Page 62 - Acharya Vinoba Bhave in 21st Century ISBN

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when he found the sculpture of Pavnar Ashram while digging for the agriculture in 1943. It was built as
a temple called “Bharat-Ram Milan Mandir.” It is not that Vinoba was himself an idol worshipper, but

he agreed to the viewpoint that idols certainly have a place in the life of many religious persons. He
speaks also about similar practices in other religious traditions.

In many Christian traditions, especially in popular devotions, there is a place of reverence
allotted for images and statues, though there is no worship of them. They are believed to help improve

faith and devotion. Vinoba seems to accept this position with a caution that care should be exercised
that one does not cross the limits, and be led astray into idol worship. He said, “Although it is not

considered the highest form of worship, it has been accepted and respected. As long as it remains
within the bounds set by nirguna, it remains free from defects. As soon as it crosses these bounds,

defects appear in it. …” 22
Images help us in our meditation. He gives an explanation for the various statues and images

kept in the Brahma Vidya Ashram.
… Even when we use an image for our mediation, we do so in order to reflect on

and imbibe the good qualities it represents. There is an image of the goddess
Ganga opposite my room…, I used it for meditation morning and evening. …

There stood before me, in that image of stone, a picture of all those virtues in
one. I used the statue of Bharat-Rama for meditation in the same way.…

Meditation on Jesus, for example, is meditation on the supreme revelation of
love. … 23

Sarvodaya and Christian Principles
It was in 1948, after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi that Vinoba took the lead to organize

the Sarvodaya Samaj. It was the actualization of a principle which he had always held close to his
heart, as Gandhiji had done too. It was in fact the realization of the “Unto this Last” principle which had

influenced Gandhiji the maximum. John Ruskin’s inspiration for Unto This Last was Matthew 20: 1-
16 where is found the “Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard”. 24

In his commitment to the society, he followed Gandhi and denounced the Utilitarian concept of
the “greatest good of the greatest number” of people. In a series of writings and speeches, he enunciated

the principle of the Samaj, some of which are as follow: “Progress means the progress of all. One
man’s loss cannot become another man’s gain. We are so linked up together that there is no private

universe. … All existence is one.” 25
Exploitation of the fellow human beings is in fact disrespect to God. Pride and superiority

complex also amount to disrespect to God. Illegitimate appropriation of property also amounts to the

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