As far as I know Swamiji had inspired Rockfeller to donat his money for greater cause.
The Story of John D Rockefeller
By rkmissionashrama on Sep 3, 2007 in Moral Stories and Anecdotes, Ramakrishna-Vivekananda
There are instances of his having converted many people into the path of spirituality for their own good as well as for the good of their nation. We shall see one such person in the West who was privileged and blessed to attain transformation through the power of the spiritual master Swami Vivekananda.Many may know that Rockefeller was the richest man on the earth. His life is very interesting. At the age of 33, Rockefeller had accumulated his first million. At the age of forty three, he had built up the largest monopoly the world has ever seen, the great Standard Oil company. Yet at 53, worry and tension wrecked his health. He was attacked by mystifying digestive maladies that swept away his hair and even the eye lashes. So serious was his condition hat he was advised to live on milk. The doctors said that he had contracted a type of baldness that often starts with sheer nervousness, he looked so startling with his stark bald head that he wore a skull cap and later replaced it with a silver wig.
Originally Rockefeller had an iron constitution. He possessed stalwart shoulders, erect carriage and a strong, brisk gait. Yet at 53, when most men are at a prime of their career, his shoulders drooped and he shambled as he walked.When he looked in a mirror he saw an old man. The ceaseless work, the endless worry the streams of abuse, the sleepless nights and the lack of exercises had exacted their toll. He was the richest man in the world, yet he had to live on a diet that a pauper would have scorned. His income was a million dollars a week, but two dollars would probably have paid for all that the doctors would allow his to eat. His skin had lost its colour it looked like old parchment drawn tight across the bones. And he could not survive without constant medical attention.All this was because of high tension living. He literally drove himself to the grave. Nothing lighted his countenance except the news of a good bargain. He pursued his goal of making money with grim determination. When he made a big profit, he would laugh and dance but if he lost money he would fall ill.
Once he shipped 40000 dollars worth grain but refused to insure it for a mere 150 dollars, though many of his colleagues suggested him to do so. That night a vicious storm raged on the sea and Rockefeller felt so worried about losing his cargo that the whole night he kept pacing the office floor without sleep. Morning, when one of his colleagues arrived he asked him to rush and get an insurance for the cargo. When the insurance arrived Rockefeller was in even worse state of nerves. For, in the meantime, a telegram had arrived intimating that the cargo had safely reached the destination. He was now sicker than ever for having wasted 150 dollars. He was so sick that he was bedridden for many days over 150 dollars, the man who, at that time was earning, 500000 dollars a year.
He had no time to play, no time for recreation, no time for anything except making money and teaching in Sunday school. When his partner purchased a pleasure boat and requested Rockefeller one Saturday afternoon to join him in the ride, Rockefeller was annoyed and said, You are the most extravagant man I ever knew. You are injuring your credits at the banks and my credits too. You must know that you are wrecking our business. I am not going to join in your pleasure ride. So saying, he stayed plugging in the office all Saturday afternoon.The same lack of humour, the same lack of perspective characterised Rockefeller throughout his career. With millions at his command he never put his head on the pillow without worrying about losing the future. It never occurred to him that this success may be only temporary, he was sane in every respect but mad about money.Rockefeller once confessed that he wanted to be loved. He was so cold and suspicious that few people ever liked him , let alone love him.
Rockefellers own brother hated him so much that he did not allow his family to enter the next house of Rockefellers. His employees and associates lived in a holy fear of him and ironically he was afraid of his employees- afraid that they may tell outside his office and give away his trade secrets. He signed a ten year contract with a partner and made him promise that he will not tell about it to anyone including his wife. Such was his suspicion and self-centredness.Then at the very peak of prosperity with gold flowing in his coffers like hot yellow lava down a volcano, his private word collapsed. Books and articles denounced the robber baron of the Standard oil Company for secret rebates with the rail roads and the ruthless crushing of his rivals. In the oil fields of Pennsylvania, Rockefeller was the most hated man of earth. He was hanged in effigy by the men he crushed.
Many of them, wanted to tie a rope around his withered neck and hang him onto the limb of a sour apple tree. Letters breathing fire and brimstone poured into his office letters even threatening his life. He hired bodyguards to keep his enemies from killing him. He attempted to ignore this cyclone of hate. Once he said cynically, You may kick me and abuse me provided you let me have my own way of making money. But he discovered that he was after all a human being. He could not digest the hatred heaped on him. His health began to crack down. He was puzzled and bewildered by this new enemy illness- which at first attacked him from within. At the first he remained secretive about his occasional indispositions and tried to put his illness out of his mind. But insomnia, indigestion and loss of hair all of physical symptoms of worry and collapse began to manifest themselves.
