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Book Summary The Story of My Experiments with Truth , by Mahatma Gandhi

Before he was a world-famous activist, Mohandas Gandhi was a normal child in India, a hopeful law student in England, and a struggling lawyer in South Africa. Gandhi's autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth , walks us through his life from childhood until 1921, as he was about to become a pivotal figure in India's fight for independence from British rule. The title references Gandhi's dedication to uncovering Truth—an unwavering foundation of morality and justice—by committing to nonviolence and an austere lifestyle devoid of sexual pleasure and indulgent foods.

Our guide explores Gandhi’s life story, lifestyle, and nonviolent activism. We’ll complement Gandhi’s narrative and reflections with cultural and historical context, provide possible explanations for some of his choices, and include elements of his story that he doesn’t mention in his book.

1-Page Summary 1-Page Book Summary of The Story of My Experiments with Truth

The Story of My Experiments with Truth is Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography. It covers his life from childhood to 1921, as he took center stage in India’s struggle for independence from the British Empire. (Shortform note: India gained independence from the British Empire on August 15, 1947, after decades of nonviolent activism and negotiations between the Indian National Congress—which Gandhi led for several years—and the British government.)

The title of Gandhi’s autobiography refers to his search for justice and morality, or what he calls “Truth” with a capital “T.” To Gandhi, Truth was the only god—the supreme and unchanging foundation of morality and justice . His search for Truth led him to practice nonviolence and to lead an austere lifestyle renouncing sex and indulgent food.

(Shortform note: Although Gandhi believed that Truth was the only god, he was raised in the Hindu faith—a religion with many gods and goddesses—and drew inspiration from Hinduism in his spiritual practice. However, his experiments included learning about other religions . This coincides...

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The Story of My Experiments with Truth Summary Gandhi’s Experiments With Truth

Gandhi’s public actions as a political leader and nonviolent activist expressed a private concern: his constant search for justice and morality, or Truth. He argues that he devoted his life to pursuing Truth because it was the only certainty in an uncertain world, and it gave him peace of mind to know that he was always striving for it. This section will explain Gandhi’s efforts to discover Truth through ahimsa (nonviolence) and brahmacharya —the pursuit of enlightenment through purity .

(Shortform note: Gandhi’s experience searching for Truth speaks to a core question of morality: Is it personal or collective? In The Happiness Hypothesis , Jonathan Haidt argues that modern ideas of morality focus on the individual’s freedom to choose the most moral course of action. But the lack of a shared moral framework can make us feel untethered . This might explain why Gandhi thought that the world was so uncertain and why he reached for a universal Truth to feel moored. Haidt also argues we should embrace a morality based on group...

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The Story of My Experiments with Truth Summary Gandhi’s Life

Gandhi’s autobiography traces his story from his childhood in Porbandar, India, to his rise as a leader in the independence movement. Throughout his story, he develops his values and constructs his philosophy of seeking Truth through nonviolence and purity, culminating in putting those values and beliefs into practice through his activism.

Childhood in India

In this section, we'll recount Gandhi's early years in India. We’ll further explore some of the formative events of his childhood and teenage years, including his marriage at age 13 and his time spent nursing his sick father.

Growing up in Porbandar

Mohandas Gandhi was born in 1869 in Porbandar, India. (Shortform note: Although the world knows him as Mahatma Gandhi, his given name was Mohandas. He received the honorific Mahatma, a Sanskrit word meaning great soul, in recognition of his activism for his fellow Indians. To avoid confusing him with his parents, we’ll refer to him as Mohandas when describing his early life.)

He explains that his parents’ religious faith and values profoundly influenced him . For example, his mother, Putlibai Gandhi, impressed her son with her religious commitment to...

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Shortform Exercise: Reflect on Gandhi’s Life and Pursuit of Truth

Gandhi’s autobiography gives a peek behind the curtain of his nonviolent activism. Think about what you’ve read and how it might change your views on Gandhi and his activism.

How familiar were you with Gandhi before reading this guide? What was your impression of him?

Table of Contents

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The Story of My Experiments with Truth Introduction

Okay, so who's this Gandhi guy people talk about? You might recognize his image , or maybe you've heard about the biographical film bearing his name that won eight Oscars. We bet you've seen the famous quote misattributed to him: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

But, who was he?

Someone you should definitely know about, that's who.

