The Economy of Permanence: A Quest for a Social Order Based on Non-violence (स्थायी अर्थतन्त्र)

Economy of Permanence
II. WORK AND WAGES IN NATURE
'Work' in nature consists in the effort put forth by the various factors-insentient
and sentient-which cooperate to complete this cycle of life. If this cycle is
broken, at any stage, at any time, consciously or unconsciously, violence results
as a consequence of such a break. When violence intervenes in this way, growth
or progress is stopped, ending finally in destruction and waste. Nature is
unforgiving and ruthless. Therefore, self-interest and self- preservation demand
complete non-violence, co-operation and submission to the ways of nature if
we are to maintain permanency by non-interference with and by not short-
circuiting the cycle of life.
Even sentient creatures have to fall in line and function properly in their own
sphere if they are to exist. An earthworm by its movements in the earth, loose
is the soil allowing it to absorb air and water. When it feed on the earth
containing vegetable matter, it thoroughly mixes the various constituent parts
in its stomach and throws out a well prepared and fertilized soil- -worm casts-
from which plants can draw their own nutriment easily. ¹Here is a sample of the
form of vital co-operation eristing between soil, plant and animal life similar to
the one where bees and butterflies fertilize the flowers of plants.
In return for such services or 'work' done, the worker unit gets its feed. In this
way nature pays its wages honestly in the form of food and nourishment in
return for every benefit received by her in obtaining cooperation and bringing
about co-ordination of the manifold factors-inanimate and animate-in air, land
and water.
The life in the vegetable kingdom is immobile. The seeds can only fall directly
below, near the parent plant or tree. If all seeds fall and germinate around the
parent plant it will create a suffocating congestion. It is necessary to broadcast
the seed further afield. To do this, nature commandeers the services of birds,
animals etc. Here the mobile creature performs a special function. A bird may
eat the fruit of a plant and pass out the seed, perhaps miles away. It does this
co-ordinating work as a part of its own existence and not as an obligation to
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