Founding the Ashram

The pilgrimage to the Kumbha Fair was my second visit to Hardvar.

My pilgrimage to the Kumbha Fair was my second visit to Hardvar.

The Satyagraha Ashram was founded on the 25th of May, 1915. Shraddhanandji wanted me to settle in Hardvar. Some of my Calcutta friends recommended Vaidynathadham. Others strongly urged me to choose Rajkot. But when I happened to pass through Ahmedabad, many friends pressed me to settle down there, and they volunteered to find the expenses of the Ashram, as well as a house for us to live in.

The Satyagraha Ashram was founded on May 25, 1915. Shraddhanandji wanted me to settle in Hardvar. Some of my Calcutta friends recommended Vaidynathadham. Others strongly urged me to choose Rajkot. But when I happened to pass through Ahmedabad, many friends urged me to settle there. They offered to cover the Ashram’s expenses and find us a house to live in.

I had a predilection for Ahmedabad. Being a Gujarati I thought I should be able to render the greatest service to the country through the Gujarati language. And then, as Ahmedabad was an ancient centre of handloom weaving, it was likely to be the most favourable field for the revival of the cottage industry of hand-spinning. There was also the hope, that the city being the capital of Gujarat, monetary help from its wealthy citizens would be more available here than elsewhere.

I favored Ahmedabad. As a Gujarati, I thought I could best serve the country through the Gujarati language. Ahmedabad was also a long-established center of handloom weaving. This made it a promising place to revive hand-spinning as a cottage industry. I also hoped that, because Ahmedabad was the capital of Gujarat, financial help from its wealthy citizens would be easier to obtain there than elsewhere.

The question of untouchability was naturally among the subjects discussed with the Ahmedabad friends. I made it clear to them that I should take the first opportunity of admitting an untouchable candidate to the Ashram if he was otherwise worthy.

The subject of untouchability naturally came up in discussions with my friends in Ahmedabad. I made my position clear. I would admit an untouchable candidate to the Ashram at the first opportunity, if the candidate was otherwise worthy.

‘Where is the untouchable who will satisfy your condition?’ said a vaishnava friend self-complacently.

‘Where is the untouchable who will meet your condition?’ a vaishnava friend asked smugly.

I finally decided to found the Ashram at Ahmedabad.

I finally decided to establish the Ashram in Ahmedabad.

So far as accommodation was concerned, Sjt. Jivanlal Desai, a barrister in Ahmedabad, was the principal man to help me. He offered to let, and we decided to hire, his Kochrab bungalow.

Sjt. Jivanlal Desai, a barrister in Ahmedabad, was the main person who helped me find accommodation. He offered to rent out his Kochrab bungalow, and we decided to rent it.

The first thing we had to settle was the name of the Ashram. I consulted friends. Amongst the names suggested were ‘Sevashram’ (the abode of service), ‘Tapovan’ (the abode of austerities) etc. I liked the name ‘Sevashram,’ but for the absence of emphasis on the method of service. ‘Tapovan’ seemed to be a pretentious title, because though tapas was dear to us, we could not presume to be tapasvis (men of austerity). Our creed was devotion to truth, and our business was the search for and insistence on truth. I wanted to acquaint India with the method I had tried in South Africa, and I desired to test in India the extent to which its application might be possible. So my companions and I selected the name ‘Satyagraha Ashram,’ as conveying both our goal and our method of service.

The first thing we had to decide was the name of the Ashram. I asked friends for suggestions. Their suggestions included ‘Sevashram’ (the abode of service) and ‘Tapovan’ (the abode of austerities). I liked ‘Sevashram,’ but it did not emphasize the method of service. ‘Tapovan’ seemed pretentious. Though tapas was dear to us, we could not presume to be tapasvis (people who practice austerities). Our belief was devotion to truth, and our work was to seek and insist on truth. I wanted to introduce India to the method I had tried in South Africa. I also wanted to test how far the method could be applied in India. So my companions and I chose the name ‘Satyagraha Ashram.’ It expressed both our goal and our method of service.

For the conduct of the Ashram a code of rules and observances was necessary. A draft was therefore prepared, and friends were invited to express their opinions on it. Amongst the many opinions that were received, that of Sir Gurudas Banerji is still in my memory. He liked the rules, but suggested that humility should be added as one of the observances, as he believed that the younger generation sadly lacked humility. Though I had noticed this fault, I feared humility would cease to be humility the moment it became a matter of vow. The true connotation of humility is self-effacement. Self-effacement is moksha (salvation), and whilst it cannot, by itself, be an observance, there may be other observances necessary for its attainment. If the acts of an aspirant after moksha or a servant have no humility or selflessness about them, there is no longing for moksha or service. Service without humility is selfishness and egotism.

The Ashram needed a code of rules and practices to guide its conduct. So a draft was prepared, and friends were invited to give their opinions. Of the many opinions received, I still remember Sir Gurudas Banerji’s. He liked the rules but suggested adding humility as one of the practices. He believed the younger generation sadly lacked humility. Though I had noticed this fault, I feared that humility would cease to be humility once it became a vow. True humility means putting oneself aside. Putting oneself aside is moksha (salvation). While it cannot itself be a practice, other practices may be necessary to achieve it. If someone seeking moksha or serving others acts without humility or selflessness, there is no longing for moksha or service. Service without humility is selfishness and egotism.

There were at this time about thirteen Tamilians in our party. Five Tamil youngsters had accompanied me from South Africa, and the rest came from different parts of the country. We were in all about twenty five men and women.

At the time, there were about thirteen Tamilians in our group. Five young Tamilians had come with me from South Africa, and the rest came from different parts of the country. In all, there were about twenty-five men and women.

This is how the Ashram was started. All had their meals in a common kitchen, and strove to live as one family.

This is how the Ashram began. Everyone ate meals from a shared kitchen and tried to live as one family.