Alliance of Civilizations : Perfect Match between the West and East ( Part IV)

K.S.Chow

Financial Crisis

Multiculturalism commenced in the 19th century C.E in Europe and United States of America. Europe and United States are currently the advanced and leading economies and democracies. However, the 2009 financial meltdown leading to foreclosures, bankruptcies, plummeting stock prices, credit crunch unemployment, declining car industry and other turmoils of economic recession have indeed battered the western economies. Greed and declining deontological ethics have been identified as the culprits.

The concerted efforts of world banks from both the western and eastern countries have collaborated to provide credit flow to ease the ailing financial institutions. The heads of government of the group of 20 have also met in United States to discuss mitigating efforts to overcome the financial woes heaving and rippling across the global village. The interconnectedness of the global villagers unveals the reality that a global crisis demands a global efforts. The alliance of civilizations between the west and the east  has been invigorated further after the eruption of the global financial crisis. The global crisis moves the global villagers to relate to one another more closely than before. The global unity of collaboration is spiritually significant as G8 has evolved into G20.

Reciprocal Action

When the eastern nations in Asia were swamped with dire natural catastrophes like tsunami, earthquakes, cyclones and floods, the western nations warmly and rapidly extended their humanitarian aids to the distressed victims. It should reciprocally humane that the affluent eastern nations should now extend financial credits to the western brothers currently  plagued by  financial turmoils. I personally feel that Japan, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E and other oil rich nations in the middle east, China, India,  Russia, Korea and other eastern nations should extend financial credits to improve cash flow in the western financial markets.

The innocent western jobless victims of financial crisis in United States in particular have been plunged into the dark pit of economic vexation and anguish. Can we imagine the predicament when we are financially deficient and living in the cold winter right now  ?  I could still recall vividly  the teetering coldness of Beijing experienced by me after I had been well fed in every meal well served by every restaurant  in my recent tour of the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Bird Net , the Great wall and so on. I used to sniff when the weather has turned cold in my home country where the temperature is far above zero. Shockingly, I was unbattered at all even though the temperature of Beijing had plunged below zero. Which is the real ‘I’ ? The one living in my warm home country or the one visiting freezing Beizing ? It is indeed a good lesson on Anattā . Judging from the blue chip advisers appointed by President-elect Obama, I  bet you that the U.S financial crisis will turn around . The Unity of God is on his side.

 Despite the severe economic adversity, the jobless Americans do not organize violent street demonstrations to burn and loot in order to vent their unprecedented frustrations towards the government. I really admire their calmness, patience, endurance and understanding in confronting  the severe national economic crisis and  dire natural disasters swamping their nation epicly in 2008 in particular. This is what we can learn from the west – the positive parts of humanity. They remain poised, composed and stay focused in combating and mitigating the crises especially during the time when the U.S has spent and is still spending enormous military funds in sustaining the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is important that the ordinary Americans should not be blamed for the eruption of the two wars.

Problem of Egoes

The two wars are the synthesis of  complex multiple contigent conditions of conflicting egoes. Decrying and condemning a single contigent condition causing the two wars mirrors that one fails to understanding process becoming of any international conflict. There is no single wrong doer in any international conflict. Countless unidentified contigent conditions are responsible for the international conflicts. It is so complicated that even the most powerful institution in the world , United Nations Organization (UN), become impotent. Why can’t the UN resolve international conflict when it is supported by countless political savants or intelligentsia which I have designated them as backyard ‘bodhisattvas’  or the silent heroes of the world ? We can not deny the stark fact that the U.N political experts are adept at political issues, policies,  philosophy, strategies  and wisdom which I personally extol and esteem. In dealing with mundane conflicts, the best and brightest brains suffice to address or mitigate global issues. However, the underlying causes of international conflicts are individual egoes. The egoes may not be the negotiators themselves who would like to settle the conflicts diplomatically, amicably and rapidly. The egoes may be  found among  the political leaders  and among the ordinary citizentry who demonstrate in their home  countries.

Religious Problem

Intellectually best and brightest brains cannot cope with human egoes or the carnal selves . The egoes emerge among the ordinary people and also among the political leaders because  they do not adhere to right religious instructions and practise according to the religious scriptures or canons. The global villagers have fallen into the pit because of their moral  fallibilities caused by their  egoes. Egoes and spiritual wisdom are mutually exclusive. Modernists worship money, wealth, power, materialism and consumerism. They love to live  in a  spiritual desert  so that they are ‘free’ to satisfy their carnal cravings . Egoes are the causes of the current financial crises , ecocrises, and wars. To be spiritual does not mean that a lay person must reject  money, wealth, power, materialism and consumerism. What is rejected is attachment to them or slavery to them.

Conclusion

Secular state can be spiritualized without being transformed into a religious state. Secular state can be spiritualized by fulfilling  our duties or social responsibilities to treat others benevolently. Before we can treat others well or can love our neighbours as we love ourselves, we ought to be interested in religious study and practice. Religion improves our moral restraint or self-discipline to avoid injuring others socially and to practice virtues  radiating lovingkindness , compassion and appreciative joy to others . When the members of society are morally restrained and ethically virtuous, harmony, cohesion and unity are proportionately improved. Consequently, economic productivity and prosperity are correspondingly improved. Consequently,  GDP advances and the nation progresses. We spend what are within our capacities to earn. In this manner, the financial crisis will be averted. Religion advocates that we return to the fundamentals of living.