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Manliness
My objective in referring to this incident is to affirm that it is highly improper for us to be cowed to save our skins, when anybody or anything gives us a call for manliness. At the same time it is undoubtedly true that sometimes when such situations arise in life, we have got to be circumspect and eat the humble pie. Fearless as Mahatma Gandhi always was, even he had to pocket insults at times. A foolhardy plunge into any fight is not manly. That aside, there arise many occasions in a sadhak's life when challenges, which make or mar our progress, are lung at us. That is why it is my appeal to you all, dear ones, not to turn your backs upon them and to keep bright the flame of your valorous spirit. Its repeated use makes it all the more blazing. The same is the case in heroism, courage, and other such outstanding qualities. They grow in us with their steady use.
In my early days of sadhana, in order to cultivate fearlessness, I went specially to that place about which somebody warned me saying, "It is a very dreadful place. Nobody should go there." By God's grace, there I could, without any trepidation, remain engrossed in my sadhana. Don't you remember those lines of Sire walter Scott?
For,
if a path be dangerous known
Danger's self is lure alone.
The stern joy that warriors feel,
With foemen worthy of their steel.as
In my
case my foemen were places reputedly dangerous or occasions and circumstances
known to be awfully painful. They only pushed me to react bravely to them.
They animate our spirits. They are like a slab that sharpens the edge of a
razor when it is rubbed up and down. We must therefore hail trouble when it
assails us and put forth a formidable resistance to overcome it.
Manliness There Again
When I was teaching Harijan boys at Marida Bhagole (in Nadiad), some Muslim boys harassed us very much. I tried my best to dissuade them, met the acquaintances, procured their addresses and complained about their conduct to their elders, but all to no effect. Their rowdiness continued unabated. There were three or four rooms in our school. The building flanked a dusty road. The boys would fill their palms with dust and throw it into the school rooms, shout very loudly to disturb us, and even harass Harijan boys on their way to and from the school. All around the school there were only Muslim houses. I exerted myself to find out any possible means to stop this trouble peacefully, but without the slightest success. At last I thought, "This is too much now. These bullies have got to be faced squarely." When talks with the Muslim teacher of the Urdu School and even with the Kazi Saheb brought no change, I decided, "These ruffians deserve a sound thrashing."
One day, therefore, I thought out a plan to beat them severely and also considered all the possible consequences of my desperate resolve. A thick cane in hand, I hid myself behind the wing of a door. When the boys came into the room to throw dust, I came out, blocked their exit, and fell upon the three or four of them with my stick like the wolf upon a lamb. This unexpected assault frightened them. They screamed out for help. Then giving me the slip, they ran away and returned with many men. Some of them were those to whom I had lodged my complaint against the boys. The Muslim crowd was angry and threatening. But that did not unnerve me. It struck me that something must be done at once to change their violent mod. God's grace showed me the way out. At that very split second, I began taking off all my clothes except the little loin-cloth. The sudden sight of my naked body stunned them for a while. Their feelings subsided a little and then a slight change in their attitudes towards me came about. I seized the chance and told them: "See! I have fully bared my body. You can beat me to your hearts' content. To stop this terrible nuisance I had appealed to some of those present there, appealed to their parents, appealed to the teacher of the Urdu School, appealed to the Kazi Saheb himself. But all in vain. Just see! None of them ever came forward to stop these boys' mischief. And none of you even now care to see the boys' fault. Should we go on submitting meekly to this persecution day after day? You are adults and sane people, not senseless brow beating teenagers. I leave it to you to judge my case."
The Wave Ebbs
The excitement of the crowd was arrested somewhat at the most unexpected sight of my bare body. That made them listen to my plea a little more quietly. And can there ever be a crowd without a single sane man? He spoke out and fully supported me. That changed completely the temper of the crowd. All of them then burst out, "O Bhagat! You have done just the right thing in punishing the rascals severely. They will now think twice before doing any mischief. And if they do, have no scruples. Teach them the lesson of a life-time." And with that the crowd dispersed.
Mischief-mongers Converted as Friends
After that incident the Muslim boys completely gave up their nefarious practices. On my way to the school and back I had to unavoidably pass through that Muslim locality. The houses of the boys I had beaten lay along my path. I would treat them with love and kindness, whenever we met. As I was beset my dire poverty, I could not afford to give them anything more than baked grains of gram worth about three-four pice (pice = 1/64 of a rupee). They became my friends.
No Over-boldness
We must put up a brave front against a challenging situation and not allow ourselves to become the butt of ridicule by our submission to it. At the same time we must not rely upon over-bold measures to free ourselves from it. We must first estimate our willingness and power of endurance to suffer all its possible consequences and only then, after deep deliberation, if we feel ourselves tough enough, should we take steps to overcome the hurdles the situation imposes upon us.
No Fear of Thieves
In Nadiad, whenever I went at night to the dreadful "bokadi in bavali" (a far- away lonely thicket of babul trees) the thieves resorting to it did their best to frighten and drive me away. They would threaten to beat me severely - even kill me. By hook or by crook they tried to see that I left the place.
Three thieves once wanted to distribute their booty among themselves. They saw me. One of them said, "Kill the fellow outright; nobody can identify us then." But, by God's grace, none of them did anything to implement the threat. That is a clear instance to show how dangerous that "bokkad ni bavali" was.