“We are constantly under the pressure of time. In former times, we could afford
three hours to drink one cup of tea, enjoying the company of our friends in a
serene and spiritual atmosphere. We could organize a party to celebrate the
blossoming of one orchid in our garden. But today we can no longer afford these
things. We say time is money. We have created a society in which the rich
become richer and the poor become poorer, and in which we are so caught up in
our own immediate problems that we cannot afford to be aware of what is going
on with the rest of the human family or our planet Earth. In my mind I see a
group of chickens in a cage disputing over a few seeds of grain, unaware that in a
few hours they will all be killed.
People in China, India, Vietnam, and other developing countries are still dreaming
the “American Dream,” as if that dream were the ultimate goal of mankind ­
everyone must have a car, a bank account, a cell phone, a television set of their
own…. (with the growth in population and diminishing resources) the American
Dream is not possible for the people of China, India or Vietnam. The American
Dream is no longer even possible for Americans. We can’t continue to live like
this. It is not a sustainable economy.
We must have another dream: the dream of brotherhood and sisterhood, of loving
kindness and compassion. That dream is possible right here and right now.”