Greed or Compassion: A Lesson Learned in the Shipping Yards of Hamburg
(article originally on The Huffington Post 6/20/11)
Last week Cyndi and I found ourselves in Hamburg, with a two day respite between teaching yoga/meditation workshops in Berlin and Copenhagen. What a beautiful and wonderful city!
Hamburg is one of the biggest ports in the world (seventh to be precise) and is also a major center of commerce and culture. One of the highlights of our stay there was a boat tour of the docks, which gave us a close up view of the industrial shipping operation. Having never seen this setting before, I found the magnitude of it to be truly mind-boggling.
Even in this day of rapid fire information transfer and worldwide high speed air travel, there is really no other way to conduct the transfer of large scale goods around the world. When we buy Danish furniture in New York, toys or books made in China, put gas in our car from Saudi Arabia, drink Colombian coffee, eat kiwis from New Zealand, all those goods have been transported via freighters, much as they would have been 50 years ago.
The size and scale of the docks, the ships, the cranes, and all the technology for loading and unloading the crates is awesome. After exploring this elaborate and massive setting for a while, I looked over at our guide who was describing what we were seeing (in German, but we had a loose and occasional translation). He was a reasonably fit, normal-looking male human being, maybe 6 ft. tall. I looked at him and then looked back at these massive ships, cranes and platforms and thought “Yikes! This person, or people like him anyhow, somehow conceived of, built and are operating all of that.” It seemed incomprehensible for a moment how such a thing could be possible.
Obviously at the physical level our species built all that with our relatively little bodies, but somehow it is really our big minds that enabled us to put such a massive and elaborate system together. If I were from another planet I would surely assume that this was a brilliant, clever, capable and resourceful species and that surely a civilization that could accomplish all this must have the resources, the capability, and the vision to solve any and all problems confronting their race and their planet.
It felt so clear to me that with the right motivation, the right intention, the right leadership, the right mobilization of resources, we could and would be able to solve all of humanity and this world’s problems in time, and live a wonderful, creative and vibrant existence that could be shared by all. It just seemed completely obvious that this kind of positive outcome was within the realm of possibility for us (usually I’m a bit more cynical, but this was a clear burst of optimism!).
So that led to a contemplation about where are we missing the boat (so to speak) as our species marches forward into what could turn out to be the most innovate century in our history (think genetic engineering, virtual reality, nanotechnology, a universal translator and a complete revolution in information access and exchange). Where are we missing the ship? Why is there so much trouble, poverty, heartache, war, struggle, disease, ecological disaster, ideological conflict and outright lack of compassion and wisdom in our world? Why does our world appear to be in crisis?
I shared this musing with my friend and dharma brother Krishna Das who in the spirit of shameless promotion I will mention is on a U.S. tour this month and who I will be joining him on guitar for the last week of the tour. In any case, KD’s email response said it all, summed it up, and brought it all together — so I wanted to share it with you:
“Yes, isn’t it amazing the amount of stuff that is actually moved around this world.. if only the motivation was compassion instead of greed!”
So simply and eloquently stated (I guess all that chanting can make you a man of few words!).
At this new frontier of our ongoing journey as the human race, we will need to pause and check our motivation. If we mix our technological capacity with our spiritual evolution as a species, we can turn this world into a beautiful place. If we don’t, we might have a powerful nightmare on our hands. It is going to be up to us. Compassion and wisdom might be the most valuable commodities we can ship around the world in the coming century!
Your thoughts?
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Greed comes from ignorance–ignorance of our true nature. When we believe we are separate from our true nature, we live in an illusion of lack. All the fulfillment we could ever want is right here within us and within all that is. The Tibetans call our essence the “wish-fulfilling jewel.” It contains all that we need–love, compassion , peace–no matter what is occurring. If we rest in our essential nature, we are completely fulfilled, and naturally compassionate.
Quote from Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche:
“Line up all the money, all the wealth in the whole world in one big heap and put it on one side. On the other side put the recognition of buddha nature, the nature of your own mind. What is most valuable? I can promise you that recognizing mind-essence, the ‘amazing Buddha within,’ is a billion times more valuable.”
Yes, the motivation for greed which stems from the idea of “not enough”, changed to the motivation of compassion which reveals a gratitude for always having “enough” is the path of greatest change. However, what is relevant is not the wish for this but the attitude we each can take that will have the greatest effect on others moving to this understand ing and motivation . It starts with each one of us. Seeing the world as imperfect is a misunderst anding. What exists no matter how horrible it seems has its purpose and this purpose is always for you. Resisting “what is” is part of the energy that keeps it alive. Acceptance is the pathway to change for your world and its ripples beyond. Start by offering acceptance and love for those in your life right where they are. Offer the most powerful energy you have within you the power of love to those whose path you cross each day and you will be amazed by what changes occur as the days and weeks move by. Your compassion will multiply in the thoughts and actions of others. Stay present stay focused and remember you greatest opportunit y to influence your world is always the one right in front of you at each moment. Much peace & love, Howard
Beautifully said. Thank you.
