Take it with a grain of salt

(Source: Abbas)

Living abroad gives you a different vantage point.  
You see the place you're from in a new light, a more objective light.

In Bhutan, the majority of people practice Mahayana Buddhism, a "loosely bound collection of many teachings with large and expansive doctrines that are able to coexist simultaneously."  

Our guide, Uygun, often described Buddhist teachings to our group, but he always ended the discussion with, "Take it with a grain of salt.  If it resonates with you, take it.  If not, discard it."  Buddhists (or at least the ones I met in Bhutan) believe that wisdom is developed; you need to be open to experiencing and understanding truth.  You can't be spoon fed what to believe.

For me, this highlights the key cultural difference I've noticed -- Americans believe their viewpoint is right for all, not merely for themselves or their family.

I think it stems from Christianity, which can quickly shift from astute parables to dogmatic religion, i.e., what I believe is right & also right for you.  I notice it most in politics.

Elected officials (or at least the ones that make Jon Stewart... I'm biased, I'm biased) think it's fine to govern a state or country based on their religion, forcing people to comply with their moral beliefs.  They forget that America is diverse, a land of immigrants.  They forget that America was founded on religious freedom, a refreshing alternative from the dogmatic religion of Europe.  They forget to think about how they would feel if they were the minority -- if they were forced to comply with Islamic or Hindu law.

There's obviously morals that are universal (or at least for any sane person) -- murder, theft, & unwarranted abuse are wrong.  

There are also "morals" that are not universal and should not be forced:

• Not everyone believes that marriage is "one man & one woman"
• Not everyone (thank god) believes in legitimate & illegitimate rape
• Not everyone believes that access to birth control should be legislated by the government
• Not everyone believes that "poor people should starve" (a recent favorite) 

I'm hoping that when I make my way back to America, our country has learned more about governing a large, diverse country objectively, rather than subjectively based on religious beliefs.