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Gandhi's Teachers : Rajchandra Ravjibhai Mehta
people's sufferings and advised his followers to consider who drove them to the suffering. He was troubled by the prevalent oppression in the world and the passing irreligion everywhere in the name of religion.
Gandhi says that he imbibed these lessons of Rajchandra and that his own conceptions, strategies, and plans of ahimsa and Satyagraha were based on this learning. He elaborates that initial steps in the achievement of true compassion are selfdiscipline and lack of anger or hatred toward anyone. Attitudes of respect and devotion toward others were other important elements in true compassion, of which Rajchandra was an ideal embodiment."
Dharma
Another reason for Gandhi to feel indebted to Rajchandra was in terms the lessons he learned from him relative to the conception and practice of dharma. 8 Rajchandra lived the life of a mumukshury and conducted his household affairs, business, and spiritual affairs the same way with an attitude of detachment and focus on the ultimate goal of moksha. He demonstrated that a
on of dharma was equally possible in one's life as a householder, in the business dealings, and in the spiritual pursuits. He showed that if a person was devoted to dharma, then this spirit was evident in one's all actions and in all spheres of life. Dharma was not something to be observed on special occasions, on religious days, or only in temples, mosques, and churches. The following of dharma was an ongoing duty, meant for each moment of life and in all area of living. The person who was wise and advanced in the sphere of dharma, was also likely to be wise and advanced in other affairs. 61
Gandhi learned from Rajchandra that dharma was the same in secular and religious spheres and applied to physical, mental, moral, and spiritual aspects of living. Dharma was main guiding force in one's conduct and did not change with time, people, or circumstances. He explains:62
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