Saturday, February 23, 2013

From ‘reflections of an Extraordinary Era’ by Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee


The simplicity of Gandhi’s actions, thought and food was a reflection of his ideals. His purity was so overpowering that I would hesitate to pick up even his slippers. His slippers would be cleaner than my hands and I would be scared of dirtying them. Bapu-ji would touch even inanimate objects so gently it seemed as if they too had souls. Every time I dispose of trash, I think of my grandfather and the dignity with which he would do the task.



……one of Mahatma Gandhi’s talismans:

‘I will give you a Talisman. Whenever you are in doubt or when the self becomes too much for you, apply the following test: Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melting away.’

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