26.Generosity of the Sanghpati

Chapter-26

Generosity of the Sanghpati
“Sanghpati ” (the head of congregation who is dedicated to social service), Pooranchand Ghansi Lai Johri of Bombay No. 2, was ecstatic with joy on receiving consent from Achharya Shanti Sagar Ji for the pilgrimage of Shri Sammed Shikhar Ji along with the congregation in 1927. Earlier the congregation of Achharya Shri would visit only Southern India but because of the punyodaya (rise of virtues) of the devotees/ prospective-liberators, this congregation headed to Bihar Province. The news, that the ‘Munisangh’ had set foot in Northern India, was a source of joy for the natives because people of this region had not had the visit of Digambar Munis for many generations.

Only a virtuous person thinks of utilizing his wealth for welfare of others. The director of the Sangh was a promising vir­tuous and an ardent follower of Jainism having great affection for Achharya Shri Shanti Sagar Ji Maharaj. He was not a pos­sessor of huge capital but had an enormous wealth of virtues which strengthen him to resolve on accomplishing this great task in the proximity of the feet of Achharya Shri. Poet Manranglal has written: “He, whose wealth is thy both feet, will never be short of anything.”

Seth Ghansilal Johri and his elder, son Seth Gendenmal Ji couldn’t have thought of a better person than Achharya Shri, an embodiment of pure conduct and adorned with ratnatriya (tri­gems of right belief, right knowledge and right conduct), for of­fering their generosity towards the auspicious cause of this pil­grimage. Hence, he spent money freely without thinking of their capability. Seth Ghansilal Gendenmal Ji was a merchant of pearls.

spend pearls. He became hasta mukta from being mukta hasta. The wealth of a “samyak-drishti” (right-believer) and virtu­ous person is always invested in virtuous deeds. It is important for a wealthy person to earn virtues rather than earning wealth.

Almost every one has an addiction to earn money and dump it in the safes but there are rare persons who have the addiction to spend it freely, for a purposeful cause.

Sanghpati Seth Gendenmal Ji would humbly request the shravaks to join the congregation for pilgrimage handing over dispassionately the bundles of currency notes to the organizers. Neither did he count the currency-notes nor asked for any ac­count or bills of expenditure from them. His behaviour was quite different from the other wealthy people in general. He believed that he had only a few thousands of silver coins (in 1903) as his capital, and the rest had been earned by establishing financial relations with Arabian countries on account of his friendly behaviour, amicable speech, honesty, authenticity and credit.

A noble thought that wealth is a slave of virtues, was the reason for his abstinence, religiousness and devotion to Munis. He always thought that the wealth of jewels earned from the ocean should be spent for the cause of worship of the ocean like Maha- Muni (great-saint), an abode of ratnatriya.

“O Ocean! I surrender and entrust upon you the goods bestowed by you.”

Sanghpati spent a huge amount for the celebration of Panch-Kalyanak festival at Sammed Shikhar Ji and remained in the congregation for a very long time abstaining from his busi­ness. People may have misapprehension that his wealth would have reduced due to this. The people, sheltered by the Achharya Shri, were not only elevated to spiritualism but also rose to the height of prosperity. The increase in wealth of Seth Gendamal Ji, by leaps and bounds, made it clear that the source of virtue yielded even more water than what had been taken out from the well.

The well never runs dry.