Page 11 - GANDHI A Biography for Children and Beginners

GANDHI – A Biography for children and beginners

universe, or the truth of the universe. He learned that he could see truth only

by divesting himself of ego- centricity, or by 'reducing oneself to zero', as he

said. One could move out of ego-centricity only when one began to love all else
in the universe — animate and inanimate. It is only when one loves all that one

sees in the universe that one learns to identify oneself with 'creation', and the

Law or Truth or God that rules 'Creation'.

Gandhi never claimed uniqueness. In fact, he protested against being described

as unique. He insisted that he was a common man; that there was nothing

uncommon about him. He was not a prophet, not a Mahatma. He believed, and
said again and again that there was nothing he had done which other human

beings could not do. He often said that he had nothing new to teach the world.

The principles of Truth and Love that he had placed before humanity were "as

old as the hills". All that he had done was to try to prove their value, the need
for them and their validity in every field of human activity — in personal life or

social life.

It is easy to see that Truth and love are the laws on which the Universe, and
human society are built. The laws of nature are unalterable. Since they are

unalterable and sovereign, what is in conflict with them will not endure. One

has to conform to the laws if one wants to build something that may endure, to
achieve something beneficial or enduring. The identification and pursuit of the

law or truth were therefore essential in all fields of life. It was the quest for

this truth, and the desire to live in the light of this truth that made Gandhi

what he became.

Gandhi felt the call of truth even in his childhood. But it took many years and

many ordeals and experiments before he could learn to discover and apply it in

all walks of life. The story of his life is the story of his "experiments with
Truth". It reflects the way he grew with his experiments in his personal life,

and in the life of the society of which he was a member.

Gandhi claimed to be a common man; the common man was at the centre of his

concern. He wanted to show what the common human being could achieve, and

how. He wanted the common human being to be free, since he believed that

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