07-05-2007, 03:34 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->This circumstance sheds light, I believe, on the peculiar indifference that people show towards poverty and suffering of fellow-human beings in Asia.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->This bit is wrong, Dhu. What indifference is that author talking of?
In India, people give money to their families first. I think every family in India has very poor relatives here or there. Well, leastways I do and so do most Hindus I know. I also know that many a Hindu, Jain settled overseas adopts one part of his less-well-off family to support. (It's a bit harsh if you can help total strangers without first helping those related to you - however <i>n</i>th cousin/aunt/uncle they might be.)
If a Hindu has no poor relatives at all or if (s)he is extra well-off to be able to support people outside their ken, you can see them helping unknowns.
This is different from western countries, because most of the people in the west are affluent and have no poor relatives. Hence when they feel natural empathy for other humans who are suffering, they end up giving what they can to unknowns. I am not disparaging what they do. Just pointing out that they can't judge Indians and other peoples of poor nations when very often they do *not* know what it is to be poor.
In India, people give money to their families first. I think every family in India has very poor relatives here or there. Well, leastways I do and so do most Hindus I know. I also know that many a Hindu, Jain settled overseas adopts one part of his less-well-off family to support. (It's a bit harsh if you can help total strangers without first helping those related to you - however <i>n</i>th cousin/aunt/uncle they might be.)
If a Hindu has no poor relatives at all or if (s)he is extra well-off to be able to support people outside their ken, you can see them helping unknowns.
This is different from western countries, because most of the people in the west are affluent and have no poor relatives. Hence when they feel natural empathy for other humans who are suffering, they end up giving what they can to unknowns. I am not disparaging what they do. Just pointing out that they can't judge Indians and other peoples of poor nations when very often they do *not* know what it is to be poor.