A Letter from the Soul: Gandhi’s Forgotten Correspondence to Henry Salt Illuminates a Deep Legacy of Vegetarian Ethics

How a brief 1938 letter from Mahatma Gandhi revives the roots of vegetarianism, reveals a proto-vegan conscience, and honors a lifelong friendship between two ethical revolutionaries.

A Small Letter, A Vast Legacy

In the gentle strokes of pen on paper, dated 9 September 1938, a monumental thread in the tapestry of ethical vegetarianism quietly emerged. The writer was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi—spiritual leader, political revolutionary, and devout vegetarian. The recipient: Henry S. Salt, an English intellectual and pioneering advocate for animal rights and ethical diet. Their correspondence, often eclipsed by Gandhi’s more dramatic political letters, now resurfaces as a vital artifact—not only of friendship but of shared ideology. Recently sold at a German auction, the letter reads:

Transcript of the Letter

9-9-38
Dear Mr Salt,

It was a perfect delight to me to have your letter. I hope this will find you in sound health.

Many vegetarians like you have disappointed Doctors.

I am an optimist. Not a single good thought goes to waste. And the sum total of good thoughts is surely infinitely larger than of bad ones.

Yours sinc'ly.

M. K. Gandhi

Vegetarianism and Gandhi: A Philosophy Rooted in Discipline

Gandhi’s vegetarianism was neither trend nor affectation. It was a moral philosophy, shaped during his formative years in London. As a young law student in the late 1880s, Gandhi struggled to maintain his vegetarian vows inherited from his Jain-influenced Hindu upbringing. It was Salt’s book, A Plea for Vegetarianism, that steadied his resolve. Gandhi would later credit Salt’s lucid and rational prose for reawakening his ethical conviction.

That quiet transformation grew into a foundational pillar of Gandhi’s spiritual and political identity. He extended the personal restraint of diet into a broader practice of ahimsa—nonviolence toward all living beings. Food, for Gandhi, was never just sustenance; it was the daily ritual of moral action. And in Salt, he had found an intellectual ally—one of the first Western thinkers to frame vegetarianism as a matter of justice.

The Optimism of Ethics: Reading Between the Lines

The 1938 letter, modest in length, resonates with profound optimism. Gandhi's note that “not a single good thought goes to waste” reflects a metaphysical confidence in the accumulative power of ethical living. In an era teetering toward world war and still haunted by colonial subjugation, this brief assurance was a quiet rebellion of spirit.

When Gandhi writes that “many vegetarians like you have disappointed doctors,” he slyly critiques prevailing medical dogma. At the time, vegetarianism was often dismissed by physicians as insufficient or even dangerous. Gandhi, however, had always argued that the moral and physiological dimensions of diet were not mutually exclusive. His own experiments with food—cutting out salt, sugar, and later milk—were acts of both health reform and spiritual purification.

His “addiction” to goat’s milk, which he openly lamented, marked one of the few compromises in an otherwise rigorous ethic. In fact, he came to view milk consumption with a sense of moral tension, admitting in The Story of My Experiments with Truth that giving up milk was a promise he could not entirely fulfill due to health concerns. But he never stopped striving toward what we now recognize as vegan ideals.

The Gandhi-Salt Connection: More Than Letters

Their relationship was not confined to pen and paper. On November 20, 1931, during Gandhi’s visit to London for the Round Table Conference, he attended a social gathering of the London Vegetarian Society where both he and Salt were present. That event, though small in attendance, was monumental in symbolism: two of the earliest voices for ethical vegetarianism standing side by side in a shared cause.

Salt had long advocated for the rights of animals with a radical clarity. His 1892 work Animals' Rights Considered in Relation to Social Progress was decades ahead of its time, laying the groundwork for modern animal liberation movements. Gandhi saw Salt not as a mere dietary influencer, but as a moral compass in a world slowly awakening to its responsibilities toward non-human life.

Their bond was one of mutual recognition—two men born on opposite sides of empire, united by an unwavering commitment to truth, simplicity, and compassion.

