Buddhism is selflessness, thus unselfishness, thus compassion for all sentient beings, thus universal kindness, thus a direct attack on all of the suffering in the world. The world doesn’t get all of this, but measures of kindness are increasingly popular everywhere. One who only watches the news can be excused for thinking that everything is getting worse, but it is not so.
- Health care is improving around the world, and we are finding cures for many dread diseases.
- Education is improving in quality and quantity, as multitudes of children are brought into school systems, and as cell phone and broadband access constantly increases.
- Almost every country’s economy is growing, except under a few remaining tyrannies.
- Population growth is declining in even the poorest countries.
- We are very close to Peak Carbon.
- There are fewer stupid wars than every.
Gapminders has details on all of these issues, and more.
We have tested thousands of people and they were systematically wrong about all this.
All of this information is to the good, and all of these political views, too. But we are here for the whole koan, represented in Mahayana Buddhism by the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara/Kanzeon, who regards the cries of the world.