Ashvin P. Dabhi

M.A. Part – 1

Roll No -11

Paper-2

Year – 2010-11

Department of English

Topic: The Story of My Experiment of Truth

Submitted to Mr. Devarshi Mehta

Department of English,

Bhavnagar University.

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              Autobiography is also a form of literature. It is an art. The narrator knows what to put and what not. He tales care of reader’s interest. Merely fact is not important but its impression on his self and its motive to tell become chief objects. The writer should keep in mind his openness and boldness to reveal the self. Glorifying one’s own personality shouldn’t be the purpose but shaping of the personality certainly would make a good work. In this light Gandhiji autobiography should be seen.

Ø Gandhiji’s Life – Reflection: - “The Story of My Experiments with Truth” is the story of Gandhiji’s life-reflection. It describes his birth, parents, childhood, his growth, Education, marriage, settlement, going abroad, coming back to India and involvement into various political movements. But the book does not stress on these aspects only. Gandhiji reflects well. From his father and forefather the strong begins. We get small picture of the family members including parents, wife, children, relatives and some of his friend. We are told his liking and disliking love, faults and struggles, pains etc which put him into certain given situations. It is a remarkable thing that likes a common human being his life begins and plenty of experiences show him feeling and behaving like us.

Ø Mohan to Mahatma: - The work is nothing but showing a process of transformation of a common man ‘Mahatma’. He-Mohandas was born to a common Kathiawar bania family. He passed his childhood in porbandar in Gujarat. He was a dull student and remained shy boy but some of the values were there, which were truth and openness. The home made some influences of being obedient, religious. As it was custom he was married early and passed s.s.c known at that time matriculation. To study law he went to England. He had neither zeal nor interest in it. The net result of it was that when he passed the degree he had no knowledge. He had no courage or ability to adopt the profession for livelihood. During the settlement in life, often his soul remained in physical pleasures, eating good clothes attracted too. Influence of western world if clearly seen. Like a common husband he many times treated the wife and children. In short a man named Mohan wad no different than others in action and reaction and in feelings and thinking.

But the story begins then. This Mohan began to realize the world. He thought of his practice as a lawyer and responsibility to maintain home. This was the beginning. He began to read intensively and extensively. He began to have experiences, inspirations and guidelines and acquainting with known personalities. This slowly increased confidence. He realized his capacity. Knowledge increased as well. Efforts of self-realization changed him. The truth of life began to dawn on him. He made the religion of service his own as he felt that God could be realized only through service. He understood the importance of Brahmacharya. The carnal desire was going slowly. He showed faith in God. He found it not as a process of hard penance, but a matter of consolation and joy. Service to humanity was another mean which he found out. Work is worship was now blended with love to humanity. This is known as “Satyagraha”. The whole African life shows the practice of it. Unto this last” a book of English writer Ruskin became the foundation. In India, this practice was carried on till the last. Leadership was now established with his weapon of “Ahimsa”. Service, love, satyagraha, brahmacharya mingled into ‘Ahimsa’. Through it he began to win unknown territories. Whether India or Africa his beliefs worked and brought success. Hindu-Muslim unity, spirituality, food and dieting practices, medical beliefs, economic opinions, village and poor reformation became his passions. Success in all this brought him glory. Through ups and downs, pain and pleasure, in private and public his continuous efforts changed not his self completely but the people, societies and countries. This is change in Mohan that made him ‘mahatma’. A colossal work is difficult to measure through common manly tools. A man like us becomes an angel.

Ø Mohandas: The Hero? Or The Truth?

Mohandas Gandhi is the hero of the book “The Story of My Experiments with Truth”. The book narrates his self. As we have noticed ‘Mohan’ becomes ‘Mahatma’. This isn’t a small task. The process is lifelong and hard, achieved through labour, patience, Truth and Knowledge and so many other qualities. We come to know him as a simple man. But at the end there’s no Mohan. If there is Mohan, he is that Mohan-who is Lord Krishna himself. The autobiography shows his many attitudes as the hero but it is not important. If anything is there, it is Truth. So rather than considering him as the hero we should consider Truth as the hero.

Gandhi gave priority to Truth. In the preface he wrote: “But for me , truth is the sovereign principle, which includes numerous other principles. This truth is not only Truthfulness in word, but Truthfulness in thought also. the Absolute Truth, the Eternal principle, that is God”.

He also wrote, “Let hundreds like me perish, but let truth prevail. Let us not reduce the standard of Truth even by a hair’s breath for judging erring mortals like myself”.

Thus it is clear he is not the hero but Truth is. The story is related to Truth. In pain too he sticks to these principles. Socrates said ‘knows thyself ’Gandhi did the same.

Ø Various Experiments:-

Gandhi continued to find out truth. He tried all the means possible. Experiment with water, earth and food are notable. Treating his son, in the fear of losing him, he insisted on water treatment. Finally it serves the purpose. Faith of god was put to test but it was restored. His earth treatments too are remarkable. While living in England for a food, his experiments are many and do everything. He also explains others to follow. He goes up to that extent of donating a handsome account to open vegetabarian restaurant. Regarding milk he was doubtful. First of all the doesn’t favor it but his experiments later on changes. He confesses his mistakes and favors it.  He feels one time for having taken goat’s milk during the vow.