Of course the goods aren’t moving around the planet solely due to greed. There isn’t anything wrong with commerce, in balance. It’s when people lose their humanity in its pursuit. I think we saw a lot of that in the post-Reaga n era (“Greed is good.”) However, there’s nothing like shared hardship to remind us that we all hunger, and hurt, and freeze when it’s cold. I hope as prosperity returns, and I believe it will, we don’t forget the less fortunate.
http://anyshinything .com/2010/ 12/07/are- boomers-re ady-to-share-the-pain/
People need to understand the meaning of compassion before they can become compassionate. In a world which seems to be take take take, giving up that mentality and getting of the merry-go-round of that way of thinking takes looking deeper into one’s self and not alot of people like getting that close to themselves as they may not like what they find. If we all take a good look at ourselves and decide whether what we think is compassion that we show is realy just another way for us to get what we want in an ever demanding world.
Hi Angela – you’re raising a good point here, but I think I might be a little bit more optimistic than what you seem to be expressing here…. it is possible for us to look more closely at ourselves and it is possible to cultivate compassion. It just takes intention and work and honesty… thanks for writing in…. DN
Hello David, your reply has got me thinking, where as I am a mostly optimistic person by nature, I myself maybe blinded to other’s good by my own in-built synicism, thank you for the eye-opener .
A conservative friend once said to me that he knows that people in other parts of the world have to suffer so we can maintain our lifestyle and he was ok with that. He went to church the next day. I’m guessing his church does not talk about or care about the least of these.
Wow… who knows what the church is talking about but your friend seems to have a kind of tough shell…. I wouldn’t blame the church …. I would see if you could help your friend open his heart a bit more than that…. anyhow… thanks for writing in and sharing that….. DN
I totally agree with your perception about greed and compassion. I am a business man but I am also a volunteer vice president of http://www.sifachildren.org. I too saw all the many things we do as humans to better ourselves and families but I also very little being done to help those who cannot help themselves . If we just put a little bit of ourselves into helping other it would make a world of difference . You don’t have to go across the world to do this or even give a great amount. Just find a widow neighbor who needs her lawn mowed or sink unstopped or deliver a bag of food to some single mother and child. It is not government s job to do this and show compassion , it is humanities job to do this.
Hi Francisco. … sounds like a wonderful project you are involved with… your basic point here is certainly well taken…. all best, DN
We teach our youth not to have empathy but avarice. Those who seek wealth are rewarded while those who care for others are not in our society.
There is a trend in the direction you are talking about… but I don’t think it’s completely hopeless.. . people who feel differentl y have to act differentl y….. your point of view is much appreciated here…. DN
Without compassion then what is the purpose of our existence?
Khanti — I think you will get a different answer depending on who you ask that question.. .. I wouldn’t assume that everybody would answer it the same way….. I do agree that without compassion life is a whole lot harder ….. Sending best, DN
It seems that if we each checked whether or not we NEED or simply WANT the goods that are being manufactur ed and shipped all over the world . . . if we actually NEED a new car or a car at all . . . those of us with excess could shrink our footprints so that those who do truly need would have enough to eat and live well. We can have good INTENTIONS . . . but compassion ate ACTIONS are about simplifyin g, i.e. live simply so that others may simply live.
Absolutely …..simplifying and cultivating contentment can go a long way toward re-balancing our lives…. very well said…. best, DN
You would think us brilliant until you turned on the television and saw what enthralls the majority of minds. All the accomplishments in the world are meaningless when Snooki is payed more to speak than a Nobel prize winner.
@jfro37 – Point taken. But the fact is that we actually do have Nobel Prize winners and some of them are doing incredible research that has far-reachi ng implicatio ns for the future…. It is possible that Snooki does not have far reaching implications for the future…. Thanks for your comment!
-WoW- and -Wow- again, what we could do if we got rid of those greedy Republicans and those Pie in the sky -Liberals- ? Where do I sign up???
@Johnspeaks – We are them…. do you see what I mean? Them is us. All best, DN
Wow. I totally agree with this article. Just imagine what feats we as a species could accomplish through compassion over greed and self-indulgancy!
@ClearSkies789 – I’m glad you wrote in in support of the basic premise here…. I know it might seem a little naieve and maybe like John Lennon in “Imagine”…. could be consigned to wishful thinking…. but still…. the brilliance and ingenuity are clearly there – we just have to hook it up to the right wagon…. the human race is in a sense co-planning with Mother Nature now and we have to have wisdom and vision to fulfill that role….. thanks again…. good to hear from you and all best, DN