Page 24 - GANDHI A Biography for Children and Beginners

GANDHI – A Biography for children and beginners

considered restaurant to induct him into the ways and manners of the British.

He ordered soup. Gandhi summoned the waiter to enquire whether it had any

element of meat or fish in it. His friend was so offended at Gandhi's persistence
in his vegetarianism and in his "awkward" ways that he told Gandhi that he was

free to go out and eat where he pleased and meet him later. Gandhi was

thankful, and left the restaurant. But he could not find any vegetarian

restaurant, and so went without food that night.

He started a search for vegetarian restaurants. One day, on one of his walks he

came across a vegetarian restaurant in Farringdon Street. He was as delighted
as a child that suddenly gets what it has been crying for. He entered, and had

his first good meal after he left India. In the restaurant, his eye fell upon a

book, Plea for Vegetarianism, written by Salt. He bought it and read it from

'cover to cover'. The book brought about a change in his attitude which can only
be described as revolutionary. It convinced him that vegetarianism was no fad

or superstition. He found, accepted and relished strong arguments in favour of

a vegetarian diet and against living on other animals. He became a vegetarian

by choice, by conviction. It restored his self-confidence. He was no longer
apologetic or embarrassed. He read other books on dietetics and began to see

the relation between one's diet and the health of one's body and mind. From

then, experiments in diet took an important place in his life. He began to
distinguish between what was necessary to maintain one's health and what was

necessary to please one's taste buds. At this time, health was the primary

concern of these experiments. In later life, the needs of spiritual life became

the supreme motive.

To please his friends and to protect himself, Gandhi decided to make up for his

vegetarianism by acquiring accomplishments that were regarded as essential

for a socially acceptable gentleman. He equipped himself with suits tailored in
the most fashionable area of London — Bond Street. A single suit cost him ten

pounds. He obtained a double gold chain and a pocket watch, learned to tie a

tie, spending ten minutes before the mirror to adjust it, began to take lessons

www.mkgandhi.org Page 23