East vs West

After spending sometime in eastern countries and getting to know some of their cultures, huge differences and conclusions are easy to spot. But what got caught my attention was the violence and insecurity disparity between poor countries.
While I was in my retreat in Thailand, I was told to be aware of not killing any animal. If a mosquito was able to enter my room, I should chase it, capture it in a plastic glass and take it outside.

After 20 days without Internet, TV, radio, I was urged to read news, get to know what happened during that time and what had changed in the world. The first website I opened was the local newspaper from my country, and I was shocked to read the main headline: a governor was killed in an awful way. While I was in my country I was used to that kind of news, and had no impact at all, but after months of sharing Arab and Asian cultures it was a blow.

If poverty exists in both my country and India or Thailand, why such a huge difference?
I have one small idea: Religion.
In western countries we live for this life, and we to do whatever it takes to make the better of it. Some people even risk their own lives for a better present. In Asian countries they live for the current and next lives. They believe that if they do enough good actions in this life, they’ll have a better next life, even if the current one is full of suffering. And if they make any wrong actions, they’ll be punished in next life too.

This completely different point of view changes priorities completely. For what I can see, the goal for many people in the west is money and in the east the goal is to be good. And in both will do whatever it takes to achieve it.