Ashram Notes and Mahatma Gandhi

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09404955338, 09415777229

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Mailing Address- C- 29, Swaraj Nagar, Panki, Kanpur- 208020, Uttar Pradesh, India

 

Ashram Notes and Mahatma Gandhi

 

Mahatma Gandhi had set up to famous ashram like Sabarmati and Sevagram. During freedom movement he was not present in Ashram always. So he wrote ashram note for guidance to Ashramites. These notes were full of useful information. Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “The work of cutting vegetables is disorganized. Under the rules, no one should drop out of vegetable cutting. This applies to all community activities. Whenever someone is unable to participate in such work, the person in charge of that work should be informed. Those who cannot participate in such activities should declare their inability once and for all.” 1

Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “Owing to certain irritations, big and small, I have entered on a period of silence today. The silence will continue indefinitely. It will have to be broken when the working Committee arrives. It will also be broken in other similar emergencies. At present there can be but one sadhana for me. For this silence is essential. Talking causes interruptions. I also find that silence saves my energy. I do not want to insist on anything anymore and so beyond expressing my views on essential matters, I do not want to argue.” 2 Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “In the sutra-yajna care should be taken to note the following:

1. Weight of the slivers of each of the spinners;

 2. Amount of yarn produced thereby;

 3. Amount of refuse; waste yarn to be collected; it has its own use;

 4. Count of the yarn produced, its tensile-strength and evenness;

 5. Every Gundy should be accompanied by the spinner’s name.” 3

Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “Neither boys nor elders should indulge in idle jokes either between themselves or with girls. While discussing work there is a place for innocent pleasantries. That is an art. But unless there is adequate reason for talking, observing silence is best. This is the root of purity in speech. There is much filth and refuse lying around the Ashram. Someone from amongst us should assume responsibility for keeping the surroundings clean. It need hardly be emphasized that cleanliness is an essential part of non-violence.” 4 Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “The blood-pressure will remain normal only when people here do their work well and do not indulge in quarrels. Let them do all things according to my wishes and ideals.” 5

Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “The rules deducible from the eleven observances and essential for a well-regulated Ashram life are as follows: All members whether permanent or otherwise will turn every minute of their time to good account. They will take part in every corporate activity of the Ashram. When free from Ashram work they will spin or carry out some other process connected with cotton. They will prosecute their private studies from 8 to 9 p.m. or during daytime, when they have no Ashram work to do and have done at least one hour’s spinning. They may not spin when they are ill or otherwise unable to spin owing to circumstances beyond their control No one should talk idly or in a loud voice. The Ashram must bear the impress of perfect peace as well as of truth. Our relations with one another must be marked by affection and restraint and with guests and visitors by courtesy. Whether a visitor is dressed in rags or in gorgeous robes, we should treat him with the same respect. We must not make any distinction between the rich and the poor, the high and the lowly. This does not mean that we may expect a delicately nurtured guest to live as simply as ourselves. That is to say, in waiting upon guests, we must always take into consideration their habitual mode of life. This is true courtesy. If an unknown visitor arrives at the Ashram, we must ask him the purpose of his visit, and if necessary take him to the manager. This is the duty of every inmate of the Ashram, because we cannot know whom such a visitor is likely to meet first. Our every word and every act should be well considered. Whatever we do we should do with a will and in complete identification with the work of the moment. Food must be taken like medicine, under proper restraint, only for sustaining the body and keeping it a fit instrument for service. We must therefore take food in moderation or even abstemiously.

We must be content with what food we get. If the food is insufficiently or badly cooked, we must not talk about it at meals, but courteously speak about it later to the manager of the kitchen. Bad or imperfectly cooked food should not be eaten. We must not champ while eating. We must eat our food slowly, decorously and tidily in a spirit of thankfulness to God. Everyone must wash his own dish thoroughly and keep it in its place. Guests and visitors are requested to bring their own plate, drinking pot, bowls and spoon, as well as lantern, bedding and mosquito net. They must not have more clothes than necessary. Their clothes should be made of khadi. Other things must be as far as possible village-made or at least swadeshi. Everything must be kept in its proper place. All refuse must be put into the dust-bin. Water must not be wasted. Boiled water is used for drinking purposes. Pots and pans are finally washed with boiled water. Unboiled water of the Ashram wells is not safe to drink. It is necessary to learn the distinction between boiling water and hot water. Boiling water is that in which pulses are cooked; and which gives out lots of steam. No one can drink boiling water.

We should not spit or clean the nose on the road, but only in an out-of-the-way place where no one is likely to walk. The call of nature must be attended to only at the appointed place. It is necessary to clean oneself after answering either call of nature. The water-jug used in the toilet is, as it should always be, set apart. After a visit to the latrine, we must wash our hands with pure earth and pure water, and wipe them with a clean napkin. The night soil must be fully covered with dry earth so as not to attract flies and in such a way that nothing but dry earth is visible. One must sit carefully on the latrine seat, so that the seat does not get dirty and the stool drops into the receptacle. A lantern must be carried if it is dark. Everything which can attract flies should be properly covered. Teeth must be cleaned with care at the proper place. The end of the twig must be well chewed into a soft brush, and the teeth and the gums must be brushed with it inside and out. The saliva discharged during brushing must be spat out. It must not be swallowed. After the teeth are well brushed the twig must be split into two to clean the tongue with. Then the mouth should be carefully washed. The nose also should be cleaned by drawing in water. The split twigs should be washed well, and collected in a pot. When they dry up they should be used for starting a fire, the idea being that nothing which can be used should be thrown away. Waste paper, which cannot be used for writing on the other side, should be burned. Nothing else should be mixed with it. The refuse from leafy vegetables must be kept separate and converted into manure. Broken glass should be thrown into a pit at a safe distance from houses. If anyone visits the Ashram or comes as a guest he should be received with love.

He should not feel an outsider. In the Ashram everything should be in its proper place and every nook and corner should be clean. No dust should be allowed to collect on the doors, nor should they be sticky. Everyone should do with great care the work allotted to him. No one should absent himself from a collective task. There should be the most scrupulous care in cleaning the utensils. The latrines should always be kept dry. The night-soil must always be covered with dry earth. Much water stagnates near the water-room; this is not good. Food should always be kept covered, so that it does not attract flies. In the matter of food everyone should remember our vow about control of the palate, and eat all the things as medicine. We should not be perturbed if occasionally we miss an item. Whatever we get should be accepted as God’s grace. We should learn to understand correctly the meaning of our prayer. Take care of the Ashram property while you are using it, as if it were your own.” 6

Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “My advice is that no one should keep with him more utensils than required and those who have the new utensils should exchange them for old ones, so that we can keep the former for our guests.” 7 Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “The thing is that we should bring deliberation into our lives. If we want to work less, we may work less. But what we do should as far as possible be perfect. That is why I have said that if we could mould our lives as we sing in the bhajan and make Sevagram an ideal village, we would have done everything.” 8 Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “I learnt yesterday that Nagu, who has been working in the Ashram for the last six years, has no knowledge of the directions or of the geography and history of India. If this is so, it calls for serious reflection on our part.” 9

 

References:

 

1. ASHRAM NOTE SEVAGRAM, May 21, 1940
2. ASHRAM NOTE SEVAGRAM, May 24, 1940
3. ASHRAM NOTE April 7, 1941
4. ASHRAM NOTE April 15, 1941
5. ASHRAM NOTE October 28, 1941
6. ASHRAM NOTE December 7, 1941
7. ASHRAM NOTE February 8, 1942
8. ASHRAM NOTE January 19, 1945
9. ASHRAM NOTE February 11, 1945