Mohandas K. Gandhi was the foremost leader who used nonviolent civil disobedience—that means protest and non-cooperation without hurting anyone—to rally India to independence from Britain in the first half of the 1900s and who conducted plenty of other mass actions fighting for the rights of Indians in his country and in South Africa. Oh, yeah: and his life inspired others famous for their human rights work, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela.

No biggie, right? Wrong. Huge biggie. One of the biggest biggies. This dude was out-of-control influential as a leader, political figure, and icon of human rights.

But, how about Gandhi the man? What was he like behind the scenes?

Luckily for you, O Inquisitive Shmooper, The Story of My Experiments with Truth , first published in two volumes in 1927 and 1929, is Gandhi's autobiography. Between the pages of this book, the Big G (note: no one calls Gandhi that) reveals what makes him tick. We get an intimate look at Gandhi's life—he wrote other works, but this autobiography is all about his ideals, beliefs, thoughts, and feelings—not the famous campaigns you can read about elsewhere.

In short, this autobiography details how Gandhi, across his life, was someone who searched for Truth with a capital T—which he identifies with God—by purifying himself through fasting, diet control, giving up sex, the study of religion, and other techniques. He sees ahimsa , or non-violence, as the means by which to find truth. It means more than just refraining from hurting people: it means loving all life on earth and seeking to do good for everyone, even those who oppose you. The Story of My Experiments with Truth aims to get you to take up that torch, too.

We're not going to say that this book is going to get you to give up meat. We're not going to say that this book is going to get you to swear yourself to celibacy. And we're definitely not saying that, just by reading this book, you're going to be able to practice ahimsa without a hitch.

What we are going to say is that, if you read this book, you'll come away amazed by Gandhi. (It's basically impossible to not be amazed by Gandhi.) We'll also bet that you'll come away with a new appreciation for how improving yourself can contribute to improving the world around you.

What is The Story of My Experiments with Truth About and Why Should I Care?

'Nuff said.

Okay, we lied. Not about the Gandhi part, but about the 'nuff said part—because it's impossible to talk about Gandhi too much. This guy is credited with freeing the second-most populous nation on earth from British colonial rule.

This guy served as an inspiration for people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela—and when you're inspiring two of the most inspiring dudes who ever lived, you know you're doing it right.

This is the man of whom Albert Einstein (yes, freakin' Einstein ) said : "Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood."

And—oh, yeah—did we mention the part about Gandhi changing the entire dang course of the entire dang world while speaking about the importance of non-violent action? Oh, yeah—did we mention that he basically coined the idea of non-violence?

Once more, with emphasis: DANG. (And we never use shouty caps, guys. But Gandhi deserves a "dang" in all caps, 72-point font.)

Phew. Now that we've told you about how awesomesauce Gandhi is, it's time to tell you why this book is worth not only a read through, but a read-every-year through: The Story of My Experiments with Truth is Gandhi's autobiography.

It's not just a list of facts, like what you'd hear some tweedy-sounding History Channel dude lecturing on about. This is Gandhi's personal life, as told by Gandhi. He shoots straight. He tells you about his entire life, warts and all.

Here are some of Gandhi's warty low points: dude misses his father's death because he's busy having sex. He tries to blend into posh British society even though it means kind of turning his back on his culture. He gets mad. He gets lusty. He gets confused.

But Gandhi being Gandhi, he moves past all that. He goes from a young whippersnapper of 13 to an 18-year-old so impossibly self-possessed that he decides to study law in England…even though it means getting kicked out of his caste. He then goes on to study languages, religions, literature, and other human beings with such intensity and discipline that he's able to come to some pretty deep conclusions about the state of humanity and the world.

Here's the real beauty of this book: Gandhi's autobiography shows us a powerful role model for change. Sure, you might not be trying to live only on fruits and nuts (like Gandhi did), but you might be striving to improve yourself in some way that's still a challenge. Watching Gandhi's masterful self-control and hearing him express his convictions about his ideals is both a) inspiring and b) comforting. Gandhi encourages us, but he also tells us that it's okay to take life seriously and try to be the best we can be.

Without coming off as judgmental or self-righteous, he tells us why he humbly believes his deeds bring him closer to truth and God. Reading about how he implements these changes—or experiments with truth, as he calls them—we can't help but be mind-boggled. And deeply inspired.

By changing ourselves, Gandhi says, we're soon able to change the world around us since, as he puts it, purification is highly infectious. It may seem like an impossible task to someday make a difference in the world, but it starts with the little things…and this book is an illustration of just how much power can be drawn from implementing small changes in your life.

Once more: DANG.

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Romance novels, indian novels, summary of my experiments with truth by mahatma gandhi.

