"If Only" - The Ramblings of A Crazed Idealist

satchitananda · Aug 9, 2015

[JUSTIFY]"Miss, why do we have money? Why don't we barter? Wouldn't life be so much easier? There would not be any poor people in the world".

An eight year old in Std IV asks the teacher who has just mentioned the word 'barter' and explained what it means. The teacher gives the girl a withering look. The class takes a cue and bursts out into laughter. The girl looks like she would love to sink into the earth.

Well, that was moi. I still don't remember the answer - wonder if there was a real one, but I still remember how stupid I felt. I forgive her now. Asked such a question now, I would not have a good answer to the problem either. They had labelled me stupid. Looking back, I look myself as 'naive' or at best an idealist.

The streak ran in my blood from childhood. Everything had to be ideal. Today I have a dream - due apologies to Martin Luther King for using his famous quote. How I wish we could have a world without boundaries. Why could we not fly across borders like the birds? Do they have to have visas? Who created boundaries? Certainly not the Creator of the Universe.

Very foolish. I have still not grown up, but I can't help wish there were no wars, no need for the army. Consider all armies of the world could be dismantled. There would be no unnecessary deaths, no privations to be suffered by anyone or their families. There would not be any overheads on maintaining the defence forces - how nice it would be to be able to 'let down our defences'. No money to be spent on ammunitions. Imagine all that money could be used to look after the poor, the needy, the desperately ill and for medical research. Again, how stupid of me! What kind of Utopia am I dreaming of? With so much money to be earned through transport, ammunition, annexing of other countries, with so much of wealth to be plundered, with the thrill to be obtained by conquering and subjugating other populations, why would anyone be willing to give up all these things? So much to be lost through peace and so much to be gained through war and money, isn't it?

So here I am back to my original problem. As they say, money is the cause of all the misery in the world. ABSOLUTELY ALL.[/JUSTIFY]

kaniths · Aug 9, 2015

If you say just "Money"... sounds easy... simple... replace with "Greed"... read it now...GREED is the cause of all the misery in the world. ABSOLUTELY ALL... yeah better... bigger... & Truth!

satchitananda · Aug 9, 2015

Totally agreed Kaniths! However, greed comes from the desire to hoard. If one were to lead a life without money, just based on barter of goods and services, the need to hoard might come down. Money is the only thing that can be kept in non-physical form in banks, as investments which multiply in value (even though only notionally so - what happens when the economy faces a bashing or in extreme situations such as the partition etc. where people lose everything they have without ever having enjoyed it) and hence the need to hoard.

kaniths · Aug 9, 2015

The big picture, by greed I meant, is the Capitalism! How would the world be otherwise (imagining an alternate universe) if there was no crave at all to become / be the reigning super powers or the need for geo political supermacies?! If only the big brothers minded their own business, there had be no wars... There be no civilians dying or refugees fleeing ccountries and neither be there any immigrants dying in shoot outs by other insecure citizens... If not greed what to call all this...? Modern Imperialism...? 21 century Cold wars...?

If only there was no arms race... If only there was no oil race... If only this world was a better place to live... IF ONLY...

Again, how stupid of me! What kind of Utopia am I dreaming of?
Click to expand...

:exactly:

Kamalji · Aug 9, 2015

Dear Satchi,

Well money is the root cause of all evils, i explained this so manyu times here, and i told the I lites to give me their misery, meaing the money, andi will take over the misery, but what to do, no onelistens.

HAHA

WEll if the world is ideal, i can assure u, it will be a boring place. So let it be, and as the chinese say
LET YOUR LIFE BE INTERESTING , meaning with twists and turns, and u on toes all the time.

That is how i like life, it keeps me on my toes.

Regards

kamal

satchitananda · Aug 9, 2015

kaniths said: ↑

The big picture, by greed I meant, is the Capitalism! How would the world be otherwise (imagining an alternate universe) if there was no crave at all to become / be the reigning super powers or the need for geo political supermacies?! If only the big brothers minded their own business, there had be no wars... There be no civilians dying or refugees fleeing ccountries and neither be there any immigrants dying in shoot outs by other insecure citizens... If not greed what to call all this...? Modern Imperialism...? 21 century Cold wars...?

If only there was no arms race... If only there was no oil race... If only this world was a better place to live... IF ONLY...

:exactly:
Click to expand...

