Eastside Revolt
1st April 2003, 23:17
"ANCIENT WISDOM MODERN WORLD"
"According to my understanding, our overemphasis on material gain reflects an underlying assumption that what it buys, can by itself alone, provide us with all the satisfaction we require. Yet by nature, the satisfaction material gain can provide us will be limited to the level of senses. If it were true that we human beings were no different from animals, this would be fine. However, given the complexity of our species - in particular the fact of our having thoughts and emotions as well as imaginative and critical faculties - it is obvious that our needs transcend the merely sensual. The prevelance of anxiety, stress, confusion, uncertianty and depression among those whose basic needs have been met is a clear indication of this. Our problems, both those we experience externally - such as wars, crime, and violence - and those we experience internally - our emotional and phycological sufferings - cannot be solved until we adress this underlying neglect. That is why the great movements of the last hundered years and more - democracy, liberalism, socialism - have all failed to deliver the universal benefits they were supposed to provide, despite many wonderful ideas. A revolution is called for, certainly. But not a political, an economic, or even a technical revolution. We have had enough experience in the past century to know that a purely external aproach will not suffice. What I propose is a spiritual revolution."
- My favorite Passage.
The book is far too complex to critique, so you should read it for yourself. It is the best book I have read for a long time.
"According to my understanding, our overemphasis on material gain reflects an underlying assumption that what it buys, can by itself alone, provide us with all the satisfaction we require. Yet by nature, the satisfaction material gain can provide us will be limited to the level of senses. If it were true that we human beings were no different from animals, this would be fine. However, given the complexity of our species - in particular the fact of our having thoughts and emotions as well as imaginative and critical faculties - it is obvious that our needs transcend the merely sensual. The prevelance of anxiety, stress, confusion, uncertianty and depression among those whose basic needs have been met is a clear indication of this. Our problems, both those we experience externally - such as wars, crime, and violence - and those we experience internally - our emotional and phycological sufferings - cannot be solved until we adress this underlying neglect. That is why the great movements of the last hundered years and more - democracy, liberalism, socialism - have all failed to deliver the universal benefits they were supposed to provide, despite many wonderful ideas. A revolution is called for, certainly. But not a political, an economic, or even a technical revolution. We have had enough experience in the past century to know that a purely external aproach will not suffice. What I propose is a spiritual revolution."
- My favorite Passage.
The book is far too complex to critique, so you should read it for yourself. It is the best book I have read for a long time.