Introduction
Introduction: Part 1.
Original Book: By M. K. Gandhi
Translated from the original in Gujrati by: Mahadev Desai
General Editor: Shriram Narayan
Printed and published by: Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, 380014
Edition: Published in August 15, 1968
Page 16-20
Social media typing: Sakina Wagdarikar/ Sakhi Jayachandar
****************************************
Four or five years ago, at the instance of my nearest co-workers, I agreed to write my autobiography. I made the start, but scarcely had I turned over the first sheet when riots broke out in Bombay and the work remained at the standatill. Then followed a series of events which culminated in my imprisonment at Yeravada. Sjt. Jeramdas, who was one of my fellow- prisoners there, asked me to put everything else on one side and finish writing the autobiography. I replied that I have already framed a programme of study for myself, and that I could not think of doing anything else until this course was complete. I should indeed have finished the autobiography had I gone through my full term of imprisonment at Yeravda, for there was still a year to complete the task, when I was discharged. Swami Anand had now repeated the proposal, and as I have finished the history of satyagraha in South Africa, I am tempted to undertake the autobiography for 'Navajivan'. The Swami wanted me to write it separately for publication as a book. But I have no spare time. I could only write a chapter week by week. Something has to be written for 'Navajivan' every week. Why should it not be the autobiography? The Swami agreed to the proposal, and here am I hard at work.
But a God- fearing friend had his doubts, which he shared with me on my day of silence. 'What has set you on this venture?' he asked. 'Writing an autobiography is a practice peculiar to the West. I know of nobody in the East having written one, except amongst those who have come under Western influence. And what will you write? Supposing you reject tomorrow the things you hold as principles today, or supposing you revise in the future your plans of today, is it not likely that the men who shape their conduct on the authority of your word, spoken or written, may be misled? Don't you think, it would be better not to write anything like an autobiography, at any rate just yet?'
This argument had some effect on me. But 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. But I shall not mind, if every page of it speaks only of my experiments. I believe, or at any rate flatter myself with the belief, that a connected account of these experiments will not be without benefit to the reader. My experiments in the political field are now known, not only in India, but to a certain extent to the 'civilized' world. For me, they have not much value; and the title of 'Mahatma' that they have won for me has, therefore, even less. Often the title has deeply pained me; and there is not a moment I can recall when it may be said to have tickled me. But I should certainly like to narrate my experiments in the spiritual field which are known only to myself, and from which I have derived such power as I possess for working in the political field. If the experiments are really spiritual, then there can no room for self praise. They can only add to my humility. The more I reflect and look back on the past, the more vividly do I feel my limitations.
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'. I live and move and have my being in pursuit of this goal. All that I do by way of speaking and writing, and all my ventures in the political field, are directly to this same end. But as I have all along believed that what is possible for one is possible for all, my experiments have not been conducted in the closet, but in the open; and I do not think that this fact detracts from their spiritual value. There are some things which are known only to oneself and one's Maker. These are clearly incommunicable. The experiments I am about to relate are not such. But they are spiritual, or rather moral; for the essence of religion is morality.
Only those matters of religion that can be comprehended as much by children as by older people, will be included in this story. If I can narrate them in a dispassionate and humble spirit, many other experimenters will find in them provision for their onwars march. Far be it from me to claim any degree of perfection for those experiments. I claim for them nothing more than does a scientist who, though he conducts his exoeriments with the utmost accuracy, forethought and minuteness, never claims any finality about his conclusions, but keeps an open mind regarding them. I have gone through deep introspection, searched myself through and through, ans examined and analysed every psychological situation. Yet I am far from claiming any finality or infallibility about my conclusions. One claim I do indeed make and it is this. For me they appear to be absolutely correct, and seem foe the time being to be final. For if they were not, I should base no action on them. But at every step I have carried out the process of acceptance or rejection and acted accordingly. And so long as my acts satisfy my reason and my heart, I must firmly adhere to my original conclusions.
