Buddhism off the grid

Living off the grid used to mean not being dependent on the electrical grid.  But more recently, it can be taken one step further.  Living off the grid means to detach yourself, more or less, from the turnstile/metered economy consisting of natural gas, water, sewerage, telephone lines (including cable) and other things, even store bought food.  In short, one obtains their own fuel, potable water, food, etc.  It is all about living an autonomous life at the margins of a corrupt and failing social text; one that is not meeting the needs of the majority but only the predatory minority.

Living off the grid is nothing new for the traditional Buddhist who might be a monk or a nun, or a Bodhisattva (Yogi) living as a hermit in the forest.  Buddhism has always favored a life off the grid; living at the margins of society, acting as a constant reminder to the public that they cannot escape their mortality and sooner, rather than later, must face it; hopefully, in some measure, following the teachings of the Buddha.

Whatever utopian vision we all might share of progress to a beautiful world, it only takes a few people to destroy it which, historically, every economic depression has shown to be true.  Moreover, it only takes a handful of evil people to start a war by which millions and millions of innocent people are slaughtered.  In one respect, living in the grid is like a dog willfully walking into Ivan Pavlov's laboratory to be conditioned.  

In the example of humans, we are all too willing to submit to conditioning. In some examples, we make laws which prevent the lessening of stress from the conditioning such as prohibiting the building of small or tiny houses within city limits in which the turnstiles receive less money and we end up owning our own home within a year.

The Buddhist response is to support living off the grid since it helps to extinguish the artificial conditioning of a corrupt society which supports the three poisons of delusion, hostility, and concupiscence.  The unintended consequences of living off the grid is there is less destruction of the environment and the many creatures who live in it.  There is also more leisure for us which allows us to spend more time with our families and engage in spiritual studies and practices.  These things, I hasten to add, enrich our lives. 

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[minx]

Daman Hongren (601-674) was asked by one of his students; “Why don’t we study the way of awakening in cities where there are many people, instead of at places deep in the mountains?”

Hongren answered, “The timbers needed to make a great building originally came from secluded mountain valleys. They can’t be grown where many people are congregated. Since they are far from crowds of people, they can’t be chopped down or harmed by axes, and are able to grow into great trees, which later can be used to make central beams and pillars. So in studying the teaching, one should find refuge for the spirit in remote mountain valleys, escaping far from the troubles of the dusty world. People should nourish their nature in deep mountains, keeping away from worldly affairs for a long time. When not always confronting common affairs the mind will naturally become at ease. Studying Zen in this way is like planting a tree, with the result that later it can bear fruit.”