Finally the doctors told him the shocking truth. He could make his choice: Either his money and worries or his life. They warned him that he must either retire from the business or be ready to die. He retired. But before he did so, worry, greed and fear had already shattered his health.This was a period of transition in his life. He was confronted with his greatest enemy, his own self.
At this psychological moment of his life, he learnt of the wonderful and extraordinary Hindu monk Vivekananda staying in the house of one of his business colleagues in Chicago. Rockefeller was invited many times by this friend but he refused the invitation.One day, although he did not want to meet the Swamiji, he was pushed to do so by an impulse and went directly to the house of his friend, brushing aside the butler saying that he wanted to meet the Hindu monk. The butler ushered him into the living room and not waiting to be announced, Rockefeller entered Swamijis adjoining study room and was much surprised to see Swamiji behind the writing table, not even lifting his eyes to see who has entered.
After a while, in a quiet voice Swamiji, who had not seen Rockefeller even once, talked to him of his innermost secrets and anxieties. He talked of things which even his closest friends and relatives would not have known. It seemed miraculous, supernatural to Rockefeller. How do you know all this? Who has talked of this to you? he burst out. Swamiji looked at him with a quiet, calm smile on his lips as if a child standing before him had asked a foolish question. Swamiji said, Forget the past. Became gay again. Build up your health. Do not dwell on your sorrows; Transmute your emotions into some form of creative external expression. Your spiritual health requires it. You are only a channel for Gods money that you have accumulated and it is your duty to do good to the world. God has given you all His wealth in order that you may get an opportunity to serve Him and His starving millions of children.
On hearing this, Rockefeller was annoyed that anyone dared to talk to him in that manner. He left the room in irritation, not even saying goodbye. But after a week, again without being announced, he entered Swamijis study and finding him the same as before, threw on his desk a paper which told of his plans to donate an enormous sum of money towards financing a public institution. Well, there you are Swami. Rockefeller said, You must be satisfied now and you can thank me for it.Swamiji did not even lift his eyes, did not move for a time. Then taking the paper he quietly read it and said, It is for you to thank me. That was all.
That was Rockefellers first large donation to public welfare. From then on, he started giving his millions away. Sometimes it was not easy. When he offered a huge sum to church, all the pulpits over the country thundered back with cries of tainted money. But he kept on giving. When he learned of a starved little college on the shores of Lake Michigan that was being closed for the want of funds, he came to their rescue. He poured millions of dollars into that college and built it into the now world famous University of Chicago.
He tried to help the Negroes. He gave money to the Negro universities like the Tuskegee College, where funds were needed to carry on the work of George Washington Carver. He spent millions stamping out the greatest scourge disease that ever handicapped South America. And he went further he established the great international foundation the Rockefeller foundation which fights diseases and ignorance all over the world even today.Never before in the history had ever there been even remotely anything like the Rockefeller foundation. It is something unique.
Rockefeller knew that all over the world there are many fine movements that men of vision start. Research is undertaken; colleges are founded; doctors struggle to fight the diseases. But only too often this high minded work has to die for the lack of sufficient funds. He decided to help these pioneers of humanity, not to take over their institutions, but to give them money and help them to help themselves. Today the world is thankful to Rockefeller for the discovery of penicillin, the cure of spinal meningitis a disease that used to kill 4 out of every children, and malaria, influenza, diphtheria and others.When Rockefeller gave away his money in this manner, he began to feel peace and happiness in him. He became contented and was so completely changed that he did not worry at all. In fact he refused even to lose on nights sleep when he was forced to accept the greatest defeat of his career.
And that defeat came when the corporation he had built, the huge Standard Oil Company, was ordered to pay heaviest fine in the history of litigation. According to the US Govt the standard Oil company was a monopoly in direct violation of anti trust laws. The battle raged on for five years. The legal brains in the land fought interminably in what was up to then the longest court war in the history. At the end the Standard Oil Company lost.When the judgement was announced, the lawyers for the defence feared that Rockefeller would take it very hard. Little did they realize how much he had changed.
The lawyers contacted him over phone discussed the matter as gently as they could. But Rockefeller, far from being disheartened, consoled the lawyers and asked them not to bother, but to have a sound sleep that night. The very man who had taken to bed for having wasted 150 dollars in insurance could now digest the insult and penalty with light heart. Such was his transformation after meeting Vivekananda, even though on two brief occasions. This man whom the doctors gave up the hope of surviving at the age fifty three, now lived to see his ninety eighth year in a hale and healthy condition.
