Cambodia, most developed county consciousness wise?

[MarkusSweden]

97% of cambodian people are buddhists according to wikipedia, hence the highest percentage of buddhist people in the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_by_country

Anyone been there? 

Is it among the most developed counties consciousness wise you think?(Despite being somewhat economically poor) 

And how does it compare to their neighbours, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam? 

Even if you haven't visited the county(yet), please share your thoughs! 

 

Edited May 28, 2018 by MarkusSweden

[robdl]

Identifying as a buddhist makes you conscious?  It may make you completely unconscious.

[robdl]

Bear the fact in mind that they're born into it, it's a part of their tradition --- and they're not necessarily taking 5meo or practicing self-inquiry to realize non-duality, know what I mean?

[MarkusSweden]

10 minutes ago, robdl said:

Identifying as a buddhist makes you conscious? 

Not necessarily, but there is some sort of correlation, don't you think? 

[MarkusSweden]

2 minutes ago, robdl said:

Bear the fact in mind that they're born into it, it's a part of their tradition --- and they're not necessarily taking 5meo or practicing self-inquiry to realize non-duality, know what I mean?

...in the same way that there is some correlation with 5meo and higher consciousness.

[robdl]

2 minutes ago, MarkusSweden said:

Not necessarily, but there is some sort of correlation, don't you think? 

Religions have their esoteric and exoteric parts.  The exoteric part is intended for the general public, and is based on dogma, rituals, behavioural conduct, etc.    Many/most who identify as buddhists in asian countries are looking at the exoteric part.

[robdl]

27 minutes ago, MarkusSweden said:

...in the same way that there is some correlation with 5meo and higher consciousness.

Gurus like Neem Karoli Baba have acknowledged that psychedelics aren't enlightenment, but show you a glimpse --- more than can be said for mere mechanical observance of religious customs/rituals that you were born into.

[MarkusSweden]

4 minutes ago, robdl said:

Gurus like Neem Karoli Baba have acknowledged that psychedelics aren't enlightenment, but show you a glimpse --- more than can be said for mere mechanical observance of religious customs/rituals that you were born into.

Yeah, guess you are right! Something about the Cambodian people that I like though. They seem laid back and happy(despite being poor), always a smile to their faces. 

But maybe I romanise them, haven't been there after all.(Been to Thailand a few times though) 

But I shouldn't draw conclusions on youtube clips and internet. 

And I should certainly not link prejudices(although positive ones) to a certain religion that tehy are born into.

[Joseph Maynor]

I don’t think so, man.  Probably one of the Northern European countries.  Consciousness means much more than being Existential Truth.  A baby can be Existential Truth.  Stage Beige.  Now, we wouldn’t say the baby is Enlightened, because it lacks a certain conceptual understanding.  Being Enlightened requires more than BE-ing Existential Truth, it requires a conceptual understanding too.  Otherwise we wouldn’t have to study to become Enlightened.

Edited May 29, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[Faceless]

34 minutes ago, Joseph Maynor said:

Otherwise we wouldn’t have to study to become Enlightened.

What kind of study? 

To be liberated from the self/time 

Edited May 29, 2018 by Faceless

[Prabhaker]

1 hour ago, Joseph Maynor said:

Being Enlightened requires more than BE-ing Existential Truth, it requires a conceptual understanding too.

I love your sense of humor! 

2 hours ago, MarkusSweden said:

97% of cambodian people are buddhists. Is it among the most developed counties consciousness wise you think?

The principle of non-violence is central to Buddhist teachings, but in Sri Lanka some Buddhist monks are being accused of stirring up hostility towards other faiths and ethnic minorities.

Burmese situation is far more serious. Here the antagonism is spearheaded by the 969 group, led by a monk, Ashin Wirathu, who was jailed in 2003 for inciting religious hatred. Released in 2012, he has referred to himself bizarrely as "the Burmese Bin Laden"

Buddhism and violence

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_and_violence

In 2012, Cambodia had a murder rate of 6.5 per 100,000 population.

Petty crime is common in Combodia, with tourist areas often targeted.

The rate of corruption in Cambodia is high; one source goes on to describe the situation as "nothing less than obscene".

In 1993 it was estimated that there were some one hundred thousand sex workers in the country.

Cambodia remains a major supplier of cannabis to countries in East and Southeast Asia and other parts of the world.  Drug abuse is increasing among street children and rates of HIV/AIDS are increasing due to intravenous drug usage.

[Prabhaker]

3 hours ago, MarkusSweden said:

Is it among the most developed counties consciousness wise you think?

Tibet was the most conscious country.

