Download Penetrating the Tangle Stephanie Kaza

Kaza, Stephanie. 2005. Penetrating the Tangle, in Hooked! Buddhist Writings
on Greed, Desire, and the Urge to Consume, ed. Stephanie Kaza, Boston:
Shambhala Publications, pp. 139-151.
Penetrating
the Tangle
StephanieKaza
corNG sHopprNG can be a perilousmentalactivitythesedays.As I
wanderthrough the departmentstore,I am barragednot only by a dauntingarrayof goodsbut alsoby virtually nonstopmoralisticthoughts.A new
bedspread-7oudon't reallyneedthis, the old one'sgoodenough.A stylish
dress-why would a Zen personneed thk? A stunning carpet-was this
madeby enslaved
children?It goeson and on. The critical voicesare all too
familiar.As a professorof environmentalstudies,I am especiallyplagued
by environmentalcritiques-if it's not organic,it must be lscedwith toxic
pesticides.
Or Wo knowshowfar thiswoodhasbeenshippedandfrom what
decimated
forest?
The koan of consumerismis vastand deep,a tanglewithin tangles,impossibleto completelyuntangle.Part of the tangle is the resistance,the
questioningmind, the naggingthoughtsthat add up to moral engagement.
SometimesI find myself paralyzedin the co-op, staringat the bounty on
the shelves,lost in thoughtsof fair trade,farmworkers,and food security.
Critiquesof consumerismare not new,but as the delugeof productsbecomesa flood, more and more voicesareshoutingtheir concerns.
Someof my own questionscomefrom earlytraining in self-sufficiency
in the r97os;othersstemfrom painful exposureto increasingenvironmental assaulton belovedforests.Still other critiquesseemto be part of the
139
withDesire
Practicing
a stubborn
socialfabric of being American-a puritanical righteousness,
perspective
shed
any light
a
Buddhist
resistanceto corporatecontrol. Can
on this mix of critiques?As in any mindfulnesspractice,it helpsto be able
resisting,judging judging-these acto identifr what is going on. Resisting,
tivitiesof the mind arepart of a much biggerhistoricalpatternof moral reI
sponseto consumerism.
SociologistMichaelSchudsonlistsfive traditional critiques,which proThe first of theseis
vide a preliminary taxonomyof consumerresistance.2
the "Puritan" critique,referringto the earlyNew Englandcolonistswho beand more
lievedpeopleshould investlessmeaningin materialpossessions
meaning in religiouspursuits.Puritansfelt goods should servepractical
Consumeristathuman needsbut shouldnot be endsof desirethemselves.
titudeswerethought to corrupt people,impairing their capacityfor spiritual development.
The "Quaker"critique focusesmore on the wastefulnatureof the goods
choiceand pointlessproliferaexcessive
From this perspective,
themselves.
Plannedobsolestion of productsis seenas extravagantand unnecessary.
cence,as in the annual new modelsof carsand computers,is particularly
objectionable.If goodscannotbe made to endure,keepingthe limited resourcesof the earth in mind, then they should not be made at all. The
a corevalueof consumerism-that more choice
Quakercritiquechallenges
is good for consumersand good for the economy.
the impact of
What Schudsoncallsthe "republican"critique addresses
apview
a
consumerist
consumerismon civic societyas a whole. In this
proachreplacespublic engagementin politicswith privateinvolvementin
personalgoods.It also shifts a person'sidentity away from work (what
one does) and toward lifestyle (what one owns), promoting individual
pleasureover socialjustice.Historically,the increasingorientation to consumerismhasturned peopleawayfrom socialactivity."Peopleabandoned
the town squarefor the front porch, and then later the front porch for the
backyardor the televisionroom."3This trend is corroboratedin the Srare
of the World 2oo4 report with studiesshowing that overall social health
hasdeclinedin the United Statesin the last thirty yearsdespitehigher levelsof consumption.a
The "Marxist,"or socialist,critique objectsprimarily to the exploitation
of workersin the capitalisteconomicsystem.The production of a common
cotton T-shirt, for example,meansfarmworkersare exposedto intensive
theTangle
Penetrating
work long hours for
toxicpesticidesand garmentworkersin sweatshops
consumerismcan alsobe seenas
lo* *ug.r. From the Marxist perspective,
or opiate,leadingworkersto seeksatisfactionin goodsrather
adistra--ction
last of schudson's
thanimprovethe abusiveprofit-driven workplace.The
iaristocratic"critique,focusesmore attentionon aesthetics'
attacklist,the
ingmass-producedgoodsasugly.Thatwhichisrareorexclusiveholdsthe
value,thus generatinga classistsenseof privilege'
griatest
the strongestcritique of consumerismtoday is being mounted
Perhaps
Thirty yearsago concernsabout population growth
byenvironmentalists.
