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A RETROSPECTION
135
'Gautam, I have pursued the religion of equanimity This alone I will propound I find the spiritual capacity of males and females identical in all respects and neither of the two inferior or superior to the other. For full 175 days I did without meals Then I accepted food from Chandanabala's hands. It was not a meaningless obduracy. It was an endeavour to redeem the femininity'
'Sire! I do see that this novel experiment was eminently successful Initiation of Chandanbala by the Lord threw open the hitherto closed avenues of feminine progress. Does not the rise of a class at the hands of your divine grace augur a corresponding fall of the other?'
'Gautam, an aspirant of the code of equanimity seeks a universal welfare He never desires any group's rise at the expense of another group A path of inequity alone creates a clash of interests I threw a challenge to slavery to seek welfare for all. My religion of equanimity cannot stand human slavery in any form I foresee a damation of the rich in slavery, and not otherwise
'If it be convenient my Lord, I am curious to know whether the experiments in equanimity pertained to human fraternity only or to the animal world as well'
'Gautam, in my religion of equanimity, the birds and beasts are not run down to the benefit of men. The entire living world has been viewed from a spiritual angle Serpent Chandakausik kept stinging me and I glanced at him with compassion. At last the venomous reptile was quitened. He also experienced the stream of equanimity'
'What is the Lord's future programme, sire ?
'It will be as it was during my years of pursuit, Gautam The gamut of my activity is rather limited to replace the pedestalled inequity with equity and equanimity is the be all and end all of my life'
'My Lord, can a votary of equanimity be stern with one's own body?
'He can't, Gautam.'
