Show notes
Ven. Pomnyun's Answer to " How do I deal with people who don't value others' freedom?" Selection from a Dharma Q&A session at Southdale Library, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Sep 12, 2018)
Throughout human history, which is about at least six thousands or more years, most of human lives have been under slaves, serves, and servants. The American experiment is allowing us to not have a king or emperor, or dictator or tyrant over on our lives.
So the libertarian perspective is 'Just leave me alone, I will leave my neighbors alone.' To allow my neighbors and myself, to as which the U.S. Declaration of Independence says, pursuit life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And it's a wonderful concept. It's fairly new because most throughout human history we haven't had that.
Today there is still slavery going on in certain parts of the world. There are people who are subject to being servants, and are thrown in prison, or killed because they don't have a choice in the matter. And there are people who are just placed in servitude. We understand that.
And there are religions. In the Far East, we have Buddhism, we have Taoism, we have many other ancestral worships, there's Zen Buddhism in Japan. And then the newer religions like Christianity in last couple of thousand years and there's also Islam even in China.
What do you say these two part questions about those human beings that are following the guides whether it be from government or religion that try to force themselves on you without your permission? They tell you how you should live, how you should dress, man and woman, how you should speak, or not speak, and not allowing us to have our own choice and freedom. We are so blessed in this country to have those choices. But those people who come from those other arenas come to America and live here, and now try to tell me how I should live, how I dress or believe or worship. I find that not only offensive but you are crossing the line into my territory without my permission. I know how I deal with it. But I'm saying for yourself, how do you speak about this, as you travel. And how you see things. And I appreciate your answer on that number 1.
And number 2. To the young people, who may be taught a certain way from the media, radio, TV, schools, public schools, and their friends, right, getting influence to their lives. So they're not even thinking independently or behave. Maybe this is not the correct way of living. Because our country is designed differently. But there are so many forces every single day, trying to repress those things that our forefathers in this country, has allowed us to have. Thank you.
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