SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (III) - AT THE MALL!

[ChrisA]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (III) - AT THE MALL!

No preferences, no judging... but this one belongs in the hall of fame with the blender zazen, Taigu's dirty soup, and Genpo Roshi's April 1 join-up.

Gassho!!

[Kyonin]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (III) - AT THE MALL!

It's not silly at all. Our whole economic system depends on marketing making us desire stuff and then buying it.

It takes a lot of effort to learn how to look beyond advertising and marketing campaigns in order to learn what you need to be happy.

A few years back I started this minimalist path that plays nicely with Buddhism. I questioned everything: politics, marketing, industries and social structures. I stopped watching TV (not shows, just regular TV), resulting on less exposure to ads and the findings were outstanding. You just feel liberated from it all and you simply spend a lot less money.

I questioned owning a car and realized that it just stressed me endlessly so I used public transportation. After a while I sold my car and it's been 4 years now. So happy now that I just hop on the bus or train and read a nice book or listen to a podcast or audio book...

Last year I got rid of the smartphone. I realized it just took a lot of time, attention and money from my life. At the end of the day if people want to contact me, there's email, and I work all day on my computer, so having a smartphone was redundant. I cancelled it and went to prepaid last January. And you know what? I don't even need prepaid! Last phone call I got was about 3 months ago. I haven't even spend a single dollar on cell phone in months!

Granted, my way of life isn't for everyone. There are people who depend on the car or the phone to earn a living. But the thing is: it is possible to break away from the system making little efforts. You end up with more money, less stress and a lot more free time to do what you want.

So wanting stuff is not bad at all. Taking the time to sit and analyze our desires and see if they are real needs, that's what this lesson is about... I think.

It is strange that even ten years after making a conscious effort to do with less and mostly succeeding, I'll occasionally flip through a magazine and feel depressed that I can't afford the stuff in there--when I don't even want any of it! Or I'll look at the wallpaper in my house and wish I could tear it off and spend money on remodeling everything--when it's a perfectly good, clean, structurally sound house.

I don't do the nurturing seeds very often--at least not consciously--but it comes to mind when that kind of greed starts to rise. It's just silly, really, the things we think we have to have.

Gassho

Jen

[Shugen]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (III) - AT THE MALL!

_/_

Ron

[Heisoku]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (III) - AT THE MALL!

Thank you Jundo. Why Mitsukoshi department store and not 7-11?

[Ray]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (III) - AT THE MALL!

Thank you jundo.

It is always a releif that what we have is always enough already and there is no need to grasp or seek anything extra. However it is also daunting to know the task that lies ahead to plunge out the drains in our minds that we have spent our lives blocking up!

Gassho

Ray