Mohandas’ Stay in England

"I would continually think of my home and my country. It was impossible to share my misery with anyone. Everything was strange—the people, their ways of life and even their houses." This is how Gandhi described his first few days in London in his Autobiography.
Despite his homesickness Mohandas conformed to what he thought was expected of him. He wore the most expensive clothes and pretended to adapt to the British way of life. Here Mohandas learned what it was to be a proper Englishman. He wrote, "I decided to take dancing lessons and paid three pounds for a term. I must have taken about six lessons in three weeks. It was beyond me to achieve anything like a rhythmic motion. I could not follow the piano and found it impossible to keep time. Finally he realized that dancing would not make him a gentleman, but honorable behavior and good character would.
This led Mohandas to register himself for Law School. During his stay in London Mohandas read the Bhagavad Gita for the first time. The second chapter stuck Mohandas greatly. It read, "The man who forsakes all desires and puts aside all pride of possession and pride in himself reaches the goal of supreme peace." He also read a life of the Buddha, The Light of Asia by Sir Edwin Arnold. Mohandas also read the Bible and occasionally, even went to church to listen to sermons. Mohandas was very touched by the character of Jesus. He held onto the words of the Sermon on the Mount.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are in peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.
Mohandas was lonely in London and lived a very hard life. He was often hungry because he was vegetarian and often could not find the sort of food he could eat. He did not have many friends and he was always thinking of India. He thought about the festivals, the bright sun, and his family. He missed living among his own people and enjoying the pleasures of a simple, relaxed traditional life.
In June of 1891 Mohandas passed his Law Exam and was enrolled as a Lawyer. He immediately packed his bags and headed back to India where on his arrival at Bombay got the news that his mother had passed way a few weeks before.