296ste Spiritmail

By Karmayogi

The world is not
receptive to new ideas, particularly new boons. If one goes on the Internet and
learns how the major discoveries were received by the world, one will be
appalled at the treatment they had received. The world was conservative. It is
conservative to the core today. In 1969 the Indian banks had a total of about
five thousand crores of rupees in deposit. Today any one branch of a big bank
in the metropolis has that much deposit. Indira called a meeting of the
Chairmen of Banks to propose nationalisation. The Chairman of the leading bank
at that time was one celebrated for his integrity and intelligence. When he
passed away some years ago, the Press celebrated his services handsomely. He
stood up and told Indira, ”I don’t know what good nationalisation will do or
who will benefit.” After the meeting, she said that he had no imagination. Nationalisation
of the banks then is directly responsible for many good things we now have.

Neyveli Lignite Corporation is a major boon to Tamil Nadu. At the time of its
inception, Central Cabinet Ministers from Tamil Nadu questioned the wisdom of
that idea. Today the American economic power has as its backbone the banks of
that country. Banks provide a financial medium for commerce to continuously
expand. Suppose there are no banks today, well, there will be nothing
worthwhile. Many, many good things will shrink or vanish. Banking took shape in
the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe, made currency possible, gave MONEY
power to rule and come to stay as a power to reckon with. In 1800, US President Andrew
Jackson declared a war on the banks and forced the bank that was acting as a
central bank to close. He was self-righteous about it.

That is how we treat every BOON life gives or science offers. Man is
conservative, traditional and will oppose tooth and nail every good thing that
develops. Computer and the Internet are no mere boons. They are tools – social
tools – that raise all the backward nations at one stroke to the level of
advanced nations. Many are opposed to them. Others are indifferent. A few are
lukewarm in their reception. It will be a GREAT project for a PhD student of an
advanced university if he lists all the BOONS at our doorstep – organisational,
political, technological, educational, social, etc. – and evaluates them in
terms of their contribution and records the reception they get at various
levels of the society. Man’s dire need is AWAKENING to the new world that is
springing up around him. It will be great if it is a mental awakening, if not a
full spiritual awakening. Vivekananda called on us to AWAKE.