________________ 146 Memoirs about Shrimad by Gandhiji He always walked slowly and anyone watching him would realise that he was deeply engrossed in his thoughts. His eyes shone brightly; calm and collected, reflecting concentration and single-mindedness. He had a roundish face, thin lips, nose, neither sharp nor flat. The frame of his body was slim, with a medium height, skin slightly dark and appearance calm and composed. His voice was so sweet and melodious that one would want to keep listening to it for hours. He had a smiling and peaceful face, reflecting his inner bliss. His command of language was so perfect that he never faltered to choose the appropriate words to express himself. His writings were so perfect that he hardly ever had to change the words once written. The reader too would never feel that the chain of his thoughts were incomplete, or the construction of sentences disjointed, or that his choice of words were in any way deficient. Such a description fits that of an ascetic. A person cannot become saintly by an external show of rigid religious practises. Freedom from passion is indeed a great quality of the soul. It can only be acquired through efforts spread over many lives. Only one who has attempted to get rid of his passions can realise how difficult it is to be free from them. For Raichandbhai, such a passion-free state was natural. That is what I felt about him. The first step towards liberation is to attempt to free oneself from passions and to reach a state of equanimity. Whilst there is an attraction towards even the smallest worldly thing, how can the talk of liberation attract one? Even if there exists a desire for liberation, it would be merely for pleasing one's ears - just