werethe primary topicsof environmental
andtheearth,slimited resources
made
But since the rygz Rio Earth Summit, the global South has
debate.
It
concern.
equal
it clearthat the wastefulconsumptionof the North is of
ecological
pointsout that the North is generatingfar more significant
Somehavededurug. with its high useof water,oil, minerals'and timber'
and
scribedthis as castingan "ecologicalshadow"on the middle-income
costs
moral
who bearthe burden of the hidden economicand
poorclasses
nations' overio the environment.Environmentalistspoint to industrial
to sustaincurrent levsizedecologicalfootprint. This is the land necessary
American
elsof resourceconsumption and wastedischarge'The average
would need five
hasa thirty-acre footprint-if everyonelived like this' we
population may
moreplanetsto support human existence'Though world
that consumpleveloff by midcentury,environmentalistsare concerned
tionwillonlykeepgrowingasmoreandmoreoftheworld'spopulation
entersthe consumerclass.5
BUDDHIST CRITIQUES
Are
What can Buddhism contribute to thesecritiques of consumerism?
expressedcriBuddhist critiques simply a variation on the commonly
is helpful in
tiques above?or can Buddhism offer a new approachthat
on this from my
,oduy', gallopingrush to consumethe planet?Reflecting
I beown perspectiveas a Zen student committed to environmentalism,
As a new relilieveBuddhismofferssomethingdistinctiveand very useful.
the potential
gion in the west with growing popularity,Buddhism holds
offering a pracio, not only challengingglobal consumerismbut alsofor
tice path to liberation through the very thick of the tangle'
Practicing
with Desire
I
Sorting through my own questioningvoices,I find three critiquesthat
clearlyderive from a Buddhist orientation.6The first critique focuseson
the role of consumerismin the processof personalidentity formation.The
usualideaof selfis seenasa significantdelusionin Buddhistthought.Consumersin today'smarketplaceareurgedto build a senseof selfaroundwhat
theybuy.Consumergoodsaresymbolsof status,politicalor religiousviews,
socialgroup, sexuality-all of which solidifr a senseof self."I am what I
have"hasbecomethe operativeslogan,using shoppingto defineidentity.
Advertising aggressively
promotes self-involvement,playing on people's
needsfor securityand happiness.
When self-identitydependson products,
the needfor socialacceptance
can fuel addictionsto brand names,to styles,
and evento shoppingitself.Consumerismcan actuallyhavea negativeeffect on self-identity,preventingthe mind from engagingin more positive
life-affirming activity.
From a Buddhist perspective,ego-basedviews of self are fundamentally mistaken,promoting ignoranceand suffering. Deep identification
with the separateselfasautonomousand fixedpreventsus from experiencing the world asrelationaland co-creative,alwaysin dynamic flux. Material accumulationstronglyreinforcesthis mistakenview.The more we relate
to materialobjectsasrealand permanent,the more deeplywe tend to think
of ourselvesas a fixed self with specificidentity. More attachment,more
need for consumergoodsto prop up our identity. Or you could take the
(false)position that nothingis real or permanent.If nothing is real,then
nothing matters,so why not indulgein whatevermomentary pleasureyou
like?with this logic you cansuccessfully
avoidengagingthe actualrelationshipsof the world that shapeand condition your life. If nothing matters,
why be concernedabout the sufferingbehind consumerproducts?
