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<strong>Our</strong> <strong>Bapu</strong><br />
one day, he said to him, 'Look, Mohan, there is only one way of becoming<br />
strong and that is by eating meat. See how strong and well-built the English<br />
are. Just because they eat meat they are able to rule over us Indians, who are<br />
so weak and sickly.' Mohandas, in his innocence, believed this and he agreed to<br />
start taking meat.<br />
You know, Hari, it is forbidden by religion to eat meat. So meat was never<br />
bought or cooked in Mohandas's house. How could he then eat meat ? His friend<br />
invited Mohandas to dinner at his place. Then, he said, he would be able to<br />
take meat without his parents knowing anything about it.<br />
On the appointed day, Mohandas reached his friend's house and sat down to<br />
dinner along with others. He tried very hard to swallow the meat, but he just<br />
couldn't do it. The poor boy got sick and left his friend's house. He returned<br />
home, but all night long he had a most restless and miserable time. It seemed<br />
to him as though a goat was bleating inside his stomach. Afterwards he tried to<br />
take meat several times, but he never liked it. He would return home quite late<br />
after he began eating meat and each time he would have to make some excuse<br />
or other to his people. But one day it occurred to him that if he had to cover up<br />
his meat-eating with lies, it was not worthwhile trying to become strong at such<br />
a price. And so he decided never again to touch meat, even if he had to remain<br />
physically weak. It was no use deceiving one's parents in order to become<br />
strong."<br />
"But then how did he come to be so brave and fearless?" asked Hari with some<br />
surprise.<br />
Ramanama<br />
"Well, Mohandas had given up telling lies; but he longed to get strong and to<br />
cast off all fear. There was an old servant in the house, named Rambha. She<br />
knew how afraid Mohan was of the dark. One day she casually said to him that<br />
if he should ever feel afraid in the dark, or should find 'himself in trouble, he<br />
should start praying and repeating the sacred name of Rama. 14 She assured him<br />
that would drive all his fear."<br />
www.mkgandhi.org Page 13
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