facebook thread: is the term “destruction” when calling upon the necessity to “destroy capitalism” antithetical to buddhism?

i can see why the word “destruction” can connotate something negative because particularly in the west, the duality of “bad” and “good” exists so heavily. to me, though, destruction, as well as, creation is just change. when change happens in our lives, personally, interpersonally, collectively, systemically, we have the ability to see and feel both loss and gain, both destruction and creation. and i think to see and feel both is to notice the reality of what is, that life encompasses both and all. i think when capitalism is destroyed, when our hystory moves from this economic system to another, as it has done in the past, we will in its place have to create another way of relating to each other. i see capitalism as a hystorical necessity but not as a necessity of happiness- it is not built that way. and its my hope that our way of relating will be something more whole, empowered and supportive than capitalism has served for us because really, in all this “good” we see in capitalism, we need to ask ourselves, what are we really seeing? who is it really good for? who is really benefitting? and what has benefitting actually been defined as? do we want to benefit on the backs of poor, brown and marginalized? if so, i will be one of those that capitalism exploits and thrives off of and so will my communities. and i’m not ok with that. i’m not ok that behind the glittered veil of commodities, of more of everything, of the delusion of more, we have an assembly line of suffering- of our bodies and of our land. i fully support and will continuously engage in destroying capitalism, as will i fully support and will continuously engage in the creation of something else, a something else that centers itself on our connection rather than our alienation. to me destruction can be a beautiful thing.

2 thoughts on “

  1. Thank you for reminding us to learn to unlearn the harsh dualities of “good/bad.” Thank you for reminding me that beauty can come from breaking down, that in the process of destruction, wonderful things can be created.

    • i’m happy it resonated with you! this duality that our society especially engenders, inspires greater judgments and greater non-seeing, both of which are so harmful to us becoming whole. it’s in our acceptance of all that arrives where we can see the wonderful things being created, as you say, in destruction, in the unpleasant, in challenges and loss, as well as, in those times where creation is so easily seen.

      so much appreciation for your kind words :)

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