An Autobiography or the Story of My Experiments with Truth

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An Autobiography or the Story of My Experiments with Truth Page 59

by M K Gandhi


  M16 I lacked the capacity to compete with him

  M17 Thus I could live within four or five pounds a month.

  M18 how long would it take to cook oatmeal porridge and boil water for cocoa?

  M19 meaningful

  M1 The speed with which changes took place in my way of living and expenses, with the same speed, or perhaps at an even faster pace, I began changes in my diet.

  M2 birds and

  M3 diet

  M4 had tasted

  M5 authority

  M6 The interpretation of the person who administered the vow had to be accepted. I knew that my mother who gave me the pledge against meat could not have even thought of eggs.

  M7 until

  M8 It is necessary to say something about interpretation of vows before concluding this chapter. My vow was a contract entered into with my mother.

  M9 contracts

  M10 No matter how explicit the language of the contract, a master of language will turn a crow into a tiger. In this there is no distinction between the civil and the non-civil. Self-interest turns everyone blind. As a prince down to a pauper interpret contracts to suit themselves and deceive the world, themselves and god. This practice of parties to a contract putting convenient interpretation to words or sentences is known in logic as the fallacy of the ambiguous middle.

  M11 word

  M12 immorality. And injustice is rooted in

  M13 He does not need to search scriptures for that.

  M14 hitherto

  M15 It had not assumed a religious dimension in England. My strenuous experiments from a religious perspective were carried out in South Africa

  M1 I thought that to refrain from participating would be equal to acquiescing to injustice

  M2 like Dr. Allinson, whose views were detrimental to the Society,

  M3 considered Mr. Hills’s opposition to them pure morality.

  M4 But it appeared to me that to disqualify a person from this Society for his lack of faith in and refusal to believe in puritanical morals was sheer injustice. I felt that Mr. Hills’s views with regard to woman–man relationship were his personal views

  M5 Therefore I held the view that a person who had disregard for many other forms of morality had a place in the Society.

  M6 five or seven

  M7 port

  M8 shyness. It cannot be said that even now I have completely overcome it. I always consider before speaking.

  M9 an unconsidered or unmeasured

  M10 mature

  M11 worship

  M1 Poison

  M2 who travelled to

  M3 which are

  M4 such friendship

  M5 is even considered

  M6 was caught in the snare

  M7 had little taste for such deceit

  M8 shyness

  M9 If I could not talk, which girl would be willing to go out with me? Rarely would a girl go out with me.

  M10 shyness

  M11 lightning

  M12 still thinking how to

  M13 such a coward

  M14 poison

  M15 At the same hotel was a widow of moderate means who had also come for a change of air.

  M16 she began a conversation

  M17 said, ‘I do not understand this menu and being a vegetarian I must ascertain as to which items are un-sullied.’

  M18 enticing me

  M19 desired to marry me to anyone

  M20 sister

  M21 But your natural desire was that I be engaged with somebody. I must declare the truth to you so that this thing does not grow in your mind.

  M22 poison

  M1 After I had been a year or so

  M2 Sanskrit

  M3 Gita

  M4 Prakrit

  M5 the brothers

  M6 towards the end of

  M7 Bhagvad Gita

  M8 Philosophy

  M9 retained the spirit of the original

  M10 had hitherto associated only with a translation of the Gita

  M11 presented me before

  M12 about

  M13 sect

  M14 Christianity

  M15 My intellect

  M16 religion inheres in renunciation

  M17 pamphlet

  M18 wrestler

  M19 warrior

  M1 such knowledge is not sufficient to save a human being

  M2 was the reason for God’s presence in his heart. He has a right to make this assumption.

  M3 scriptures at such moments seems worthless

  M4 a householder

  M5 population of sailors

  M6 unsullied either

  M7 I do not intend to say that the Reception Committee had intentionally sought such houses.

  M8 cards. In England even in respectable households, the lady of the house would play cards with the guests.

  M9 from word to deed

  M10 ‘Whence this darkness in you? This is not for you. Run along now.’

  M11 I have had similar experiences in other spheres.

  M12 many of

  M13 when actions become futile,

  M14 its source is not in speech but in the heart

  M15 its music reaches the heavens

  M16 It is by its very nature a mysterious thing.

  M17 But to deserve such grace one must have perfect humility.

  M1 Among fashionable people Narayan Hemchandra seemed queer and stood out.

  M2 text-book

  M3 But Narayan Hemchandra would have made a drink out of me.

  M4 Let others dwell deeper after me.

  M5 And do not think I would be content with knowing only English.

  M6 How much do I need to eat and wear?

  M7 customary clothes for calling on people

  M8 anyone’s clothes

  M9 He welcomed Narayan Hemchandra.

  M10 Narayan Hemchandra directed me to translate these lines.

