Knowing how to feel satisfied with few possessions destroys desire and greed. This means being content with material conditions that allow us to be healthy and strong enough to practice the way.
Knowing how to feel satisfied with few possessions helps us to avoid buying unecessarily and becoming part of an economic system that exploits others, and it enables us to decrease our involvement in the pollution of the environment.
-Thich Nhat Hanh Commentary
The Sutra of the Eight Realizations of the Great Beings
**James's Comment: This is a good teaching for "pack rats" like myself and my wife. We save the little's things that we NEVER end up using. We clutter up the house and I totally see how it how it unecessarily clutters up our spiritual paths. However, we do not throw a lot of it away (if we can). Rather we like to donate it to the local thrift stores in hopes that someone can benefit from the clothes/stuff.
As for being part of an economic system that avoids exploiting others, well, that is difficult but not impossible. I wear Nike shoes and want to get rid of them after watching the brilliant documentary, The Corporation. However, what shoe isn't made over seas in sweat shops? It seems like all the stores that Westerners have to shop from are owned by giant, exploitive corporations. Where do we all go to shop? Are there stores out there that are not expensive, exploitative shops? We want to shop from stores that avoid exploitation but the costs are so high and we are so poor. I guess it really comes back to saying, "Do I really need this? And if so, where can I go to buy products that are sensible yet affordable?
I'm just kind of sounding off for myself but I am also asking how all of you avoid buying "Nike" and "Wal-Mart," etc.
Where do you shop?
-Peace to us all-
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