A secondBuddhistcritiqueis that consumerismpromotes,rationalizes,
and condonesharming. The foundational principle behind all Buddhist
ethicsis nonharming,or ahimsa,expressed
asthe first of the five precepts:
"do not kill," or "do no harm."Monks weretaughtnot to destroy"the life of
anyliving beingdown to a worm or an ant."7This preceptreflectsthe Buddhist understandingof interdependence-that the flourishing of life is a
complex and ever-changingweb of relationality.Killing or harming another being in the web has seriousconsequences,
especiallyif you do so
with the intention to harm. such an act would show obviousdisregardfor
the true natureof reality.
Penetrating
theTangle
Whileconsumergood manufacturersmay not intentionallychooseto
harm,their actionsnonetheless
often leavedeathand injury in their
cause
In somecasesthe choiceis deliberate-to clear-cutforests,to pollute
wake.
to abuseworkers on the production line. Producersjustifr
waterways,
harm to many forms of life to meet the bottom line of profit
tremendous
andgain.Slaveryis not uncommon eventoday.8Harmful actionsproduce
karma,leadingto lowerrebirthsandincreasedsuffering,while minnegative
imizingharm leadsto positivekarma and lesssufferingfor selfand others.
Perhaps
the strongestBuddhistcritique is that consumerismpromotes
the very sourceof suffering,as explainedin the
desireand dissatisfaction,
FourNobleTruths.The stateof dissatisfaction-clinging,craving,impulse,
thirst,attachment,compulsion-could not be more oppositeto contentmentand equanimity.Cravingin its most fundamentalsenseis the desire
for existence.
Justto want to exist or be alive is a basicbiological drive.
Oftenidentified in terms of karma and rebirth, cravingis the "thirst that
givesriseto repeatedexistence."
Marketersplay on this strategically,
stimulatingthis desireto be alivethrough deliciousfoods,powerful cars,and exoticvacations.Craving alsoincludesaversion,the desirefor nonexistence.
In this caseone cravesrelief or escapefrom what is unpleasantor undesirable-mosquitoes,for example,or a heat wave or maybejust bad body
odor.Marketerstake advantageof this too, offering a paradeof products
thatprofessto relievealmostany form of human suffering.
EarlyBuddhistteachingsdescribethe resultsof desirein terms of four
The first is clinging to sensingand sense
typesof clinging or attachment.e
objects.Graphic examplesare consumer addictions such as tobacco or
alcoholand their attendantsensorypleasures.The secondis clinging to
viewsand valuesthat reinforcea senseof self.The desireto promote one's
viewsor senseof what is "right" can afflict consumers(aswell astheir critics).The third result of desireis clinging to actions.Attachment can developaround behaviorsnecessary
to support consumervalues.Choosing
what to wear,what and what not to eat,and who to pleaseall becomepart
of the consumer'sidentity, carefully analyzedby market specialists.The
fourth, self-clinging,meansliterally clingingto one'sown senseof identity
assubjectivelyexperienced.
This is the attempt to bridge the senseof fragmentation that arisesfrom experiencingthings as separate.Paradoxically,
identity building exacerbates
the gap it is trying to eliminateand thus can
neverbring satisfaction.
r43
with Desire
Practicing
Of the threeBuddhistcritiques,we can seethat someoverlapwith traditional critiquesyet alsooffer distinctivecontributionsto this discussion.
The Buddhist critique that consumerismpromotes a false senseof self
might parallelthe Puritan critique of materialgoodsas distractionsfrom
spiritual development.The Buddhistconcernfor nonharmingwould reinforcethe Marxist critique regardingworker exploitation.But the Buddhist
focuson desirein promoting an endlesscycleof sufferingmay be the most
penetratingcritique.Awakeningor enlightenmentrestson realizingthealldrive.Thkingup the studyof desire
pervasivenatureof this existence-based
in the form of consumerismoffers an endlessfield for spiritual practice.
