..续本文上一页 arrogance and selfishness - all of these come from not having some degree of control over our craving. The various corporations around the world are aware of this: they set out very strategically to exploit it, and they are succeeding. As we can see, it creates such an imbalance throughout the world.

　　So, if a change is to come in this world, it has to come from people, and it has to come from inpiduals. If an inpidual is to change, it is through the practice of ”very little needs and much contentment”.

　　Now ”very little needs” has to be a remedy against that mental state that continuously focuses on what we don”t have, what we are missing out on in life, and what others have but we lack - that whole mindset of looking at the glass and seeing it as half empty.

　　That is at the root of why we feel we need something, and it is so very important for us to possess it: "Other people have got one, so why shouldn”t I

　　 If only I had it, my life would be so different."

　　In fact, we have already acquired lots of things like this, but our lives have not changed essentially. Except perhaps that our craving and dissatisfaction have increased even more.

　　Our sense of fixation on external things grows, in order to fix what is inside our mind. As the Buddha said, this is like drinking salty water to quench your thirst. It only makes you more thirsty.

　　The way we have been behaving in this consumerist culture of ours has increased our discontent and craving more than ever, and it has therefore increased our unhappiness. Now, the opposite is to be able to minimize, or let go of all the extra things, and to focus on our essential needs. This is what we need to do.

　　So try, as much as you can, to be independent in this way. At the same time, appreciate that you are doing something for the good of your own mind, and for the good of the world, and the earth.

　　Rejoice at your discipline, and at the discipline of others. And be positive. Don”t always think about what is missing; think about what you already have. How many clothes do we have in our closet

　　 How many shoes on our shoe rack

　　 How many purses in our “purse drawer”

　　 How many ties

　　 How many gadgets...

　　 The list is endless.

　　Take some time to reflect about all this. And make a point of feeling positive and content about what you already have, rather than needing to buy or to get more.

　　Then you can walk out of the door with a big smile on your face and your wallet and credit card intact, and roam around wherever you want. Now you can stroll through a beautiful city like Paris, down a great street like the Champs Elysées, and admire the architecture or look at all the interesting people from all over the world.

　　You are not trapped in a bubble of desire, or on a strict retreat in one, or many, of the shops. You are able to open your senses and appreciate what sights there are to see, what sounds to hear, what smells to smell, what tastes to taste, and what physical sensations there are to feel. You are not imprisoned within your own bubble of desire.

　　Appreciating What We Have

　　Being content, here, means really to appreciate the basics. That is, the basics of this human body, this human birth of ours, where we have sights, and the eyes to see them; where we have sounds, and the ears to hear them; where we have smells, and the nose to smell them; where we have all the tastes of this world, and the tongue to taste them; where the seasons change, there are many physical sensations to experience, and we have the physical body to experience them; and where we have our mind and brain.

　　This human brain is supposedly the biggest brain that there is. If that is the case, it has to be used properly, as opposed to us having a mind that just instinctually acts on itself, based on its habits, without any self…

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