Original Book: By M. K. Gandhi
Translated from the original in Gujrati by: Mahadev Desai
General Editor: Shriram Narayan
Printed and published by: Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, 380014
Edition: Published in August 15, 1968
Page 16-20
Social media typing: Sakina Wagdarikar/ Sakhi Jayachandar
****************************************
Four or five years ago, at the instance of my nearest co-workers, I agreed to write my autobiography. I made the start, but scarcely had I turned over the first sheet when riots broke out in Bombay and the work remained at the standatill. Then followed a series of events which culminated in my imprisonment at Yeravada. Sjt. Jeramdas, who was one of my fellow- prisoners there, asked me to put everything else on one side and finish writing the autobiography. I replied that I have already framed a programme of study for myself, and that I could not think of doing anything else until this course was complete. I should indeed have finished the autobiography had I gone through my full term of imprisonment at Yeravda, for there was still a year to complete the task, when I was discharged. Swami Anand had now repeated the proposal, and as I have finished the history of satyagraha in South Africa, I am tempted to undertake the autobiography for 'Navajivan'. The Swami wanted me to write it separately for publication as a book. But I have no spare time. I could only write a chapter week by week. Something has to be written for 'Navajivan' every week. Why should it not be the autobiography? The Swami agreed to the proposal, and here am I hard at work.
But a God- fearing friend had his doubts, which he shared with me on my day of silence. 'What has set you on this venture?' he asked. 'Writing an autobiography is a practice peculiar to the West. I know of nobody in the East having written one, except amongst those who have come under Western influence. And what will you write? Supposing you reject tomorrow the things you hold as principles today, or supposing you revise in the future your plans of today, is it not likely that the men who shape their conduct on the authority of your word, spoken or written, may be misled? Don't you think, it would be better not to write anything like an autobiography, at any rate just yet?'
This argument had some effect on me. But 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. But I shall not mind, if every page of it speaks only of my experiments. I believe, or at any rate flatter myself with the belief, that a connected account of these experiments will not be without benefit to the reader. My experiments in the political field are now known, not only in India, but to a certain extent to the 'civilized' world. For me, they have not much value; and the title of 'Mahatma' that they have won for me has, therefore, even less. Often the title has deeply pained me; and there is not a moment I can recall when it may be said to have tickled me. But I should certainly like to narrate my experiments in the spiritual field which are known only to myself, and from which I have derived such power as I possess for working in the political field. If the experiments are really spiritual, then there can no room for self praise. They can only add to my humility. The more I reflect and look back on the past, the more vividly do I feel my limitations.
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'. I live and move and have my being in pursuit of this goal. All that I do by way of speaking and writing, and all my ventures in the political field, are directly to this same end. But as I have all along believed that what is possible for one is possible for all, my experiments have not been conducted in the closet, but in the open; and I do not think that this fact detracts from their spiritual value. There are some things which are known only to oneself and one's Maker. These are clearly incommunicable. The experiments I am about to relate are not such. But they are spiritual, or rather moral; for the essence of religion is morality.
Only those matters of religion that can be comprehended as much by children as by older people, will be included in this story. If I can narrate them in a dispassionate and humble spirit, many other experimenters will find in them provision for their onwars march. Far be it from me to claim any degree of perfection for those experiments. I claim for them nothing more than does a scientist who, though he conducts his exoeriments with the utmost accuracy, forethought and minuteness, never claims any finality about his conclusions, but keeps an open mind regarding them. I have gone through deep introspection, searched myself through and through, ans examined and analysed every psychological situation. Yet I am far from claiming any finality or infallibility about my conclusions. One claim I do indeed make and it is this. For me they appear to be absolutely correct, and seem foe the time being to be final. For if they were not, I should base no action on them. But at every step I have carried out the process of acceptance or rejection and acted accordingly. And so long as my acts satisfy my reason and my heart, I must firmly adhere to my original conclusions.
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