消費與永續發展：探討聖嚴法師「心靈環保」對當代永續發展與經濟生活之意義=Consumption and Sustainable Development: Exploring the Significance of “Protecting the Spiritual Environment” to Contemporary Economics Life and Sustainable Development Goals
心靈環保=Protecting the Spiritual Environment (PSE); 可持續性發展=Sustainable Development; 個人社會責任=Individual Social Responsibility (ISR); 消費主義=Sustainable Consumption; 自利利他=Establishing a Pure Land on Earth
摘要
「永續發展」蔚為當代社會的重要議題，本文以聖嚴法師「心靈環保」及「建設人間淨土」思想為基礎，嘗試將「心靈環保」理念應用在當代經濟生活中。以佛法對世間生活的觀點，結合世間「總體經濟學」的分析方法，整合佛法的思想與總體經濟的論述邏輯與分析架構，並與聯合國永續發展目標相呼應，探討佛法對當代可持續性議題的可能貢獻處。 本文係筆者心靈環保經濟生活的系列研究之一，當前研究著重於消費行為分析。由於廠商之生產與消費者之消費具有密切的經濟與社會關係相關連動性，因此本文擬以「心靈環保個人社會責任」論述消費者行為，而與前此討論廠商行為之「心靈環保企業社會責任」相呼應，作為實踐「建設人間淨土」與實現可持續性發展的核心論述。鑑於過去消費主義風潮所帶來的社會及自然環境問題，筆者提倡以「心靈環保個人社會責任」的正念消費來避免欲望滿足追求過程中，破壞社會環境和自然環境的現象，減少「為了利己而損他」，除了保障生活幸福的可持續性外，又兼「自利又利他」，促進經濟富足可持續性的實現。 "Sustainable development" has been an important issue in the global society, this paper aims to contribute to the current sustainable development studies by incorporating Master Sheng-Yen's "Protecting the Spiritual Environment (PSE)" and "Establishing a Pure Land on Earth" into contemporary economic life. Current economics theories have been segregated into two major subjects of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics; consumption is one of the key fields of microeconomic study. In microeconomics-related studies, utility or satisfaction maximization is a major axiom in daily life. The pursuance of mass consumption leads to waste, economic inequality, social tension, and environmental degradation. The fact indicates pursuing individual material happiness doesn’t necessarily enhance overall happiness. The Buddhists’ worldview considers individual daily life and its surroundings and environment as integrated. This distinct view of the “oneness of life and its environment,” or “non-duality of life and its environment” provides a clue to the development of the theory of sustainability study. Production, consumption, and economic growth are integrated into sustainable development studies. Only integrated “healthy” production and consumption can guarantee the goals of sustainable development and responsible production and consumption are keys to these goals. The goal of consumption is to fulfill the needs of daily life but it is difficult to differentiate needs and wants while engaging in consumption activities. Consumption that fulfillment the human basic needs yields life satisfaction. However, an excessive pursuit to meet greedy wants beyond the existing needs leads to individual vexation, societal annoyance, and environmental degradation. A proper manner of consumption is required for the attainability of sustainable development. A responsible consumer is aware of the effects of his consumer activity on himself and the environment; individual social responsibility (ISR) is the cornerstone value of this responsible consumer. The current paper discusses consumer behavior in terms of individual social responsibility based on Master Sheng-Yen’s “Protecting the Spiritual Environment.” The author incorporates PSE, individual social responsibility, mindful consumption, and sustainable happiness to develop new thinking of economic life. Mindful production and consumption based on PSE can reconcile self-interest and altruism to promote the realization of sustainable economic prosperity. Economic activities based on PSE can also improve oneself and bring benefit to others so which helps the ultimate goal of “establishing a pure land on earth.”
