Would you choose Peace or Money ?
If you were given the choice between a huge sum of money or peace in th world (don't ask me how, or it would already be done), which one would you choose ?
I'd certainly go for peace in the world, whatever the sum offered.
My prime concerns in life are far from being topped by money as I mentioned in another thread.
My ideal world is one of peace, happiness and reason. Money is just a necessity created by some futile cravings for material possessions. Only food, a home to sleep and feel secure, and access to information (eg. the Internet) are absolutely necessary for the good development of a human being. All the rest is optional and should not be a cause of unhappiness. At best, the external factors that influence happiness are the weather (sunny and comfortable enough) and the relations to people ("the society") around us.
I am sometimes appaled at the shallowness of people. In Japan, for instance (as it is where I live, the example springs to mind more quickly), many people I know seem preoccupied by giving each other presents (o-miyage, o-chugen, o-toshidama...), helping a old woman carrying her heavy bag, being polite, arriving on time, etc. These are all relatively important things, but what shocks me is that these very people would certainly choose money over world peace, because money and material possessions is all that ultimately counts for them. I can't agree with that because I can control my cravings, relativize them and make them feel unimportant. My Japanese just do not understand that buying lots of stuff won't make you more happy in the long-term. It may cause some excitement and satisfaction at first, but then the novelty wears off and another craving replaces it.
Isn't weird that in a country supposedly influenced by Buddhist values, the most basic principle of Buddhism (renunciation of desires for material possessions) should be so startingly absent from people's minds ? But we could say that in the most Christian countries (USA, Southern Italy 50 years ago), the most basic principles of Christianity ("love and forgive all") should be as blatantly at odds with the behaviour of people. The US is after all the developed country with the highest crime (and esp. murder) rate and the country of the vendetta par excellence, where people sue other people over anything. That is a far cry from Christian forgiveness. I'd say that Japanese people are much more "Christian" (i.e. following the teachng of the Christ) in their behaviour than most Westerners, but particularily compared to Americans.
This kind of "Christian" behaviour does not distrub me at all (as an Atheist). What bothers me is "the only true and almight God" and "fear the divine punishment" thing and all cult (mass, prayer, crucifix...) and superstitions (saints, Xmas...). Jesus was otherwise a good chap, but not very realistic in his expectations, as 2000 years of Christianity (in name at least) have proven.
