The Tycoon and the Monk: When Oil Met Flame.

ChatGPT’s retelling of the legendary meeting between Rockefeller and Swami Vivekananda

Prefix.

I believe I’ve read about this famous encounter between Rockefeller and Vivekananda almost a year ago or prior. What people often share is that Rockefeller transformed and became a different person. Yet they neglect a crucial turning point in his life.

Most posts shared don’t ever mention Vivekananda’s role and mostly put an emphasis on God and religion. I’m not saying these didn’t play a role. But maybe it’s out of innocent ignorance that they don’t know this piece of history of the famous mystic, the first American guru, and the first to bring yoga to America. If anyone is going to tell the story of Rockefeller’s charity, why not tell it in its entirety by not carelessly leaving out the full story.

A mystic is someone who has no creed or religion for they can cross domain to all religion, speak the universal language, and commune with God. It could be said that some of the more famous or well-known mystics are the ultimate social reformers. They ignite entire social movements, reinforce religious beliefs, and uplift entire nations. They need not churches or interpreters of the word.

We are in a time when social programs/public funding are being cut, paradoxically in one of the richest countries in the world. At a time when austerity measures are justified for economic progress. At a time when the system has become so fragile, it can easily collapse. The loudest voices (visibly and audibly) appear to have the least answers.

When examining the healthcare system following the murder of UnitedHealthCare’s CEO, one statistic caught my eye: the claim that the U.S. ranks among the top 3 or 5 most charitable nations. I can’t confirm the accuracy of that ranking, especially since measuring charity, whether on a per capita basis or in aggregate, can be slippery.

Some methods may reflect a structural tilt, skewed by the immense concentration of wealth in the hands of a few. When those few give, it registers as national generosity, even if it doesn’t reflect widespread public behavior. Regardless of how pious the act may appear, the real question is still: where does the money go, and how does it flow? Why is wealth so vastly concentrated and structurally reinforced? And why does it persist? Why do we allow it to persist?