I have one more thing to add - without medical technology my sister would have died in childbirth. Instead, she had a routine c-section and was out of the hospital in a few days. And that is a very, very good thing.
I don't think technology has that big a difference on human society. What really makes the difference between modern american and native american societies (example) is the political organization; a centralized government, with top-down authority and the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few; Versus a decentralized society with mutual aid and equality. either type could have or not have technology, and it wouldnt change as much.
@sheepblitzer I believe the human future lies in decentralized yet connected societies as well, as long as they have the freedom to choose the technologies they want. For instance, the Inuit of northern Canada have chosen to live in modern buildings with access to proper health care, communications, etc. but still hunt seals using dogsleds. One village even banned snowmobiles to help maintain their traditional way of life.
@squamish4244 i agree with your solution first off. anyway, your example shows the importance of political structure (e.g. decentralized tribes vs. authoritarian states) in analyzing human societies. Yet people tend to overemphasize the significance of technology.
@sheepblitzer Yes. No argument there. We used to write cheques, and then got the debit card for greater efficiency. But if our debit transaction is five seconds late we start to lose it! Lol but seriously, the people who believe continual technological progress will create a utopia for us are totally misguided.
A difficult question indeed. There are two sides to the issue. I think the achievement of industrialization in eliminating famine, epidemic disease, and high infant and child mortality cannot be overstated. These have all caused unimaginable suffering and for the first time in history they have all been chased away from large regions of the earth, and even remote villages like yuttadhammo's in Sri Lanka have benefited.
@atfatw Again, do your research on flouridation. The risks are exaggerated. And say they are not. We can always remove flouride from the drinking water and keep our industrial society.
@atfatw This isn't rocket science. There are many sources of unbiased information out there presenting the facts I've just related. Furthermore, Buddhism is all about keeping an open mind, and while I have great respect and admiration for this man, the path he has chosen and the wisdom he has to offer, I don't agree with everything he says, and other Buddhist teachers and traditions also disagree with certain aspects of his talks. I hope that's acceptable to you.
@squamish4244 it depends how you understand the causes of such things; and of course industrialization has also led to things like massive international arms trade, which Sri Lanka certainly hasn't benefited from, to say the least - talk about unimaginable suffering! Putting aside the question of whether karma is related to disease, the effects of industrialization in areas like land and wealth distribution, crop production, and environmental degradation have caused great suffering as well.
@yuttadhammo My hope for developing countries is that they can choose which aspects of modernity to keep and which to avoid. Medicine so we can be healthy, communications technology so we can understand one another better - and spread the dharma! - democratic politics and women's rights. Avoid the ideology of consumerism, inequitable wealth distribution, environmental degradation and of course the arms trade which contributed to such terrible suffering in the Sri Lankan civil war.
@yuttadhammo Thank you also for a respectful dialogue which is difficult to come across even on Buddhist videos. I look forward to viewing more of your uploads, I've only looked at a few so far and find it a fascinating exploration of the teachings and your way of being with the world :)
@atfatw Be careful when you say such things. Malaria kills 3 million children every year and some scientists estimate it has killed half of all the people who have ever lived. It is a terrible disease and I would be very hard pressed to say stress ruins more lives.
@saquamish4244 how is it do you think? that the majority of people in third world nations do not die from malaria ditto for the whole world, stress kills via ulcers and weakened hearts
@atfatw Do some research on malaria. You are totally misinformed about what a deadly disease it is. The Dalai Lama often does not kill mosquitoes, but does when he is in a country where malaria is a risk.
The eye is not the fetter of forms, nor are forms the fetter of the eye. Whatever desire & passion arises in dependence on the two of them: That is the fetter there. The ear .. nose .. tongue .. body .. intellect is not the fetter of ideas, nor are ideas the fetter of the intellect. Whatever desire & passion arises in dependence on the two of them: That is the fetter there.
I have one more thing to add - without medical technology my sister would have died in childbirth. Instead, she had a routine c-section and was out of the hospital in a few days. And that is a very, very good thing.
squamish4244 5 months ago
I don't think technology has that big a difference on human society. What really makes the difference between modern american and native american societies (example) is the political organization; a centralized government, with top-down authority and the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few; Versus a decentralized society with mutual aid and equality. either type could have or not have technology, and it wouldnt change as much.
sheepblitzer 6 months ago
@sheepblitzer I believe the human future lies in decentralized yet connected societies as well, as long as they have the freedom to choose the technologies they want. For instance, the Inuit of northern Canada have chosen to live in modern buildings with access to proper health care, communications, etc. but still hunt seals using dogsleds. One village even banned snowmobiles to help maintain their traditional way of life.
