Is there any Solution for Greediness?

Gaki-Zoushi

      I watched a TV documentary program called ‘In Quest of Energy’. The statistic shows that the global population is expected to have reached 9.6 billion by 2050 (7 billion in 2013), and energy consumption is expected to have doubled. The energy resources are being developed at a furious pace for catching up with increasing demand of energy for running large amounts of people’s modern lifestyle.

     To deal with the situation, the fossil fuel still seems very much the main resource we are relying on, but obviously it won’t last long and it emits so much carbon dioxide, which causes global warming. The program told that the nuclear power emits no greenhouse gases and actually the cheapest solution, as opposed to using green energy, such as wind power or solar power, which are generally perceived as the cheapest solution. In fact, producing green energy is costlier than nuclear power, so there are still more nuclear power plants to be built even there are still problem with the nuclear wastage. The new technology is trying to solve the situation of dealing with nuclear wastage. They could make the wastage last shorter, 400 years as opposed to last 200 – 500 thousand years, but the study just started and to achieve a practical usage of the technology needs more time. (They need to spend at least another 50 years on this.) If people have already started to plan for dealing with the nuclear wastage 50 years ago, we might not be standing on the edge of the critical situation now we are facing to, which is just irresponsible solution of using under developed countries for chucking the dangerous nuclear wastage away. (The program also showed the location of storing the waste in the vast landscape in Mongolia, but also local people’s protests against the action.)

Another solution is using green power to generate energy. Germany is the first developed country to start changing the majority of nuclear/fossil fuel power stations to green energy ones. However, German manufacturers are finding the energy rates have doubled since the country wide greener energy started, and have started to move their factories to the Czech Republic, close to the border with Germany, and doing so are using fossil fuel energy providers. This is called the Green Paradox, as the greener solution has just moved the high-energy consumers to the country next door.  This shows serious contradictions between economic/population growth and environment and safety issues.

But I think it’s too easy to blame authorities for this irresponsible attitude. Our petty one-sided wisdom won’t be able to view the world on a universal scale, and end up accusing others or authorities for better solutions, but do we really acknowledge the fact we ourselves are causing the problem? Maybe some spiritual leaders or ethical eco-group run campaigns for spreading awareness that the problem stemmed from human attitude based on self-centered thoughts, but do we really know exactly how to deal with it?

The grass-root movement is necessary, but if we bring the True Buddhism perspective, we can see much deeper root of self-centered thoughts in ourselves. The fundamental cause of suffering in Buddhism is Earthly Desires, which is represented by three poisons, ‘Anger, Greed and Ignorance’. In this energy problem case, inflated greediness in mass level, excessive human demand and consumption, drives the situation to the worst, but this cause of suffering could actually be fuel for enlightenment in True Buddhism.

Tien Tai who was one of the master of Lotus sutra taught through understanding of Lotus sutra, Earthly desires are poisons, but through the practice it can transform into medicine:

Earthly desires are enlightenment, and the sufferings of birth and death are in themselves nirvana.

(Great Concentration and Insight / Maka shikan)

     This means that earthly desires can remain as earthly desires in our lives, since they will be transformed into enlightenment through the chanting of Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Furthermore, the sufferings of the cycle of birth and death can also be changed into the peaceful tranquility of nirvana and enlightenment when we embrace and practice the mystic law of Myoho-Renge-Kyo. These are factors that we must appreciate in our lives.

True Buddhism also explains the principle of the oneness of life and its environment (esho funi) describes how the environment and life are contained within the minds and hearts of the people. It also describes how they are inseparable and form a solid unity together. Therefore, the realm of the environment exists without fail wherever there are people. Furthermore, the positive and negative conduct of the people is directly reflected in the environment. Additionally, the teachings that the people embrace in their hearts—whether they uphold true Buddhism or a heretical doctrine—will directly determine the environmental conditions in which they live.

If the hearts and minds of the people are tainted, so is their land. However, if their minds are pure, the land also will be pure. The land, in itself, is not divided into two types. Indeed, whether the land is pure or impure is solely determined by our hearts and minds..

(Gosho, p. 46)

     Therefore, the more people practice True Buddhism, the more mind and heart are purified and eventually the life condition of people will reflect onto our environment, which will transform the energy crisis situation into positive, such as moderate usage of energy and enable us to handle it for the future generation.

 

 

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