With the structureof this critique firmly in mind, the consumerbesetby
desirecanplungeinto the tangle,seekinginsight in the midst of confusion.
BUDDHIST METHODS FOR LIBERATION
What, then, are someusefulliberativemethodsto relievethe sufferingof
consumerism?Thking consumerismas the context,we can look to traditional methodsof insight and practicefor cultivatingenlightenment.Here
I offer one approachfor eachBuddhistcritique of consumerism.The first
providesexposureto the processof identity formation; the secondoffers
guidelinesfor nonharming; and the third describesthe specificlinks that
perpetuatedesire.
ExposingldentitYFor mation
The first Buddhistcritique points out that the problem with consumerism
is its constantreinforcementof ego identity.Misunderstandingthe selfas
either fixed or insubstantialmissesthe empty natureof self.This is almost
impossibleto graspthrough armchairreflection.You needa more vigorous
method to challengethe falseviewsof the consumerself.
find one approach
In Dogen'swell-knownversefrom the Genjokoan,we
to dismantlingthesefalseviews:
To study theBuddha way is to study the self
To study the selfis to forget the self
Penetrating
theTangle
Toforget theselfis to beconfirmedby the myriad things
Tobeconfrmed by the myriad thingsis to drop off
bodyand mind of selfand others.to
ZenpriestShohakuOkumura explainsthat the original lapaneseword for
"study"in Dogen'stext was narau.This derivesfrom nareru,which means
"to becomefamiliar or intimate with."rl Dogen approachesthis in the
sense-studyingone'smind, body,senseorgans,speech,and social
biggest
relationsas deeplyconditionedby self-centeredneeds.Studyingand forgettingthe self,in Dogen'sview,is fundamentalto becomingauthentically
human.
How doesone study the consumer-constructed
selfl SupposeI really
(I
lovedrinking tea. do.) I can study how my self is constructedaround
for a certainbrand or teashop.I
drinkingtea.I can observemy preferences
canstudymy pleasure:What delightsme about the act of drinking tea?Is it
theflavors,the stimulation,the socialcompany?(All of the above.)I can
studymy memoriesof drinking tea and seehow they add up to a specific
identity asa teadrinker conditionedover time.
subjective
Looking closelyat any one of theseaspectsof my self asa consumerof
tea,I seehow dependentmy ideaof selfis on conditionsoutsidemy "self."
Timeof day,quality of tea,sourceof the water,mind of the teapreparerallof thesecontributeto my experienceof tea.Thereis no suchthing asmy
separate
self enjoyingthe separatetea.It is all happeningat once.Observing the endlesslyconnectedweb of tea conditions and relations,I go
beyondthe small self.I seemyselfas part of the co-creatinguniverse,my
inflatedself-identityasteadrinker busted.The delusioncrumbles.
"Selfand all othersareworking together.The working done by selfand
all othersarecalledour actions."r2
Okumura points out that we think "we"
"driving"
are
a"car."But actuallythe "car" is "driving" "us."The carwe drive
isbeingdriven by the oil economy,its partsproducedacrossthe globe.Our
driving is the action of highwaybuilders,car designers,city planners,and
policy makers.All thesebeingscontribute to our existence,
congressional
poking us to let go of confusedviewsof a separateself.
But how is this "dropping off body and mind?" Dogen'steacherNyojo
said,"Dropping off body and mind is zazen.\A/henwe just practicezazen,
we part from the five desiresand get rid of the five coverings."l3
The five
desirescome from contact with the five senseorgans,generatinga false
with Desire
Practicing
senseof self that is attachedto the pleasuresor aversionswe experience
with our senses.The five coveringsare the hindrancesof greed,anger,
distraction,and doubt that keepour minds from functioningin
sleepiness,
a healthyway.Discardingsensoryattachmentand hindrancesis one path
to deflatingthe consumerself.Studyingdeeplythe myriad aspectsof my
consumeridentity,I seeinto the delusionof selfasconsumer'of selfasanything separatefrom anythingelse.
