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

Economy of Permanence
chutneys, brown pickles, multicoloured salad of fresh vegetables, red tomatoes
etc., make a pleasing sight to start with; when the meal is over and the leaves
have been removed only the floor remains to be washed out. The diners
themselves, who eat with their fingers, invariably wash their teeth and rinse
their mouths also after meals, which is a most desirable and hygienic habit. But
those who use forks and spoons have abandoned this wholesome custom. The
farthest they may go in this direction is to dip their finger tips daintily in a
finger bowl of water and after moistening their lips wipe them off with a
napkin! Wherein lies the superiority or higher quality of the most complicated
Western style? The complex manner of life increases expense without any
corresponding benefit in cleanliness or art.] Therefore, as has been already
observed, the distinction is more accurately made by calling the Western
method 'complex' and ours 'simple' rather than 'high' and 'low' respectively.
Within a definite mode of living there can be 'high' and 'low' standard indicating
differing qualities. A man who uses fine. counts for his dhoties has a 'higher'
standard than one who is content with coarser cloth; while one who uses suits,
cut and tailored in Western style with collar, tie and perhaps a hat, cannot be,
for that reason, said to have a higher standard than one who uses just a Dhoti
and Kurta. The hat wallah certainly has an imitation-complex standard while
the dhoti wallah is perhaps more original in having his dhoti designed and
woven to his taste locally and definitely more sensible in view of the climate.
Similarly, one who eats plain rich with chillies or pickles has a 'low' standard in
comparison with one who enjoys a well balanced diet.
The life of one in the 'Parasitic' or 'Predatory Economy' is certainly lower than
the life of one in "Service Economy". The standard of life of a multimillionaire,
however expensive it may be, is 'low' in comparison with that of an ashramite
devoted to the service of the land.
In the preceding example, we discussed the Indian Dewan, who belongs to the
Economy of Gregation, and has a higher standard of life, whatever his material
mode of living may be, than the British gardener who at best belongs to the
Economy of Enterprise.
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