The Only Alternative

‘Take my word, my son, neither Capitalism nor Communism or any of their offshoots and derivatives, can lead us to sustainable development, lasting peace and true happiness’, the Baba was emphatic in his words.

‘What is your alternative, Babaji? It is easy to condemn things. I believe that we have no right to condemn anything unless we have an alternative to offer.’ Sudhakar challenged the Baba.

The Baba replied: ‘What we urgently need today, my son, is an economic system based on love, care and compassion that sees all humankind as one family bound with a common destiny, and all living beings constituting one ‘Earth Family’….

‘The vision of our enlightened saints and sages of yore who proclaimed that the whole world is but one large family, ‘Vasudhaivakutumbakam’, bound with a common destiny alone can provide a true alternative and sustainable developmental paradigm for humankind. The third millennium will demand of us such an economic system and a sustainable developmental paradigm built on a holistic ecological worldview….

‘This is exactly what we have been trying to experiment and demonstrate through our own life in this Ashram, my son …..

‘The present economic system based on the so called ‘market economy’ is the product of a materialistic philosophy and a consumerist culture, both of which are destructive to humankind and to Mother Earth…

‘Materialism and consumerism do not take into account the dignity of the human person and the dignity of human labour, or the interdependent organic nature of Mother Earth. They exploit human labour and the resources of Mother Earth unscrupulously, and destroy the ecological health and harmony of our planet….

‘Profit and more profit at any cost is their ultimate goal. The dignity of the human person and the ecological health of Mother Earth are being sacrificed upon the altar of profit by the market economy…..

‘The ‘Share Market’ speculations and the ‘development’ measured in terms of ‘GDP’ constitute a big farce, my son. An economic system built on such a big farce has no sustainability. It is like a poisonous gas balloon. It contains within itself the seeds of violence and war.’ 

Excerpts from ‘Integral Revolution’