A PILGRIMAGE FOR PEACE
made It his habit to try to see always the hand of
in everything even at the risk of being considered
^rstitious. Thus, he saw the hand of God in the name
, Badshah Khan had given them. Badshah Khan had
called them Satyagrahis but Servants of God.
" But how to serve God since He is incorporate and
Is no personal service ? We can serve Him by ser-
j His creation. There is an Urdu verse which says :
in can never be God but in essence he is not different
a Divinity.' Let us make our village our universe. We
1 then serve God by serving our village. To relieve
distress of the unemployed by providing them work,
end the sick, to wean people from their insanitary
its, to educate them in cleanliness and healthy living
ild be the job of a Khudai Khidmatgar. And since
itever he does is in God's service, his service will be
ormed with far more diligence and care than that of
[ workers."
He ended by giving a few practical hints as to how
ultivate non-violent strength. " A Khudai Khidmat-
will keep a strict account of every minute of his time
ch he will regard as God's trust. To waste a single
nent of one's time in idleness or frivolity is a sin
nst God. It Is on a par with stealing. If there is
i a tiny little bit of land available, he will occupy him-
with growing something on it — food or vegetables for
destitute and needy. If he should feel inclined to sit
and do nothing because his parents have enough
ey to enable him to purchase food and vegetables from
bazar, he will argue to himself that by drawing upon
bazar supplies, he deprives the poor of the same and
is what belongs to God. Before he purchases or uses
hing, a Khudai Khidmatgar will ask himself whether
e is not somebody else whose need may be greater
his. Supposing somebody places a sumptuous dish
re him and a starving person appears on the scene, he
think of the latter's need first, feed him and then alone
ake of the dish."