The Autobiographical Novel “The Story of My Experiments with Truth” is written by Famous Indian Freedom fighter “Mahatma Gandhi”, published in February 1929. The book was originally written in Gujrati language but later it was translated into English language by Mahadevi Desai.

The Story of My Experiments With Truth By Mahatma Gandhi

Download “My Experiments with Truth” on Amazon Audible

Synopsis of The Story of My Experiments With Truth

The story of “ My Experiments with Truth ” begins with Yerwada Central Jail where Mahatma Gandhi’s friend, Jairam Das advises him to write autobiography. Gandhi wasn’t interested in writing autobiography, but the only reason Gandhi wrote his autobiography is because he wants to share the world his life experiments with truth. The story begins with Gandhi’s first experiment with Truth in childhood where he had experiment with smoking, drinking and robbery.

There are two people who influences Gandhi since childhood to live a life of Truth, and that is Harish Chandra and Shravan Kumar. At the age of 13, Gandhi got married to Kasturba Gandhi. Gandhi was very possessive for his wife, Kasturba and sometimes he used to doubt her, but Kasturba was a smart girl who never fear Gandhi. Kasturba wasn’t educated and Gandhi wanted to educate her, but he never did as he never got a chance and he blame himself for that. Gandhi was a good student in High school, but he had no interest in gymnastics as he prefers to serve his father over doing gymnastics activities.

Gandhi’s first life mistake was that he did not pay attention to his health. Gandhi’s second biggest mistake was that he became a friend of amoral boys, who brain washed him to eat non-veg to become a strong and muscular. He quit eating non-veg for his mother and father and since that day he never eats non-veg in his whole life. One day, Gandhi with his amoral friends goes to prostitute where he was sent to sleep with prostitute, but he never sleeps with her as that prostitute send him away. One time Gandhi smoked beedi on his relative request. He also did robbery just to buy beedi.

The story now shift focus to a life of Gandhi’s father, Karamchand Gandhi, whose health is deteriorating day after day and Gandhi is feeling very sad for his father. On the other hand, Gandhi’s wife, Kasturba is also pregnant with Gandhi’s baby. One day, when Gandhi was massaging his father’s foot, his uncle came and send him to sleep. Five minutes later, suddenly Gandhi’s father’s servant comes to Gandhi’s room and tells him that his father is no more. On the other side, as Gandhi’s wife was pregnant, she gave birth to a baby who died in four days. Gandhi was heartbroken as he loses his loving father and baby in just couple of days.

My Experiments With Truth : II

The second part of “My Experiments with Truth” talks about Gandhi’s life as a lawyer. On the advice of relative, Gandhi was recommended to get an education of barrister from foreign country like England. On the contrary, Gandhi’s mother stops him from going abroad as she was afraid that his son may get addicted to alcohol, chicken, and women. She only agrees as Gandhi took a vow that he won’t get attracted to alcohol, chicken, and women in England. Afterwards, Gandhi left for England to study law. There Gandhi was forced by lots of people to eat meat, but he never ate it as he sworn to his mother. Gandhi completed his law study in 1891 and then he returns to India. Afterwards, Gandhi took his first case as a lawyer in Bombay.

One day, Gandhi’s brother received a letter from South Africa. A person named, Abdullah, who own a big firm in South Africa wants Gandhi to come in South Africa to fight a case on his behalf. As Gandhi was not happy in Bombay between corrupt people, he immediately said yes to go South Africa. There Gandhi learns that South African doesn’t value Indian people. The people like Abdullah who own such a big firm has no value in South Africa as they are Indian. As Gandhi goes to court to fight a case of Abdullah, he was asked by magistrate to remove his turban. He refuses to remove his turban in court.

One day, Gandhi was travelling from Durban to Pretoria through train. He was travelling in first class seat of train. After a while, one passenger from train comes to Gandhi and asks him to go in third class. Gandhi denied to go in third class because he had a first-class ticket of train. As Gandhi refused to go in third class, that white passenger thrown him out of train with luggage.

Mahatma Gandhi had one more fight in train with white passenger who was forcing Gandhi to give his seat to him just because he wanted to smoke there. Gandhi tolerated his humiliation, but he doesn’t give his seat to him. Gandhi ji was an adamant man; he doesn’t give up and always used to travels in first class seat of train. Gandhi lived around 21 long years in South Africa with his children and wife; he built great reputation in South Africa with his nonviolence path. As the World War II started, Gandhi Ji returns to India in 1914.

