The Story of My Experiments With Truth, focuses on Gandhi's struggles for nonviolence and civil disobedience through the

acts of Satyagraha, literally meaning "holding firmly to truth." He has tried to be as open as possible, humbly accepting his shortcomings and highlighting his principles that shaped his life. It is in fact fun to walk along with him through his journey of life. Having an initial knowledge about life of Mahatma Gandhi, In this book, Mr. Gandhi has described his life as a series of experiments, he performed, on truth, non-violence, brahmacharya, dietetics, hydropathy, naturopathy etc. He completed his law from England, and after that spent most of his life in South Africa. Its there he did lots of experiments with his life. And, these were which made the changes in him. Its worth studying the adversaries he faced in there, but he never compromised with his ideologies and believes. In each of the chapters, he talks about instances in life in which he had struggled with Truth, considering Truth being the ultimate source of energy. The question many might ask is: how can one who is so skinny, one who had to live with a stick throughout his struggles get such energy? It was because of his experiments and the trials that Gandhi developed dietetics, non-violence, hydropathy, naturopathy etc. After finishing his studies in England, he came to South Africa where he changed from a typical lawyer to one who was remarkable. It's more surprising that with the ideologies he produced from studying law, eastern and western philosophy, he kept them all by his side and followed them to the extreme. He was conservative to his thoughts in any situation and in following them, perhaps to some inflexibly so. The book is divided into 5 parts. My Experiments with Truth (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). The first part is his journey from Birth,Childhood, Child Marriage with Kasturba, Death of his father, and famous misgivings. This chapter contains several anecdotes which are taught at school for character building. Also, he speaks of the authoritative husband he was, and his insecurities. Nursing his father, he would often think of Kasturba and the associated lustful emotions. Gandhiji is one of us, but what transformed him? As you move on to the second part which begins with his journey to South Africa for studying law where an equivocal Gandhiji transforms into a confident person. Battling his vices, he reforms into a public servant. In few occasions, he saves an indentured labourer, Subramaniam, who is beaten by his master. Gandhiji, through his various practices connects with life and with common people. The third part, is Gandhijis return to India, to serve the public. On a certain occasion where he had to clean washrooms (toilets), he does it with no hesitation. On family front, he convinces Kasturba and his three children to learn gujrati before moving on to other languages of study. Though Harilal resists, the other kids follow suit. Gandhiji consumes only Satvik Ahaar, as he believes that the food we consume affects our mind. He stops drinking milk as 1. It is the right of the calf and 2. It stimulates the vice, lust.

The fourth part speaks of continuing his food habits and also, experimenting with truth in the Bar (Court). Gandhiji took cases which supported truth. On one occasion when the client was a false one and he knew it in the court, he refused to fight the case. He fights for the passengers in the third class train and apart from his own sacrifice, Kasturba;s sacrifice are elaborated in separate chapters. In the fifth part, Gandhiji takes a tour to Kumbh Mela, Lakshman Jhula, where he is overwhelmed by the irony in the religious practice, where one side, the festivities are taking place, another side, animals are being sacrificed. The book ends with a farewell from Gandhiji and he surmises we know what happened after 1921 as now his life is public. Hope this book takes your life into a fresh chapter. The book from Page 1, is a journey which will take you on a journey lest you read the book sans prejudice. While walking with Gandhiji through the puffs of smoke, eating meat at the riverside, stealing money, it feels as if Gandhiji was not an angel dropped from heaven but a phoenix moulded with his self control chiseled the vices. Experiences, aplenty maketh a man. Gandhiji proves it right by going through many such experiences. The book is all about how a lascivious Gandhi ji becomes a Brahmacharya. How a meat-eater, though through force, became a vegetarian by choice. It was because of his experiments and the trials that Gandhi developed dietetics, nonviolence, hydropathy, naturopathy etc. After finishing his studies in England, he came to South Africa where he changed from a typical lawyer to one who was remarkable. It's more surprising that with the ideologies he produced from studying law, eastern and western philosophy, he kept them all by his side and followed them to the extreme. He was conservative to his thoughts in any situation and in following them, perhaps to some inflexibly so. One reason I become overwhelmed by Gandhi is his simplicity, wearing a single dhoti (an Indian clothing) and living solely by vegetables. Even when he was or his son was on his deathbed, he insisted that eating anything other than vegetables was wrong. He considered that through those necessities in line with his teachings it is possible that one can live freely. This means one can live without food or drink, without anger or desire, if they are to follow a simple code of behavior. This book, thus teaches one in practical life on how to live without any of the material needs.

Following the truth, experimenting with it and discovering the power of the mind. Following tenets like 1. Satya 2. Dharma and most importantly 3. Humanity, Gandhiji takes you on a self-reflective slow moving journey. Also, he speaks of movements like civil Disobedience, Non-coorperation, Jallian wala Bagh Massacre and various landmarks of Indian Freedom history, yet the main subject remains Gandhijis resilience, persistence within to transform himself to serve better. Recommended for all those who wish to experiment with truth and triumph in their experiments. One can apply these rules, any day. Happy Journey through this book.

If I had only to discuss academic principles, I should clearly not attempt an autobiography. But my purpose being to give an account of various practical applications of these principles, I have given the chapters I propose to write the title of The Story of My Experiments with Truth. These will of course include experiments

with non-violence, celibacy and other principles of conduct believed to be distinct from truth. 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, and not only the relative truth of our conception, but the Absolute Truth, the Eternal Principle that is God. There are innumerable definitions of God, because His manifestations are innumerable. They overwhelm me with wonder and awe and for a moment stun me. But I worship God as Truth only. I have not yet found Him, but I am seeking after Him. I am prepared to sacrifice the things dearest to me in pursuit of this quest. Even if the sacrifice demanded be my very life, I hope I may be prepared to give it. But as long as I have not realized this Absolute Truth, so long must I hold by the relative truth as I have conceived it. That relative truth must, meanwhile, be my beacon, my shield and buckler. Though this path is strait and narrow and sharp as the razors edge, for me it has been the quickest and easiest. Even my Himalayan blunders have seemed trifling to me because I have kept strictly to this path. For the path has saved me from coming to grief; and I have gone forward according to my light. Often in my progress I have had faint glimpses of the Absolute Truth, God, and daily the conviction is growing upon me that He alone is real and all else is unreal. Let those, who wish, realize how the conviction has grown upon me; let them share my experiments and share also my conviction if they can. The further conviction has been growing upon me that whatever is possible for me is possible even for a child, and I have sound reasons for saying so. The instruments for the quest of truth are as simple as they are difficult. They may appear quite impossible to an arrogant person, and quite impossible to an innocent child. The seeker after truth should be humbler than the dust. The world crushes the dust under its feet, but the seeker after truth should so humble himself that even the dust could crush him. Only then, and not till then, will he have a glimpse of truth If anything that I write in these pages should strike the reader as being touched with pride, then he must take it that there is something wrong with my quest, and that my glimpses are no more than a mirage. Let hundreds like me perish, but let truth prevail. Let us not reduce the standards of truth even by a hairs breadth for judging erring mortals like myself.

I like this book and I would suggest everyone to read this book, as its a live example of how modesty, wisdom, and humiliation adapt themselves in making of a MAHATMA.

Glossary of Words

Brahmacharya Hydropathy

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Celibacy Internal and external use of water as a therapeutic treatment for all forms of disease. a method of treating disorders, involving the use of herbs and other naturally grown foods, sunlight, fresh air, etc. An opponent , an enemy. The act of humiliating A brief, incomplete view or look.

Naturopathy

Adversaries Humiliation Glimpses

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