As Audrey and I sat with Jayesh-bhai, we heard gunshots going off in the orchard next to the Environmental Sanitation Institute in Sughad village, Gujarat. After ignoring it for a while, Jayesh-bhai asked if they were being fired by the caretaker of the orchard. He then asked for someone to call the caretaker. As the caretaker was arriving, he said, "It is our tradition to treat the time until 8 AM as the time of Ram (God), and therefore, allow birds their due until then. It was our way of maintaining balance in nature."

The caretaker arrived on the other side of the fence. The fence itself was erected by the owner of the orchard, and supplemented with barbed wire, after retreat participants at ESI would often hop over to pick fruits. The owner is a rich man, and Jayesh-bhai has often told him to consider sharing the fruits with all, as he does not need the money and this is more of his hobby. His response has so far been, "That is your work, not mine." But Jayesh-bhai does not get disheartened. He continues his optimism that one day, something might click and the owner might see himself as a trustee of the fruits, worthy of sharing with others.

Jayesh-bhai spoke to the caretaker, and requested him not to shoot in the air to scare the birds before 8 AM. The man smiled and consented. Then, Jayesh-bhai noticed that the man was chewing tobacco. He told him, "You are my brother. Do you realize how much you are hurting yourself with this practice?" The man spat the tobacco out and swore he'd never touch it again. He had a tobacco pouch in his pocket which he threw out. Jayesh bhai asked him to hand that pouch over through the fence, and gave it to me as a mark of a transformation through love. 

But the story continues. Within five minutes, the caretaker beckoned to us from across the fence and said, "This is for you." He had collected the best guavas he could find, and gifted them to us. One of them had partially been eaten by birds. He warned us to check that one to see if it had gone bad. We were all touched by this. Here was a man in whom something had triggered on the spot. I asked Jayesh-bhai if he knew the man from before, and he said, "No. This is the first time I'm seeing him."


The picture above is so amazing - two human beings sharing something deep, which a fence with barbed wire is unable to stop. In the picture, Jayesh-bhai has just offered the caretaker some tea.


Over breakfast, Jayesh-bhai summarized the lesson for us - that when love ignites someone's heart, a great power is unleashed. He could have judged the caretaker and scolded him and that would only isolate further. But by connecting to him as a brother, a barrier had ceased to be relevant. 

After this conversation, Jayesh-bhai left. As I was walking, I heard "Psst..." Realized the caretaker was calling me. This time he had collected a whole bunch of Amla fruits for us. He shared with me about his values and his family. Was deeply touched by it.