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The Story of My Experiments with Truth

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A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Before You Read

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Index of Terms

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A Syncretic Quest for Truth

Gandhi’s lifelong quest for truth, which he referred to as satyagraha , or the “force of truth,” linked inextricably to his spiritual journey and political and social activism. This pursuit, rooted in his early exposure to Hindu traditions, expanded to encompass global philosophical streams, culminating in a unique spiritual-political synthesis that aimed to dismantle the shackles of colonialism and restore dignity to the oppressed. Born into a devout Hindu family in the late 19th century in Gujarat, India, Gandhi had early exposure to the Vedic teachings, the epic texts of the Mahabharata and Ramayana . Gandhi particularly relied on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita , and its discourse on dharma (duty), karma (action), and devotion profoundly shaped his thinking. In the Bhagavad Gita , the dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra underscores the significance of righteous action without attachment to results. This philosophy of Nishkama Karma (selfless action) became a cornerstone of Gandhi’s activism and his doctrine of nonviolent resistance.

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The Story of My Experiments with Truth | Summary, Analysis, Book | Gandhi’s Autobiography

The Story of My Experiments with Truth

Gandhi exercised a potent influence on our society through his own writing in English and Gujarati. His autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth is an imperishable classic. Unlike Jawaharlal Nehru , who loved English and felt more at home in it than any other language Gandhi wrote it in his mother tongue Gujarati but not in English. Mahadev Desai who was close to Gandhi and studied him at closer quarters translated his autobiography into English in such a way that one feels as if it was done by Gandhi himself, and it has a continuous influence on Indian writing in English. The translation, as it appeared serially in Young India, had the benefit of Gandhiji’s revision. It had the benefit of being revised later from the point of view of language by an eminent English Scholar.

An autobiography is by definition self-revelatory. It is the story of a person written by himself; and of all autobiographies, Gandhi’s is among the most frank and truthful. His autobiography is of great value to India, not only because it gives a measure of the greatness of the nation’s ‘Father’ but also because it affords some important lessons to India. Louis Fischer opines that throughout his life, Gandhi concentrated on the personal ‘one man’s day-to-day behaviour’. It is obvious that in his autobiography which bears the most significant second title of Experiments with Truth, he narrates for the education of his countrymen his life-long attempts to conquer and remake himself.

A God-fearing friend had his doubts when Gandhi expressed his idea to write his autobiography, and asked him, “What has set you on this adventure? 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 to-day, or supposing you revise in the future your plans of to-day, 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 no doubt some effect on Gandhi, but he explained, “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. I believe that a connected account of all these experiments will not be without benefit to the reader. My experiments in the political field are now known, not only to India, but to a certain extent to the civilized world. 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. 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. The 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.”

He further explains, “My experiments have not been conducted in the closet, but in the open. I have gone through and examined and analysed every psychological situation.” In doing so he refused to slur or pass over inconvenient incidents. “I am not going” he said, “either to conceal or underrate any ugly things that must be told. I hope to acquaint the reader fully with all my faults and errors. My purpose is to describe experiments in the science of Satyagraha not to say how good I am.”

Gandhi’s autobiography stands in contrast with that of the memoirs of George Santayana , the American philosopher. Louis Fischer finely sums up the contrast between the two memoirs in this way: “Santayana, the artist attempts to reconstruct a life and an era. Gandhi, the reformer, omits the cultural and historical background and dissects himself for the instruction of others.”

In his autobiographical record may be found, described in candid detail, the events and circumstances of his life from birth to the launching of the non-cooperation movement in India in 1920. In the last installment of the narrative, Gandhi writes, taking leave of his readers “To describe truth as it has appeared to me, and in the exact manner which I arrived at it has been my ceaseless effort. The experience has given me ineffable mental peace. I knew that I have not in me as yet that triple purity in spite of constant ceaseless striving for it. That is why the world fails to move me indeed it often stings me.”

Gandhi saw no point in continuing the story beyond 1920 because it was already known to the public, his life having been lived in the lime-light, in the continual blaze of controversy and political action. The later part of Gandhi’s life was in considerable measure the life of the nation as well. As he grew in stature, the nation grew in self-consciousness and strength and so he was verily the Father of the Nation. A chance reading of Ruskin’s Unto this last made a profound impression on Gandhi, as he had himself acknowledged in his autobiography,” Unto this Last made it clear as day-light for me that the second and third (right of earning) and (life of labour) were contained in the first (good of all). I arose with the dawn, ready to reduce these principles to practice.”

