“The Story Of My Experiments With Truth” As autobiography

“The Story Of My Experiments With Truth” As autobiography

Q:- 1 Describe “The Story Of My Experiments With Truth” as an autobiography Or.

Q:- 1 The autobiography is a transformation of ‘Mohan’ to ‘Mahatma’

¬  Introduction:-

 Autobiography is also a form of literature. It is an art. The narrator knows what to put and what not. He takes care of reader’s interest. Merely fact is not important but its impression on himself 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 Gandhi’s autobiography should be seen.  

Gandhi’s life Reflection:-

            “The Story of My Experiments with Truth” is the story of Gandhi’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 dose not stress on these aspects only. Gandhi recollects 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 friends. We are told this liking and disliking love, faults and struggles, pains etc which put him into certain given situation. It is a remarkable thing that likes common human being his life begins and plenty of experiences show him feeling and behaving like us.

“Mohan to Mahatma”:-

            The work is nothing but showing a process of transformation of a common man ‘Mohan’ to a great human being ‘Mahatma’. He Mohandas was born to a common Kathiwar 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 pass 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 not 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 is clearly seen. Like a common husband he many times treated the wife and children. In short a man named Mohan was not 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 down 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 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. Weather India or Africa his beliefs worked and brought success. Hindu-Muslim unity, spirituality, food and dieting practices, medical beliefs, economic opinions, villages 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 himself completely but the people, societies, and countries. This is change in Mohan that made him ‘Mahatma’. A collosal work is difficult to measure through common manly tools. A man like us becomes an angel.

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 him manly attitudes and practices out of which he emerges as the hero. But it is not important. If any thing is there, it is truth. So rather than considering him as the hero who should consider Truth as the hero.

           

            Thus it is clear he is not the hero but truth is. The story is related to truth. There are experiments with truth. In pain too he sticks to this principle. Socrates said “knows thyself’. Gandhi did the same.

Various Experiments:-

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

            To understand the life much more he begins to decrease dieting. Then it comes to the matter of furniture. Household thing and other needs are reduced. Living in a small village and getting only that amount of living show his firm belief in this deed.

            Regarding carnal desire, 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 many trials he’s able to win it.

            Experiments in non-violence, Brahmacharya meager living, yoga and spirituality are various and they becomes 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 principals… I propose to write the title of “The of My Experiments with truth.”.

Multiple Personality:-

            Gandhi was known as “Nakel Fakir”. Fakir is the word which suggests his humble personality. His physique was not spiritual or handsome but his mental spiritual strength and deeds made him a ‘Mahatma’. He was a friend of downtrodden and remained bold, simple, frank, 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 simply remained guiding principals.

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

Struggle & Success:-

            The autobiography shows us Gandhi’s internal and external struggle with the life and in finding truth. Since his childhood he was tasted them now and then. Often we saw him plunged 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 public life too he suffered. The most painful in about train journey in Africawhich gave him power to resist the rule. Africans, natives, English people caused him plenty of troubles. In Indian, too including Indians many pained him. Yet this was strong, ironed man bore everything, defied the results, resisted with dignity and came out victoriously. A common might have forsaken every thing and might have led peaceful happy life but this man never thought of them. Except peace and happiness of others.

            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.