I recently heard the Buddhist concept of "middle way" being used to rationalize the typical American consumer lifestyle. The notion of getting rid of one’s car, in recognition of its pollution and wasteful use of nonrenewable resources, was characterized as "extreme" and thus not following the middle way. It’s better to be "practical," so keep your automobile (or so the argument went). Although I occasionally drive a car myself, I am uncomfortable with this reasoning, for it can be used to justify many types of harmful behaviors. Part of the problem is that "extreme" and "practical" are relative terms, subject to one’s culture and its conditioning effects. Think of a country where the average personal consumption levels are too high to be sustainably reached by everyone on Earth (our country is a good example). In a typical household of two adults, it would be "practical" for each person to own a car. It would be "extreme" for this household to share one vehicle with the neighboring household (only one vehicle per four adults). Now think of a country that is more representative of the world’s population (perhaps somewhere in Central America). In a typical household with four adults, it would be "practical" for them to share one car (only one vehicle per four adults). It would be "extreme" for each person to own a car. Going from one culture to another, the practical and extreme poles have switched places. What is the true "middle way"? I believe that the answer lies beyond cultural conditioning and is related to global realities and the limitations of our planet. It involves the concepts of sustainability and living lightly on the earth. Its everyday practice is what I call "conscious consumption." We may be spiritual beings foremost, but we are also consumers by nature. From food and clothing to entertainment, transportation, and the general "stuff" in our lives (along with all the packaging), we consume resources. Conscious consumption entails being mindful of the effects of our consumption, and modifying our consumption habits when they are found to be out of sync with our values. This mindfulness requires an openness to learn about our options, and a willingness to confront our habits and conditioning. The implications may not be convenient, but part of the process is to consciously decide just how highly we value convenience, relative to our professed core values. Conscious consumption is practiced by Zen monks who utilize every morsel of their food, by people who conscientiously reduce/reuse/recycle, and yes, by people who decide that it is right for them to give up their cars. The attitudes we hold toward our consumption reflect our innermost values. Since so much of our being is wrapped up in our consumption, I would change the familiar adage "you are what you eat" to "you are how you consume." Steve Leppold lives near Seattle. He recommends the following books and Web sites: How Much is Enough by Alan Durning, Material World by Peter Menzel, <http://www.verdant.net/>, and <http://www.newdream.org/>. |