> The Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh explains in his new book how a Buddhist > approach could benefit ecology
> "There is no need to blame or condemn. Those who are > destroying themselves, societies and the planet aren't doing it > intentionally. Their pain and loneliness are overwhelming and they want to > escape. They need to be helped, not punished. Only understanding and > compassion on a collective level can liberate us." Sounds like the perfect defence of Predators -- painting the perps as victims. So they need to be helped, eh? But do they WANT to be helped at all? Or do they prefer to pollute? Has this clown ever tried to "help" a real polluter out of his SUV etc., or even tried to "help" one Bill Gates out of his billionaire oil pollution profiteering in Africa? The polluter would "help" him indeed, if he tried! Btw, he must have missed that Buddhist countries are not exactly known for their environmentalism, rather the opposite... > The Five Mindfulness Trainings > Thay explains that in the First Training we vow to cherish all life on Earth > and not support any acts of killing. A pure fruitarian diet is not balanced or whole, leading to his own death. > In the Second Training we pledge to > practice generosity and not support social injustice and oppression. In the > Third Training we make a commitment to behave responsibly in our > relationships and not engage in sexual misconduct. The Fourth Training asks > us to practice loving speech and deep listening in order to relieve others > of suffering. The practice of mindful consumption and mindful eating is the > object of the Fifth Mindfulness Training. > > While Thay sees following these trainings as a way out of the environmental > mess we are in, he is not certain that people are yet ready to change their > consumerist way of life. Predators will laugh at all Five Mindfulness Trainings and continue to practice the opposite. But they certainly appreciate if the gullible masses further reduce their eco-footprints so the big polluters can squander even more. The usual "Do as I say, not as I do!" > "Without collective awakening the catastrophe will come," he warns. The question is on what people will awaken -- on small potatoes like this, or on Predators. Chris _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
