We can learn from our best friends

Somsak Pola wants to know why rich Westerners are capable of selfless acts of philanthropy, whereas in Thailand people like to advertise their good works. One possible answer is cultural. The teachings of Jesus have exercised a considerable influence on Western culture since early times, although their influence is currently on the wane in our money-worshipping world. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus famously advised: “Beware of practising your piety before men in order to be seen by them ... Whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret.”  (Matthew 6:1-4) 

This idea of not advertising one’s acts of charity got into the Western mindset early on, and still retains some influence. It does not seem to be widespread in Thailand. Many years ago I visited a temple here and noticed an image of the reclining Buddha that had recently been adorned with gold leaf. A huge banner, extending from head to toe, proclaimed that the then-prime minister and his wife had donated the gold leaf. In the light of Jesus’ teaching, I thought the banner was really tacky. 

But Jesus spoiled the selfless altruism of that teaching by adding, “and your Father who sees in secret will reward you”. Even this ostensibly altruistic teaching was marred by the hope of a reward lurking in the background. 

The ideal of motiveless altruistic action (“loving, selfless service”, as one holy man I knew used to put it) is not a new idea, but it seems to be having some difficulty in getting fully integrated into the human genome. The Dalai Lama champions it and occasionally we see inspiring examples even in the lower species. As Tulsatit Taptim’s recent column suggests (“Of dogs and men,” June 5), maybe on this issue we need to learn something from dogs.

William Page

Samut Prakan