A friend of mine constantly taunts me for believing in spirituality and religion. On how this is destroying our chances for development. And why we should focus on “Western Enlightenment” instead.
Here’s a relevant excerpt from a book by Swami Sivananda:
Life has become very artificial. There is physical, mental and moral degeneration. You do not find robust, sinewy, stalwart, healthy people. Longevity is unknown. People are short-lived. You see puny, stunted creatures with poor physique, dilapidated frame and sickly appearance. They cannot walk even a furlong. They want a rickshaw. Children beget children. People die like moths. They have become weaklings. They have become effeminate and impotent. How strong and healthy our forefathers were! They had a very long life. They could walk forty miles a day. They could swim across a big river during floods at the age of seventy. They could split fuel. They could carry heavy weights. They were strong and sinewy. They were living on simple fare. Even now, look at the Gurkha and Maharashtra labourers. They live on ordinary bread, salt and two chillies. Look at the tremendous work turned out by them! Look at their health and marvellous strength! Now, every one of you want Ovaltine, vitamin extracts, Allenbury Rusks, and oatmeal. The wife wants an exclusive servant and a cook. You want a servant to put on your shoes. The child wants an Ayah.
Now mind you, this book was first published in 1964 – exactly 60 years ago. And still every line above would ring true today. Perhaps Sivananda ji would be aghast at how much worse things have become since then.