posted 11 Jan 2016, 13:49 by Akasharaja Bruton
As another Christmas season passes and you clear away the tree, the decorations and all the discarded wrapping paper, you may be looking back on a period of frantic shopping and consumption and perhaps feeling the after effects – on your bank account and your waistline! It’s no coincidence that January sees the launch of various initiatives to reduce consumption, what with Dry January, where the emphasis is on abstaining from alcohol, and even Veganuary, in which various celebs line up to urge us to refrain from consuming animal products for the month. Whatever you may feel about these causes, I think they touch on a point which is important from the point of view of human wellbeing and happiness and is stressed time and again in Buddhism – the need to moderate consumption and to look within for more real and lasting sources of contentment and happiness.
The advertising industry is of course always telling us that consumption is the path to happiness. Just think of all those beautiful and smiling young people – and they are almost invariably young – we see in adverts promoting new cars, perfumes and mobile phones. The clear message is that having particular consumer goods will bring us lasting happiness. There’s no denying the thrill you get from a new car or a new phone but, as you probably know from experience, the thrill fades and the sense of lack returns. And off we go again on the consumerist treadmill, looking for that next object of desire which will permanently banish all dissatisfaction. You and I may both know this, at least rationally, but, in my case, the knowledge doesn’t stop me from yearning for the next generation of Bluetooth loudspeakers in the hope of a blissful tomorrow.
I exaggerate of course – but perhaps only a little! We may not consciously think like that, but the emotional attachment to external objects as sources of lasting satisfaction runs very deep. Buddhism addresses this problem head on with its core teaching that craving is the cause of dissatisfaction and even suffering. Because the things we yearn for aren’t permanent – they break and get lost – and sooner or later we get bored with them because we’re looking for happiness from things outside ourselves that can’t ultimately provide it.
My teacher and the founder of my Order, Sangharakshita, teaches that the positive antidote to craving is the cultivation of stillness, simplicity and contentment – and those things can only come from within. Sometimes when I sit down to meditate on the breath, I’m struck by a sense of relief at the sheer simplicity of what I’m doing. I don’t need any gadgets or apps, all I have to do is watch my breath as it comes and goes and, if I’m lucky, the sense of restless craving for sense experience will fade and I’m left with a deep sense of satisfaction and contentment in the experience itself. Meditation may well of course not be your thing, but I think the point holds good – true satisfaction can only be found within. There are other ways to experience this, and I’m sure I’ve talked about them before, such as sitting quietly on your own or with a friend, being in nature or being happily immersed in a really good book. Perhaps you might try to find your own source of inner contentment this year – I guarantee that you will notice the benefit!