累了自己，更累了自然（下）Exhausting the Self, Exhausting Nature (Part II)

In just a few short years, we have become accustomed to "disposable consumption."仅仅是几年的时间，我们甚至习惯了一次性消费。Our ancestors might have used only a few pairs of chopsticks in a lifetime, but the prevalence of disposable ones has increased our consumption hundreds or even thousands of times over.过去的人，一生也许都用不了几双筷子，但一次性筷子的推广，使我们的消耗超出了祖先的几百甚至几千倍。We may have the financial power to support this habit, but do we have the natural resources to sustain it?是的，我们已经有了支持这种消费的财力，但我们是否也有支持这种消费的资源呢？Disposable plastic bags, meal boxes, cups, and hotel toiletries... Life has gained a bit of convenience, but the Earth has gained an unbearable burden of waste.还有那些一次性的塑料袋、饭盒、杯子……生活固然是多了点便利，但地球却多了难以承载的垃圾。It is said that on satellite photos, this "white pollution" is now as conspicuous as the Great Wall. If this is a product of modern civilization, it can only be called the shame of civilization.据说，在卫星照片上，这样的白色垃圾已经和长城一样醒目了。如果这也是现代文明的产物，那么只能是文明的耻辱。Our obsession with fashion leads us to discard clothing simply because it is "out of style." Even durable electronics are replaced at an alarming speed.生活观念的改变还表现在对时尚潮流的追逐。流行时装使服装仅仅因为款式过时就被舍弃。即使是耐用的电子产品，同样在以惊人的速度更新换代。"Out with the old, in with the new" has become the slogan of modern consumers. Is it only the businesses to blame? In fact, our consumption habits dictate their investment choices.“旧的不去，新的不来”，已然成了现代人的消费口号。需要指责的只是商家吗？事实上，我们的消费观也在决定着商家的投资取向。Buddhism teaches that every action requires both a cause and a condition. Market trends are merely external conditions; the key factor is ourselves.佛法认为，任何行为都需要有因和缘的推动。所谓的市场导向其实只是一种外缘，但关键因素还是取决于我们自己。If we understood the value of "cherishing blessings" (Xi Fu) and were not so driven by the desire for the new, the demand on resources and the creation of waste would drastically decrease.如果我们懂得惜福，如果我们不是那样喜新厌旧，市场的需求就不会那么大，对资源的消耗就不会那么快。If we define ourselves as "natural beings," our basic needs are few. But if we define ourselves as "modern trendsetters," our desires and our consumption of nature will be endless.如果我们将自己定位为一个自然人，基本的衣食住行所需无多。但如果我们将自己定位为一个现代人，我们的需求就会永无止境。Technology has advanced and productivity has increased, but our lives have not become easier. On the contrary, we feel exhausted under the pressure of competition. We have not only exhausted ourselves, but also the nature that nurtures us.科技发展了，生产力提高了，但我们的生活并没有因此而变得轻松。正相反，现代人普遍都感觉活得很累。我们不仅累了自己，更累了哺育我们的自然。