Chapter 85 Chapter 6 A Sacrifice for Vegetarianism

As the ideals of sacrifice and simplicity became more and more realized, and the religious consciousness became more active in my daily life, so did the enthusiasm for vegetarianism as a calling.I know only one method of teaching, and that is by personal example and discussion with seekers of knowledge.There is a vegetarian restaurant in Johannesburg run by a German who believes in Kuhni water therapy.I've been to this vegetarian restaurant myself and have helped it attract many British friends.But I know it won't last long, because it's always in financial trouble.I sponsored it as much as I thought fit, and spent some money on it, but it finally went out of business.

Most of the Theosophists were almost vegetarians, and at this time an enterprising lady who belonged to that group came out and opened a large vegetarian restaurant.She is a person who loves art, talks big and doesn't know how to settle accounts.She has a lot of friends.It started out small, but she decided to take the risk of expanding it by renting a large room, and she asked me for help.When she came to me, I didn't know her financial situation, but I guessed that her budget must be quite accurate, and I can meet her requirements.My clients used to deposit large sums with me, and I borrowed about £1,000 in the name of one of them, who was a very generous and sincere man, with the consent of one of them.When he came to South Africa, he was still a contract worker.He said, "Take the money if you like. I don't know these things, I only know you." His name was Badley.He later became active in the nonviolent resistance movement and was also imprisoned.I thought his consent would be enough, so I lent the money.

I didn't know until two or three months later that the money could not be recovered.I just can't bear such a loss.I could have used this money for many other things, and the money has never been repaid, but how could the unsuspecting Padley suffer this loss for nothing?He only knows me; I have to make up for the loss. I once told a friend of mine about this deal, and he gently chided me for my stupidity, "Dude," -- luckily I haven't been a Mahatma, or even called a "Bab" yet (Father), friends tend to call me "dude" affectionately - "This is not what you should be doing. We have a lot of things that depend on you. You're not going to get this money back. I know you don't call Ba Deli is sad, you will pay him back out of your own pocket, but if you keep using the money deposited with you by the client in this way to help your reform plan, these poor people will all be ruined, and you will soon become a Beggar. But you who are entrusted by us should know that if you become a beggar, all our public work is over."

I have always been grateful to this friend; he is still alive.I have never met a purer man, whether in South Africa or anywhere else.I know he's the kind of guy who, when he finds out that his suspicions of people are unfounded, confesses himself by confessing to them. I knew he was right in his warning.For though I compensated Padley's loss, I could not afford any loss of the same kind, nor could I afford to be in debt for years--something I have never done in my life, and which I have hated all my life.I have realized that even if a person has the zeal to reform, it should not exceed the sphere of personal ability.I also understand that my use of the money entrusted by others in this way has violated the main lesson of the "Gita": it is the virtue of a person to work hard and not pay attention to the harvest. This mistake has become a warning signal for my life.

This sacrifice offered on the vegetarian altar was neither intended nor expected.It is a necessary virtue.