Story of Stuff

1. Story of Stuff Watch a 20 minute video "Story of Stuff" We will discuss your observations: • What is the program of the people shown in the video? • Is this program similar to your own program? • What is the outcome from this program?

2. Discussion

3. Problem (as shown in video) Solution (as shown in video) ?? ?? ?? Cyclic production process ?? Recycling can help (but it will never be enough) Production of unhealthy products with focus on profit vs purpose (eg. carcinogenic pillows) Exploitation of the people involved in production, consumption Over exploitation of natural resources Linear production process Indulgence (influenced by media & marketing) 99% waste

4. What is your Natural Acceptance: • Indulgence (bhog) • Abstinence (tyag) • Right Utilization (sadupyog) Symptoms of Indulgence: • One is significantly influenced by external inputs (sensation, preconditioning) • Over indulgence, copious consumption (ati bhog), 99% waste • Profit-centric production • Linear (not cyclic) production process • Exploitation of the people involved in production, consumption • Over exploitation of natural resources… • - Use physical facility for sensation • - Abstain from physical facility use • - Purposeful use of physical facility

5. Prevailing Notions of Happiness & Prosperity Happiness = Fulfillment of Desire? Happiness = Excitement? Happiness = Sensation? Happiness = Domination? Happiness = To be Unique? Continuous Happiness = Fulfillment of all Desires, Maxisation of Excitement, Maximisation of Pleasing Sensation, To be Most Dominant, To be Most Exclusive/Unique? Prosperity = Physical Facility? Continuous Prosperity = Maximum (Unlimited) Accumulation of Physical Facility? (even if it means struggling to meet the unlimited wants, since resources are limited)

6. An Appraisal of the Current Scenario At the level of the individual – rising problems of depression, psychological disorders, suicides, stress, insecurity, trauma, health problems, loneliness... At the level of the family – breaking of joint families, mistrust and insecurity in relationships, divorce, family feuds, legal suits. At the level of the society – growing incidences of terrorism and naxalism, rising communalism, spreading casteism, racial and ethnic struggle, wars between nations, attempts of genocide, fear of nuclear and genetic warfare. At the level of nature – global warming, water, air, soil, noise pollution, resource depletion of minerals and mineral oils, sizeable deforestations, loss of fertility of soil...

7. Transformation (ladze.k) = Development (fodkl) Transformation& Progress ladze.k&fodkl

8. I desire for happiness If I am not aware that right understanding and right feelings (trust respect … love) in me is a source of happiness for me Then I have only one option, i.e. to draw happiness from sensation, physical facility [even though I can see that the happiness by this method is not continuous] e.g. While I do not want to fight, a fight takes place… I try to resolve it by giving a gift (tasty food, nice clothes etc.). Sometimes this used to work… Now I can see that it only shifts the attention from the fight to the gift, and only for a short time… In a few days, another fight takes place, and this time it is of greater intensity…

9. Now I can see that it is due to lack of right understanding about relationship, and therefore, lack of fulfillment in relationship I have been trying to fill this gap by more & more sensation, physical facility The happiness I draw out of sensation, physical facility is not long lasting; I get bored by one sensation, physical facility… so I go for another, yet another… Now I can see that the happiness from having the right understanding and right feelings in myself is long lasting. I can now start paying attention to it I can also rightly evaluate the role of sensation, physical facility