N 123…..This Ailing World
Would you agree if I say that the world we are living in is ailing….Beside ailing physically it is also ailing mentally. If one looks around one will see troubles and conflicts and struggles everywhere. And all these are caused not only by nature but also by men.
The earth we are living in had been green and healthy. The population is not so thick as it is now and so the basic needs for men and also animals are sufficient then. But now the population has overgrown so much that shortages are arising in everything from food, water and even the air which we breath freely.
The ozone layer which shields the earth and its environment from the sun’s harmful
Ultraviolet radiation is depleting which resulted in a big hole millions of square kilometers wide. This is caused by wild fires, burning of fossil fuels, use of chlorofluorocarbons, eruption of volcanoes and other factors.Beside nature,humans also have a hand in the causing of this destruction .
One big problem the earth is facing is pollution. Major kinds of pollution usually classified by environment are air pollution,water pollution,land pollution and plastic pollution.Some kind of pollution can be caused by natural events such as forest fires and volcanic eruptions, but most pollution are created by human activities. Establishments of great number of people caused pollutions of all kinds and have become problematic that cannot be overcome.
And then there is the most destructive element of climate change. 2023 was said to be the hottest year, but 2024 is no better and even more hotter. Our country is encountering a very hot summer with some cities being among hottest places.People in some countries including Myanmar are dying because of heatstroke.
Because the temperature is increasing glaciers at the North Pole and ice covering some peaks like the Himalayas are melting ,which will cause seas and oceans to swell, and accordingly make islands and cities and towns sink underwater .Because fresh water is stored in the ice,the world will also lose its fresh water supply.
These are only some problematic factors the earth is facing now. There are also many ,many other threats it is facing and has to overcome such as floods earthquakes,powerful storms,tornadoes, landslides, wildfires,tsunamis, heavy snowfalls, heatwaves,water shortages,drying of rivers and streams,extreme heat or cold, and so on.
Beside having to face these natural disasters nations of the world are not enjoying peaceful and joyful lives. Buddha said human beings who are full of greed,anger and ignorance cannot have a peaceful life and cannot go to a better place in the next life.However many nations and people are being like that and they are acting accordingly. As a result the world is full of wars, like Russia- Ukrainian,Israel -Hamas,
Myanmar’s ethnic minority plus PDF against military junta war.Beside these there are many wars in different parts of the world, which are fought between the countries’own citizens or with other countries.
In Myanmar citizens are suffering much. Citizens are killed by bombings, caught between gun fightings, killed intentionally by soldiers, houses destroyed or torched
that people have to leave their homes and their livelihoods and flee to live in forests and mountains without shelters and adequate food or medicines .Economic and education situation in Myanmar will not be able to rise again for many years .
Even if a country doesn’t have wars every single country has its own problems,such as political instability,economic stagnation,over population, religious tension ( India ) ,provoking countries with missiles and A bomb while it’s people live in poverty (North Korea ),mounting debts countries are facing,severe weather threat,trash and sewage dumpings, drug related problems,pornography which is on the rise, sexual abuse of women and children,gender inequality,famine,money laundering and scamming, gun control, epidemics. Mental instability are on the rise these days, that we are seeing mass shootings or stabbings in schools,universities,and people in crowds. These are only a few . There may be many more if you come to think about them.
A country or say an institution is stable and grow if the leader or administrators are able and have good intentions.But what we are seeing now are that many leaders who are in power and leading the country are power hungry,greedy, don’t care about peoples wishes, bear jealousies,and don’t think about the country’s development.(Our country Myanmar )
So the results are not good either on the physical situation or the activities of men on the world. Many factors are leading towards bad outcomes.The famous Sayadaw Dr. Nandamalar Biwuntha preached (according to the Buddha’s teachings ) that the world will come to its end when there is sexual misconduct like committing incest , which are committed by lowly men and we are hearing about.
In my opinion the world is facing bad situations than what is good. Because everything has its beginnings and ends the world may come to its end some day.Like Buddha’s teaching that the world will end someday if people misbehave , there also is the word Apocalypse in the Bible…which means final destruction of the world.
What is your opinion about me? Will you dub me a pessimist? If you say so, I think you are not wrong. I don’t have much hope for our country to become stable again to be on the road of recovery . Neither for the world which is deteriorating in many ways.
If it keeps to be like this,our world is not far from its end……
9th May 2024
Credit to the net for some facts and photos…..
