The Origins of Man's Problems
Here, the question is very simple: Why has it been so? And to this, the answer is also simple: Because the man has not been developed. Truly, man has greatly developed for his own benefit all kinds of things in the name of civilization, including science and technology, but he has paid too little attention to the development of his own self. Man thinks of himself as the enjoyer of developments, not as an object of development. Human problems are, therefore, the same, now as before, this year as three or ten thousand years ago and human ways of action are of the same nature. They may take different forms and the place of emphasis may change under different circumstances.
Legends and history tell us of kings, princes and warriors of yore who waged wars with one another to win the hands of some beautiful princesses or ladies. Other invaded their neighbours and pillaged all towns and cities of the defeated. Today, conflicts grow between industrial powers and we witness the trade warriors battling for resources and markets. Kings of the old times marched their troops into the wars of conquest, expanding their empires in order to be hailed the great emperors or the most powerful conquerors. The nuclear powers nowadays, driven by fear of each other and the urge for primacy, engage in the arms race for military superiority. In ancient times, fanatical rulers persecuted people of other faiths and went into religious or holy wars. Modern nations sponsor wars, both COld and shooting ones, in different parts of the world in order to spread their political and economic isms or as part of their ideological propagation. Primitive people fought with one another, using sticks and stones. Feudal warriors fought with swords and bows. Modern soldiers also fight, but they resort to grenades and missiles for their weapons.
With the modern means of rapid and far-reaching communication and with the most efficient and powerful equipments and weapons provided by scientific and technological advances, modern problems appear in a vast variety of manifestations, affecting mankind in a wider scale and in the highest degree of severity. In spite of all the ostensible differences, the motives behind the actions arc the same ones. All forms of wars, conflicts, rivalries and quarrels, whether between individuals, groups or nations or at the global level, whether current or long time ago, can be traced to the same three categories of self-centred motives or tendencies, viz.
1. Selfish desire for pleasures and acquisitions (Tanha):
2. Egotistical lust for dominance and power (Mdna):
3. Clinging to view, faith or ideology (Ditthi).
If not refined, wisely channelled or replaced by wholesome mental qualities, these three self-centred tendencies of the mind develop and intensify so that the behaviour of the person becomes dangerous to others and to society.
First, the selfish desire for pleasures and acquisitions leads to attachment to wealth and greed for possessions. Its influence to cause crimes, exploitation, corruption, competition and conflict is too obvious, needing no description. This also explains why while the wealth-creating possibilities of new technology now seem boundless, the gap between the rich and the poor widens, the polarization of riches and poverty becoming strong and sharpening.
New agricultural technologies have made food for all' a perfectly realizable objective, yet starvation is widespread and hundreds of thousands of human beings starve to death. The advanced technology and new economic approaches are utilized in such a way that they serve the industrialized countries only for making more profit and developing countries only help to strengthen the economies of the developed ones. The profit-maximizing approach of the current economic system and the consumer culture serve only to divert world savings away from developing countries and make richer the developed countries. The modern modes of production lead to the benefits of capital accumulation. While costs are borne by all, benefits accrue to a few. The rich become richer and the poor poorer. The number of what the World Bank calls the "absolute poor" is around 800 million. In spite of many foreign aid programmes and advances in production technology, the world faces with economic crisis. The unequal distribution of wealth still prevails. Moreover, craving for sensual enjoyment and sensual indulgence lead to the lavish consumption of natural resources and the polluting of the environment, resulting in the depletion of resources, health problems and the worsening of the problem of poverty. With hunger and mass missery prevailing, the risk of war increases and world peace is unrealizable.
Secondly, with craving for dominance and lust for power, individuals, groups, parties and nations struggle and vie with one another for primacy or superiority. With hostile attitudes, some come into quarrels, conflict, fighting and wars. Even in the absence of an open conflict, they live in fear, suspicion, distrust and anxiety. At national and international levels, this is detrimental to mutual security, development and peaceful living. Political leaders resort to arms as props for political power. Developed countries lend aids to developing countries with ulterior motives for their own benefits, including the creation of a permanent dependence. At the same time, numbers of people in developing countries are careless and unhonest in the handling of aids and loans. Foreign aid programmes are surrounded by the climate of disillusion and distrust. At the global level, the world has for many decades been dominated by the hostile rcor holy wars. Modern nations sponsor wars, both COld and shooting ones, in different parts of the world in order to spread their political and economic isms or as part of their ideological propagation. Primitive people fought with one another, using sticks and stones. Feudal warriors fought with swords and bows. Modern soldiers also fight, but they resort to grenades and missiles for their weapons.
With the modern means of rapid and far-reaching communication and with the most efficient and powerful equipments and weapons provided by scientific and technological advances, modern problems appear in a vast variety of manifestations, affecting mankind in a wider scale and in the highest degree of severity. In spite of all the ostensible differences, the motives behind the actions arc the same ones. All forms of wars, conflicts, rivalries and quarrels, whether between individuals, groups or nations or at the global level, whether current or long time ago, can be traced to the same three categories of self-centred motives or tendencies, viz.,
1. Selfish desire for pleasures and acquisitions (Tanha):
2. Egotistical lust for dominance and power (Mdna):
3. Clinging to view, faith or ideology (Ditthi).des of production lead to If not refined, wisely channelled or replaced by wholesome mental qualities, these three self-centred tendencies of the mind develop and intensify so that the behaviour of the person becomes dangerous to others and to society.
First, the selfish desire for pleasures and acquisitions leads to attachment to wealth and greed for possessions. Its influence to cause crimes, exploitation, corruption, competition and conflict is too obvious, needing no description. This also explains why while the wealth-creating possibilities of new technology now seem boundless, the gap between the rich and the poor widens, the polarization of riches and poverty becoming strong and sharpening. New agricultural technologies have made food for all' a perfectly realizable objective, yet starvation is widespread and
hundreds of thousands of human beings starve to death. The advanced technology and new economic approaches are utilised in such a way that they serve the industrialized countries only for making more profit and developing countries only help to strengthen the economies of the developed ones. The profit-maximising approach of the current economic system and the consumer culture serve only to divert world savings away from developing countries and make richer the developed countries. The modern mo the benefits of capital accumulation. While costs are borne by all, benefits accrue to a few. The rich become richer and the poor poorer. The number of what the World Bank calls the "absolute poor" is around 800 million. In spite of many foreign aid programmes and advances in production technology, the world faces with economic crisis. The unequal distribution of wealth still prevails. Moreover, craving for sensual enjoyment and sensual indulgence lead to the lavish consumption of natural resources and the polluting of the environment, resulting in the depletion of resources, health problems and the worsening of the problem of poverty. With hunger and mass misery prevailing, the risk of war increases and world peace is unrealisable.
Secondly, with craving for dominance and lust for power, individuals, groups, parties and nations struggle and vie with one another for primacy or superiority. With hostile attitudes, some come into quarrels, conflict, fighting and wars. Even in the absence of an open conflict, they live in fear, suspicion, distrust and anxiety. At national and international levels, this is detrimental to mutual security, development and peaceful living. Political leaders resort to arms as props for political power. Developed countries lend aids to developing countries with ulterior motives for their own benefits, including the creation of a permanent dependence. At the same time, numbers of people in developing countries are careless and dishonest in the handling of aids and loans. Foreign aid programmes are surrounded by the climate of disillusion and distrust. At the global level, the world has for many decades been dominated by the hostile ideologies. In an ideological conflict, ideological sympathizers and partisans take sides. The conflict then grows in all possibilities at the expense of the hope for peace.
Phra Rajavaramuni - Freedom Individual and Social
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