Gandhi was an advocate and a realist who always put his theories into practice with a view to obtaining the desired result.
He had accordingly dedicated his autobiography ‘My Experiments with Truth”.
One such experiment concerned his vow of celibacy (Brahmacharya). He believed that a pure fruit diet and fasting would control “animal passion”.
But then he says “Though I have made out an intimate connection between diet and Brahmacharya, it is certain that mind is the principal thing. A mind consciously unclean cannot be cleansed by fasting. Modifications in diet can have no effect on it. The concupiscence of the mind cannot be rooted out except by intense self-examination, surrender to God and, lastly, grace.”
In his book ‘Great Soul’, Joseph Lelyveld wrote that Gandhi performed the Brahmacharya test with Manu, his 17 –year old niece.
Perfection would be achieved if the old man and the young woman wore the fewest possible garments, preferably none, and neither would be sexually aroused. The result was that neither Gandhi nor his niece ‘felt the slightest sexual stirring’.
I hope the mischievous comments about Gandhi’s relationships can now be put to rest.
Uttambhai D Mistry
Bolton