The reader will be struck by the prophetic quality of Gandhi’s genius, his practical good sense and his love for humanity. His autobiography thus has inestimable value to Indians.

To quote the words of Nehru “Gandhi was like a powerful current of fresh air that made us stretch ourselves and take deep breaths; like a beam of light that pierced the darkness and removed the scales from our eyes, like a whirl-wind that upset many things but most of all the working of people’s minds.”

The most important lesson we owe to his autobiography is a lesson in truth . He preaches that we should pursue truth and maintain it in all its purity, both in private life and public work. He admits his own failings because of his utmost devotion to Truth. He confesses how in his childhood he had sometimes eaten meat and told lies to his mother, how a woman in Portsmouth moved him to lust and how he used to be a hard and tyrannical husband. In public life too he pursued Truth relentlessly. He would maintain the accounts scrupulously and he spared neither time nor pains to state truthfully.

The next lesson is the principle of Ahimsa . It was not just a political expedient, but a positive virtue fit to be practiced in daily intercourse. His autobiography preaches that ‘Ahimsa’ is an all embracing love for both friend and foe and that such love conquers more enemies than physical power. One should hate sin and not the sinner. He objected to individual English men and English women being killed by Indians.

Simple living is another of the lessons inculcated in Gandhi’s autobiography . His account of the way in which he became his own washer-man, barber and scavenger teaches us to simplify our lives. He had utmost faith in Thoreau’s principle of ‘simple living and high thinking’ and did put it in practice. He never possessed any costly ornaments. He created a trust of the costly articles given to him and brought up his wife and children to regard service as its own reward. He would admit the untouchables to his own Ashram. He rose above the meanness of discriminating between communities and castes. Besides lessons in humanity, his autobiography gives us lessons in social service. He puts forth the doctrine of Sarvodaya , or the common weal which is to be attained by social service and which goes to make for a kingdom of heaven on earth.

He was opposed to the tendency of irreligion and skepticism towards which the educated classes have been drifting, He affirms a living faith in God and he demonstrates how much faith can affect and transform life and lead to memorable consequences. Thus he was a humanitarian, a social reformer, a politician and a nationalist. He showed that soul-force is stronger than brute-force. He strove hard to kill the canker of communalism within the Hindu fold and also the canker of Hindu-Muslim disunity. He rightly foresaw that people of such grinding poverty and wretchedness as the Indians, could not improve themselves unless the more enlightened and affluent among them dedicated themselves to social service.

The key to Gandhi’s greatness perhaps lies in his being a practical mystic. He strengthened his character and wore himself away in service and sacrifice to please God, to obey His law. He gave in the twentieth century a remarkable demonstration of the power of religion and the enduring worth of spiritual values. He is indeed a saint among politicians and a politician among saints. He was often called a practical or political saint for the reason that he contrived to be at the same time a politician and a man of unquestionable integrity and saintliness of character.

His autobiography is however, very far from what may be called a spiritual treatise. Three-fourths of the work records ordinary happenings historical political and social, as also those on the personal plane. Bhabani Bhattacharya feels that “As a document of uninhibited revelation of his inner being, these memories must be considered as unique.

Bishop Frederick B. Fisher stated: “Here is an autobiography more captivating than fiction and a more revealing study of the human soul than I have ever read.” Another significant appraisal appeared in “Mahatma Gandhi” by Polak, Brailsford and Pethick Lawrence: “It ranks high among the world’s great books written in prison. In the frankness of its self-revelation, it recalls Rousseau’s Confessions. It would be hard to say which part of it makes the more fascinating reading-the early chapters which describe his school days, his adolescence, his marriage and his life as a student in London : or the absorbing narrative of his moral development and his struggle in South Africa. That story could not have been better told, and our only regret is that his account of his doings after his return to India is slighter. In this book Gandhi will live for posterity as the noblest and bravest character of our time.”

Reginald Reynold remarks:

“The Autobiography reveals a very ordinary man who became a saint by setting himself impossible standards and then spiritual power to live up to them.”

In recent years the book has been the focus of scholarly attention, especially in the United States. Erik H. Erikson comments on the “Passion, the poignancy and the humour in (Gandhi’s) use of English.”

A Gandhian scholar made a remark about Gandhi: “He was a man of action. He was much else besides. But he was no writer. His English was poor, his vocabulary inadequate. The Biblical simplicity attributed to his style is a plain myth.”

