Can We Avoid Becoming Complete Robots

D. T. Suzuki was one of the seminal figures in bringing Zen to the West. He noted that our modern civilization is dehumanizing us at a rapid rate, even back then when he wrote in the ’50s and ’60s, he could see this was already becoming true. Now it is worse than ever.

Can we avoid becoming complete robots? I wonder.

We work hard to earn a living while big pharmaceutical companies, big chemical companies, big fossil fuel companies, big agricultural companies and food manufacturers all control the world economies and world governments. Their CEO’s rack in $300,000 a day and their only concern is the bottom line.

They don’t realize that they are like moths attracted to a flame. They don’t realize that the flame will consume them very soon if they do not make drastic changes within the next decade.


Humanized Once More | October 29, 2014

We must realize that modern civilization is thoroughly oriented towards dehumanizing humanity in every possible way; that is to say, we are fast turning into robots or statues with no human souls. Our task is to get humanized once more.

– D. T. Suzuki, “Humanized Once More”s
DT_Suzuki_by_Okamura

DT Suzuki by Okamura, from Wikipedia

Big pharmaceutical companies are making us into robots by coercing us to take their medicines rather than investigate natural cures or becoming our own advocates for medical care. For another way of doing things, see 7 Principles of Mindfulness in Healing.

Big chemical companies are polluting our soils with products like Roundup which deplete the soil of valuable nutrients and producing GMO (genetically modified organisms) foods which have not been proven to be either sustainable because of soil destruction or generating more yields. For another way of doing things, see Are You Playing Genetic Roulette?

Big fossil fuel companies are destroying our atmosphere and preventing effective research into alternative energy sources. For another way of doing things, see Is Global Warming Real?

Big agricultural companies and food producers are making food products with so much sugar that people become addicted to them. They are making food products with no nutritional values. People are getting fat and unhealthy from these food products. For a better way of doing things, see Can We Recover from Our Sugar Addiction.

Can we avoid becoming complete robots? What will you do to prevent that from happening to yourself? Your family? Your community? Your world?


Books by D T Suzuki

An Introduction to Zen Buddhism

by
D. T. Suzuki

One of the world’s leading authorities on Zen Buddhism, D. T. Suzuki was the author of more than a hundred works on the subject in both Japanese and English, and was most instrumental in bringing the teachings of Zen Buddhism to the attention of the Western world. Written in a lively, accessi… [Read More…]

Manual of Zen Buddhism

by
D.T. Suzuki

Here are the famous sutras, or sermons, of the Buddha, the gathas, or hymns, the intriguing philosophical puzzles known as koan, and the dharanis, or invocations to expel evil spirits. Included also are the recorded conversations of the great Buddhist monks—intimate dialogues on the subjects o… [Read More…]

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