squamish4244 5 months ago
@squamish4244 i agree with your solution first off. anyway, your example shows the importance of political structure (e.g. decentralized tribes vs. authoritarian states) in analyzing human societies. Yet people tend to overemphasize the significance of technology.
sheepblitzer 5 months ago
@sheepblitzer Yes. No argument there. We used to write cheques, and then got the debit card for greater efficiency. But if our debit transaction is five seconds late we start to lose it! Lol but seriously, the people who believe continual technological progress will create a utopia for us are totally misguided.
squamish4244 5 months ago
A difficult question indeed. There are two sides to the issue. I think the achievement of industrialization in eliminating famine, epidemic disease, and high infant and child mortality cannot be overstated. These have all caused unimaginable suffering and for the first time in history they have all been chased away from large regions of the earth, and even remote villages like yuttadhammo's in Sri Lanka have benefited.
squamish4244 6 months ago
@squamish4244 industrialization put floridation into the drinking water thus weakening the body's resistance to disease.
atfatw 6 months ago
@atfatw Again, do your research on flouridation. The risks are exaggerated. And say they are not. We can always remove flouride from the drinking water and keep our industrial society.
squamish4244 6 months ago
@squamish4244 what do you know?
atfatw 6 months ago
@atfatw Enough.
squamish4244 6 months ago
@squamish4244 haha I win. maybe you are intelligent enough to see the truth but I doubt it.
atfatw 6 months ago
@atfatw This isn't rocket science. There are many sources of unbiased information out there presenting the facts I've just related. Furthermore, Buddhism is all about keeping an open mind, and while I have great respect and admiration for this man, the path he has chosen and the wisdom he has to offer, I don't agree with everything he says, and other Buddhist teachers and traditions also disagree with certain aspects of his talks. I hope that's acceptable to you.
squamish4244 6 months ago
@squamish4244 it depends how you understand the causes of such things; and of course industrialization has also led to things like massive international arms trade, which Sri Lanka certainly hasn't benefited from, to say the least - talk about unimaginable suffering! Putting aside the question of whether karma is related to disease, the effects of industrialization in areas like land and wealth distribution, crop production, and environmental degradation have caused great suffering as well.
yuttadhammo 6 months ago
@yuttadhammo My hope for developing countries is that they can choose which aspects of modernity to keep and which to avoid. Medicine so we can be healthy, communications technology so we can understand one another better - and spread the dharma! - democratic politics and women's rights. Avoid the ideology of consumerism, inequitable wealth distribution, environmental degradation and of course the arms trade which contributed to such terrible suffering in the Sri Lankan civil war.
squamish4244 6 months ago
@yuttadhammo Thank you also for a respectful dialogue which is difficult to come across even on Buddhist videos. I look forward to viewing more of your uploads, I've only looked at a few so far and find it a fascinating exploration of the teachings and your way of being with the world :)
squamish4244 6 months ago
very cool. you touched on several ideas I've had rolling around my head.
ender3711 1 year ago
That was an excelllent answer. It really makes sense, Buddhism, when clearly explained, always makes sense. Thanks
nachorocchi 1 year ago
So i need to be attached to every thought even good and those who are loving?
emis2004 1 year ago
I would trade stress for mosquito bites any day
sl2mmer 1 year ago
@sl2mmer stress, an evil thing ruins more lives than malaria dones!
atfatw 1 year ago
@atfatw Be careful when you say such things. Malaria kills 3 million children every year and some scientists estimate it has killed half of all the people who have ever lived. It is a terrible disease and I would be very hard pressed to say stress ruins more lives.
squamish4244 6 months ago
@saquamish4244 how is it do you think? that the majority of people in third world nations do not die from malaria ditto for the whole world, stress kills via ulcers and weakened hearts
atfatw 6 months ago
@atfatw Do some research on malaria. You are totally misinformed about what a deadly disease it is. The Dalai Lama often does not kill mosquitoes, but does when he is in a country where malaria is a risk.
squamish4244 6 months ago
Thank you.
The eye is not the fetter of forms, nor are forms the fetter of the eye. Whatever desire & passion arises in dependence on the two of them: That is the fetter there. The ear .. nose .. tongue .. body .. intellect is not the fetter of ideas, nor are ideas the fetter of the intellect. Whatever desire & passion arises in dependence on the two of them: That is the fetter there.
accesstoinsight. org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.191.than.html
drovoseg 1 year ago
what about rage and vengeance?
pejtok 1 year ago