The financial turmoil and terrorism in the name of religion - these are the two major challenges the world is facing today" (America has it's own share of problems like dealing with people like Bush, Palin et al.) Greed, stupidity and hatred against each other - that is what is causing all this.
Recently a Finance Minister from another country said to a reporter, "Even my 6 year old knows that you don't lend money to those who can't pay you back". So why was money lent to people who couldn't pay back. It was a high-risk and high-profit game. As one saying goes, "The greatest risk in life is not taking one." But you can't risk your life (and others lives) to take one.
வேண்டற்க வெஃகிஆம் ஆக்கம் விளைவயின்
மாண்டற் கரிதாம் பயன் (Kural 177)
Shun the gains of covetous wealth; its fruits are bitter to taste.
அரண்அறிந்து வெஃகா அறிவுடையார்ச் சேரும்
திறன்அறிந்து ஆங்கே திரு
The wise do not covet; gain beautifulwealth, on a righteous path.
Greed - that is what caused and is causing this financial disaster.
The other challenge is terrorism. Here is a short story I heard recently.
"A group of doves lived on top of a Hindu temple. One day, the temple management decided to give the gopuram (temple tower) a new coat of paint. They chased the doves away. The doves, looking for a new place to stay, settled down on top of a church tower. After a few months, the church management chased them away to decorate and paint the tower for Christmas. The doves now settled on the dome of a mosque. After a few months, they were chased away from the mosque as the people in the mosque wanted to paint the dome for Ramadan. The birds, returned back to the Hindu temple tower.
One day, people were hacking each other with machetes and bodies were lying all around in a pool of blood.
Looking at all the commotion, a baby dove asked its mother.
"Mom, who are they and why are they fighting."
"They are human beings and they are fighting because they are crazy", replied the mother.
"Mom, why are they crazy?", asked the baby dove.
"They are crazy because they like their religion. They like their religion because they are crazy", replied the mother.
"What is religion, ma?"
"Remember we used to live in this building, the people who go to this building are called as Hindus. The people who go to church are called as Christians. And the people who go to a mosque are called as Muslims."
"How is that possible ma?. We lived in a temple, a church and a moque. But we are still doves. Aren't we?", asked the baby dove.
"I'm glad you see it that way. That is why we are up here above them and closer to God and they are still down there fighting.
It is ironic that most of us do not choose our religion. Instead, the religion chooses us. It is thrust upon us by birth. Almost all the religions say the same thing. "Love everybody and do no harm". Instead we choose to "love nobody" and "do harm".
Homo sapiens will be the dangerous species on Planet Earth until we live with greed and hatred. We will forever remain the most dangerous animal on planet Earth.
This was my Toastmasters Speech# 4
This was my Toastmasters Speech# 4
This entry was posted
on October 5, 2008
at Sunday, October 05, 2008
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Thirukural,
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