The below mentioned article is a true story from Mahatma Gandhi's Life and is the quote of a conversation between Mahatma Gandhi and Shriram Sharma Acharya at Sabarmati ashram. These short and true stories contain inspirational and important lessons from Gandhi ji's life.
Shriram Sharma Acharya had an ardent desire to meet Gandhiji and spend time at the Sabarmati Ashram. So he met Gandhiji for the first time in February 1931.
Shriram Sharma Acharya had an ardent desire to meet Gandhiji and spend time at the Sabarmati Ashram. So he met Gandhiji for the first time in February 1931.
Acharya Shriram Sharma was also a freedom fighter and a member and volunteer for the movement of India’s Independence from the British. However he visited Gandhiji’s ashram at Sabarmati not as a freedom fighter but rather to find out - How to become like Mahatma Gandhi? Acharya Shriram also wanted to understand the functioning and requirements of a model "ashram".
Prior to meeting Mahatma Gandhi, Acharya Shriram Sharma had just visited Maharishi Ramana at his ashram and took some learnings from him.
(This quoted true story is a condensed excerpt of a conversation with minor text abbreviations from the book, Odyssey of the Enlightened, by Dr Pranav Pandya , page 341-347).
Prior to meeting Mahatma Gandhi, Acharya Shriram Sharma had just visited Maharishi Ramana at his ashram and took some learnings from him.
(This quoted true story is a condensed excerpt of a conversation with minor text abbreviations from the book, Odyssey of the Enlightened, by Dr Pranav Pandya , page 341-347).
Quoted conversation:
"Shriram wanted to meet Gandhiji and also observe closely the activities of the ashram. Maharishi Ramana's ashram was much quieter as compared to Sabarmati ashram. Life at Ramana's ashram was like a slowly flowing murmuring stream and that at Sabarmati ashram it was like fast flowing hilly river. The intense activity, normally observed at the time of an emergency or any serious operation, was experienced there all the time.
With an ardent desire to meet
Mahatma Gandhi, on the second day Shriram sat in front of the Seva Kutir from
1:30 a.m onwards.
Around 5 a.m Bapu came out. ….Shriram was looking at him
intently. As soon as Gandhiji moved forward, Shriram also followed him but he
kept some distance between them. There was inner desire that somehow Gandhiji's
attention should turn to him and that he should see him. While walking, it took
about thirty - thirty five minutes when the distance between Gandhiji and
Shriram became less and less.
Gandhiji's attention turned to Shriram. He turned back and said - "Your name is not there in the list of people who are supposed to meet me this morning. Anyway, do you want to say something?"
Gandhiji's attention turned to Shriram. He turned back and said - "Your name is not there in the list of people who are supposed to meet me this morning. Anyway, do you want to say something?"
Dialogue with Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi)
Shriram bowed to Bapu. He
considered it to be a boon to have been called by Bapu. Immediately he said 'yes'.
Bapu said - 'Preparations for the morning program might be going on. Did you participate in the prayer?"
Shriram nodded his head.
Bapu asked - "Which part of this program did you like?"
"Everything was fine." - said Shriram - "But the Mantras of Eeshavasyopanishad impressed me very much. I will repeat that prayer daily."
Bapu said - 'Preparations for the morning program might be going on. Did you participate in the prayer?"
Shriram nodded his head.
Bapu asked - "Which part of this program did you like?"
"Everything was fine." - said Shriram - "But the Mantras of Eeshavasyopanishad impressed me very much. I will repeat that prayer daily."
"What is the use of
repeating the prayer?" - Bapu questioned.
No answer could be given to
this. Shriram started thinking.
Seeing him contemplating, Bapu said - "People should live like birds; they have neither home for shelter nor clothes to wear; they don't even possess a one time meal"
Seeing him contemplating, Bapu said - "People should live like birds; they have neither home for shelter nor clothes to wear; they don't even possess a one time meal"
Shriram said - "But the
humans don't have wings like birds. They also cannot live on trees like
birds."
Gandhiji smiled at this reply. He said smilingly - "You are joking. The essence of keeping the ideal of a bird in mind is that one should keep one's needs to the bare minimum. He, who stores more than his genuine needs, is a thief."
Gandhiji smiled at this reply. He said smilingly - "You are joking. The essence of keeping the ideal of a bird in mind is that one should keep one's needs to the bare minimum. He, who stores more than his genuine needs, is a thief."
When Mahatma Gandhi was saying this, Shriram recalled the discussion he heard yesterday in the ashram. There had been a theft in the ashram,yesterday.
The thieves stole quite a good number of items including Kasturba's box of belongings. This incident was not reported to the police station.
Gandhiji said - "I am myself responsible for this incident. The thieves believed that there was something worth stealing in the ashram. Further, I could not train people's minds to imbibe the spirit of oneness with the ashram. After all, thieves also stay here."
The thieves stole quite a good number of items including Kasturba's box of belongings. This incident was not reported to the police station.
Gandhiji said - "I am myself responsible for this incident. The thieves believed that there was something worth stealing in the ashram. Further, I could not train people's minds to imbibe the spirit of oneness with the ashram. After all, thieves also stay here."
Gandhiji was all the more
surprised to know that Kasturba had some box in which she had put all her
belongings. He enquired about this from Ba, who told him - Kasturba said there was nothing except the
clothes of grandchildren.
Gandhiji was not satisfied with this answer. He lost his control -"So what! They should themselves take care of their clothes or their parents should do that. Why should you do it?"
After this incident Kasturba stopped keeping a box of her own.
Among the companions of Gandhiji, it was Ba whose luggage used to be the least.