So true kaniths. If wishes were horses ..... This is what I'd call the decadence of 'civilization'. Happier are the 'uncivilized' bushmen living in the dense forests of the world.

satchitananda · Aug 9, 2015

Kamalji said: ↑

Dear Satchi,

Well money is the root cause of all evils, i explained this so manyu times here, and i told the I lites to give me their misery, meaing the money, andi will take over the misery, but what to do, no onelistens.

HAHA

WEll if the world is ideal, i can assure u, it will be a boring place. So let it be, and as the chinese say
LET YOUR LIFE BE INTERESTING , meaning with twists and turns, and u on toes all the time.

That is how i like life, it keeps me on my toes.

Regards

kamal
Click to expand...

Dear Kamalji,

Unfortunately even we in the virtual world need 'real' money to exist, otherwise I can be reasonably sure that most of us would hand over the money to you to take care of with the attendant headaches! :-D At least I would.

You would be welcome to your life of existence while I retired to the forests or to the Himalayas to lead the rest of my life in peace!

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Aug 9, 2015

Dear Satchi,
Money is the cause for all the evils.
I just remember one barter system during my childhood.My mother used to get curry leaves in exchange of a handful of rice and kikiluppai made out of Palm leaves.
In later years and even now steel and plastic things are given in exchange of old clothes. Big bazaar is also offering provisions and clothes in exchange of old clothes at a certain time of the year.
All the evils started after new inventions and industrial revolution. We can't turn the clock back and have to accept the changes which are happening in a rapid speed and are forced to go along with the tide.

PS

Viswamitra · Aug 10, 2015

Dear Satchi,

There is a Beatles song which goes as follows:

"The best things in life are free
But you can keep them for the birds and bees
Now give me money
That's what I want
That's what I want, yeah
That's what I want

You're lovin' gives me a thrill
But you're lovin' don't pay my bills
Now give me money
That's what I want
That's what I want, yeah
That's what I want

Money don't get everything it's true
What it don't get, I can't use
Now give me money
That's what I want
That's what I want, yeah
That's what I want, wah

Well now give me money
A lot of money
Wow, yeah, I wanna be free
Oh I want money
That's what I want
That's what I want, well
Now give me money
A lot of money
Wow, yeah, you need money
Now, give me money
That's what I want, yeah
That's what I want"

I wonder what they had in mind when they composed this song. In my view, everything we need are available in plenty for the humanity to peacefully coexist together with other species. Kanith nicely pointed out it is greed than money that causes friction in the world.

Here is how I see the world. Having created many species and given various things species need in the world, God has created a very specific specie called human which had all the qualities of God except one catch. The human will not find God quality unless the humanity uses its discriminative faculty. Therefore, God gave "Mind" (that consist of both emotions and discrimination) and Consciousness that is pure and unsullied but Nirguna. Instead of using mind to find the truth, the humanity used it to derive selfish goals. Therefore, mind is the cause of suffering of humanity. Devoid of mind in its full form of individualism causing havoc not only to the individual but also to others, world will be a better place to live. Once someone practices control of the mind until it becomes Consciousness like, the sufferings will continue. Every bad quality that the humanity has like anger, ego, greed, hatred, jealousy, etc. are coming from the mind. Therefore, life for humanity has become cleaning themselves more than anything else.

Austerity, ceiling on desires, detachment, equanimity, etc. are the qualities recommended by the Saints and Sages for growth and development of humanity. In my view, resources surrounding us including energy, food & time are in plenty only for one purpose i.e. to make humanity reach the level of God-Consciousness.

Therefore, it is my humble view that nothing outside of us is causing the sufferings and it is located inside of us.

Viswa

kaniths · Aug 10, 2015

Politicians in India have a major role (hidden & invisble role) behind the atrocities committed in the name of religion / caste (moral killings & all the other forms of harsh discriminations). They keep their caste mass in darkness, not letting any social reforms to actually reach them, so the people will remain barbarians, believing their race is superior & committing discriminations / crimes based on caste, even kill their own daughters / sons for the pride of their caste & race....Unaware of the fact that the politician / leader who is fueling this fire, from behind, playing an invisible role, is doing it for his own selfish reasons - Power & Money... Every possible inhuman thing...So his vote banks is safe!

When with Money, the Power factor accompanies, complete is the equation for.... Geed!!