Just Enough

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 It is very Buddhist for one to say one has just enough.  In a Capitalistic society one never has enough.  Capitalism seeks a bigger house, more land, a bigger boat, or that huge truck.  But a Buddhist says one has enough.  It is said of ministers that churches will keep them poor if God keeps them humble.  But this is not true any longer as the wealth measures the success of a minister.  Still, the average salary for an average minister is less than $40,000 a year.  

Most think lawyers make a good living with most lawyers making about $60,000 a year.  Just like all professions there are exceptions to the averages.  Depending on savings the average retiree makes about $1500 a year with many retirees having no savings and are still in debt.  It's hard for most to say they have enough.  Some work three jobs just to pay off school loans, pay rent, and own a car.  So, how can one say one has enough?

I won't get into all that, but the fact is that wealth, status, and happiness, or at least contentment don't always go hand-in-hand.  Contentment accepts the right now.  The attainment of wealth is always looking forward and not living in the here and now.  So, one has to ask what one has right now.  And if one doesn't find happiness right now, what is to say they will find it in the future?  

Such is the dilemma of Capotalism.  Happiness and/or contentment is always in the right now.  It might not be waiting in the future.  The stock market depends on quarterly earnings.  A Capitistic society only thinks in tems of three months.  There are a lot of what if questions every three months.  Musk might be worth his billions, but he has yet to show a profit.  How can this be?  It is said that Amazon spends more than it makes yet it is one of the world's wealthiest companies.

The list is endless.  Spending pays no taxes.  Debt is better than profit.  This is Capitalism.  Is living this way a reason for happiness?  If Capitalism is happiness, why is everyone so angry?  Among industrialized nations of the world America is one of the least happy nations of the world, with Denmark being number one as the most happy nation.  Why?  Is it because we struggle more?  Maybe it's the income disparity between the rich and the poor.  

We never seem to have enough of anything, yet we are the wealthiest of the industrialized nations.  There is no system in the world that is a perfect system.  One can be happy when one says they'll have enough and live for today and let tomorrow take care of itself.  Sound familiar.  It should.  I'm happy I can smoke my pipe today.  I have plenty of pipes and enough tobacco.  Today it is my Peterson System pipe with a bowl of Early Morning Pipe.  Thank you for your time and Peace to each one of you.

Dave

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