Cambodia

Tea_drinker · March 21, 2020

Paris said:
I love Vietnam also, but with regards to Cambodia, Theravada Buddhism, which essentially teaches the individual to be content with what they have and never strive for more, has a lot to answer for with regards to the development of Cambodia. Even today, unfortunately.

That and rampant corruption.

You make an excellent point here. As a PUnK rOcK spirited westerner who's lived in 4 Asian countries over about 8 years I've always found it hard to reconcile the beauty I see in buddhism and Hinduism with the reality that they put people in a position to accept poverty in the hope of better in the next life.

Tea_drinker · March 21, 2020

BluePeadar said:
A great and apt quote, I will check this book out , have read many books on the Khmer region and history and all good . The best one I think is River of Time by Jon Swain

'Stay alive my son' is also a good one. In a very sad way.

At the other end of the scale is 'Off the rails in Phnom Penh'. Seedy yarns.

Paris · March 21, 2020

Tea_drinker said:
You make an excellent point here. As a PUnK rOcK spirited westerner who's lived in 4 Asian countries over about 8 years I've always found it hard to reconcile the beauty I see in buddhism and Hinduism with the reality that they put people in a position to accept poverty in the hope of better in the next life.

I can't claim it as my own, original opinion to be honest. Just from what I've read and when I think about it, it does make sense to me.

BlueAmigo · March 22, 2020

Tea_drinker said:
You make an excellent point here. As a PUnK rOcK spirited westerner who's lived in 4 Asian countries over about 8 years I've always found it hard to reconcile the beauty I see in buddhism and Hinduism with the reality that they put people in a position to accept poverty in the hope of better in the next life.

Is that what they do though? And is it a bad thing? I've met far happier people on my travels, people who relative to me have very little, but their life's seem to have far more joy. I look at Western news and just see rats fighting each other at the moment.

Paris · March 22, 2020

BlueAmigo said:
Is that what they do though? And is it a bad thing? I've met far happier people on my travels, people who relative to me have very little, but their life's seem to have far more joy. I look at Western news and just see rats fighting each other at the moment.

On the surface it shouldn't be a bad thing but when you a dig a bit deeper and see that literacy levels and life expectancy are so low then it is a point that is worthy of consideration.