01-26-2013, 05:12 AM
well, I guess your leaving for the States pretty soon xise; so the opportunity for action will pass; but the opportunity for reflection and consideration will stay with you.
perhaps this might create a bias towards more animal rights in your own country; who knows what knock-on effects experiences have.
- -
I related my own experience with travelling to a third world country at the time (Malaysia) and witnessing a 'house servant' who was in her 40's or 50's, prematurely aged, who never left the compound. She got food (not what everyone else ate) and a tiny cupboard to sleep in.
to a westerner, the first seeing of this lead to the thought: "this is an outrage, she needs to be freed!"; and I spoke to my friend who had invited me there for the stay (and surprisingly enough, it was his uncle's house, a former government minister who still had a paid driver and car from the state).
my friend said to me; that's just the way it is, if she didn't work here, she would just beg on the street and die.
it sounded callous, but as I saw more of Kuala Lumpur (this was mid 1990's) the words sounded true enough. There was abject poverty; in the truest sense of the word.
what could I do? could I save her? could I save them all?
this one incident (an ongoing witnessing over weeks) truly kickstarted and spurred me onto my spiritual journey; the asking of questions, the understanding of karma, the collective responsibility we have on this planet. how to act? to change a society? how to be? and how to be most effective with one's skillset and abilities?
I haven't been back to KL since; but things have radically transformed via telecommuncations and outsourcing. My workplace actually has quite a sizeable office over there; and the work that is done there is integral to the ability to do the work in our local Sydney branch. We really are equal partners in this operation (their office and ours).
so times do change; attitudes do change; opportunities arise; the spread of information and understandings works its effects. We are a global peoples at this time; attitudes like what your great-uncle might have had become exposed to a wider audience. People talk about things. Make assessments on what is 'acceptable' or 'not acceptable'; and we move forward.
from the perspective of a single slice of time, it might not appear all too hopeful. But from a wider-arc lens, progress happens.
this careful patience with regards to change in myself, in others, in society as a whole is something I've learnt over the years. After much burnout and excessive effort I must say
peace xise; thanks for sharing this total experience with us; I remember chatting a bit with you and Cyan when you first posted the thread.
peace.
perhaps this might create a bias towards more animal rights in your own country; who knows what knock-on effects experiences have.
- -
I related my own experience with travelling to a third world country at the time (Malaysia) and witnessing a 'house servant' who was in her 40's or 50's, prematurely aged, who never left the compound. She got food (not what everyone else ate) and a tiny cupboard to sleep in.
to a westerner, the first seeing of this lead to the thought: "this is an outrage, she needs to be freed!"; and I spoke to my friend who had invited me there for the stay (and surprisingly enough, it was his uncle's house, a former government minister who still had a paid driver and car from the state).
my friend said to me; that's just the way it is, if she didn't work here, she would just beg on the street and die.
it sounded callous, but as I saw more of Kuala Lumpur (this was mid 1990's) the words sounded true enough. There was abject poverty; in the truest sense of the word.
what could I do? could I save her? could I save them all?
this one incident (an ongoing witnessing over weeks) truly kickstarted and spurred me onto my spiritual journey; the asking of questions, the understanding of karma, the collective responsibility we have on this planet. how to act? to change a society? how to be? and how to be most effective with one's skillset and abilities?
I haven't been back to KL since; but things have radically transformed via telecommuncations and outsourcing. My workplace actually has quite a sizeable office over there; and the work that is done there is integral to the ability to do the work in our local Sydney branch. We really are equal partners in this operation (their office and ours).
so times do change; attitudes do change; opportunities arise; the spread of information and understandings works its effects. We are a global peoples at this time; attitudes like what your great-uncle might have had become exposed to a wider audience. People talk about things. Make assessments on what is 'acceptable' or 'not acceptable'; and we move forward.
from the perspective of a single slice of time, it might not appear all too hopeful. But from a wider-arc lens, progress happens.
this careful patience with regards to change in myself, in others, in society as a whole is something I've learnt over the years. After much burnout and excessive effort I must say
peace xise; thanks for sharing this total experience with us; I remember chatting a bit with you and Cyan when you first posted the thread.
peace.