Very Little Needs and Much Contentment

　　by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

　　I would like to take this opportunity to say what is in my mind, and my heart, about how we can address the challenges that the world is facing today. I am thinking of the environmental difficulties we have seen over the past decade along with global warming, all as a result of capitalist culture and the waste produced by industrialization over the last fifty years.

　　In particular, there is the consumption of fossil fuels and what this has done to the atmosphere, the melting of the ice and the rise in sea levels, and the effect on the weather which has caused so many disasters.

　　The situation is not getting better at all and, as scientists have pointed out, unless something is done, it is going to get worse and worse. It is being discussed in countries all over the globe, more and more citizens of the world are becoming aware of these challenges, and concern is mounting every day.

　　As Buddhists, we have to be able to address these challenges, and do everything we can to avoid making the situation worse. We must, as inpiduals, try to cultivate a certain awareness and discipline, so as to make real changes and improvements.

　　These changes and improvements must be based on our own spiritual practice, on the instructions we have received, and on our own principles, so that they are grounded in the genuinely authentic teachings of the Buddha.

　　In this respect, I feel there is no greater practice or discipline than the one that Buddha always taught, and suggested to his disciples that they should also teach to anyone who came to seek their advice.

　　In Tibetan this is called dö chung chok shé, which translated into English would be very little needs and much contentment. We have to practise this both as a community, and as inpiduals.

　　In the twenty-first century, we live in a capitalist, consumerist culture. The media are constantly bombarding us with advertisements about how we could live our lives, how we could improve them, and how we should buy more things in order to do so.

　　People fall for it, and fall for it badly. As a direct result, they are struggling - struggling to make ends meet at the end of each day, the end of each week, the end of each month, and the end of each year.

　　Some of our new technologies can make our life easier, more comfortable and more convenient. But if we have too many, and we need even more, our whole life becomes surrounded by gadgets and machines. And the cost of it all is far from cheap, which puts so much strain on people”s lifestyles, all over the world.

　　The end result is that, ultimately, people are having a very difficult time striving to earn the money to pay for all the things that they need in life.

　　There is also a huge market for all kinds of international food, and a huge market for clothing, with international designers being marketed all over the world. It does not stop there: there are so many other things to tempt us every time we walk down the street.

　　We constantly feel: "I need that. I must get one of them. Oh, that looks good. So does that..." Our discontent goes on growing, and if we indulge it, so does our addiction. And often at the end of the day, all we are left with is a feeling of regret.

　　Counteracting Craving

　　The whole culture of consumerism is based on people”s weaknesses. It preys on this ”mind of craving”, or sepa in Tibetan. Since this is a weakness that everybody shares, it is exploited deeply, and this exploitation gives rise to many of the problems in the world, including that of industrialization.

　　Another problem is that the rich are becoming richer and richer, the poor are becoming poorer and poorer, and the gap between the two is growing wider and wider.

　　Envy, jealousy, discontent, pride,…

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