Udaybhai Jadav
If you are in Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat, India, and you engage Udaybhai’s autorickshaw, you will be in for surprises. You will find newspapers and magazines to read, free snacks and water, and even a dustbin. But the biggest surprise comes when you get off at your destination. Udaybhai’s meter reads zero and when you are bracing for an argument with him over the fare, he gives you a box and asks to put in it any amount you wish to!
Udaybhai Jadav practises ‘gift economy.’ Someone before you has paid for your travel and now you ‘pay it forward’ to the next passenger, who is unlikely to meet you ever! The system works on a spirit of generosity, which touches and transforms each person in the chain.
Inspired by the Gandhian Ishwarbhai Patel, Udaybhai started his venture in 2010. The logo on his vehicle says, ‘Love all’ and that is what he practises. He has a family of ten people, but they do not go hungry. Some passengers pay more, some pay less, and it works out alright. Udaybhai also ferries poor and disabled people without taking any money. He believes that at the end of the day, it is peace of mind and not money that brings him a good night’s sleep.
Afterword: There is a YouTube video on Udaybhai.
Reflect on this story. What are the principles that Udaybhai lives by? What are the feelings he evokes in others through his gift economy?
As long you don’t crave for possession or accumulation, nature takes care of us in one way or the other. There is a balancing act in nature. Udaybhai’s action is one such example. People who can pay and are considerate, will naturally pay more, because they pay for the value rather than the ride. People who cannot afford, will pay just the amount they think is right for the ride. May be a little more or little less. People who need to exploit will pay the bare minimum. A consolidation of all will meet the man’s requirement. This is often the balancing act of nature. Nothing less and nothing more. Even in normal life, if you have something more than what you need, nature creates deficiency in something else. It may be physical or it may be psychological. One has to carefully observe to understand and follow it.
I have observed that in disposition there is nothingness and people tend to respect it. If one is serious of shedding, there are people to offer more than what you require for your simple living. But if you possess more than what you require and aspire, it is met with a negative response. One should have the courage to dispose and experience to see a new dimension to life.
It is an inspiring story. I am circulating the link in my network.