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

Economy of Permanence
proposition himself. He accepted this suggestion and took me to a school
master who eked out his living by making caps and requested me to point out
wherein lay leisure and wherein diversior or rest in the making of caps.
The school-master, on being asked to show us how he set about the task of
making a cap, brought out his work basket, took a piece of plush-like material
and cut out an oval shaped piece. Then taking some red coloured lining cloth
cut out also a similar piece. To this he attached some pieces of old newspaper
and stitched some floral designs with the sewing machine, and then sewed this
on to the plush top. After that with punches he fixed some eyelets through
these to serve as ventilating holes on the top of the cap. While the master was
busy with his manifold operations, I was explaining to the engineer that the
obtaining of the raw material presented certain problems for the master to
solve in international trade as the plush came from Italy and the red lining
cloth from Japan; that when the master was occupied with the cutting
operations with his scissors one faculty of his was functioning, when he was
sewing on the floral design the artistic faculty, when he was punching on the
eyelets for ventilators still another part of his nervous system was called into
action diverting his energies from the artistic employment the faculty of which
was now having its rest.
While we were talking about these matters the master's little child cried in the
backyard of the house. Promptly the master got up, left his work and ran to the
child, picking it up scolded his wife roundly for allowing the child to cry while
visitors were in the house. While the master was having this unholy row with his
spouse I said to the engineer, "There, now he is having his relaxation and
recreation". The engineer burst out into a laughter and got up to go saying "I
fully grasp your meaning".
Life when it is allowed to run its natural course is resourceful enough to provide
for itself all it needs without any further conscious effort on our part.
Such then is work and its function in life. It makes it possible for man to use his
faculties and develop himself during his own life-time and leave behind him his
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