Contemporary life is inescapably affected by sophisticated indoctrination to create a reliable population of consumers, and the Christmas season is the strongest manifestation of this conditioning. While we can’t avoid the presence of advertising, product placement and social media conditioning, the application of the Four Noble Truths can be effectively applied to foster Awakening from compulsive consumption. This talk reviews the varieties of dukkha we and the world at large experience as the First Noble Truth, not only as distress and confusion in terms of material goods and services, but also through social media, such as Q anon. Dukkha also manifests in terms of global warming and environmental degradation. The nature of craving and clinging, the Second Noble Truth, is described as lifelong exposure to unquestioned propaganda in our lifestyles through commercial marketing as well as the misinformation and propaganda embedded in entertainment and social media. The Third Noble Truth can be realized as effective adaptation to changing world circumstances–a diminished “carbon footprint” and wiser choices regarding sociocultural issues. The Fourth Noble Truth, the Noble Eightfold Path, is reviewed as a way to effectively adapt through the cultivation of Wisdom, Virtue and Training.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Mindful Consumerism
The topic for next week’s talk is how atapi sati sampajanna, diligent mindful clear comprehension, can be effectively and beneficially applied to the issues of consumerism described during this talk.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:51 — 62.1MB)