The opera is loosely based on the life of Mohandas K. Gandhi , and is the second part of Glass 's '' Portrait Trilogy '' of operas about men who changed the world , which also includes '' Einstein on the Beach '' and '' Akhnaten '' .
The opera is loosely based on the life of Mohandas K. Gandhi . 
 It is the second part of a trilogy of operas , his '' Portrait Trilogy , '' which also includes '' Einstein on the Beach '' and '' Akhnaten '' .