--- In [email protected], woof puppy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
> The problem is that consumerism is the polar opposite
> of Buddhism. Even with socially responsible business
> management behind them, advertisements ultimately try
> to persuade others that fulfillment comes in packages
> of plastic
And, up to a limit, it does. By acquiring products of a given
brand, we are, consciously or not, also expressing our ideological
identity. If you go to a car retailer and acquire a van, you are
reaffirming your identity as a pratical, family person. If you
acquire a SUV, you are reaffirming your identity as an sportive,
daring person.
I know that my proposal is bound to generate discussion and even
serious criticism. However, I think it deserves some analysis.
Contemporary western practice has a tendencie to draw the practioners
away from their normal lifes and families. My proposal is to create a
new way of practice that is integrated with daily life of the average
citizen, both as a consumer and as a worker. And I am proposing a new
way of practice that avoids the denomination "Zen" or "Buddhism",
which certainly raises cultural and emotional barriers. If you work
in a corporation designed as I described, you will practice daily
with full attention to every task and customer, and you will have a
the oportunity to labor in a estable, well-organized enviroment (In
other words, a work environment that promotes serenity). And, if you
purchase a product manufacuted by one of those brands, you will be
establishing a personnal connection between yourself and a brand that
inspires serenity. In other words, you will be reaffirming your
identity as a balanced and mature person. By the same token, if you
hire the services of one of these corporations, you will have contact
with well-educated people who have been trained and oriented to
deliver the best possible service to the customer. The basic idea is
to use trade and the work environment as tool to communicate a
positive experience.
Regards,
Francisco.
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