Shrimad Rajchandra And Mahatma Gandhi

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

Page 93

Shrimad Rajchandra & Mahatma Gandhi
his diary. Having observed this, Gandhi noted in his autobiography (page 84): "The man who, immediately on finishing his talk about substantial business transactions, began to write about the inner essence of the spirit, could evidently not be a businessman at all, but a real seeker of Truth."
Gandhi stated that during this period, he was not particularly spiritually inclined, however he found spiritual discussions with Shrimad of great interest. He observed the spirituality in Shrimad when he was conducting business and wrote: "Each and every action of a religious person should reflect their spirituality." This reflection is what we observe in the lives of both. Gandhi had made a further note: "Shrimad could not be cheated by anybody simply because he was deeply religious. Shrimad had to join his family business from the age of thirteen to support the family which was in dire financial condition. He would become immediately aware if someone was trying to cheat him. He always maintained that it was impossible to cheat one who was truly realised."
Gandhiji was to write in later life: "Shrimad has made such a deep and enduring impression on my life that I just cannot describe it. I have been in search for a truly spiritual person in India for a long time, however, I haven't come across anyone like him. Amongst the European philosophers, Leo Tolstoy is the greatest, followed by Ruskin; but Raichandbhai's influence upon me was much deeper."
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In examining Gandhi's life, we find that he met Shrimad in 1891, he first read Ruskin's thoughts in 1904 and entered into correspondence with Tolstoy in 1910. Thus from 1891 to 1904, it was Shrimad's influence that was paramount in Gandhi's life. In 1904, while travelling from Johannesburg to Durban by train, Gandhi met a person named Henry Pollack, who handed him John