Shifting to another part of the world, suppose we were to visit a large city
situated along the coast of South America. We would immediately be struck
by the sharp contrasts in living conditions from one section of this sprawling
adults cannot read or write; the younger children attend school irregularly and
cannot expect to proceed beyond a basic primary education. All too often, when
they do get to school, the teacher is absent. They often eat only one or two meals
a day; the food rarely changes, and the meals are rarely sufficient to alleviate the
children’s persistent hunger pains. The house has no electricity, sanitation, or
fresh water supply. Sickness occurs often, but qualified doctors and medical
practitioners are far away in the cities, attending to the needs of wealthier families.
The work is hard, the sun is hot, and aspirations for a better life are continually
being snuffed out. In this part of the world, the only relief from the daily
struggle for physical survival lies in the spiritual traditions of the people.