Tent City/Faith and Spirituality/Essays and Words

FREEING THE 100% FROM GREED THROUGH MINDFULNESS
Rick Heller @seeingtheroses

The problem the Occupy movement confronts is the greed of the 1%. But greed is an aspect of the human condition, and few of us can be sure if we found ourselves elevated into the 1% that we would act differently.

In the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha identified grasping desire as the key source of suffering. As a solution, he proposed an Eightfold path of thought and action. Among the eight elements is mindfulness, the practice of paying attention to the present moment with a friendly, accepting attitude.

We have been holding mindfulness meditations at OccupyBoston. In a meditation at the Sacred Space tent, we focused on the sounds present around us. When paying attention mindfully, even the sounds of trucks and sirens can bring joy. Friday night, Buddhist monks and nuns from Plum Village in France led us on a mindful walking meditation from OccupyBoston to Copley Square.

When mindful, we learn that noticing the slightest things in our present environment can make us happy. This can be a cure for greed. If millionaires were mindful, they would not cling to their wealth so tightly. Instead, they would intuitively understand that sharing a large portion of their wealth through either philanthropy or taxation could meet the basic needs of the 99% without any real loss to themselves.

Those of us in the 99% can serve as role models for people in the 1% who are seeking liberation from greed. To do this, we must be mindful of our own desires and ask whether we truly need these things, or if we might share them with others who have even less than we do. In this way, compassion may “trickle up” to the 1% and liberate us all from greed.