Expert: Justin Choo - 11/23/2008

Question
Dear Justin,

Can you talk about how you cope with owning and exercising material wealth while you pursue buddhist teachings? Are there any books you would recommend on the subject? Most of the books I see are written by monks and nuns living out of the world.

Clara

Answer
Hi Clara,

The Buddha's ultimate teachings are about the eradication of unsatisfactoriness or more often referred to as suffering. As far as we continue to exist in the conditioned world we will be subject to birth and death and encounter unsatisfactoriness/suffering.  The cause of this miserable experience is our craving for sensual pleasures and craving for continued existence in this conditioned world.  Within this context, the Buddha advised that if one is to cut off this cycle of birth and death, then one has to cut off craving.  The most practical approach to this mission is to leave the worldly life, become a monk (nun) and live a simple life without any sensual desire.  

However, most of us are not going to be monks or nuns.  Our lifestyle cannot be similar to them. Therefore our interpretation to life has to be different from their interpretation.  Ours is the mundane worldly life.  We have to live like anyone else to survive.  We have to live a "practical" life in accordance with the dictates of the mundane world.

Once when a lay follower asked the Buddha how to lead a happy family life; the Buddha said that there were 4 responsibilities a lay person should possess:

1. Active and diligent in one's profession
2. Ability to manage his income wisely
3. Ability to associate with virtuous and intelligent friends
4. Ability to live within his means

If the person can fulfil the above qualities, then he would experience 4 kinds of happiness:
1. Happiness in the possession of wealth
2. Happiness in enjoying that wealth
3. Happiness being debt free
4. Happiness in living a noble, harmless and respectable life.


As you can see, the Buddha at times preached on the conduct of worldly life. Now let us take a look at our worldly life.  The most important aspect to live a secured and happy worldly life is to have sufficient wealth.  We cannot foolishly misinterprete the Buddha's teachings about not having any desire for material possessions and also to enjoy these possessions.   

We can say that the teachings of the Buddha are of 2 levels.  One is for the lay people.  The other is for those who pursue the ultimate release or salvation, generally refers to monks and nuns.  The teachings are no different, but the intensity of practice and realization is different.  If we really want to seek ultimate release or salvation it is very difficult to live as worldly persons because being worldly we are subject to worldly problems, worldly needs, and worldly temptations.  

As a worldly person you would agree with me that it is impossible to live without the necessities of human comfort (and a little bit of sensual gratification).  The Buddha's contention is not so much of ridding material possessions or depriving oneself of any form of sense gratifications, but not to be over crazy with our desires.  We practise a lifestyle of CONTENTMENT with what we already have.  This does not prevent us from further improving our material well being, or enjoying ourselves.  The skill in right-living is to be contented here and now.  Otherwise, we will be like crazy fools chasing after more and more material gains and sense desires without ends.

The key word is not "desire" but "contentment".  As one teacher puts it:
"Contentment is not the fulfilment of what you want; but the realization of how much you already have."


These sensual desires are unquenchable.  It is the very nature of physical senses.  Take for example, hunger.  Once the hunger is satisfied with intake of food; the process of depletion starts, and after some time one feels hungry again.  Another aspect of sense desire is the stronger feeling of craving.  One's craving to satisfy one's desire is itself a catalyst to crave for more.  When this craving goes unchecked, one becomes crazy!  So the option is opened to anyone who follows the Buddha's teachings:  to continue feeding these desires with more craving, or to come to one's senses to reduce this crazy cycle of on-going "madness".

It is important to understand that the Buddha never asked us to live a layman's life like zombies.  We must have the wisdom to live a skilful life with moderation, to enjoy our wealth and material possession and be peaceful and be happy.

Hope this helps.

Justin Choo

Try reading this book:
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/whatbe..
"What Buddhist Believe" by Ven. K Sri Dhammananda. This book explains the Buddhist perspective on life's general questions.
Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda was my revered teacher. His writings have benefitted countless people throughout the world. He had recently passed away (18 Mar 1919 -- 31 Aug 2006)



[I like to invite you to visit my blog:]
http://lifeislikethat999.blogspot.com/

[And these sites by Rev. Dhammika:]
http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/
http://www.buddhismatoz.com/