Contents
1. Introduction
2. Economic Definition of Needs and Wants
3.
Description to the needs and wants
4. Differences between the Needs and Wants.
5. The Buddhist perspective towards Needs and Wants.
6. Conclusion
7. Bibliography
Introduction
Needs and Wants
“Here
in this world we can find everything for our NEEDS but not for our GREED” and
“fewer the NEEDS greater HAPPINESS”
Mahatma Gandhi
The
Buddha clearly explained regarding the cause of Needs through his excellent Dhamma
seeds, which were planted with compassion. Ancient people had very few needs, and they were happy with what they
received. At the beginning, people who came to this world from îbhassara
Brahma World had very easy life. The plants bore fruit in the same day after
people plucked grains from it in the morning. Those gains also were very soft
and sweet. They did not have husks and could be eaten directly.[1]
One important idea in economics is
that “needs and wants.” Needs would be defined as goods or services that are
required. This would include the needs for food, clothing, shelter, and health
care. Wants are goods or services that are not necessary, but that we desire or
wish for, For example, one person needs clothes, but one person may not need
designed clothes. In the same manner, one person does not need toys,
entertainment, games, etc... One person needs food, but does not have to have
steak or dessert. One does not need glamorous trips, mall shopping, etc... Therefor
here l would like to pay your attention about some topics, which related to the
main topic, “The Buddhist perspective towards Needs and Wants.”
1.
Economic Definition of Needs and Wants
2.
Description to the needs and wants
3. Differences
between the wants and needs
4. The
Buddhist perspective towards Needs and Wants
Economic
Definition of Needs and Wants
There are unfulfilled desires,
which motivate human behavior to make themselves more comfortable. It includes
both physiological or biological requirements for maintaining life (needs) and
the psychological desires, which make life more enjoyable (wants). However,
when push comes to pull it matters very little to markets if people need goods
or want goods, so long as they are motivated to buy the goods to satisfy wants
and needs.
Unsatisfied
human desires that motivate their actions and improve their achievement when met. Many business marketing departments pay close attention to the needs and wants of their target market since both drive buyer purchases. These can be further described as those needs that
are based on biological necessities, and those wanting that make life more pleasant and
which largely depend on psychological factors.
Description
to the needs and wants
“Earth provides enough to satisfy
every man's need, but not every man's greed”
The ideas of want and need can be examined from many
perspectives. In the lay society, want might be considered similar to the emotional
desire, which can be studied
scientifically through the disciplines of psychology or sociology. In economics, a want is something that is desired. It is said that every
person has unlimited wants, but limited resources. Thus, people cannot have
everything they want and must look for the most expensive replacements.
Wants
are often distinguished from needs.
A need is something that is necessary for survival , such as
Clothes, food, shelter, and medicine. These are the basic needs of all human
beings.
Differences between the Needs and Wants
The difference between needs and a wants is
simple.
·
Need- something you have to have
·
Want -something you would like to have
Economists to
describe some situation of human beings commonly use needs and wants. Basically,
“Need” is fundamental for a human for survival purpose. On the other hand, “Want”
can be seen as a human desire to get something additional whenever they have
already satisfied their rising needs. The human wants are unlimited. Thus, the
satisfaction of one want leads to another.
The
Buddhist perspective towards Needs and Wants
Buddhist way of life divided into main two
parts such as Clergy and Lay orders. As I have mentioned earlier that, there
are four main basic things that we need in our life to process our living hood
as foods, clothes, shelter and medicine. Without them, no one can survive on
this earth. There are no different Needs among
Clergy and Lay people, but Lay people are more attaching in Wants. That
is why Buddha explains that Lay orders are look like a Peacock.
We are all social animal, because of that we
human beings depend on in society for our basic needs. In the Vinaya Pitaka,
the enlightened one has instructed monk to depend on those requests and use
them very mindfully for a goal of ending all suffering. Those four also are the
common property of the monks. They have to share with other monks without any
discrimination. They have to satisfy themselves with what they receive from
devotees. Moreover, the basic needs of the monks could be shown like this.