The insights from studying one type of attachment can be applied
from one context of consumerismto another. Studying my self as tea
drinker givesme practiceexperienceto study my self as consumerand
producer of knowledge,for example.(I am quite attachedto my books.)
Seeinghow self-constructionworks, I am lessgullible to the consumer
industry and its endlesshooks (including the hooks of books).I can check
my psychologicalconditioning as I lean toward various book purchases.
But this self-examinationis not in itself the experienceof enlightenment.
Zazenprovidesa deeperground for awakeningto the actualexperienceof
the selflessstate.This more profound level of insight only strengthens
your capacityfor seeingthrough the luresof the consumerself'
PracticingNonharming
The secondBuddhistcritique of consumerismis that it promotesharming.
This critiqueraisesquestionsof right and wrong-how do you decidewhat
The Buddhisttextson ethicalbeis harmful in the realm of consumerism?
havior offer specificguidancein the form of the FivePrecepts:not killing'
not stealing,not abusingsexuality,not lying, and not usingor sellingintoxicants.The preceptsrepresentpracticesof restraint,callingfor personalresponsibilityfor reducingenvironmentaland human suffering.Thkentogetherthey indicatechoicesone can maketo avoidharming others.
I will work primarily with the first precepthere,though eachprecept
can apply to aspectsof consumerism.The first preceptis the practiceto
abstainfrom "destroying,causingto be destroyed,or sanctioningthe destruction of a living being."laA living being is anythingthat haslife, from
a small insectto a complex forest.Clearly,everyact of consumingraises
the issueof harm-just to stay alive we have to eat food that has been
killed or harvested.Acceptingthis paradox,we nonethelesscan choose
r46
Penetratingthe
Tangle
howmuchharm we want to be responsiblefor. For example,many people
practice
vegetarianismbecausethey don't support the harming of animals
from industrial agriculture.rsothers eat organic fruits and vegetablesto
reduceharm to soil from chemicalfertilizersand pesticides.some avoid
fastfood becauseof labor exploitationand human healthimpacts.
Consumerawarenessmovementsare now promoting "chain of custody"verificationthat can documentthe sourceand treatmentof material
goods.Forestcertificationand greenbuilding aretwo arenaswhereknowledgeof production processes
havegiven consumersthe option to choose
moreethicallyproduced goods.Buying locally often shortensthe chain,
makingit easierto track harmful impacts.under pressurefrom students
andthe Environmentalcouncil, my campusat the university of vermont
is now including green building standardsin new capital projects.Our
neighboringcampusat Middlebury collegehasusedlocallycertifiedwood
productsthroughout its new sciencebuilding.
Thepreceptof nonharmingcanalsobe statedasa positivecommitment
to practicemetta,or lovingkindness.One versionof the mettaverseis:
May all beingsbefreefrom enmity,affliction, and anxiety,and
lite happily.
May all breathingthings,all who are born,all individualsof
whateverkind befreefrom enmity,ffiiction, and anxietymay theylive happily.l6
Activelyholding this wish for all beingsmakesit very difficult to participate
in their harm. Quite the opposite-you want all beingsto flourish and
thrive and be free from the impactsof human excess.
I think of the blunt
checkerboardof clear-cutforestsin my home stateof oregon: it hasbeen
so painful to witnessthe fragmentationof the Northwestforest.offering
the mettaverse,I wish for kindnessto theseforests-may they be freefrom
profiteeringand politics,may they live happily.
Tiaditionally the precepts,including nonharming,havebeen oriented
toward individual conduct;the Buddha did not offer a counterpartset of
moral guidelinesfor institutions.Becausesocialstructures(governments,
schools,churches,and so on) contribute to consumer-relatedharming,
ethicalguidelinesfor socialstructureswould alsobe useful.Individualsand
institutionsinfluenceeachother.More consciousstandardsof restraintin
r47
Practicing
with Desire
public arenas(such as no advertisingin schools)can encouragegreater
personalpracticeof nonharming, and the reversecan also happen.This
meansholding socialor institutionalagentsaccountablefor the impactsof
their actions.By taking the initiative here,consumerscould reclaimmoral
integrity that hasbeenerodedby consumeristagendas.It is not necessary
for one to haveperfectedmoral practicebeforeaskingothersto consider
their own actions.The point of the preceptsis to reducesufferingand to
practiceinterrelationshiprather than self-interest.
