441008~-158

Fakir or sadhus APO 883, KARACHI, |NDiAy extreme western section

of tom. This fellow or fakir is not bo be compared \.ith the general run of
beggars that one meets on ever street corner. They differ,as far as I can °*:
see, in respect to their basic cause for begging, being in this case, one

of a religious significiance, This fakir has renounced all his usual earthly
possessions and all desires and is now existing on whatever he can get each
day from the — charitably disposed men anc women who pass by. It is only
through a complete severance with desire that he can ultimately attain one of
the higher devels of his religion. My contribution to the canes was 1 rupee
nor did he probably know, however, that the gift was in reality a payment
for the privélege of taking the picturé. Some of these ash covered mm will
settle down and not even call for alms. If one places a coin on the cloth
it will be received without thanks or acknowledgment. They stand by in
complete meditation. Observed on old man who was resting in couplete
meditation with his right hand held in an upright position and supported by
his knee. As a result of the non use of this member it had become shapely
reduced to the mere skeletal outline of the arm bone. This old man is
probably in the last stage of hislife which is according to their belief,

a period when the husband and wife renounce all desires and wander about to
search for their God, possessing absolutely nothing and craving for even
less. They go thru several stages before they reach this begging stage in
life. The first stage is up to about the age of 20 and which is used for
study, obedience and a reverence for emotional purity away from the dis-
traction of the women which is forthe purpose of building up a donserved
vitality for the generation to come. Then follows a period from this stage
up to approximately 50 years of age d.ring which time the man marries am be-
comes a faithful husband but of course without relinquishing his obligation
to his parents or other relations with his society. This is a rather noble

ideal for the married life when the wife am man are living together b’ a