Gandhis Teachers Rajchandra Ravjibhai Mehta

Author(s): Satish Sharma
Publisher: Gujarat Vidyapith Ahmedabad

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Gandhi's Teachers : Rajchandra Ravjibhai Mehta
previous birth is, as if, he (one) had not the knowledge of the soul."
When of school-age, Rajchandra was admitted into a Gujarati school, where he received his education in vernacular languages. He was smart and surprised both his teachers and classmates through his brilliance and extraordinary capacity to learn the lessons quickly. He finished all junior level classes (first four grades) within a two-year period. At age thirteen, he was sent to Rajkot to study English language, but was called back to help his father in the business. Rajchandra also had a chance to go to England for higher studies, but chose not to
go. 10
Rajchandra's religious yearnings had started at an early age. The main influence in this regard was his mother, who was a deeply religious women and practiced all kinds of Jain vows. The family, when Rajchandra was young, lived in a neighborhood where other Jain families also lived. This gave Rajchandra an ample opportunity to interact with the Jain families and learn about their way of life. He was impressed by the rational thought behind Jainism and the kindly way of life of the Jain families. This was also the time when Rajchandra began a deep study of Jainism and comparative study of other religions. He discussed his spiritual problems with the learned people he could find and felt that no other religion had advocated the ideals of love, harmony, and renunciation so scientifically and so in-depth, as Jainism had." Later, he wrote:12
"Jainism has such sacred theories in itself that one may end his life contemplating even upon one of them and still remain far from reaching the conclusion. Compared to the ocean of nectar of spiritual morality propounded by the omniscient Lord Jinendra, all other religions seem not even like drops in it. One who understood Jainism and followed it, would become nothing but unattached and omniscient. How sacred personage its propounder was? How intact, perfect, and compassionate are His doctrines? There is no fault in them. It is only Jainism, which is quite infallible.