BreakingtheLinksof Desire
The third Buddhistcritique is that consumerismpromotesdesireand dissatisfaction,the causeof suffering.A classicmethod for working with desire is the teachingof the nidanas,or causation.The TwelveLimbs (or
Links) of Co-dependentOrigination aresometimesportrayedasa wheelof
becomingdescribingthe processof reincarnationand rebirth.tTBut these
can also be usedto describecommon patternsof causationthat arisein
each moment of desiringor grasping.Consumerismutterly dependson
this process,reflectingits completelyhuman nature.
The twelvelinks follow eachother in order: ignorance,karmic formations, consciousness,
name and form, six sensefields, contact, feelings,
craving,grasping,becoming,birth, death,then on to ignorance,and the
cyclecontinues.The pull of eachlink, basedon the strong experienceof
the one that precedesit, is so powerful that we are continuallyin the grip
of this metapattern.Releasefrom this cycleof graspingand sufferingis
what the Buddhacallednirvana.As consumerismis a never-endingfield of
desire,it offersan idealplatform for studyingthe twelvelinks.
We can start our study at any point in the cycle;for this discussion,let's
begin with craving-for the latestDalai Lama book, for instance.Craving
is the experienceof being hooked by an object,a thought, or a need and
then yearningto graspit. In the twelve-linkcycle,craving dependsupon
feelingsthat arisefollowing contactwith objectsin the sensefields.I seethe
book,it feelsgoodin thehand,thewordsfeelgoodin my mind.Feelingstates
in Buddhist psychologyare categorizedaspleasant,unpleasant,or neutral/
indifferent.It doesn'tmatter so much whetherone is happy,afraid,tender,
or irritated; for eachfeeling,one eitherwantsto perpetuateit (usuallythe
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Penetratingthe
Tangle
pleasantfeelings)or get rid of it (usuallythe unpleasantfeelings).Since
feelingsare impermanent,advertisersor salesagentscontinuallyrestimulatepotentialbuyersto keeppleasantand unpleasantfeelingsgoing. This
is doneby generatinga barrageof contactpointsfor the senseorgans,such
ascolorful displays,flashingsigns,tantalizing caf€aromas.The point of
contactis wherethe objectofperception (book), the senseorgan (eyeand
(sight perception)come together.The
hand),and the senseconsciousness
bookstoreprovidesthe object;I, as consumer,provide the alreadyconditioned senseorgansand consciousness.
To slow the production of feeling
statesand the craving arising from feeling,we can reducethe points of
shopping-related
contact.
The six sensefields of eye,ear,nose)tongue,body, and mind include
both perceptionand consciousness
shapedover time by nameand form.
This is the material form of a being-that is, your body, including your
physicalsenseorgans.What you perceivethrough your sensefieldsis completelyconditionedby your experience.
How I readthe Dalai Lama'sbook
is conditionedby hearinghim speak,seeinghis picture, eventhe memory
of meetinghim once.Consideringthe power of the sensefields,I wonder
aboutyoung childrenwatchinghours of television-does their consciousnessbecomedominatedby productsand brand names?
Nameand form areconditionedby previousexperiences
that mold consciousness
and the material form it takes.Suchconditioning is well documented for alcoholism and other addictions. Repeateduse of alcohol
changespeoplephysiologicallyso they are more attractedto the statesinduced by alcohol.Apply this conditioning to other forms of excessconsumption and you can extendthe addictivecycleto luxury foods,designer
clothing,and televisionserials.Advertisersdo their bestto captureteenage
consumerconsciousness
by imprinting brand-nameloyaltiesfor cigarettes,
beer,and hygieneproductsat an early age.Teenproduct companieseven
hire teen trendsetters,passingout free samplesto establishbrand loyalty.
