What makes a person special is not power.
It is knowing how to use it.

After some days, the lecture entitled “The Human Intellect and its References” was already happening when Ferhelin arrived and found a seat in the middle of the convention hall in a hotel on the outskirts of Banff, a beautiful and charming city in the Rocky Mountains.
The man giving the lecture, who was around fifty-five, tall and very white-skinned, with wire-rimmed glasses and probably British, had brought up various aspects of his premise for the last half an hour.

He was speaking about the interests of present day society.
“We normally direct our attention to that which we deem important, to what interests us. We read the headlines of newspapers, or hear on the radio or see on TV, we naturally place our attention in that direction. The question is, what interests us? We normally pay attention and are guided by external influences. In general, we feed our intellects, feelings, and emotions with the type of energy we are receiving. What is the universe that unites the greatest attention today?”

No one responded. With that he responded.
“The financial universe! Actually, it is money that creates standards and patterns. There is an old saying, ‘Money talks louder.’ This is the reality in which we live, a world super-governed by the energy of money, a world directed by economic influences, where the language begins with ‘sell’ for some and ‘buy’ for most others. Patterns created in accordance with the capacity to buy and sell. Whether we wish to or not, we are ‘buying’ or ‘selling’ negative information or the image of a woman considered beautiful by the media. There are a few important points to be considered. Just what are we paying for? What type of coin are we using to pay for what we buy? And what do we gain by this?

Ferhelin began to admire his words and called him the British Gentleman.
“I think that when we see one of these programs on TV that present bad news, I can only wonder just what it is that we are purchasing. I would say that we are purchasing bad quality food for our minds and intellects, and that is what are we buying? By buying this type of product for our minds and intellects we are in fact paying for ‘poverty’ in our lives. I am not speaking of just material poverty, but principally poverty of the spirit. And just how did we get ourselves in this sad business? With what coin are we paying for these products of inferior quality? I would say that we are using as a medium of exchange the energy of our ‘dreams.’ The force and power of sacred ‘goods’ that served us in other times – our dreams – are being used in a manner that we most certainly never intended. Among other things, we are exchanging our self-esteem and our time for lack of hope. The energy of hope and creativity is present as well. What do we gain by all of this? There are conscious and unconscious interests on various different levels But, most certainly, well being and inner strengthening of human beings and the intellect is not among them. In the end, the question is, Do I want this?”

The people in the audience seemed to reflect on what he had said as he continued.
“Now, I would like to hear what you have to say or ask.”
A man, who was sitting next to Ferhelin, wearing a blue blazer, with white hair, probably Canadian, raised his hand and one of the monitors handed him a microphone.
“Sometimes I ask myself. What is happening with the world? Why are there so many imbalances,” he said.
“Maybe we can say that the world is hanging tightly to excessive materialism, what do you think,” said the speaker.

There was a low murmur of agreement from the audience. Then he continued.
“The principal focus was on the ‘material,’ and this generated a distorted vision breaking the links of union between different dimensions of importance in life. This division interrupted the relationship between vital sectors. And one does not function without the other.
“To what sectors are you referring,” asked the man in the blue blazer.

“There are some sectors that are basic to human life. According to Oriental thought, there are some dimensions that are related to work, to love relationships, artistic creativity and the creation of offspring, friendships, success, spirituality, health, abundance and prosperity, not just the financial sector. There is a dimension that congregates those mentioned and integrates all of them. These dimensions are not separated. They interconnect, they complement one other and they all exist simultaneously. They are like distinct universes and are present at the same time. It is society that chooses to separate them. But this separation is not possible, it matters little how hard one tries.