monkey see, monkey do serves as a personal blog and creative outlet for
the story of the buddha
for educated westerners like us, basically those with privilege enough to have computers and read blogs, the story of the buddha’s life has an interesting feature. it’s been on my mind lately, as i contemplate the privilege and good fortune in my own life.
the buddha, born a prince into the shakya clan, had everything. he was tremendously privileged. he had every benefit of his time, a good education, time to play and practice and learn, and every comfort and pleasure. he had a wife and child. a place of honor in his community.
and then he left it all.
why? if we were in the same situation, would we consider leaving a situation like that? it creates a riddle for us. especially within the modern, western ethos. in the western context, obtaining comfort, skills (girls like guys with skills), power, and wealth sounds like the ultimate success. nothing else to wish for! that’s perhaps time to retire with the beach house, the summer house, and the ski condo right? or turn to volunteering at the red cross and holding political luncheons. sure he was a trust fund kid, not a self made bazillionaire, but for many that’s an envious situation. right?
but he left all that. because no matter what wealth he had, what privilege, what good fortune, there was something missing. ever feel like that? that what we have is never quite enough? that there must be something more? that there’s an itch that you just can’t quite scratch?
most modern buddhist traditions don’t require one to leave it all and go to the forest though some recommend doing that if one can manage it. maybe because their spiritual technology is more sophisticated now? not sure really. we have better teachers than the buddha had probably, more accumulated guidebooks and people to guide us along. though they also say that the search for understanding depends upon a person’s unique situation and background. for some it is harder than others. some of us are more set in our ways. but i think most of us have better basic education now than our forefathers did 2500 years ago.
other traditions have interesting stories about piety and practice. johnny appleseed, for example, was an itinerant mystical christian who never owned or wore a pair of shoes - even in the winters of ohio. so he appears renunciant. even though he *was* actually a self made bazillionaire. he never lived a life of luxury, nonetheless. and then some traditions have no trouble working with wealth as part of the spiritual infrastructure. the pope lives in a palace, but as far as i can tell he is quite an enlightened person and the catholic tradition is tremendously rich and effective for many as a path.
so what is the connection between comfort, privilege, and spiritual practice? what do you think?
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24. July 2007 at 9:15 am :
have you ever read Osamu Tezuka’s manga version of the life of buddha? it’s pretty fantastic.
25. July 2007 at 5:46 am :
I think wealth corrupts, no matter what religion. (Maybe the unpopular view) And, I don’t think it matters if the money or materials were gained through your personal efforts or not. It just happens that way. It has throughout history. I actually wonder, do you think it could it be that humans are reversing their own evolution through desires to accumulate personal power? Because, money is understood as power in today’s world, whether that’s right or wrong, and people seem to compete for the most power among others.
Earlier societies (pre-colonial America) never allowed themselves more power than their neighbors, or more than they personally needed, and they lived much more peacefully - albeit with shorter lives, sometimes - than Americans do today. And, spiritually, their lives and culture were so much richer, too. Few Americans know, because we don’t teach Native American history before college in America, and even then it’s our choice to learn.
What do you think is the problem with our country, Davee? Why can’t people be peaceful to one another?
26. July 2007 at 3:29 pm :
it does seem to corrupt. i’m not sure it’s wealth inherently, but something about it triggering something in us. a desire for comfort and security, and then as you get more and more you want more? i think there’s some underlying confusion in there, that’s just an aspect of mind, and not really caused by the wealth. some sort of mistaken idea that it will make you happy as you strive more and more for it.
but i’m not sure the native americans were quite the noble savage as some western philosophers have portrayed them to be. but they also didn’t have the technology to screw each other as royally as we do now. my guess is that power dynamics became more pronounced as technology created greater disparages between them. but underlying the need for comfort and security, fear, etc. is all still operating.