Resistingthe slogansof consumerismbecomesone way to breakthe conditioning that is being so aggressively
promoted.18Culture-wideconsumer
consciousness
eventuallyresults in long-term karmic formations,which
will requireculture-wideattentionto transform.
Turning back to craving,we can seehow cravingperpetuatesthe other
limbs. In cravingpleasantexperiences,
one graspsaftertheir continuation;
in craving the absenceof unpleasantexperiences,
one graspsafter their
149
with Desrre
Practicing
cessation.Theseforms of graspingare especiallystrongwhere the egoor
senseof "I" attachesto what is cravedor avoided.Marketersare masterful
at using human graspingto createspecialtyniches;evengreenconsumers
and dharma practitionersare now well-establishedmarket groups.reNo
one is immune from having his or her identity needsworked for profit.
Breaking the energy in this part of the cycle is especiallychallenging.
the more one graspsafterconsumergoods
becoming:
Graspinggenerates
or values,the more one becomesa consumer,leadingto"birth" of the selfidentifiedegothat defineslife primarily asconsumption.Thus we havethe
phenomenaof suburban"mall rats,"Tupperwarequeens,and eBaytreasurehunters.
Eventually,of course,the consumermust confront the twelfth limbFueled
death-when the selfcan no longerbe propped up by possessions.
mas(compounded
by
by ignoranceofthe natureof dependentorigination
sivedenialin consumerculture),karmic tracescarry overfrom previousactions or lifetimes.Considerthe alcoholicfatherwho modelsthe patternof
alcoholabuseto his son,or the shopaholicmother who fostersan appetite
for fashionin her daughter.From generationto generation'consumerconflourishes,feedingthe cycleof causationdriven by desire.
sciousness
originationcanprovidea penetratObservingthe natureof co-dependent
ing tool for analyzingconsumerism.The cyclecan alsobe studiedin terms
aswell asorigination.Breakingthe driving energyfrom onelink
of cessation
cycle.If you reducecontact
to the next slowsdown the desire-generating
with consumerstimulantssuchastelevision,yoursensefieldsarelessflooded
you overcomea debilitatingaddiction,that cravwith product messages.If
The point hereis not that the
ing haslessimpact on your consciousness.
cycleof causationcan be brought to a halt, sincebeingskeeptaking form
and areconditionedjust by existing.But by applyingmindfulness,one can
observethe processand evenlearn to unhook from the craving'Eachmoment of consumption can thus be an opportunity for insight, tasting' if
only in a smallway,the freedomfrom graspingand dissatisfaction.
PRAGMATIC RELIEF
The Buddhatold his followersthat his teachingsshouldoffer pragmaticrelief for their suffering.If theyweren'tusefulin everydaylife, then the teachings were not of value.It seemsto me that Buddhist methodsof working
150
Penetrating
theTangle
with consumerism offer very practical methods to addressthe suffering it
generates.
consumerism is a dominant practicefield of our times; if the
Buddha'steachingshavemerit, they can be appliedto untanglethe complexweb of all-consumingrelations.
For me,this work is an ongoingpersonalexperimentin resistingthe invasionof consumereconomicsand consciousness.
Does Buddhism help
relievethe suffering of consumerismfor me personally?The critiquing
voicesareneverfar away,but now I seethem aswake-upcalls,eachone an
opportunity for liberation. Hearing about slaveryon cocoaplantations,I
yow to practicenonharming and reducemy desirefor chocolate.Reading
aboutpesticideson strawberries,I vow to support my local organicfarmersin the interdependentweb.Studyingthe privilegethat comeswith first
world status,I vow to studythe twelvelinks that perpetuateglobalpoverty.
Practicingdeeplywith consumerismmay provide a very wide Dharmagateto awakening.Endlessdesire,endlesssuffering,endlesscyclesof consuming.The tanglefills the whole universe-how far into the tanglecan the
Buddhaeyesee?
151