Page 11 - My Father-Final Book

family. However, Vinayak tolerated all this with calm mind. The work place was just below our rental apartment.I was a high school student. I met my father each time I went out of my home and came back to the home, without missing even a single instance. During these short meetings my father gave me inspiration to study well, to find my stability, and he also told me how his hard work is a part of his spiritual austerity. He told me twenty years before his death that his hard work will later be held as his tolerance and forgiveness to his disciple. During those meetings, he gave me a good outline of my future life and he told me that my good studies would pay for itself long into my life. He also told me that I would never suffer any poverty and I will become very well known. All the statements he made came true. [Illustration 5: My father while working as a laborer, with his colleague, Mr. Diwekar]
My father’s health deteriorated due to the hard labor in the incense factory. But, he continued to work to feed the family. He was never lazy or inactive. His appearance was that of an upright person. He took his illness and financial difficulties like a game. I could clearly see that he was detached from the material, while being in the material world.
After I went to the Engineering College, he could not work any more. But, he always did some activity such as helping my mother, advising his disciples, and also doing household chores. His economic condition was so bad that he could not afford to purchase vegetables. But, he never let that affect my studies and always encouraged me in studies. [Illustration 6: Rare photo of my father and myself after my father stopped working in job.]
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