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his concentration had been poor. It became a signal to him that his single-mindedness had broken.
The day came for Rup to meet Gandhiji himself. It was a meeting which created a deep and lasting impression on him. He was struck by the genuineness of the man. Even at first sight, his presence moved him.
Seeing such a man, now I understand the meaning of having a mission in life.
Rup asked him, "Please Sir, would you tell me from where you received this message of non-violence? How did it arise in you?”
“I will be glad to tell you,” Gandhiji responded. "When I was in Africa, I used to think and think, 'How to free my countrymen from the yoke of British rule?' Certain friendships with people and with books awakened me and channeled my life in that one main direction. Always I had the habit of putting whatever seemed right to me into practice immediately, and still I do this, for it is my way of experimenting the truth on myself first. So the writings of Mahavira and other Jain saints had a profound effect on my life. I was deeply influenced also by the words of the Christian Bible, Thoreau, Tolstoy, and Ruskin. In particular, it is thanks to my dear friend, the poet Raychandbhai, that I came to know the Jain Scriptures and Mahavira's teachings.”
"What did Raychandbhai suggest that you do?"
"In his letters he urged me in this way. * He said, “Mankind has not yet realized the essence of Mahavira's message of Non-Violence. You may help them realize it. But first you must believe in it from the depths of your own soul."
“Did you believe in it right away?"
*In the following letter, dated October 20, 1894, Raychandbhai Mehta's answer to Gandhiji's question reveals the universality and comprehensive aspects of the Jain practice of Reverence for all Life:
"Question: If a snake is about to bite me, should I allow myself to be bitten or should I kill it, supposing that that is the only way in which I can save myself? "Answer: One hesitates to advise you that you should let the snake bite you. Nevertheless, how can it be right for you, if you have realized that the body is perishable, to kill, for protecting a body which has no real value to you, a creature which clings to its own life with great attach
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