The world is getting worse and worse

[muni]

Re: overpopulation, its recently come to my attention that the world population has literally doubled since I was born in the 1970's.

This fact should not be underestimated.

I have been thinking about that. As in some places with less people, there is more care for each other. While by overpopulation it is like humans become more selfish, fighting for their place, their culture, their whatever. Perhaps a distorted form of what animals do to survive? Based on self, then by so seen increase of other, the protection of self would then increase as well. Then the results are of course very much partial.

two cents, you have some more?

[tomschwarz]

Then let's say "worse" means more negative karmic activity, meaning more actions by sentient beings which searve to decrease happiness in others rather than increase it.

So with that context is "the world getting worse and worse"?

Tom, the world has never had anything to offer.

In hinayana, we see a cup of tea, and we renounce that cup of tea because it is the object of our attachment, and we wish to root out this attachment. In Mahayana, we see a cup of tea, but we can still taste the tea and enjoy it, and even put honey in it, but we are understanding that it is emtpy, and we are not letting the tea control us.

Kevin

))) this post has a post that goes with it: there is this idea in buddhism called "precious human life". For example it has been said perhaps by his holiness the dalai lama, that human life is particularly well suited for progress on the path. Then also in standard buddhist thinking, there is an extreme rarity associated with human life (see turtle surfacing in the ocean and happening to intersect a single, small hoop floating on the surface with its head) which i have taken to mean that human life is as valuable as it is rare.

So that still does not contradict his holiness the dalai lama's statement that the world is getting worse and worse. Rather it underlines the wasted opportunities for enlightenment/real progress and real accompmishment, a waste that can be associated with the modern world. Sucks ))))))). But you know the Amish are taking applications.... ....and i do have a spinning wheel.... ....and i love to make cheese )) but then, we turn to Longchen Rabjampa and we are taught to turn away from all that busy work (yes, even old fasioned metal work and planting wheat). So to really use this human life you have to not only let go of video games and HBO serial programs, but we need to be solitary. We need to be solitary because we are all scammers and silence exposes the truth which gives us a real fighting chance to care more for others.

[PadmaVonSamba]

There are always problems.
So, you can't judge things based on how many problems there are.
But now, people are aware of climate change, inequality, injustice, pollution, and so forth.
Now, people speak out against problems and are trying to take actions to improve things.
Of course, there is still greed and power and war, so things suck, but only because we can now see the alternative.
There is more awareness of the problems facing the world, whereas before they were either ignored or encouraged.
So, in that way, things are improving.
Whether we are too late or not, that is another question.
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