Letter 2
. 11th February, 1990 My dear Pranav,
Did you get my first letter? I continue with the same thoughts. Brahman (It) Exists (IS). Vinoba was a firm believer in Spirituality (adhyatma) or Science of understanding brahman. He believed that Religion and Politics were outdated. The future lies with Science and Spirituality.
All of us are children of Light. We are a part of brahman. This self Atman and Brabman or Paramatman Advaita or non-duality. But who am “I”? What am “I” in all this?
Vinoba left his home at the age of 16 when he was in the second year of college. He was studying at Baroda, when he left for Varanasi in the north. His basic desire was to learn and understand what Brahman is (Atha to Erahnegignyasa. He
wanted an answer to Who am I?
He clearly knew that a man is not his clothes. A man is not his hands, legs or even the sum total of the parts of his body. A man is not just his body. This is called Debabhava. You must know that you are something different and better than your body. Then you see how you are related to others. But such ideas or thoughts are like seeds. “I discover many a time that thoughts keep on developing in deep sleep. Seed that is covered with soil appears to have been lost, but it continues to develop underground. It seems this is a similar process” (1) How are you related to the total? How are you related to brabman? Vinoba’s life was a constant search for the truth about this self (atman) and the Supreme being (brabman). All his actions and thoughts were based on this basic mind-set.
Pranav, you may find this rather tough. Most people will not accept the brotherhood of human beings unless they accept the fatherhood of God (brabman) (2). But jet me tell you that
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