Gandhis Teachers Rajchandra Ravjibhai Mehta

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

Page 97

Rajchandra's Influences on Gandhi
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lying in bed, or conducting his business, he was not interested in the things around and was not tempted by material luxuries or worldly pleasures. He dressed simply, ate simply, lived simply, and accepted whatever was offered to him or came naturally in his way. Rajchandra's life became a role model for Gandhi and he wanted to live like him. 36 Gandhi, thus, started further simplifying his personal and family arrangements and these experiments in simplicity continued in South Africa and then in India. In Durban, for example, Gandhi changed his living style and started washing own clothes and cutting own hair. In Johannesburg, self-labor aspect of simplicity was intensified and effort was made to accomplish all work without any outside help. The simplicity effort extended to such familylashram matters as the making of flour with a purchased hand-mill, preparation of own bread and meals, cleaning of the house, and doing the scavenger's work. Even the Satyagraha publicity materials were printed and distributed through own effort. The ashrams Gandhi established in South Africa and India later became models of simplicity for others. 37
Religious Equanimity
Religious equanimity and tolerance came to Gandhi through his childhood encounters with different religions and later through his association with the Theosophist, Muslim, and Christian friends in England, South Africa, and India. Much, however, he owed to Rajchandra in this regard because of the valuable lessons he learned from him through frequent discourses.
Gandhi's family had a Vaishnava 8 temple in the Haveli 39 and as a child he visited the temple regularly with his mother, father, and other family members. The idols of Shiva and Rama were installed in the temple and both Bhagavad Gita and Koran used to be read. Holy people belonging to different religious faiths visited the temple and talked to Gandhi's father on religious matters. Muslim and Parsi friends also