  M11 the reader will recall that I kept changing my lodging

  M12 arrested

  M1 Before this there was a supposition that a building one thousand feet high cannot stand. Apart from this, there was much else on display.

  M2 read about

  M3 burnt seven shillings for

  M4 There was no noise and there was always

  M5 power of imagination that it was imbued with

  M6 few words

  M7 So long as we are ensnared by temptation, we too are children. This tower is good proof of this, and this may be considered its usefulness.

  M1 —there are four terms a year, twelve such terms had to be kept—

  M2 sat at a distance like untouchables

  M3 Examinations with such facilities

  M4 agony

  M1 ‘Moral Maxims in Law’

  M2 is a moral injunction

  M3 in the laws that I had read, there was not even the name of Indian law

  M4 sentence I memorized

  M1 There was of course the question of the caste.

  M2 concerns about my profession

  M3 certain reforms that I had conceived. Others arose unexpectedly

  M4 And I wish to draw a veil over my grief.

  M5 on hearing the news I did not wail inconsolably

  M6 self-realization

  M7 in a state of stupefaction

  M8 pauper

  M9 tell me what was on his mind

  M10 knowledge of letters

  M11 Success lies in finding a Guru.

  M12 refuge

  M1 Worldly Pursuits

  M2 authority

  M3 princely

  M4 would earn a great deal

  M5 continued to behave respectfully towards them

  M6 I would not so much as drink water at the house of my mother-in-law and father-in-law, as also at my sister’s house.

  M7 this sweet outcome is

  M8 have knowledge of letters

  M9 I vented on her the anger caused by

  M10 use as medicine and for civilized guests

  M11 so
cks

  M12 I sanctified the house further with coat and trousers.

  M13 a vakil who had passed out from Rajkot

  M14 I set out for Bombay.

  M15 I set up a household. Kept a cook. The cook was just like me.

  M16 disagreeable

  M1 acumen is such that judges are dazzled by it. His power of argumentation is wonderful

  M2 belabour the dust in court

  M3 You would have done well if after three years you earn enough to bear your own expenses.

  M4 Hence I read with an agitated mind.

  M5 With whom was I to share my agony? My condition was similar to

  M6 as fate would have it, I chanced to get

  M7 Bombay has large expenses. You must be pragmatic.

  M8 legs trembled

  M9 I ran,

  M10 barrister

  M11 would it bring enough silver for the boy’s rattle?

  M1 place

  M2 there

  M3 now I came

  M4 remain fearless about

  M5 in his eyes

  M6 and was correct. But how is the selfish to be discerning?

  M7 He said, ‘Peon, show him the door.’

  M8 talking on

  M9 and retains the pride of England

  M10 I could not forget the insult, but I made good use of it.

  M1 flatter him. I did not wish to please this officer through incorrect means. I did not like that having threatened to complain, I neither lodged a complaint nor wrote to him.

  M2 Kathiawad

  M3 I would retain my autonomy

  M4 to try and secure some

  M5 superior officer

  M6 stay at our bungalow

  M7 advocacy. It was employment.

  M1 England

  M2 cabin

  M3 a hammock

  M4 seen

  M5 bishop and the queen, etc.

  M6 that sister

  M1 home

  M2 worried

  M3 My Sahib style of living struck him as being expensive.

  M4 home and fed

  M5 Living

  M6 courage

  M7 do you know

  M8 three–four

  M1 I saw that I would have to begin from one, two, three.

  M2 I knew nothing of credit and debit entries.

  M3 None of your confidential matter will become public.

  M4 all the people

  M5 the other party

  M6 within the family

  M7 in the family so that you need not fill the coffers of lawyers

  M8 given a seat

  M9 kept it somewhere

  M10 leaving the case

  M11 have the capability

  M1 The reason for saying that my ticket was cancelled was quite another.

  M2 swallow

  M3 sit at your feet

  M4 , never

  M5 men

  M6 ‘Would they ever allow us to stay at a hotel?’

  M7 the Transvaal.

  M1 the gentleman

  M2 our first meeting

  M3 embraced me with affection

  M4 intrinsic form

  M1 Quaker

  M2 He washes away the sins of those who believe in Him

  M3 Sin is inescapable.

  M4 Supreme Sacrifice

  M5 accepted notion of Christianity

  M6 deliverance

  M7 freed

  M8 immoral acts

  M9 sin

  M10 purification of the heart

  M1 Acquaintance

  M2 and I intended to speak about truth

  M3 a rare

  M1 The Experience of Being a Coolie

  M2 who would listen to their feeble and lowly voice?

  M3 unbearable

  M4 pushes Negros off the footpath in the same way, and hence he did the same with me.

  M5 How were other policemen to know of this incident?

