Cultures

I have been very fortunate to have just returned from a marvellous three-week holiday in the Far East.  I had a wonderful time, some fantastic experiences and met some amazing people.  Our final week was spent in Penang, a small island off the coast of mainland Malaysia.

What I want to share with you is the amazing philosophy of the people.  Buddhism is the main religion but just about every other faith is represented in Penang.  Chinese-Malay is the predominant race but I would guess that all nationalities are living in Penang.  These people all live together on this small island in peace and harmony.  They are tolerant of each other’s faith, beliefs and cultures, the crime rate is low and they are generally very happy people.

Of course I am speaking in general terms and I am sure there are those who are not so happy with their lot in life.  But the people I spoke to all sang from the same hymn sheet.  One man told me he didn’t believe in religion but that he lived his life by showing kindness and helping others, being grateful for his health and his wonderful family and being content with what he has.  Another told me that his family was everything to him, he loved his wife very much, was so proud of his two children and visited his parents, who lived on the mainland up by the Thai border, once a month and was so pleased that he had fixed their roof and installed a proper toilet inside their stilt house.  A tour guide went out of his way to take me to find the monkeys that I was so eager to see – he really didn’t have to do that but said he liked to make people happy.

So why can’t we, in the western world, live in this peaceful harmony?  Why are we so intolerant of other’s beliefs, faiths and ways of life?  Why can’t we accept people for who they are without judging them?  Why do we think that material things are more important than people and feelings?  Why do we always want what others have?  Why do we put our own needs before those of our older relatives whose only request is probably to have a little more of our time?

We could learn a lot from the lovely people of Penang and, in changing our own attitudes a little, could become much happier and more fulfilled. 

Worth a try, eh?