I had a very inspiring encounter yesterday with a young engineer who works at ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), who shared something that ties into this reflection. He had taken off from work to learn how to spin khadi at the Gandhi Ashram. When I asked him why, he explained that one day it occurred to him that he works long hours to earn money, which he then trades in to ensure his survival. His responsibities for sustaining himself ended with transactions and money management, but he was in no way an active part of feeding, housing or clothing himself. This realization has inspired him to walk to work and to start spinning so he can attempt to make his own clothing. His reasoning was lucid and simple.
There is such humility and wisdom in meeting our needs with our own hands, and this process in itself diminishes the power of money, simply making it a tool of barter that enables us to live, do and be.
On Jun 7, 2011 Anjali wrote :
I had a very inspiring encounter yesterday with a young engineer who works at ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), who shared something that ties into this reflection. He had taken off from work to learn how to spin khadi at the Gandhi Ashram. When I asked him why, he explained that one day it occurred to him that he works long hours to earn money, which he then trades in to ensure his survival. His responsibities for sustaining himself ended with transactions and money management, but he was in no way an active part of feeding, housing or clothing himself. This realization has inspired him to walk to work and to start spinning so he can attempt to make his own clothing. His reasoning was lucid and simple.
There is such humility and wisdom in meeting our needs with our own hands, and this process in itself diminishes the power of money, simply making it a tool of barter that enables us to live, do and be.