I say never let me be complete.
I say may I never be content.
I say deliver me from Swedish furniture.
I say deliver me from clever art.
I say deliver me from clear skin and perfect teeth.
(Tyler Durden)
Gratification
We live in a time where most people want instant gratification.
People also want things to be 'perfect'
- for life to proceed according to their ideas and
expectations.
There is little tolerance for preserving what you have and simply 'making
do'.
Novelty
The constant craving for new things reflects a certain immaturity.
It also suggests that the desire and expectation of novelty is ingrained and
habitual; a sure sign of
wealth and excess.
Taoism
encourages you to take what you need and look after it.
Taking too much or coming back for more is seen as depriving others; a
situation widely reflected in our culture, where the disparity between rich
and poor is immense.
The term 'Third World' is an appalling expression designed to excuse the
poverty experienced by the people of many countries.
Debt
In the past, people would look after what they had; they would plan ahead,
buy sensibly and be careful.
This approach is no longer widely adopted in the West; our affluence has
made us indifferent and greedy.
The obsession with novelty and acquisition costs, and debt is often
the consequence of greed.
So many people owe banks and financial institutions an awful lot of money.
They waste money every month in interest.
Why?
Suffering
'Success and failure', 'winning and losing' are concepts designed to make you into a slave; like a dog chasing its own tail.
When you win, are you happy?
Don't you want to win again, to have more, to go further?
Can you see how this works?
It is a cycle of endless desire and frustration.
Worn
In the Japanese zen tradition there is the notion of 'sabi' which is
reflected in the design of
gardens and other
disciplines.
Sabi evokes a sense of timeless endurance, of things that last.
It is the well-worn look of things that have been cared-for and used for
many years.
Make do
If you buy sensibly and look after what you have, it will last.
There is no need to constantly be buying goods.
Yet, 'making do' is an attitude that applies to more than just material
goods.
It is about making the
most of what you have in
life rather than looking elsewhere for satisfaction.
People spend their entire lives fruitlessly
seeking
gratification.
There are two taoist examples of this: Chuang Tzu's
Flight from the Shadow
and Lao Tzu's statement:
You can know the whole world without leaving your room.
If you can find happiness in simplicity, and see value in things that last, your life will change.
Page created 11 May 2000