Sevagram: The Last Ashram, The Living Laboratory

By the time Gandhi wrote the letter to Salt in 1938, he was living in Sevagram, a humble village in Maharashtra that he had renamed “the village of service.” Established in 1936, Sevagram was not just an ashram; it was a crucible of Gandhi’s mature philosophy. Here, he implemented his beliefs through every fiber of life—from hand-spun khadi clothing to the most elemental act of eating.

Meals at Sevagram were spartan and symbolic. Cooked without spices or indulgence, the food was designed to minimize harm and encourage mindfulness. Milk was offered only reluctantly, after Gandhi’s repeated health setbacks. Guests—including global dignitaries—were expected to partake in this ascetic lifestyle. In this sense, Sevagram was Gandhi’s ethical utopia, where ideals were lived rather than legislated.

Legacy and Modern Resonance: Gandhi’s Proto-Veganism

Though Gandhi never identified as vegan in the modern sense, his philosophy remains deeply aligned with today’s plant-based movements. He practiced food justice long before it became a rallying cry. He challenged the ethics of consumption, the commodification of animals, and the social inequities of diet. His restraint was never about denial—it was about liberation, both personal and collective.

Today, as climate science, animal rights, and public health converge on the urgency of plant-based living, Gandhi’s voice grows louder. His 1938 letter to Salt is a time capsule of hope—a gentle reminder that every small choice, every good thought, is a step toward a more compassionate world.

A Letter Reclaimed, A Future Imagined

What is the value of a single letter, written in modest ink, by a man burdened with the dreams of a nation? For those tracing the lineage of ethical eating, the answer is: everything. This 1938 missive captures a moment of joy, reflection, and camaraderie between two men who dared to imagine a better world—not just for humans, but for all sentient beings.

It is not merely a collector’s item or an archival curiosity. It is a living document of conscience. And as plant-based ethics continue to shape the 21st century, Gandhi’s words—like his life—stand as a beacon. Still soft, still resolute. Still changing the world, one thought at a time.


About the Author

Alex Fernandes is the IVU Webmaster since 2013 and a Counselor for the IVU since the same year. As the founder of Guia Vegano, one of Brazil’s first vegan websites, and a speaker at international VegFests, Alex has been a driving force in promoting plant-based living globally. He has also served as Counselor for the Brazilian Vegetarian Society.

Special Acknowledgment

We extend our sincere gratitude to The Ernest Bell Library for their generous contribution to this article. The scanned image of Mahatma Gandhi’s 1938 letter to Henry S. Salt, provided by the library, adds a profound historical dimension to our narrative. Their dedication to preserving rare and ethically significant documents continues to illuminate the roots of the plant-based movement. We are honored by their support in sharing this enduring legacy of compassion and conscience.

Sources:

1. Gandhi, Mohandas K. The Moral Basis of Vegetarianism. Speech delivered at a meeting of the London Vegetarian Society, November 20, 1931. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://worldvegfest.org/news/evu/other/gandhi2.html
2. Gandhi, Mohandas K. The Story of My Experiments with Truth. Translated by Mahadev Desai. Ahmedabad: Navajivan Publishing House, 1940. Full text available at: https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/experiment.pdf
3. Gandhi, Mohandas K. “Vegetarianism.” In Diet and Diet Reform. Sevagram Ashram. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.gandhiashramsevagram.org/diet-reform/chapter-02-vegetarianism.php
4. Salt, Henry S. A Plea for Vegetarianism and Other Essays. Manchester: The Vegetarian Society, 1886. Selected texts available at: https://www.animal-rights-library.com/texts-c/salt01.htm
5. Gandhi, Mohandas K. "Gandhi on Vegetarianism." Interview and quotes compiled by the International Vegetarian Union. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.ivu.org/history/gandhi/experiments.html
6. Phelps, Norm. The Longest Struggle: Animal Advocacy from Pythagoras to PETA. New York: Lantern Books, 2007.