“I read with interest Max Muller’s book, India—What Can It Teach Us? and the translation of the Upanishads published by the Theosophical Society. All this enhanced my regard for Hinduism, and its beauties began to grow upon me. It did not, however, prejudice me against other religions.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Gandhi, An Autobiography - on reading Max Muller's 'India-What Can It Teach Us?' and the Upanishads.
About this quote
Deepening your love for one tradition and staying open to others aren't opposites. Studying your own roots — even through an outsider's scholarship — can reveal beauty you'd overlooked, and that grounding tends to make a person more curious about other paths rather than more defensive.
When to use it
- A woman rereads her family's faith through a historian's eyes and finally sees why it moved her grandparents.
- A student takes a comparative-religion course and comes away prouder of his own tradition, not dismissive of the rest.
- A traveler tours temples abroad and returns with fresh respect for the quiet church down her own street.