Christianity: Details about 'The Story Of My Experiments With Truth'
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The Story of My Experiments with Truth (or My Experiments with Truth) – the autobiography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (or Mahatma Gandhi) covers his life from early childhood through to 1920, and is a popular and influential book. It was initiated at the instance of Swami Anand and other close co-workers of Gandhi, in his mother-tongue Gujarati entitled satya na proyogo (Gujarati: સત્ય ના પ્રયોગો — literally, Experiments with Truth). Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) was a charismatic leader who brought the case for India's independence to world attention. His philosophy of nonviolence, for which he coined the term satyagraha, has influenced nonviolent resistance movements to this day.
EtymologyFor Gandhi, Truth was the sovereign principle; inclusive of many other spiritual principles and schools of thought. "..it is not my purpose to attempt a real autobiography. I simply want to tell the story of my numerous experiments with truth, and as my life consists of nothing but those experiments, it is true that the story will take the shape of an autobiography..", He adds in the introduction. And hence the title My Experiments with Truth. However, he further notes that ".. will of course include experiments with non-violence, celibacy and other principles of conduct believed to be distinct from truth." In this autobiography, Gandhi has recounted the period from his birth (1869) up to the year 1921. In the last chapter, he notes, "My life from this point onward has been so public that there is hardly anything about it that people do not know.." OverviewSpiritual angleIn his own words Gandhi takes us through some of the experiences in his life, with each chapter forming at least one important learning lesson to him. Going through the introduction section of the autobiography may suggest what to expect during the five parts that follow. The spiritual angle becomes evident when Gandhi writes, "..What I want to achieve - What I have been striving and pining to achieve these thirty years - is self-realization, to see God face to face, to attain Moksha (Salvation). I live and move and have my being in pursuit of this goal." One of his main beliefs was using nonviolence as a means of protesting against acts of oppression and using international law to seek justice. This meant he never raised his fists or lowered himself to barbarism however much he was provoked, violated or attacked. As Gandhi said:
The embracing of nonviolence was part of his wider mission to seek truth. Gandhi tried to achieve this by learning from his own mistakes and conducting experiments on himself. Gandhi found that uncovering the truth was not always popular, as many people were resistant to change, preferring instead to maintain the existing status quo because of inertia, self-interest or misguided beliefs. He also discovered that once the truth was on the march nothing could stop it. All it took was time to achieve traction and gain momentum. As Gandhi said:
Gandhi said that the most important battle to fight was in overcoming his own demons, fears and insecurities. He thought it was all too easy to blame people, governing powers or enemies for his personal actions and wellbeing. He noted the solution to problems could normally be found just by looking in the mirror. Gandhi questioned religious practices and doctrines regardless of traditions or beliefs. On the subject of Christianity he noted that:
Although Gandhi was born a Hindu he was critical of many religions, including Hinduism. He wrote in his autobiography:
He then went on to say:
Gandhi was critical of the hypocrisy in organised religion, rather than the principles on which they were based. He also said the following about Hinduism:
Later in his life when he was asked whether he was a Hindu, he replied:
One of Gandhi's sources for inspiration came from Leo Tolstoy's Christian anarchist book The Kingdom of God is Within You of which he described in his autobiography as having "overwhelmed me" and "left an abiding impression". Political and Scientific angleFrom the political stand-point, one can infer his thoughts of marrying politics and spiritual quest when he says, "..My experiments in the political field are now known, not only in India, but to a certain extent to the 'civilized' world." Regarding the scientific validity and fidelity of the experiments, Gandhi notes, "..I claim for them nothing more than does a scientist who, though he conducts his experiments with the utmost accuracy, forethought and minuteness, never claims any finality about his conclusions, but keeps an open mind regarding them.. Yet I am far from claiming any finality or infallibility about my conclusions.. For me they appear to be absolutely correct, and seem for the time being to be final." Albeit, Gandhi requested the readers to treat his experiments as illustrative only, suggesting that others should carry out their own experiments in this light rather than imitating him in verbatim. First publication and later editionsAfter its initiation, "The Story of My Experiments with Truth" remained in the making for 4-5 years (including the time while Gandhi was imprisoned at Yeravda near Pune, Maharastra), and then it first appeared as a series in the weekly Gujarati magazine Navjivan during 1925-28 which was published from Ahmedabad, India. In a book-form, it was first published (in Gujarati) by Navajivan Trust, Ahmedabad in two volumes (Vol I–602pp–1927; Vol II–608pp–1929) at a subsidized rate and has run though five editions/reprints since then - last in January 2001. After the first publication, it was revised and translated into English by Gandhi's close associate and aide-de-camp Mahadev Desai. The English translation first appeared as a series in "Young India", another English language weekly of Navajivan Trust. About the Translator
Mahadev Desai (1892—1942), a journalist, was born in 1892 in the Surat district of Gujarat state in India. He graduated from the Bombay University with B.A. (first class), majoring in Philosophy and Logic. This was followed by a Law degree, and in 1915 he qualified as a lawyer. Owing to his love for literature and to support his education, Mahadev Desai elected to translate John Morley's book On Compromise into Gujarati language in a competition for best Gujarati translation sponsored by Forbes Gujarati Sabha (See: Alexander Kinloch Forbes). After wining the prize, he went to meet with Gandhi (who returned to India in 1915) in Ahmedabad to seek his advice. Some authorities, however, suggest that Desai met with Gandhi in relation with a letter that the former has sent expressing his views and criticism on Gandhi's proposed ashram in Ahmedabad. Anyhow, this was their first meeting, and in November 1917, Mahadev Desai decided to join Gandhi on a full-time bases – an intimate association that lasted for nearly 25 years until the early death of Desai in 1942. In Verrier Elwin's words: ". was much more than . He was in fact Home and Foreign Secretary combined. He managed everything. He made all the arrangements. He was equally at home in the office, the guest-house and the kitchen. He looked after many guests and must have saved 10 years of Gandhi's life by diverting from him unwanted visitors.." Book ReviewsSome critics have suggested that Gandhi has assumed the basic knowledge of the events and socio-political situation of India during late 19th – early 20th century on the reader's part. It may be advisable to supplement the reading with other (recent) authors like Yogesh Chadha (Gandhi: A Life) who could help provide the background information and insight of that era.
ReferencesEditions in print
Editions online
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