John Ruskin and his magnum opus ‘Unto This Last’ was an influential force in Gandhiji’s life. Ruskin argued in his writing that true wealth is not earning more and more money but accustomed more to peace in one’s life. He also held that being peaceful is more imperative than being powerful.
Motivated by this idea, Gandhiji began a farm outside Durban -the Phoenix settlement. It was Gandhiji’s first experimental ashram. In the ashram, Gandhiji and his supporters lived a life of no luxuries. They cultivated and ran a printing press for the Indians to express their opinions. They published a weekly journal founded by Gandhiji. It featured informative articles on various topics like politics, diet, health and sanitary habits.
The Tolstoy Farm was another community started by Gandhiji near Johannesburg. Gandhiji urged proper hygiene in his ashrams, as he believed that being hygienic is important for a healthy spiritual life.