To understand the life much more he begins to the matter of furniture, household things and other needs are reduced. Living in a small village and getting only that amount of living show his firm belief in his deeds.

Regular carnal desires, he tries to control himself. He believes that for one’s desire the wife shouldn’t be counted a toy. The desire must perish from within after much trails he is able to win it.

Experiments in non-violence, brahmacharya, meager living, yoga and spirituality are various and they become natural too him. He is so much absorbed that he even forgets himself. His forwarding clearly says “my purpose being to give an account of various practical applications of these principles. I propose to write the title of “The Story of my Experiments with Truth”.

Ø Multiple personality:-

Gandhi was known as ‘Naked Fakir’. Fakir is the word which suggests his humble personality. His physique was not attractive or handsome but his mental, Spiritual strength and deeds made him a ‘Mahatma’. He was a friend of the downtrodden and remained bold, simple, frank, and sincere and a follower of Non-violence and Truth. Morality was his base-stone, which he acquired during his childhood years. The great Indian epics and other books changed him. This gave him ‘Ahimsa’ and ‘truth’. Honesty and simplicity remained guiding principles.

Various facets of his personality could be seen in different fields of education, economics, philosophy and in reforming the public life. As a writer, his contribution is notable. All combined together make him a man of high morals and integrated character. In all this his humanity, politeness, love. He is found a noble, humble man.

Ø Struggle & Success:-

The autobiography shows us Gandhi’s internal and external struggle with the lift and in finding truth. Since his childhood he was tasted now and then. Often we saw him plunges in despair but it wouldn’t last long. His caste opposed him while he decided to go to abroad. His wife resisted learning. The family is unable to adopt his ways lust pervaded him. European influence changed him. His experiments of water, earth and dietics really tested him much. When he starts living meager life, problems are in the family. These are family problems but in public life too he suffered. The most painful is about train journey in Africa which gave him power to resist the rule. Africans, natives, English people caused him plenty of troubles. In India too, including Indians many pained him. Yet this was strong, ironed man bore everything, defined the results, resisted with dignity and came out victoriously. A common might have forsaken everything and might have led peaceful happy life but this man never thought of them except peace and happiness of others.

Ø Truth:- The Sole Aim

Gandhi gave priority to truth. Gandhi’s life and ideas were concerned with truth only. It didn’t come quickly. From his childhood he adopted it and put into his life. There was a tremendous courage to follow it and whenever it was necessary he boldly accepted his mistakes. The autobiography shows his various experiments with truth. He compares it with a tree. Tree gives more and more fruits as one nourishes continuously. Truth is like buries gems and on the find they bring highest value. Gandhiji put Truth as the God. Power of it is more than the sun. In practical life any one can practice it love all. People believed for lawyer it is difficult to follow truth. But Gandhi did it remarkably. Without telling lie he practiced law. His reputation grew. Clients too understood and brought no doubtful causes. Tests may come but a real follower sticks to it.

Ø Spirituality:-

Ganhiji’s early days show his bent towards spirituality. The holy books the Ramayana and the Mahabharata influenced him. His influences were intensified by good religious men and other books. He read holy books of the Muslims, Christians and the parses and others as well. He realized the spirit of all the religions. He found out primary and basic ideals. He was a devout Hindu and had deep faith in it. For him religion meant “self-realization and knowledge of self”. It is not custom finding the soul of religion. Our acts must bring peace purity of hearts would bring humanity.

He practiced spirituality in daily life. Moral values in private public and social life became important. There was no place of immortality even in politics. His practice of non-violence and righteousness were the highest things. Ahimsa governed his all fields.

Ø The humanist:-

Gandhiji was primarily a humanist and a man of religion more than a nationalist and patriot. He always identified himself with the lowest of the low and was a friend of the poor and the underdog. Although he worked for the freedom of India from the British rule, there was no hatred in his heart for the British. The proverbs ‘Hate the sin, but love the sinner’ was applicable on him.

The degrading and inhuman condition of woman and untouchables, whom he called Harijans, appalled him. He spent all of his energy for the emancipation of the untouchables and the downtrodden. He believed in the fundamental equally of all human beings. He condemned Hinduism for the induction of untouchability. He wrote, “It is sin to believe that any one else is inferior or superior to ourselves. We are all equal. It is the touch of sin that pollutes us and never that of a human being. None are high and none are low for one who would devote his life to service. The distinction between high and low is a blot on Hinduism, which we must obliterate.

The protection of cow was a subject as deal to Gandhi’s heart as Ramayana. In his opinion cow protection included cattle-breeding, improvement of the stock, human treatment of bullocks and formation of model dairies etc. He condemned those so called Hindus who made their bullocks work beyond their capacity and who cruelty belabors the poor animal, thus disgracing his religion. He defended cow slaughter and wrote,

“The cow is the purest of sub-human life. She pleads before us on behalf of the whole of the sub-human species for justice to it at the hands of man, the first among all that lives. She seems to speak to us through her eyes, you are not appointed over us to kill us and eat our flesh or ill treat us, but to be our friend and guardian”.

It (the cow) is for me a poem of pity. I worship it and I shall defend its worship against the whole world.

Ø Conclusion:- Thus the strong is about experiments, they are related truth. Personal and public life is involved in it. He is changed and he is the cause of change. The work is a true reflection of the same.