Rich and Poor

Our ancestors, therefore, set a limit to our indulgences.... A man is not necessarily happy because he is rich, or unhappy because he is poor. The rich are often seen to be unhappy, the poor to be happy. Millions always remain poor. Observing all this, our ancestors dissuaded us from luxuries and pleasures" (p. 35 Gandhi).

The quotation was very confusing and conflicts with the view we have today. The rich seem carry the heir of being happy and having no problems. The poor are seen to many as being inferior and depressed because of their lack of funds and in some cases level of education. This is just an example that I have had in my life with those who commented on people from lower levels of living.

God vs. Technology

My last post concerned religion and technology. I thought of the idea that people depended on the church in order to get answers to questions that they could not explain. But, now a days scientists are the main people of interest to be talked to in regards to a difficult question. Also, this caused major revolutions throughout the world, causing the church to be seen as unreliable in some cases. However, in the end some scientists still believe that the events that led to the creation of man are very complex and if there was some slight change in many different aspects will have changed the outcome significantly.

Forgetting where you come from

"God set a limit to man's locomotive ambition in construction of his body. Man immediately proceeded to discover means of overriding the limit... Man abused it so that he might forget his Maker".( p. 26 Gandhi).


It is very interesting to think of the concept that God is being forgotten due to the formation of civilization and technology. Also, how Gandhi feels that man has abused his own power causing him to forget about his Maker. This seems to have some faults because i do not think that man is forgetting about God i think he is just occupied with the new and interesting technologies in the community.

Laws?

"The more prohibitions and rules,/ The poorer people become./ The sharper the people's weapons,/ The more they riot... The more elaborate the laws,/ The more they commit crimes. (p. 57 Tao Te Ching)


The quote shows how it is human nature for some to rebel against those that put laws into place. It is human nature to have feelings of being completely free and being your own person. However, the fact that we are not free and essentially just play the role of individuals in a society. Laws are put into effect to try and "protect society" but are also meant to be broken by the outcasts of society.

Rebellion

People are hungry./ When rulers tax grain/ People are hungry./ People are rebellious. (p. 75 Tao).
Lao- Tzu describes the state how people react to the actions of the government. He describes how it is better when the government limits its power instead of creating laws and other regulations that impact the lives of individuals. However, when individuals personal lives are put into jeopardy, they can cause an uprising against their own ruling leaders.

Boundaries

"Neighboring countries are so close/ You can hear their chickens and dogs./ But people grow old and die/ Without needing to come and go. (p. 80 Tao Te Ching).

The quotation shows the instinct of individuals and the idea that they do not feel the need broaden their minds. They do not feel the need to advance their country based on the thought that their ways of thinking.

re: Mockingbird

In my last paper I examined how civilizations can be created and altered. In Rives Mockingbird skit he tells his master plan how he thinks that that through his intervention of releasing these birds into the environment that they would change civilizations. The diversity that would be present after the sounds of the different mockingbirds converge on one another. Rives believes diversity makes civilizations flourish.