“anujŒnŒmi,
bhikkave, upasampŒdentena cattŒro
nissŒye Œchikkhituṃ
01.
piṇdiyŒlopabhojanaṃ nissŒya pabbajjŒ
02.
Paṃsukèla civaraṃ nissŒya pabbajjŒ
03.
RukkhamèlenŒsanaṃ nissŒya
pabbajjŒ
According to Karanīya Metta Sutta, the Buddha appreciated about
Contented and easily satisfied, Released with duties and careful in their ways.
Buddha told us to live simply with the quality of “AppicchatŒ.”
Ven. Dhammavijaya mentioned in his
Buddhist Economics book, “There is no river like craving.”[3]
The goal of the monks describe as “Sabba dukkha nissaraṇa
nibbŒṇa sacchikaranatthŒya” [4]Which
means I take this robe for Avoid all evil deeds and achieve the ultimate goal
of NibbŒna.
According to Kula Sutta,
it describes that "In every case where a family can hold onto its great
wealth for long, it is for one or another of these four reasons. They look for
things that are lost. They repair things that have gotten old. They are
moderate in consuming food and drink.
They are virtuous,
principled woman or man in the position of authority. In every case where a
family can hold onto its great wealth for long, it is for one or another of
these four reasons." [5]
There is a nice
discussion about Buddha and Dhaniya GopŒla about their achievements. Dhaniya GopŒla has achieved very good hut and good food but he had
not destroyed his desires. Buddha also
replied him and told that about the happiness of detachments.
Pakkodano
duddhakhiro hamasmi (iti dhaniyo gopo) Anutiire mahiyā samānavāso,
Channā kuti āhito gini
Atha ce patthayasi pavassa deva.
Dhaniya the cattleman:
"The rice is cooked, my milking done.
I live with my people along the banks of the Mahi;
my hut is roofed, my fire lit:
so if you want, rain-god, go ahead and rain."
As soon as Dhaniya had finished speaking the above verse, he heard the following verse spoken by someone from outside of his shelter.
Akkodhano vigatakhilo hamasmi (iti bhagavvati )
Anutiire mahiyekarattivaaso,
Vivatā kuti nibbuto gini
Atha ce patthāyasi pavassa deva.
The Buddha:
"Free from anger, my stubbornness gone,
I live for one night along the banks of the Mahi;
my hut's roof is open, my fire out:
so if you want, rain-god, go ahead and rain.[6]
While we examine The Buddhist perspective towards Needs and Wants, the Buddha mentions on this sutta that if we
destroyed our desires then we do not need to worry about our greedy and wants
because Arahant are not having any craving anymore. They use their Needs
without any attachments.
Conclusion
To conclude, I want to
say that, all human beings should practice the details of explanation on Needs
and wants.
As I mentioned at the
beginning of my writing, which is the great
quotes of Mahatma Gandhi “Here in this world we can find everything for our
NEEDS but not for our GREED” and “fewer the needs greater happiness”
Here we must understand,
known and practiced, because it is very important to know and understand to
have enough wisdom to distinguish what is necessary and how much we barely
need. We must use natural resources to fulfil our basic NEEDS with the proper
intention and understanding.
Bibliography
Primary Resource
™ Mahā-Parinibbāna Sutta, DīghaNikāya, PTS: D ii 137. Chapters
5-6.
™ Anguttara Nikāya
Catukkanipāta Kulasuttaṃ, Vol. 4.255. PTS: A. II 249.
™ Sigalovāda Sutta, Vol.
II, Dīgha Nikaya, pp. 302
™ Mahāvagga pāli V, Mahākhandaka
™ Dhaniya Sutta
sutta nipāta,pp. 18-34
Secondary
Resource
™ Wickramasinghe, Prof. J.W. , Introduction to
Buddhist Theory of Development Economics (People Friendly Economic
Development), Dharmavijaya Foundation 380/7 Bauddhaloka Mawatha Colombo 07, Sri
Lanka, 2 Jan 2000.
™ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/vin/mv, 8:50
am, 7-21-2013
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