A Profit Based Society

In Confucius we see a wide variety of teachings that although written an era ago are still applicable today. A very interesting thing about the teachings are the fact they are concise using the language as a mean to communicate the true meaning without any of the elegance that King James’s Bible Has. Although this certainly is influenced by the translation I believe the meaning of what is said truly affects the way it was translated. Confucius really wanted his teachings to be simple yet very meaningful while at many points the bible can turn out to be complicated.

There was a teaching which I believe is very important and it shows how rejected the Confucian way is rejected in western society. “The master said, “The gentleman understands rightness, whereas the petty person understands profit.” (p.12) Here we see that we don’t really listen to this wise voice for everywhere we go we see profit being what rule’s us and not the more spiritual and mental growth that is proposed by the Confucius here. This constant search for a greater profit has made us all small in spirit and due to this we are weak. Because we no longer seek to better ourselves but rather see greater profit we no longer develop in a spiritual way.

This constant fight for a great profit is always bloody and in many cases people are left at a bad situation in order to allow others o have wealth. Confucius opinion about this is clear, “The Master said, “Wealth and Social eminence are things that all people desire, and yet unless they are acquired in the proper way I will o abide tem. Poverty and disgrace are things that all people hate, and yet unless they are avoided in the proper way I will not despise them.” (p.10) this I believe is very important and apparently we, as the human kind, have forgotten this. We are desperate to avoid poverty and achieve Wealth but what we don’t measure is the consequences left behind our path to this status. We leave wounded who will never recover and although it might not take lives it will submerge other in poverty. It is rare to see others acquire wealth in a proper way for society makes us fight against each other in order to achieve anything. An example of this could be, when you are trying to find a University, you must be the best in order to get in to a good one for only the best are admitted in to such. In some cases only those with money can obtain education but the main idea here is that we must compete to survive.

To compete isn’t necessarily something bad but what we have done to it, and taking it to such limits in which such competition is constant goes against The Way. I am not against competition but the fact we take it to such savage way in which other people get hurt ends up doing more damage than what it actually helps.

Maybe we should listen to these ancient texts for they are telling us important things and after all the civilization that was guided through these texts lasted longer than we have. Is this book the only way? Is the society we are following bad? Or could this be an alternative?