Bhabani Bhattacharya points out that “No one who has used the stuff of words on a massive scale has been as passionately purposive as Gandhi. No one has used words with such intense longing to be down-to-earth on the one hand and paradoxically to reach for the stars on the other.”

But Gandhi has plainly stated his objective “I write as the spirit moves me at the time of writing. I write to propagate my ideas. The reader can have no idea of the restraint I have to exercise …in the choice of topics and my vocabulary. It is a training for me. It enables me to peep into myself and to make discoveries of my weaknesses. Often my vanity dictates a smart expression or my anger a harsh adjective. It is a terrible ordeal but a fine exercise to remove these weeds.”

Thus Gandhi set down in clear-cut lucid prose in English, besides Gujarati and Hindi it was inevitable that he wrote far more in English than in Indian language every shade, and every nuance of his thought.

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An Autobiography or The Story of My Experiments with Truth

Translated by (from Gujarati): Mahadev Desai

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An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth - Mohandas Gandhi

Get inspired by one of the most respected and fascinating souls of our time, gandhi, with his book an autobiography: the story of my experiments with truth..

The independence of India was a long and difficult process, led by the activist Mohandas Gandhi. In his book "An Autobiography: My Life and My Experiences with the Truth", he narrates his trajectory in the fight against English colonialism and the dissemination of his philosophy, known as "Satyagraha".

Considered the father of India and respected around the world, Gandhi inspires several pacifist movements in different countries, and thanks to his achievements, the "International Day of Non-Violence " is celebrated on his birthday.

Are you curious to know more about Gandhi and his accomplishments? Come with us!

About the book "An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth"

The book "An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth" was first published in 1927.

Gandhi explores the spiritual, mental, and physical dimensions studied and lived by him. Also, he brings his principles of nonviolence, truth, and concern for others .

The book is divided into five parts, with a total of 440 pages. He is very objective in his topics and most of them are short and performed in chronological order.

About the author Mohandas K. Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in 1869 in the Indian city of Porbandar. He is also known as Mahatma Gandhi, an honorific that means great soul.

He studied law and became a spiritual and pacifist leader in India.

Gandhi also wrote the books "Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule", "India of my dreams", "Satyagraha in South Africa", among others.

Each overview of this Pocketbook will tell you more about Gandhi, so keep reading.

To whom is this book indicated?

"An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth" is for the ones who want to get inspired by great leaders , responsible for influencing millions of people and changing the world.

Also, it is for people who want to know more about values, commitment, love, and determination. The book has examples of all the struggles and achievements marked by leadership and the non-violence resistance of Mohandas Gandhi.

Main ideas of the book "An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth"

• Gandhi was born into a simple family but with great values;
• He married when he was 13 years old;
• He was responsible for creating the Satyagraha philosophy, which aims to act with willpower and non-violence;
• Even after the death of his mother, Gandhi kept all the commitments made with her;
• Forgiveness is the trait of strong people ;
• Spread love in all environments. Only it can defeat the adversary;
• The fullness of love neutralizes the hatred of thousands;
• Be the change you want to see in the world;
• Live your life based on what you believe.

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Overview: Childhood and Adolescence

In this first part of "An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth", Gandhi tells about his birth, childhood, religion, marriage, and all the experiences and tragedies that occurred during this period.

Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, an Indian city. As a child, he was totally influenced by the practices of his religious-political father and his devoted mother.

He started going to school at age 7, and he was always regarded as a very shy and average student. Also, he was never willing to cheat in front of his friends.

When he turned 13, his parents decided that he should marry, a practice that wasn't totally supported by him. In addition, he recounts some tragedies he encountered in his teens.

When his father died, a friend of the family suggested that Gandhi should study in England. To do so, he had to make serious promises to his mother, because her greatest concern was that he would lose his culture and start eating meat, drinking alcohol, and sleeping with other women.

With that, in 1888 he went to England to study law. He tried to adapt to the new culture, but it was complicated. So, he preferred to live a life of intense studies and humility. After 3 years of study, he passed the exams in order to be able to practice law and returned to India.

Overview: Early Career

Upon returning to India, Gandhi discovered that his mother had died. During the same period, he started his professional life.

He began working in Bombay at the Supreme Court. There he gained experience and deepened his studies in law. However, his shyness got in the way of his work, driving him back to Rajkot, where he opened his own office.

His older brother was always willing to solve his problems and help him as much as possible. Thus, he had a major influence on the transfer of Gandhi to South Africa, where he got the position of a lawyer.

During his time in South Africa, Gandhi suffered from various discriminations because of his skin color.

