________________ Memoirs about Shrimad by Gandhiji 145 The yearning for detachment from the worldly affairs that shines through these verses were witnessed by me during every moment of my two years of close association with Raichandbhai. The unique feature of his writings is that he wrote only about things that he had truly experienced in life. There is not a hint of artificiality. I am not aware of even a word that Raichandbhai wrote with the intention of making a favourable impression on others. He always kept a scriptural book with him along with a notebook in which he used to note down the thoughts that came to his mind. Such writings were either in prose or in verse. That was probably how he wrote the above poem. Renunciation from worldly affairs was paramount in his thoughts and in almost every moment of his life. I am not aware of any moment when he must have craved economic or financial prosperity; I have with great awe, minutely observed his lifestyle. He was always content with whatever food was offered to him for lunch and dinner. His dress was always simple, a simple shirt, a long coat, sandals, a long scarf adorning his shoulders, a cotton turban, and a dhoti. I don't recollect them being very clean or properly ironed. For him, it hardly mattered whether he sat on the floor or on a chair. In his shop, he used to sit on a mattress spread on the floor. ENTITET