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APARIGRAHA,
A NEW ECONOMIC PARADIGM FOR A CULTURE OF PEACE

The Spinning wheel

Humanity, Materialism and Morality
by
Arun Gandhi

 

One day during my lesson hour with Grandfather, he asked me to dismantle his spinning wheel. When I did, he said, "Now, spin this cotton sliver into yarn."
"How can I do that," I asked, "when the machine is dismantled?"
"Very well, then, put it together again." he said.
While I was busy doing this he took away a very small wheel. I could not complete the assembly without this wheel, so I asked him for it.
"Why do you need it? It is so small. Can you not make the machine work without it?"
"No, I cannot," I said.
"Exactly," Grandfather said. "Just as the machine cannot function when it is divided into separate parts, life cannot function meaningfully when each person acts independently. Also, just as the smallest wheel is necessary to make the spinning wheel work properly, every individual that God has created is an integral part of the whole, and must work in unison with others so that life can be smooth and in harmony. Nobody is dispensable."

The reason why human society does not function today as efficiently as we would like is because, as individuals and as nations, we neglect the rules that Grandfather illustrated here so simply.
Through his philosophy of nonviolence, Grandfather tried to inspire a sense of morality, and revive, among other things, an awareness that every human is an integral part of life. It is only when we learn to accept and respect every individual, whatever their background, that nonviolence will become meaningful and effective. Respect for others enables us to understand who we are, our proper role in life, and how we can fulfill this role to the benefit of all.

It is difficult for me to believe that humanity is the end product and ultimate beneficiary of all creation. All other species in nature act quietly and diligently fulfill their natural roles and enhance the world, while human beings, regarding ourselves as the most intelligent of species, live in confusion. We continually search for the answer to the question, "What is the meaning of life?" And when we fail to find an easy answer, we proceed as though life means nothing more than amassing personal wealth.
By following this path, our world has become increasingly wedded to materialism. People who successfully pursue their own wealth and comfort while ignoring the needs of others are admired and emulated, and relationships, when they are built at all, are often dependant upon personal advancement and other benefits. Materialism breeds arrogance towards those who have less than ourselves, and exaggerates the economic disparities between human beings. Our needs grow in proportion to our means, and so we consume senselessly and wastefully. Materialism also encourages passive violence against nature, by which we are rapidly destroying our world, with a wishful but mistaken belief that we will always be able to extract what we need.
Grandfather warned that there is an inverse relationship between materialism and morality. As materialism increases, morality decreases. He taught that one's spiritual life is to be valued higher than the accumulation of wealth, and also said that one who has never uttered a prayer, but has served fellow humans with love, respect and non-violence, is nearer to God than one who prays ten times a day...

An analysis of conflicts around the world today will readily reveal that they all have roots in the gross lack of respect people have for those with economic, religious, educational, nationalistic or cultural differences. We are adept at finding reasons for hating others. It is this attitude, more than anything else, which contributes to the violence that afflicts humanity today. It was Grandfather's view, passed down to me through my parents, that no one is superior or inferior. No one can assert special rights over another, and no one is an enemy.
When we begin to understand our true role in creation, we begin to see the importance of accepting others. Acceptance changes our perspective on life. With acceptance we cease to classify people. We cleanse our minds of the scourge of discrimination, which allows us to dehumanize certain groups, and then relate to them in a violent manner.
Once we have divested ourselves of all the labels that separate us and begin to look at all people, including ourselves, as human beings, united by common aspirations and a common nature, we will have taken a major leap in the long journey to a nonviolent world. Human society, after all, is like Grandfather's spinning wheel-an assembly of interdependent parts. When every piece is brought together and respectfully maintained, the machine works beautifully. But neglect the smallest wheel and the machine is useless.

From: Legacy of Love: My Education in the Path of Nonviolence, by Arun Gandhi

 

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