In "An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth", he narrates some of these events, like when he was kicked out of the train, and when he was invited to dine in his room to not offend the guests in the hotel. In those moments, he said that he always discussed the situation, but without violence.

During this experience, he gained confidence in himself and acquired great knowledge in the legal field, leading him to help found the Natal Indian Congress, which supported the Indian community to come together as a political force. Gandhi also began to study Christianity.

Soon after, he returned to India with the purpose of picking up his wife and two daughters and taking them to South Africa, where he continued his work as an activist.

Overview: Development of Political Power

When he arrived at the port of South Africa, the white citizens were furious with him and attacked him, accusing him of false imputations. But Gandhi proved his innocence to the press and said he did not want to sue anyone who attacked him.

Gandhi increased his public work with the Indian community there, and each day he developed an affection for cooperation and simplicity . During the Boer War, he honed these qualities and created an ambulance corps to take the wounded.

After the war, Mohandas Gandhi returned to India through a long excursion. His goal was to understand the difficulties of third-class passengers. So he decided to leave his family in India and returned to South Africa to solve the main problems.

Overview: The Beginning of the Fight

On his return, South Africa was experiencing an epidemic of racial discrimination and the government laws put Indians in a difficult situation.

According to Gandhi, he was heavily influenced by a book called "Unto This Last", and the teachings of it changed his life . At the same time, Gandhi founded the "Phoenix Settlement", a farm where he would live with his supporters and later became a small village.

As he explains in the book "An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth", in 1906, the British government declared war on the Zulus, and Gandhi was there again. He worked with his ambulance corps, with the aim of helping to transport and care for the innocent and wounded.

When the war was coming to an end, Gandhi's next step was to live the lives of the poorest people, practicing fasting and eating a restricted diet that contained only fruit.

Even when he fell ill, Gandhi explains that he did not abandon vegetarianism and kept the vow he made to his mother.

During all this time in Africa, Gandhi developed what would be called "Satyagraha". It translates as "holding onto truth " and refers to non-violent protests and resistances.

Overview: The Peak of His Political Power

In 1914, Gandhi returned to India and made major changes there: he opened primary schools in six villages and improved their sanitary conditions. He also shared the "Satyagraha" in India, that is, the non-violent civil disobedience, and obtained expressive results, increasing his popularity.

Despite this, many peaceful Indian civilians were killed by the British, but this made the movement stronger.

With that, Gandhi's real entry into Congressional politics took place, leading to the organization of a new constitution that boosted the country's complete independence.

For Gandhi, one of the ways to achieve independence is by fighting poverty and manufacturing products that India was dependent on.

At the end of "An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth", Gandhi says that his achievements in Congress still left history under construction, with nothing final.

Now, history confirms that Indian independence has been successful and has influenced movements for egalitarian rights around the world.

What do other authors say about it?

In the book "Unshakeable" , author Tony Robbins says you need to give yourself: give your attention and your time. Making contributions is what brings meaning to the lives of many people. This is perfectly understood in Gandhi's life.

For the author of the "Psychology of Selling" , Brian Tracy, successful people enhance their inner dialogue with optimistic and confident phrases. For example, if you repeat the phrase "I like myself" throughout the day, your self-esteem will certainly increase. You can clearly see this behavior in Gandhi, through his faith, love, forgiveness and all his positive energies.

Finally, a history with a trajectory very similar to Gandhi's is that of Nelson Mandela, reported in the book "Long Walk to Freedom" . Both had similar traits such as admirable leadership, the struggle for civil rights, and commitment. Also, both faced hateful enemies, but Mandela diverged from Gandhi by using violence and weapons in his fight.

Okay, but how can I apply this to my life?

During the work of Mohandas K. Gandhi, "Autobiography: My Life and My Experiences with the Truth", he indirectly presents us with several ways of seeing obstacles and how to exercise leadership based on moral values:

• Forgiveness: Gandhi practiced it simply and directly. Not to forgive is to be stuck in the past, causing only suffering;
• Commitment: For Gandhi, the main commitment that can exist is with the truth itself, as it leads to happiness and fulfillment, without needing external approval;
• Respect: Choose non-violence, both in physical form, as well as through discussion and judgments. We cannot see our opponents as enemies;
• Love: Gandhi never showed changes in his mood, always remaining calm and loving everything. According to him, we can only overcome an opponent through love.

Finally, Gandhi proves that the above characteristics are essential to win, even in an uneven world!

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The story of my experiments with truth book summary, by mahatma gandhi.

