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Gandhi's Teachers: Rajchandra Ravjibhai Mehta
spiritual stage was reached. At that stage, instead of helping, the scriptures became fetters and hindered further spiritual growth. Only own effort helped at that time.+7
Gandhi clearly imbibed the spirit of Rajchandra's messages and thus in the "Discourses on the Gita"4" he freely makes use of different scriptures and makes references to the learned lessons from the Bible, Koran, Pilgrim's Progress, and the works of Rajchandra. This is also evident in Gandhi's other social, political, and spiritual endeavors and his life in different ashrams in South Africa and India. Gandhi explains:51
"The principal faiths of the world constitute a revelation of Truth; but as they have all been outlined by imperfect men, they have been affected by imperfections and alloyed with untruth. One must, therefore, entertain the same respect for the religious faiths of others as one accords to one's own. Where such tolerance becomes a law of life, conflict between different faiths becomes impossible."
Aparigraha
Aparigraha is another area of Rajchandra's influence on Gandhi. Aparigraha is a core concept in Jain living and Gandhi had before him Rajchandra as an ideal example. Aparigraha emphasizes a detached attitude and involvement in the worldly affairs only to the extent it is necessary. It also emphasizes rising above sense gratifications, love, kindness, and compassion toward others, forgiveness, self-sacrifice, service to others, lack of enmity of any kind, fewer possessions, and simplicity of thought, word, and action. In aparigraha, it is understood that welfare of the person lies in the spiritual and altruistic pursuits, for which engaging in austerities and self-sacrifice in all walks of life is important. Love, kindness, and forgiveness are other core considerations in aparigraha and kindness of others has to be returned manifold. Animosity of any kind is to be avoided and even the evil of others has to be returned in terms of good deeds.
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