The One-Straw Revolution - Multiworld India

than something they have thought up. The world exists in such a way thatif people will set aside their human will than something they have thoughtup. The and be guided instead by nature there is no reason to expect tostarve.Just to live here and now- this is the true basis of human life. When anaive scientific knowledge becomes the basis of living, people come tolive as if they are dependent only on starch, fats, and protein, and plantson nitrogen, phosphorous, and potash.And the scientists, no matter how much they investigate nature, nomatter how far they research, they only come to realize in the end howperfect and mysterious nature really is. To believe that by research andinvention humanity can create something better than nature is an illusion.I think that people are struggling for no other reason than to come toknow what you might call the vast incomprehensibility of nature.So for the farmer in his work: serve nature and all is well. Farmingused to be sacred work. When humanity fell away from this ideal,modern commercial agriculture rose. When the farmer began to growcrops to make money, he forgot the real principles of agriculture.Of course the merchant has a role to play in society, but glorificationof merchant activities tends to draw people away from a recognition ofthe true source of life. Farming, as an occupation which is within nature,lies close to this source. Many farmers, are unaware of nature even whileliving and working in natural surroundings, but it seems to me that farmingoffers many opportunities for greater awareness."Whether autumn will bring wind or rain, I cannot know, but today Iwill be working in the fields." Those are the words of an old countrysong. They express the truth of farming as a way of life. No matter howthe harvest will turn out, whether or not113