T h e V i s i o n o f I s l a m
142
new systemwhich will give him a sense of purpose in life and which
will furnish the answers to his real demands.
This problem is not just confined to America but, because
America is the leader of contemporary industrial cultures, it
naturally inherits a large share of the problem. This is clearly
indicated by the fact that when Swami Vivekanand (1863-1902)
travelled toAmerica at the end of the nineteenth century, he could
not find a field for his work there, whereas nowadays Indian Sadhus
find millions of followers in the U.S.A. It is clear that modern
Western man is thoroughly disenchanted with his culture and is
desperate for something new. When the preserved Religion is not
available to him, he pursues anything that glitters from a distance.
