Shrimad Rajchandra And Mahatma Gandhi

Author(s): Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: Raj Saubhag Satsang Mandal

Page 30

Shrimad Rajchandra's Message 29
responded, "If these objects cause you such distress, then why do you wear them?" Without a second thought, the true spiritual aspirant, Motilal took off his ring and bracelet. The reality of how materialistic possessions can give birth to fear is evident.
Firstly, one takes great pains to accumulate possessions, and then these very possessions become a source of pain and worries. Thus, the desire for possessions and their ownership are like a double edged sword. It has been said in the Acharang Sutra - जेण सिया तेण णो सिया ।
Those objects from which you seek happiness, are incapable of giving happiness.
Retreats gave Shrimad the opportunity to immerse in his reading and contemplation. He would go alone into the dense forests and would either be lost in deep meditation or singing his favourite hymns aloud. He would arouse the worthy souls of this world from their slumber. Being alone and isolated, neither aroused fear for him. Such fearlessness stems from the awareness of the eternal character of one's true conscious nature, and the ephemeral nature of one's body and its possessions.
The first and foremost condition for the seekers of fearlessness is to overcome the attachment to one's body. Only when the attachment to the body is cast away can one begin the spiritual journey. Similarly, without realising the transitory nature of the body, one can never attain fearlessness. The fear is the root cause of all weaknesses. The ultimate manifestation of spirituality is the attainment of fearlessness. As an aspirant sheds his corporeal attachment, his spiritual endeavours shine through, leading to the development of inner qualities such as compassion,