Doing Simple Things

(Note: Recently there has been a increasing number of disasters happening all around the world, necessitating the survivors having had to fend for themselves).

Spirit (Ling): Greetings.

We would like to speak tonight on what appears to be a world-wide problem, and it is only by individuals realising this, and perhaps in small ways putting into practice what we are thinking, that gradually, and it would be gradually, that the problem would be overcome… and that is the necessity of returning to simplicity.

Mankind has become so sophisticated, and in continuing to do so is becoming bogged down in paper and also knowledge; because for the knowledge that they are getting, they are relying on what literally are machines, to supply it. They are using what you call computers in everything. No doubt you yourselves are doing this also.

We are not saying that these tools haven’t their advantages, but they are taking over man’s ability to think for himself, because once he has learned to use these machines (and no doubt it is a difficult job initially), he merely appears to have to push a button to gain knowledge.

With these machines they are bogging people down in paper, particularly in business. In big organisations such a your power companies, hospitals, transport… it all has so much paperwork now, that people are employed to look after the extra paperwork… and the simple beginning, which in the case of a hospital was to look after the ill, is losing, what was initially a wonderful practice that human beings had.

It has become initially important to have a piece of paper. That piece of paper doesn’t tell you to give love and sympathy, and just physical comfort to the sick. It doesn’t matter about how much there is in statistics, how many people are in offices, how many people are walking around with their briefcases, how many bosses of bosses and they have bosses too, there are. All this is overwhelming people, and the sick are at the bottom of the heap.

That is only one aspect. Look around you and think of even the homes that you live in. They are becoming so sophisticated; so many tools are necessary to cook a meal, where basically all you need is heat and a pot, and the ingredients of course. The ingredients… how many people know how to grow their own? Think of the number of children in your own country that may never have seen peas growing. For them, they come out of a freezer. We are forgetting our basics.

We don’t even write letters now. Gone are the days when the excitement of going to the mailbox, to receive a letter and think, “Oh, that’s from John. He never could spell the name of this street”. “And that’s Mary, she always got her a’s back to front for some reason”. They have lost their individuality. A letter from your best friend now doesn’t look much different, from the one that you get from the Income Tax Department.

It is sad, particularly when you realise just what is happening in the world today, that there could be a fuel crisis, and that will upset a lot of your machines and your way of thinking.

People need to think of the simple things, how to do things themselves. There are now two to three generations of people, who, if machines were taken away from them, wouldn’t be able to survive. It is sad! They couldn’t clothe themselves. They don’t know properly how to thread a needle, put a knot in it, and sew a seam. Many may not be able to use a hammer without hitting themselves, and if women can’t go and get a packet off the shelf at their food shops, they can’t get a dinner!

Think yourselves of your own lives, and try and simplify them. You’ll be happier in yourselves. No doubt you are not bogged down in your retirement like many people are, but there are some ways in which you could possibly simplify your lives and enjoy the basic living, that all of you would have had the pleasure of enjoying, back in your childhood.

The children of today would probably not know how to make a trolley, or a kite, or any of things that you did in your childhood. Try and influence people to go back to those times, where maybe they got out a board and a pencil and played some games. This is getting down to the very small things, but it applies also to the big things.

If you have any influence whatsoever in commerce, see if you can help to make things a bit simpler, perhaps merely by talking to someone who is your friend for he or she may have some influence.

It is becoming very necessary in this world, friends. We many of us, have an overall picture and we can see what is happening.

This perhaps has been in a little way, even a depressing talk, but it need not be so, if every single person could have some thought of the ways of basic living… we don’t mean going back to the caves, by no means, just a little less of relying on machines to do your work for you.

Be capable of doing it for yourselves, even if you do turn to your machine that we can understand, but know how to do it, be reliant on yourselves.

There may come a time even in your lifetime where it will be necessary. I am not prophesising in any way, we wouldn’t do that, but it is a thought.

And may I add, it’s a delight to be with you good people again and we hope it continues, and that your improved health will continue also.

Goodnight and God bless you.