Unfortunately, Tibet has fallen into a darkness. Its monasteries have been closed, its seekers of truth have been forced to work in labour camps. The only country in the world which was working - a one-pointed genius, all its intelligence in the search of one's own interior and its treasures has been stopped by the communist invasion of Tibet.

And it is such an ugly world that nobody has objected to it. On the contrary, because China is big and powerful, even countries which are more powerful than China can ever be, like America, have accepted that Tibet belongs to China.

Nowhere has such concentrated effort been made to discover man's being. Every family in Tibet used to give their eldest son to some monastery where he was to meditate and grow closer to awakening. It was a joy to every family that at least one of them was wholeheartedly, twenty-four hours a day, working on the inner being. They were also working but they could not give all their time; they had to create food and clothes and shelter, an in Tibet it is a difficult matter. The climate is not very helpful; to live in Tibet is a tremendous trouble. But still every family used to give their first-born child to the monastery.

There were hundreds of monasteries, and these monasteries should not be compared with any Catholic monasteries. These monasteries have no comparison in the whole world. These monasteries were concerned only with one thing , to make you aware of yourself.

If humanity were a little more aware, Tibet should be made free because it is the only country which has devoted almost two thousand years to doing nothing but going deeper into meditation. And it can teach the whole world something which is immensely needed.

[MarkusSweden]

3 hours ago, Prabhaker said:

In 1993 it was estimated that there were some one hundred thousand sex workers in the country.

Cambodia remains a major supplier of cannabis 

How come you list two positive things among all the negative ones?  

Beautiful answer regarding Nepal btw.

Thanks!

Such an interesting and beautiful country. So sad what has happening to Nepal. Communism is a poison. It has destroyed so much in the eastern was, specially Cambodia(red khmers) and Russia(bolshevism) and is now poisoning western Europe(marxism, cultural marxism) 

 

 

Edited May 29, 2018 by MarkusSweden

[Prabhaker]

16 minutes ago, MarkusSweden said:

How come you list two positive things among all the negative ones?

Cambodia has a child sex tourism problem. Some children are sold by their own parents, others are lured by what they think are legitimate job offers like waitressing. Pimps are reported to imprison young children who are virgins, not putting them to work until they have been presented to a series of bidders such as high-ranking military officers, politicians, businessmen and foreign tourists. Young girls working in brothels are in effect sex slaves. They receive no money, only food, and there are armed guards to stop them from running away. Children are often held captive, beaten, and starved to force them into prostitution.

The possession, use, and sale of cannabis is illegal in most countries of the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_cannabis

[Joseph Maynor]

I wanna visit Finland.  Finland is a big tech country.  I think I would fit in well there.

Edited May 29, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[Spinoza]

I spoke yesterday with a Buddhist from South-East Asia, he is a student in a Buddhist temple, i discovered that theirs teaching are so mixed with culture, miracles and supernatural stories about buddha life. it's based on "faith" not deep understanding.

(I'm not generalizing) Buddhism is also a culture, it's hard to preserve something in time without adding stories

Edited May 29, 2018 by Spinoza

[MarkusSweden]

3 minutes ago, brovakhiin said:

Lmao.

Hehe, your laugh is on my behalf!  

You can't be educated unless you ask stupid questions!  

[MarkusSweden]

29 minutes ago, brovakhiin said:

For example, the very developed nordic countries like Finland and Sweden are much higher consciousness because their populations have their needs well met and are now branching into self-development and life purpose.

If higher consciousness means militant feminists, social justice warriors, fake liberalism, cultural marxism, toxic globalism and LGBT propaganda to pre school kids - Yeah, then the nordic countries are up there in the top of the pyramid.  

Edited May 29, 2018 by MarkusSweden

[Prabhaker]

14 minutes ago, MarkusSweden said:

If higher consciousness means militant feminists, social justice warriors, fake liberalism, cultural marxism and LGBT propaganda to pre school kids - Yeah, then the nordic countries are up there in the top of the pyramid.

There are some problems but you don't know adversities in a third world country. When life a miserable around you, it becomes very difficult to live a highly conscious life. When you are living in a hell, you will like to remain less conscious to forget miseries. If Finland,Norway,Denmark are the happiest countries, they certainly have higher consciousness in comparison to other countries.

[MarkusSweden]

@Prabhaker You're right! I guess I just see things with my exotic goggles put on where I can cut out the parts I like the most, like the weather, the friendliness and such. 

It's easy to do that when you live on the complete other side of the globe.  

Everything about the south east seem like a paradise to me. I'm not materialistic or carrier orientated which is important aspects of the western culture, I guess that contributes to my tendencies to romatizice the life in the east.