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Presumably the death rate in men--so often risking their lives in the hunt--was higher than in women; some men had to take several women, and every man was expected to help women to frequent pregnancy. Pugnacity, brutality, greed, and sexual readiness were advantages in the struggle for existence. Probably every vice was once a virtue--i.e., a quality making for the survival of the individual, the family, or the group. Man's sins may be the relics of his rise rather than the stigmata of his fall.

History does not tell us just when men passed from hunting to agriculture--perhaps in the Neolithic Age, and through the discovery that grain could be sown to add to the spontaneous growth of wild wheat. We may reasonably assume that the new regime demanded new virtues, and changed some old virtues into vices.

That is why those who seek stillness must come to . . . * Develop a strong moral compass. * Steer clear of envy and jealousy and harmful desires. * Come to terms with the painful wounds of their childhood. * Practice gratitude and appreciation for the world around them. * Cultivate relationships and love in their lives. * Place belief and control in the hands of something larger than themselves. * Understand that there will never be "enough" and that the unchecked pursuit of more ends only in bankruptcy.