Gandhi And Jainism

Author(s): Shugan C Jain
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 32

mistake which the class teacher noticed. The latter motioned to him to copy the correct spelling from his neighbour's slate. Mohandas refused to obey his teacher's illicit instructions for which he was later chided for what the teacher called his "stupidity".!" "At school I was taught all sorts of things except religion. I may say that I failed to get from teachers what they could have easily given me without any effort on their part. And yet I kept on picking things here and there from my surroundings. The term religion I am using in the broadest sense, meaning thereby self-realization or knowledge of
self"
Even though physical exercises and cricket were compulsory for the upper standards, Gandhi did not participate in these due to his shyness and dislike. These dislikes were further strengthened by his reading books about the benefits of long walks in the open air, a habit he kept later on. Also escape from physical exercise and sports periods gave him time to nurse his father. 20 Gandhi began to steal coppers from the servant's pocket money in order to purchase Bidis (Indian cigarettes) to smoke. After a few experiments with smoking, he realized that smoking is an unhealthy and harmful habit, besides compelling him to steal. So he quit it shortly afterwards.21 He did not relish the visit to Haveli, the temple his mother frequented daily due to the glitter and pomp and several immoral practices rumoured to be associated with it. This implied that he was averse to religious rituals based on blind faith. Instead he relished reading and reciting the Ramacharita-manasa of Tulsidas as he founds charm in it that he missed in the Mahabharata and even in Valmiki's Ramayana. Similarly he learnt from Rambha, his nurse at home, the practice of Ramanama'- the repetition of name of
Gandhi & Jainism
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