Want to learn the ideas in The Story Of My Experiments With Truth better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of The Story Of My Experiments With Truth by Mahatma Gandhi here.

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1-Page Summary of The Story Of My Experiments With Truth

Translator’s preface.

The book was originally published in two volumes, the first in 1927 and second in 1929. The price of each volume was 1 rupee. There were five editions by the time this preface was written. 50,000 copies had been sold but since it wasn’t translated into English it prevented Indians from purchasing it. A cheaper English version is needed so that more people can read about Gandhi’s philosophy and learn how to apply his ideas to their life. Chapters XXIX–XLIII of Part V were translated by Desai’s friend Pyarelal Nayyar

Introduction

Gandhi has written this book at the request of his friend Jeramdas who is a fellow prisoner. He wonders if writing an autobiography is something that Easterners do, since it’s a Western practice. However, he decides to write about his experiments with truth in life through this book. In addition, he wants to discuss spiritual and moral matters rather than political ones.

The first part of the book is about Gandhi’s childhood, including his experiments with meat eating and smoking. He also talks about stealing from a shopkeeper when he was young. In addition to that, he also explains how he felt bad for his actions later on in life and decided not to steal again. The two books that had an impact on Gandhi were Harishchandra and Shravana Pitrabhakti Nataka. Both of these books made him realize just how important it was to be honest with yourself and others around you. Later in this part we find out more about Gandhi’s marriage at such a young age; 13 years old! It says here that Gandhi wasn’t too happy about getting married so early but did it anyway because of societal pressure put upon him by those who knew him best (his family). Another big event discussed in this section is the death of Karamchand Gandhi (Gandhi’s father) due to dysentery which happened when Mohandas was only 12 years old.

The British and the Dutch shared power in South Africa. The Boers, who were mostly farmers, controlled two independent republics: the Orange Free State and Transvaal. The white settlers and the Boers had a history of violence with each other, so there was always a threat of an eruption. To keep peace between them, Britain adopted racist policies to appease both sides; however, Indians suffered less than blacks because they mostly worked on plantations for whites. Gandhi’s experiences in South Africa are well known—he was thrown off trains for being Indian or not having money to pay for first-class travel. He also experienced racism when he stayed at hotels or tried to eat at restaurants that would only serve whites.

Gandhi was outraged at the racist policies in South Africa and decided to speak up. He urged his fellow Indians not to accept inequality but instead work hard, learn English, and live a clean lifestyle. Gandhi’s legal practice kept him busy, so he found time to read some of Tolstoy’s writing which inspired him to write back. Both men shared a philosophy of non-violence and their correspondence helped them spread that message around the world.

Both Tolstoy and Gandhi were inspired by the Sermon on the Mount, which is a passage in the New Testament that talks about how you should live your life for others. They also looked to other sources of inspiration like Hinduism’s Bhagavad-Gita. The Gita taught them that selfless work was actually a higher form of fulfillment rather than self-denial. As public figures, both men refused payment for their work so they could focus solely on helping others.

Gandhi was deeply religious, but he also had a strong interest in philosophy. He studied Hinduism and other religions’ sacred texts to see if they could help him define his own philosophy of religion. However, after studying many different faiths, Gandhi came to the conclusion that it is better not to rely solely on external sources for knowledge about God or spirituality.

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A Brief summary of Gandhiji's autobiography: my experiments with truth

Gandhiji with his thoughts and deeds have inspired the lives of many. My Experiments with Truth : An Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi gives the true picture of the life of Gandhiji till 1925. Though published in pre-independence era, this literary work had its own great impact even on present generation,This paper is a brief attempt to summarize the autobiography .

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A pictorial biography of Mahatma Gandhi, based on the material from the exhibition 'My Life is My Message', at Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, by Kirti Trivedi. The narration is in Gandhiji's own words, compiled from his writings.

Aakash Thorve

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L Gopalakrishnan

This is a collection of Gandhi anecdotes providing insight into different aspects of his personality. I am not the author.

nidhi singh

George Paxton

Gandhi participated in or expressed his opinions on six war situations from the Anglo-Boer War to the Second World War. His expressed views were not always consistent and he was criticised for this particularly by western pacifists including close colleagues. This arose from his multiviewpoint position where he opposed war personally but justified participation in war by others who fought in a just cause. A linked influence was his intense dislike of cowardliness and admiration of courageousness. His ideal however was the courageous satyagrahi and his expressed opinions moved during his lifetime to a firmer nonviolent antiwar position.

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