The talks heard in the ashram were lashing in Shriram's mind like lightening. Walking with Gandhiji, he was feeling that the atmosphere there was that of strict discipline. Ashram's life was not like any Matha or Akhada. It was a family of hardworking volunteers living under the protection of a stern guardian. However the guardian too possessed the heart full of love and compassion. It could not be seen but could be easily felt.
Gandhiji was not satisfied with this answer. He lost his control -"So what! They should themselves take care of their clothes or their parents should do that. Why should you do it?"
After this incident Kasturba stopped keeping a box of her own.
Among the companions of Gandhiji, it was Ba whose luggage used to be the least.
The talks heard in the ashram were lashing in Shriram's mind like lightening. Walking with Gandhiji, he was feeling that the atmosphere there was that of strict discipline. Ashram's life was not like any Matha or Akhada. It was a family of hardworking volunteers living under the protection of a stern guardian. However the guardian too possessed the heart full of love and compassion. It could not be seen but could be easily felt.
After this short conversation
on the ideal of a bird Gandhiji said - "Do you work for the
Congress?"
Shriram said - "No, I am not a formal member of the
Congress."
"What do you do?" - He asked again.
"What do you do?" - He asked again.
"I have made up my mind to devote myself to the service of
the nation." - was the reply from Shriram.
Gandhiji struck the correct note - "What do you want from me? How can I help you?"
Gandhiji struck the correct note - "What do you want from me? How can I help you?"
"I want to become like you" -
Shriram replied.
"If you want to become like me, then
watch Satyagraha Ashram carefully. Learn how the people live there. Don't
consider any task to be low or any person inferior."
Some Advice from Bapu
After saying this Gandhiji paused, then said again - "There is a simple way. As far as possible, follow these two rules -First, don't keep clothes, food or money in excess of your immediate needs. I too don't keep. If you have to, then consider it to be entrusted to you by the society. Second, in the daily routine don't take anybody's help. Do your work yourself."
Talking like this they returned to the ashram.
Volunteers were busy in cleaning operation. Morning hours are reserved normally
for Japa -Dhyan. In this ashram too that was done; but along with the cleaning
of toilets and bathrooms, the volunteers had to clean their own places of stay
as well as their surroundings.
Entering the ashram, Bapu asked Shriram —
"What spots have you selected for cleaning?"
Shriram said - "Wherever I
am asked to do." Bapu said - "OK! Other than that, clean the Goshala
(cattle-shelter) also. You have come from a village. So you must be having a
good experience in it."
The First Lesson of Spirituality from Bapu
Shriram recollected that after meeting Gandhiji he wanted to get engrossed in the service of the ashram.
Shriram was given the task of
cleaning the ashram. An accompanying volunteer was not comfortable with the task of
cleaning and he wanted to run away as soon he got the chance.
That volunteer shared his agony with Shriram and said - "I came here to become a Mahatma. I thought Bapu would give me some worthwhile responsibility. Instead His men have given me the task of cleaning the toilets."
A senior volunteer of the ashram heard this talk. He explained -"In the ashram routine, this is the first task assigned . Bapu himself does this cleaning work. If we cannot clean the dirt around us, how will we be able to clean the filth spread in the society." The other volunteer was not convinced with the answer; he let ashram after 2-3 days.
That volunteer shared his agony with Shriram and said - "I came here to become a Mahatma. I thought Bapu would give me some worthwhile responsibility. Instead His men have given me the task of cleaning the toilets."
A senior volunteer of the ashram heard this talk. He explained -"In the ashram routine, this is the first task assigned . Bapu himself does this cleaning work. If we cannot clean the dirt around us, how will we be able to clean the filth spread in the society." The other volunteer was not convinced with the answer; he let ashram after 2-3 days.
Shriram remembered one more
incidence. After getting up in the morning, he was brushing his teeth. In this
chore, about half-a-bucket of water was spent. One senior volunteer was passing
by; he objected to it - "For
brushing teeth, one jug of water is enough. If Bapu knows about it, he will be
pained. He says there may be enough water on earth, but it must not be
wasted."
In the evening prayer, Bapu also talked about the same thing.
In the evening prayer, Bapu also talked about the same thing.
While traveling in the train
during his return journey, Shriram remembered several such instances. While
contemplating on the formula of Gandhiji for becoming a Mahatma, he remembered Maharishi
Ramana. He appeared to be a liberated soul. His spiritual attainment was much
higher than that of Gandhiji, but the way
to attain that height goes via Sabarmati Ashram - he felt.
Thoughts again started lying in the same direction - 'Can there be any rapport between the fast pace of Sabarmati Ashram and the cool peace of Maharishi Ramana Ashram'? Several alternatives came to the mind before the train reached Agra. Another wave struck like this -'There may be other institutions in the country like Sabarmati Ashram, Shanti Niketan and Maharishi Ramana Ashram; a plan should be made to visit them also."
Thoughts again started lying in the same direction - 'Can there be any rapport between the fast pace of Sabarmati Ashram and the cool peace of Maharishi Ramana Ashram'? Several alternatives came to the mind before the train reached Agra. Another wave struck like this -'There may be other institutions in the country like Sabarmati Ashram, Shanti Niketan and Maharishi Ramana Ashram; a plan should be made to visit them also."
******
Source and credits:
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Source and credits:
Please visit our "Life Transforming Books" section to read many wonderful inspirational books .
To read the book "Odyssey of the Enlightened" please click the link below:http://www.scribd.com/doc/91609267/Odyssey-of-the-Enlightened-By-Dr-Pranav-Pandya-Pandit-Shriram-Sharma-Acharya
To know more about the Divine Sage Acharya Shriram Sharma please click the link below:
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