Bhavana Bodh

Author(s): Shrimad Rajchandra
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram

Page 60

Life of Shrimad Rajchandra
Sutra. The fundamental idea of the jaina works was the advocacy of non-violence and love to all high and low in the world. I liked this idea of universal love and non violence very much. After my age of 13 years, I used to attend to my father's shop. Occasionally I visited the residence of the ruler of Kutch as a writer since my hand writings were praised as best. While sitting in the shop I have composed many poems on the heroic and spiritual life of Rama and Krishna. But in my dealings with the customers of the shop I have never weighed less or more.
JATI SMARANA GNANA Shrimad Rajchandra possessed the knowledge of his previous births. It is called Jati Smarana Gnana. In reply to a question from Padamashibhai, his friend in Bombay as to, whether Shrimad possessed the mysterious knowledge of one's past lives, he replied yes and he explained as to when and how he obtained it. It is a picturesque description. He said :--" Once when I was seven years old, an elderly man named Amichand, well-built, stout and sturdy, a neighbour in my village, suddenly expired of a serpent bite. I did not know what was death. I returned home and asked my grand father as to what was the meaning of death. My grandfather tried to evade the reply and advised me to finish my meals. I insisted to get a reply. At last he said' To die means to separate the Soul from the body. A dead body has no movement, it contaminates and decays. Such a dead body will be burnt to ashes near a river bank as it has ceased to function'. Thereupon I went stealthily to the cremation ground and climbing a Babul tree I saw the whole process of burning the deceased body. I pitied the burning of the dead man and I felt that those who burnt him were cruel. A train of thoughts started on the nature of death and as a result I could recollect my previous lives. Such a knowledge of one's previous lives is called Jati Smarana Gnana. It is but natural that death and disease are the great humanising forces in individual and social life of thinking men. It is by being conscious of them that we develop modesty and humility in our behaviour and we reduce our