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10 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
disciple of Alara Kalam, who had his ashram at Kapilavatsu.
I
§ 7. Early Traits
Whenever he went to his father’s farm and found no work he repaired to a quiet place, and practised meditation.
While everything for the cultivation of the mind was provided, his education in the military science befitting a Kshatriya was not neglected.
For Suddhodana was anxious not to make the mistake of having cultivated the mind of his son at the cost of his manliness.
Siddharth was of kindly disposition. He did not like exploitation of man by man.
Once he went to his father’s farm with some of his friends and saw the labourers ploughing the land, raising bunds, cutting trees, etc., dressed in scanty clothes under a hot burning sun.
He was greatly moved by the sight.
He said to his friends, can it be right that one man should exploit another ? How can it be right that the labourer should toil and the master should live on the fruits of his labour ?
His friends did not know what to say. For they believed in the old philosophy of life that the worker was born to serve and that in serving his master he was only fulfilling his destiny.
The Sakyas used to celebrate a festival called Vapramangal. It was a rustic festival performed on the day of sowing. On this day custom had made it obligatory on every Sakya to do ploughing personally.
Siddharth always observed the custom and did engage himself in ploughing.
Though a man of learning, he did not despise manual labour.
He belonged to a warrior class and had been taught archery and the use of weapons. But he did not like causing unnecessary injury.
He refused to join hunting parties. His