asked India's great apostle of `soul-force.'
"The accounts of Gandhi's activities are filled with mention of seasons of prayer. Evidently, prayer lies at the very foundation of his experience. But why does he pray? What answer has he been conscious of receiving? What does prayer
mean to him?
"These were the questions that I asked Gandhi. In due course I received in reply the letter that is quoted here. It was written at Simla on July 21 of the present year, as the Mahatma was completing his preparations to represent the Indian National Congress at the London Round Table Conference."]
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Simla,
July 21, 1931
Dear friend,
I thank you for your letter of 30th May last. Here are my answers:
1. I came by my faith through self-denial. I saw that the measure of my peace was the measure of my self- denial. But I could not sustain my self-denial without a living faith in the Unseen.
2. Yes, indeed, I am painfully conscious of temptation, which my faith alone overcomes.
3. I have never looked for any greater reward for my prayers than mere inward satisfaction. Prayer is God's due, and a discharge of debt is its own satisfaction.
Yours sincerely,
M.K. Gandhi
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