Jainism Abroad

Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

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IN VINOBAJI'S PADAYATRAS : Apart from the contacts and Padayatras of several kind Jain Munis, it was a testing experience during that of Acharya Vinoba Bhave's walking tours of Eastern, Southern and Western India, which was fortunate to join intermittently for about six years of my student-life between 1954 to 1960. The very interesting and inspiring moments of these tours are recorded in my books STHITAPRAGYA NI SANGATHE (Gujarati)/, STHITAPRAGYA KE SANG (Hindii) and "DAYS WITH VINOBA" (English) elaborately. So far as the following of my eating before the Sunsets everywhere was concerned, my sticking to it was sometimes worrying Vinobaji himself too. In fact, those were though hard and testing but memorable days. In Orissa and Tamilnadu and Telangana-Andhra, almost everywhere Baba Vinoba used to get up at three O'Clock or even before that in Early mornings. As he was expecting and I too was enjoying, I had to get up even before him, to tune my SITAR and play the morning RAGAS listening to which Baba will awake, just like a BADSHAH or King gets awakened by listening to sweet music. After all morning prayers and other formalities, we were walking down an average of 15 to 18 miles a day along with our bags and baggages on our back, for me additionally my SITAR in my hands.
After reaching another village destination, there were Morning-Afternoon Public Meetings and School Children's meetings. Everywhere I had to talk and perform Musical Songs of Sarvodaya and Bhoodan Movement. In course of these all, I hardly found time for morning breakfasts and evening meals-particularly when they were mostly served after the sunsets. Several times I skipped these meals and sometimes used to get some fruits if available, but I never gave up my principle and practice of abandoned Night-Eatings and Ground roots Eatings. Later when Vinobaji himself came to know about my staunch practice, he felt very much moved, tried to instruct the concerned persons to take care of my meals, freed me from several duties and jokingly ordered me to "TAKE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TWO THINGS : THE MILK AND THE SLEEP." Not only I got these two everywhere thereafter, but also the required Sunset- before meals and also a lot of LOVE from Baba and all the Colleagues. They all appreciated and commended my Jainist Principle of the above abandoning. Even several friends, though non-Jains, joined with me. Moreover, these practices helped my Yogic pursuits and Health beyond limits.
The fruits of the above abandonments were beyond imaginations and everywhere I went on thanking my father and Srimad Rajchandraji, the initiators of this prime practice of spirituality.
AT GURUDEO TAGORE'S SANTINIKETAN
I had my school and College studies at Amreli, Poona, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad-Deccan. Had also summer schools and short time courses at Mysore, Coimbatore, Benaras, etc., But it was my longing since childhood and youth to go to Gurudeo Rabindranath Thakur's Santiniketan and study over there. Inspite of the odds and obstacles, I could atleast manage to reach over there and got admitted myself in Vidya Bhavan for my Post Graduate Studies of M.A. Hindi. and in Sangeet Bhavan for Rabindra Sangeet, in Summer of 1958. Though Gurudeo Tagore was not there physically, his spirit was yet working in form of his great Direct Descendants like Acharya Kshiti Mohan Sen, Nitai Vinod Goswami, Shantideb Ghosh, Nandlal Bose and several others. Apart from these all, my Hindi Professors Ramsingh Tomar, Dr. Shivnathji, Smt. Kanika Deedi, were all kindly looking after my well being and comforts over there. They were all so much pleased with my coming to Santiniketan having known my long-cherished fulfilment of my dream and also my cultural and spiritual background of Jain Philosophical principles and my associations with Great Jain Monks, Scholars and other Luminary Saints like Acharya Vinoba Bhave, Gurudeo Tagore's disciple Acharya Gurdial Mallikji, Great Jain Scholar Dr. Pandit Sukhlalji, Great Gujarati Poet Umashankar Joshi, etc.,
Rev. Acharya Kshiti Mohan Sen was now and then inquiring of my settling down and when he came to know that I was uneasy by seeing a Non-Veg kitchen also, though separate, on the pious land of Santiniketan, he told me with tears in his eyes. "I also do not like, can't bear such unhealthy things on this soil of Santiniketan..... How Heaven-like it was when Gurudeo was alive here and how it is turning now....! It has become now the Central Government University and with it several ills and vices have entered..... I helplessly lament for these all since I can't do anything for stopping the same.....". Later on even after the arrangements for my early-eatings before the Sunset at the Vidyabhavan Hostel's Vegeterian Kitchen, when Rev. Kshiti Babu came to know about my seriousness of leaving Santiniketan if the Non. Veg. messes could not be closed, he lamented "Had there been Gurudeo here, he would have rather closed down such Non.