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Gandhi's Letter to Hitler (1940)

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116 points wslh | 3 comments | 17 Nov 24 04:55 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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tomohelix ◴[17 Nov 24 05:59 UTC] No.42162293[source]▶
I recently learned of the three poisons in Buddhism: ignorance, greed, and hatred. Buddhists consider these as the roots of all evils and something that plague all minds, from the lowliest animals to the noblest sages and even gods.

It is easy to see these poisons in the events leading to the rise of Hitler. The ignorance of racial characteristics, the greed of land and power, the hatred of foreigners, they are all so obvious now.

What is more disturbing is how the same poisons seem to be widely popular nowadays and many, including some of the most powerful people in the world, appear to actively embrace them.

Edit: This seems a more controversial opinion than I expected...

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1. ilvez ◴[17 Nov 24 06:25 UTC] No.42162367[source]▶
> What is more disturbing is how the same poisons seem to be widely popular nowadays

You are correct. Yet it has always been so.. Starting point at least to me seems is the culture and its values.

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2. saulpw ◴[17 Nov 24 06:29 UTC] No.42162378[source]▶
There have been times in history, even in modern history, that the popular view of these poisons was negative, as sins not to be indulged.
3. em-bee ◴[17 Nov 24 08:58 UTC] No.42162922[source]▶
no culture starts out with ignorance, greed or hatred as its values.

it's a degradation that evolves because it appears to make some people succeed.