Basically, he was a rebel, and all these institutions, Mathas, Peethas, were a logical anathema to him. He gave a lecture at Chaturvedamangalam in Ramnad in Tamilnadu. He raised certain issues concerning thoughts, ideas and these institutions. He criticised them for not re-checking their ideas, dropping the dead ones and absorbing new ones. He quoted the Vedas where it is stated that you should winnow the thoughts and ideas like grain and keep only the good corn. It is no use repeating old sayings as mantrams. You must constantly check their validity. He wanted the outdated part of the Vedas also to be rejected. He wanted new ideas to be added to the Vedas, and to retain what is good in them.
He told the Dbarmacharyas that they should not become mere postmen, who deliver letters and messages. He gives a simile. A learned father told his son to hold an umbrella in the morning for protection from the sun in the eastern direction. However his son must have sense enough to change the direction in the afternoon, and hold an umbrella in the western direction. Simply because father said, it should not compel him to hold it so in the evening. Vinoba said that it is the obstinate behaviour of believers that created non-believers.
The heads of the mathas did not undertake to the spread of real religion. They only looked after their properties. Their properties were gifted by people for the spreading of religion. The mainteance of such properties became an end in itself. Vinoba wanted Dharma to be constantly spreading and growing. Why should the saints of Tamilnadu be as Nalavar (four greats) and not grow in numbers? Why are the Gurus of the Sikhs restricted to ten? Why not more? We must be capable of finding new ways to live and be religious.
Those who are bound to institutions do not find such new ways. Vivekananda, Gandhi, Aurobindo, Sankarcharya, Tolstoy were the people who really spread Dharma, The established mathas, swamis and churches opposed these thinkers.
Vinoba wanted to know why such religious institutions were unable to stop thefts in their near vicinities? Why was
48 �
