________________
1981
Monks 'Dilemma
Monks' Dilemma
199
local species to meet all types of needs of people here A forestbased life style is symbiotic where all constituents of nature, animate and inanimate act, interact and manifest for mutual benefit."
Deepak, "I agree with you. However we shall plan in such a way that the project is self reliant and does not depend on external financial help. We shall integrate cottage and small scale industries after imparting necessary training to the farmers. We shall have vocational courses in all spheres and shall gradually develop our education facilities to the level of a technical University providing research facilities in pure as well as applied sciences and we should be able to offer every type of guidance to industries and government institutions."
Vibha, "We should have an extension programme also. Our programmes should not remain confined to our limited project area only. We shall extend our area of operation initially to clusters of villages in a radius of five kilometres and then ten kilometres and so on."
Deepti, "This is our objective. We shall not be confining neither to our project area nor to our state but open branches in other states also. It will require really very hard work. I think that we should shift our headquarters from Bangalore to the Jhadol project site. I am sure that our clients will prefer this place to Bangalore. They will be in a natural environment here and feel refreshed."
Deepak, "I was also thinking the same. We shall first finalise the plan in hand. I think it may take another fortnight."
Deepak's phone rang. There was a message from the guest house at the project site, "Some guests have arrived and are
in guest house and want to meet you all immediately." He replied, "We would soon be there and have tea with the guests."
It was a super surprise. Deepak and Deepti could not even trust their eyes as they saw before them ex Acharya Vinay, his four disciples with Mahant Ramdas and Shreyans muni in household attire. Behind them were female nuns in equal number and in a matching age group. They greeted them with warmth. Mr. Vinay (formerly Acharya Vinay) said, "Our conscience was stirred to the core by the discussions in the conference and we decided to get rid of hypocrisy we were living with for so long in monkhood and as a Mahant and similar such forms. We have come to join you in your crusade against superstitions, religious bigotry, exploitation of gullible masses and parasitic institutions."
Deepak, "Your joining us would immensely help us in our mission. We shall accommodate you and provide all facilities to live an active, productive and self-reliant life. You will be an asset here. Your work will be to go round the country and apprise people about the futility of parasitic institutions of monks and others of the kind. We have short documentaries on their useless and nefarious activities. However our first job will be to put you in a matrimonial relationship so that you become full-fleged householders"
And thus the MONKS'DILEMMA ended.