  M1 acute

  M2 key to be a lawyer

  M3 No one could see the end of the case. If it remained in the court, it could be prolonged as one wished. Neither of the two would benefit by prolonging it.

  M4 settle it in-house

  M5 the relatives

  M6 did heart-wrecking labour

  M7 sufficient time

  M8 took such firm root in

  M1 relations

  M2 calling myself

  M3 Christian belief

  M4 renunciate, a great soul

  M5 man without a second

  M6 renunciation

  M7 The defects of Hindu religion

  M8 existence

  M9 influence

  M10 compassion

  M1 Who Can Foretell Tomorrow?

  M2 If we read newspapers, we comprehend only market rates.

  M3 legal matters

  M4 our white

  M5 touching his forehead

  M6 your

  M7 This is the first step towards obliterating the Indians.

  M8 He and the wharf engineer are locked in a fierce battle, and this battle is an obstacle to Mr. Escombe’s entry into the Legislature.

  M9 permanent residence

  M1 Stayed

  M2 India

  M3 sent

  M4 community

  M5 public leaders

  M6 the leaders of all the parties in England

  M7 can afford to let you have

  M8 that our barge is stuck

  M1 The Black Collar

  M2 anoint a person by looking at his face, but anoint only the virtuous

  M3 Court to judge on the basis of appearances. But, on this occasion, the Court proved worthy of the symbol.

  M4 black or a yellow

  M5 rules of the Court make

  M6 Durban

  M7 Perhaps it would have been ignominious.

  M8 resistance has always been accompanied by yielding

  M9 lotus

  M1 make my stay in Natal meaningful

  M2 posed a moral dilemma

  M3 its strength to increase

  M4 merchants

  M5 like taking out an insurance

  M6 Soon the folly of ‘brave to begin with’ became apparent.

  M7 Therefore the Natal Indian Congress never undertook any activity with borrowed money.

  M8 remained courteous

  M9 melted

  M10 beneficial

  M11 matter of prestige

  M12 guard

  M1 knew Tamil

  M2 a sense of being cared for

  M3 approach me in the same manner as well

  M1 drafted a Bill

  M2 Bill

  M3 whites

  M4 would have accepted only

  M5 violation of the interests of India

  M6 Gokhale became the cause for

  M7 Truth became manifest in the penance of the Indians. It demanded

  M1 I served India

  M2 brothers had deepened my desire for spiritual knowledge

  M3 generosity

  M4 awakened me

  M5 used it for reading such books

  M6 licentious

  M7 I began to appreciate its uniqueness

  M8 My regard for the Prophet increased.

  M9 Thus I began certain practices like pranayam suggested in Hindu religion, as I understood them from the books.

  M10 where universal love could take a person

  M11 imbued with devotion. The congregation at eleven did not appear to be

  M12 It could be said that the family I visited every Sunday told me to absent myself.

  M13 history

  M14 poked fun at

  M15 praised

  M16 The poor lady was hurt.

  M17 I became vigilant.

  M18 your company is beginning to have a bad effect on my boy

  M19 I cannot afford this.

  M20 mother

  M1 I had set up households in Bombay and in England, but setting up a household in Natal was different.

  M2 The servant has always been a pro
blem with me as

  M3 also gave me

  M4 This clerk was independent-minded.

  M5 could bring down a flying bird

  M6 the rottenness that was

  M7 If you wish to see something.

  M8 I told her, ‘Please, sister, you must leave at once. Never step into this house ever again.’

  M9 My trust did not deserve this reward.

  M10 My companion was enraged

  M11 deceived me

  M12 purged my life of much impurity

  M13 this companion was for me a form of attachment and evil influence

  M14 If the aforesaid accident had not opened my eyes, if I had not been cognizant of the truth, it is likely that I should not have become fit for the sacrifices I have been able to make. My service would have forever remained incomplete, for my companion would inevitably have impeded my progress.

  M15 But how can one protected by Ram come to harm?

  M16 Having done this service the cook sought leave of me that day and at that very moment.

  M17 I did not insist otherwise.

  M18 A broken utensil, however well mended, will always be broken, it will never be whole again.

  M1 in South Africa

  M2 Therefore, I decided to live in South Africa with my family and for that reason I considered it necessary to go home.

  M3 this question

  M4 if I went to my home country

  M5 Indians born in South Africa

  M6 book was so written that

  M7 ‘Madrasi’ Indians

  M8 speakers of the Dravidian languages

  M9 The Dravid ‘Madrasis’ of South Africa speak a little bit of Hindi.

  M10 at the root of this friendship and religious discussion

  M11 manifestations of the same thing

  M1 walk

  M2 ‘I cannot assure you that I shall accept all your demands. We must understand and represent the Colonial perspective as well.’

  M3 pure justice

 

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