Inner stability is a must for economic stability, says Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji
Most of us would agree that if we had never been here, the earth would have continued the way it should. But since we are here, there are disruptions on earth that are causing destruction. As the world has become more and more industrialised, we have been using up more and more of the world’s natural resources. So what will the economies of the future be likeIJ Are we heading towards a global market place where there is one currencyIJ Will there ever be a state of natural equilibrium between supply and demandIJ Is it possible to develop beyond the competitive market placeIJ Will we go further towards the world of specialisation or will we return to the diverse, subsistence type of economyIJ Is it possible to have the best of both worldsIJ Is it possible to make sure that each community is entirely self sufficient in terms of energy, agriculture, secondary and tertiary industries and also be able to exchange specialist products with neighbouring economiesIJ These are some necessary questions that we should ask ourselves at this point in time because our economic future is dependent on the stability of natural environment.
When the elements of nature are undisturbed by the activities of man, where each community can rely upon the quality of soils and climate to fulfill its agricultural needs (that is, provide sufficient resources for basic living) and thus be independent, then economies will no longer be under the influence of change, chance and artificial demand. It also means that people will not have to borrow from other people and be in long-term bondage of interest rates and repayments. But how do we return to this economic edenIJ Is it really possible to create such a climate in the world todayIJ The answer is YES ! When we begin to re-establish our inner value, that is, when we place emphasis on our quality as human beings, then this will be reflected in the market place as well. If we place a high value on fairness, freedom of enterprise, friendship and of course, harmony with nature, then we will no longer seek a competitive edge over our neighbours. Remember, if as individuals we feel contented, then we will not seek to satisfy themselves through business ventures at the expense of poorer economies. Instead of exploiting cheap labour and cheap resources, our emphasis will be to restore nature to her perfect state and to ensure the long-term viability of local resources. Rather than looking outside our own economy and community for answers to examining problems internally and resolving those problems by using sound business principles and applying ethics in business. Instead of creating industries that serve no real purpose to the general community, we will endeavour to understand the needs of people and serve those needs first. By limiting our desires and seeking satisfication from the quality of our intentions and actions rather than from the quantity of produce, we will restrain our tendency to develop goods and services just for the sake of it.
We should understand this very clearly that inner stability, and economic stability work together. As much as we respect ourselves and revere the world around us, so too, the natural world will serve our needs in the right way at the right time. In the absence of greed, nature will not be pressured to supply that which she cannot give and human beings will not resort to dishonest methods to achieve their ends. When our primary motive is to share, to exchange, to learn and to grow, then we automatically displace the negative values to take, to hoard, to compete and to exploit.