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is God and Ahimsa is the means to achieve Truth. He was a keen observer, hard worker who experienced the plight of sufferers and suffering. Thus he became one of them to experience the plight of downtrodden himself before taking up their case for improvement.
Highlights of his life were Self-sacrifice, look at opponent's view point also and at times sided with opponents as well, use of spirituality for mass movement as against for self movement only, svadhyaya (read and seek clarifications from credible sources, contemplate, teach, experience), transparency (document, keep record of accounts and events), stickler of righteous and simpler life, not a believer of superstitions or blind faith in religious rituals or people, respected and practised vows, involved affected people in decision making, firm believer in self and karma doctrine, not tolerating discrimination, aparigraha (little possessions), non violent life including practicing extremes of vegetarianism, help victims personally and siding with truth. These appear to be derived from his discussions with Raychandbhai.
He moved up the ladder for spiritual purification of a Jain householder from an ordinary believer to a serious practitioner by accepting vows and advancing further to be termed as sadhak and Mahatma later.54 His life in South Africa can be beautifully summed up in his own words as:
The seeds had been long sown. It only needed watering to take root to flower and to fructify and the watering came in due course55
Pg.66 | Gandhi & Jainism
