Business to the Buddha

Tag: World war

  • Future shock – watch our act







    I have forgotten why world war I started. One needs to read and remember history for that. However, I do remember that after the war there were some very heavy penalties on the losing side. These penalties eventually resulted in world war II, isn’t it? At times it comes in this little mind that our present actions determine possibilities of what twist future might take – perhaps that is what is future shock.

    Let us take another example – wars are not good for anyone, everyone knows this, yet countries (specially the politicians of the countries) create such situations – be it North Korea or United States, these days China is pressurizing India. I wonder why politicians want to control people and their mind – specially in China – and to own land and other things?

    I – though not a political analyst – see it as diverting India’s attention from Pakistan orders where China is making CPEC, to move away Indian troops actions against Kashmiri terrorists. I wonder if all these events convert in any disaster of war, because everyone will start taking sides in such cases to provoke world to an almost extinction. All these are present shocks and not future shocks.

    A shock is always in the present, not in future! Let us take an example of end of world war II, the nuclear explosion was a present moment shock and loss. We may argue that it was a possibility. However, I still maintain, shocks are always in the present, in fact any experience is in the present. Take an example of climate change, recently US president rejected it in G-20 summit.Climate change is a present shock a truth that we are facing on a daily basis. As a society we never looked at it by asking ourselves what are we doing? We were running behind growth, cutting trees, polluting air, water and soil. I came across this video some years back thought to share it here

    Our past acts become our future shocks, yet these ‘past’ acts were ‘present’ when performed and the future shock is observed in the ‘present’ again. So any future shock is a mirage, everything happens in the present, only thing that we can do is – watch our act! Be it climate change, or owning the world (winning landmass or controlling others)

    On this note – I leave you with these two videos –

    Future shock was (LBC topic) Loose Bloggers Consortium topic where Maria, Rummuser, Ashok, Shackman and I write. You can visit their blogs and read their thoughts on the topic.

    PS – Author knows there is a book with the same title, he hasn’t read it though. author knows the definition of future shock by Alvin Toffler, yet tried defining and understanding future and shocks in his own manner.

  • Terrorism – Silent Majority doesn’t count – Solution please!







    If you are unwell, you cannot think of anything better, do anything better. So it become very important to get well first. If we as a humanity needs to grow, we cannot talk about spirituality in isolation. We have to find a solution to the problem of terrorism. A hungry man should not be taught religion – he needs food, a sick person needs a doctor / medicine.

    I think, In my previous blog the premise was completely incorrect. Fanatic followers of anything do not listen to the argument of others. I was trying to find a solution of Islamic world through the Buddhist teaching. However naive that attempt was, it was a genuine and earnest attempt. Somewhere fundamentalist and even other moderates need to learn from the Buddha.

    I have been thinking about solutions with reference to terrorism. A small guy, sitting in one corner of world wonder how many and who would listen though – yet thinking about a solution! We cannot talk about business, economics, human development or spirituality if we are facing a threat to life on a daily basis. So a solution to terrorism is of paramount importance. For argument sake – lets assume whole world becomes Muslim. The next question will be – which Muslim? Shia or Sunni or Ahmedi? There are 70+ different division of followers of Islam. So don’t you think the next fight would be who is a “True Follower”? Well, the stream of questions would be endless.

    Recently someone sent me a video on whatsapp, it was worth a thought. I can’t corroborate the statistics so I am not commenting on the same. Question is excellent and so is the answer worth introspection.

    The point in this video is – Silent majority does not count. So whoever it is (currently the whole Muslim community) needs to think. The Buddha taught to “question and experiment with everything, once you are convinced accept it otherwise do not”. When I read about the Buddha’s life story I read – he told his followers to even refute and go away if they are not convinced.

    Here Richard Dawkins says the same (the following video was a suggested video when I searched for above video). I am impressed with the point of view of Mr Dawkins (55 sec onwards).

    I know people – specially Muslims friends – will question about what is happening in Myanmar. Muslims are being killed there so is it what the Buddha taught? Well the Buddha did not teach that and Buddhism has no history of violence, lets ask about other religions, does any other religion – except Jainism – has similar roots of non-violence? Certainly Islam spread through violence – Indian history is full of that.

    If you’re a silent majority – in this particular case of Terrorism and Islam – you do not count! Raise your voice and teach your fellow followers what is wrong with them. The whole humanity is at risk who knows these random acts of terrorism will convert into full blown world war and every person will have to take side? Last word – Raise your voice.