Religious belief is no guarantee of moral integrity.
One of the things that determines whether an act is ethical or not
is its effect on others’ experience or expectation of happiness. An act which harms or does violence to this
is potentially an unethical act.
The bias we naturally feel toward our families and friends is
actually a highly unreliable thing on which to base ethical conduct.
Although attempting to bring about world peace through the internal
transformation of individuals is difficult, it is the only way.
Negative impulses arise as spontaneously as rain and gather momentum
just like water following the course of gravity. What makes matters worse is our tendency to
indulge negative thoughts and emotions even while agreeing that we should
not. It is essential, therefore, to
address directly our tendency to put things off and while away our time in
meaningless activities and shrink from the challenge of transforming our habits
on the grounds that it is too great a task.
In particular, it is important not to allow ourselves to be put off by
the magnitude of others' suffering. The
misery of millions is not a cause for pity.
