Dear Buddhist and Dhammic friends who are interested in Dhamma, in the third delivery of my discourse, I will begin with the Third Wish as the topic of my talk. The wish is to lead the world out of materialism. It sounds uninteresting, but in fact it is a matter that deserves the greatest interest. It is materialism that has become our enemy, and it is even more harmful than anything else one could possibly conceive of, especially in this present age when materialism practically reigns over the world. The charm of materialism has a pull on the heart and mind of every human being on earth, and it forces us to struggle to get more of it until we become deluded, which is the reason behind the arising of selfishness as well as the factor that encourages the thriving of selfishness. The world is thus full of selfishness because human beings are contented with the ‘taste’ of material goods and have become more infatuated with it than any other tastes.

A Dhamma Lecture by Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu (1906-1993) on the occasion of his 80^th Birthday, 27 May 2529 (1986) at Suan Mokkhabalarama, Chaiya

Note: Three Dhamma lectures were given by Ajahn Buddhadāsa, in the morning, afternoon and evening of his 80^th ‘Age Teasing Day’ (birthday). Subsequently, they were all combined into the book ‘The Three Wishes of Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu.’ What follows is the evening and final lecture.

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