Abstract
The ultimate goal of Buddhist life is to reach enlightenment and put an end to suffering. From this perspective, the goal of human life can be defined as inner development – that is, ethical and spiritual growth that requires only a minimum level of material consumption (food, clothes, shelter, education, and medicine). The paper argues that Buddhism requires to simplifying and reorienting desires through meditation, self-reflection, and social dialogue and to developing “right consumption” patterns. Right consumption can be understood as conscious consumption that is (i) wise (it supports the genuine well-being of individuals), (ii) non-violent (does not involve hurting other sentient beings), and (iii) compassionate (it helps others to satisfy their needs).
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Zsolnai, L. (2024). Buddhism and Right Consumption. In: Róna, P., Zsolnai, L., Wincewicz-Price, A. (eds) Homo Curator: Towards the Ethics of Consumption. Virtues and Economics, vol 8. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51700-6_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51700-6_4
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