How Much is Enough?: Buddhism, Consumerism, and the Human Environment

by Richard Payne (Editor)

The massive outpouring of consumer products available today might alone lead one to ask "How much is enough?" But at the same time, if we allow ourselves to see the social, political, economic and environmental consequences of the system that produces such a mass of "goods," then the question is not simply a matter of one's own personal choice, but points to the profound interconnectedness of our day to day decisions about "How much is enough?" The ease with which we can acquire massive quantities of food, clothing, kitchenware, and various electronic goods directly connects each of us with not only environmental degradation caused by strip mining in West Virginia, and with sweat shops and child labor in India or Africa, but also with the ongoing financial volatility of Western capitalist economies, and the increasing discrepancies of wealth in all countries.

This interconnectedness is the human environment, a phrase intended to point toward the deep interconnection between the immediacy of our own lives, including the question of "How much is enough?," and both the social and natural worlds around us. This collection brings together essays from an international conference jointly sponsored by Ryukoku University, Kyoto, and the Institute of Buddhist Studies, Berkeley. The effects of our own decisions and actions on the human environment is examined from several different perspectives, all informed by Buddhist thought. The contributors are all simultaneously Buddhist scholars, practitioners, and activists - thus the collection is not simply a conversation between these differing perspectives, but rather demonstrates the integral unity of theory and practice for Buddhism.

Genres: Buddhism, Nonfiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2010

Reviews

[Tom Booker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite disappointed with this one.

The reason I bought it is because I am an environmentalist and buddhist, so thought I would get some good insights.

However, the book is written in an academic tone with little to no applicability to everyday life, nor little insight into buddhist philosophy and practice except for the predictable ideas of dependent coorigination and ahimsa. It's not hard to understand, but not engaging.

There's a bias towards Japanese Buddhism, with most being Pure Land and a sprinkle of Soto. Some Theravada and consideration of the early tradition.

I give two stars because the Kaza and Eckel essays were good.

[Steven McCord · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I found this book to be a bit dense and not super readable, I still appreciated a lot of the eastern perspectives offered throughout the book. It is true that we are losing connection not only to the things which we buy but how they affect everything around us. An essential part of Buddhist philosophy is that EVERYTHING is interconnected as acting bodies in this universe. Therefore, if our actions (with a focus on consumerist actions) have ripple effects across the material world - we would be wise to respect that integral connection for the health of ourselves and our planet.

[Bongod · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book but I only read selected chapters. It’s a collection of published articles by scholars.

[Ivy Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book of essays illumines (and then throws some more light) on some of the issues I mull over every day. "Perhaps as a consequence of our evolutionary history, the personal human self is motivated by a deep sense of insufficiency the theme of this collection of essays... Insufficiency (tanha, sometimes translated as craving) is not simply need. Need can be fulfilled... Modern consumerist society tells us that our felt insufficiency can be filled by acquiring things - the latest consumer technology, the latest automobile, the latest, most recent, best improved, newest, rarest, most fashionable, as seen being worn/driven/eaten/drunk by some celebrity/fashion model... The human desire to acquire more is not only doomed to fail, but because we have gotten so clever at trying to fulfill our insufficiency, our manic drive to fell fulfilled now poses a serious threat to our environment, which is to say we are a threat to ourselves."