The Economics of Unity: Sharing

The following is an extract from the book, Thoughts On Unity: wholeness and the end of suffering, by philosopher, therapist and writer Todd Lorentz. In the beginning of the chapter titled "The Economics of Unity: Sharing", Lorentz explains that the premise of his book "is to establish unity as the fundamental basis for life and living." Therefore, he says, "it is only fitting we examine the area of economics since commerce and the exchange or distribution of goods and resources is critical to civilisation."

The concept of sharing is not unfamiliar amongst a variety of religious traditions as well as many indigenous and aboriginal communities. Economic interchange is often expressed as a type of communal activity related to the ethic of caring for one another in a world animated by one original creative force. If the evocation to “love one another as yourself” is the ideal to strive toward then sharing the world’s resources with one another would be the most natural and efficient demonstration of that. If we accept that the nature of humanity is one then the only sane path forward is to treat one another “as if” we were each other’s support.

Under this worldview the only rational economic model would be one grounded in the principle of sharing. The Bible is replete with verses extolling sharing as a way forward for humanity. Although it is emphasised repeatedly, verses from Acts 4:32-37 can serve to present one of the clearest examples.

³² All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. ³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all ³⁴ that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. (emphasis added by the author)

– the Biblical book, The Acts of the Apostles

There are two important points to note here. The first is that the Christian ethic repeatedly emphasises that sharing carries a stamp of approval by God and that right relationship is expressed through a social economy that is first and foremost based upon that principle of sharing. At least as far as the Christian ethic is concerned, right relationship and right economics are presented as an economic system of sharing and the equal distribution of resources. This is not merely a program of philanthropy benefitting a few poor here and there but is expressed as the fundamental economic practice through which to administer a fair and sufficient distribution of resources throughout society. It is hard to identify any society today where the principles of sharing provide the fundamental basis for social sustainment and it is heartbreaking to know that a more substantial system of global sharing could easily prevent the current suffering of billions of impoverished people in the world.

The second important point to note from the earlier passage is that the principle of personal property ownership – which our social and economic systems today treat as sacrosanct – was rejected in many earlier societies. In the example just cited, any instance of land or property ownership was generally liquidated and the proceeds given over to the benefit of the community. This speaks to the principle of not only right relationship toward one another but also right relationship to the earth and to the Divine.

The idea of being able to “own the land” is simply another illusion that we attempt to pass on to ourselves as truth. Of course we can create any number of belief systems that applaud the ownership of land and we can all agree to follow that belief as we would any political or religious idea but, in reality, there really is no way to divide something out of the cosmos and claim that it is solely ours. Even though we draw imaginary lines around a perceived plot of land it still partakes of the air, the weather, the growth of plants, the life in the soil and more. The belief in the primacy of ownership belongs to the type of economic system that espouses separation and isolation. The notion of owning personal property is a right that we give ourselves and it is only valid within the terms of our willingness to hang on to that belief. It is only an idea.

The illusion of ‘land ownership’ is widely recognised by many indigenous cultures and spiritual groups around the world. Swami Vivekananda, for example, spoke of the poisonous effects of personal ownership and possession: “With the sense of possession comes our thought of selfishness, selfishness brings on misery”.

The virtue of sharing is recognised throughout various teachings as one of the highest forms of personal expression and social interaction. So powerful is its effect on others in society that it is often described as having the power to vanquish enemies and restore justice to society. Hindu tradition exalts in the cultivation of dāna or daana. A Sanskrit word, dāna connotes the cardinal virtue of generosity or giving to others. It is seen as an essential attitude to achieve on the way to attaining liberation. It also acts as an inoculation against personal selfishness and self-centredness. A familiar Hindu passage states that “Living creatures get influenced through dānam; Enemies lose hostility through dānam; A stranger maybe come a loved one through dānam; Vices are killed by dānam.” As an important element in establishing social stability, eliminating poverty and reducing violence the practice of giving and sharing is arguably the politician’s leading tools in securing social order and balance. The importance of this is described unmistakably in the Mahabharata:

An assurance unto all creatures with love and affection and abstention from every kind of injury, acts of kindness and favor done to a person in distress, whatever gifts are made without the giver’s ever thinking of them as gifts made by him, constitute, O chief of Bharata's race, the highest and best of gifts (dāna).

– the Mahabharata

Buddhist practice recognises ‘giving’ as one of the first characteristics for which the disciple must strive. The Buddha taught that giving and sharing should be done without the expectation of any reward or benefit to oneself and, if so undertaken with spontaneity, produces tremendous merit and progress for the seeker. The power in giving comes from the fact that it has the capacity to free you from the sense of isolation and alienation. It intimately connects us to the world around and invokes within us that aspect of the self which is already interdependent and interconnected. When we share unconditionally we can literally experience that sense of oneness that we are in the world. In the Avadana Jataka, the Buddha speaks of the unmistakable effect of sharing:

If living beings knew the fruit and final reward of generosity and the distribution of gifts, as I know them, then they would not eat their food without giving to others and sharing with others, even if it were their last morsel and mouthful. If they should meet a person who is worthy of receiving a gift, selfishness would not abide in their hearts.

– the Avadana Jataka

Herein lays the challenge for humanity at this time. We have created a very extensive and entrenched economic system based on greed, selfishness and competition. The average person is deeply integrated into that structure and it has a deeply corrupting influence on human nature. As a result, in the world today, billions of people are without the very basics needed to live a dignified life. Wars rage across the globe, violence marks the headlines of our daily news while fear and anxiety dominate the lives of many. Where a sane individual desires peace and security, we seem to have created the exact opposite for ourselves through a competitive scheme of personal acquisition that leaves us more alienated and isolated by the day. How can we transition from an economics of selfishness to an economics of sharing? How can we change our collective approach to the world in a way that no longer leaves us separate and untrusting from one another?

The answer is really quite simple and within the grasp of everyone. The solution is in knowing that the only effort required on your part is to personally begin now to make the shift toward sharing. Many individuals postpone participating in the economics of sharing, opting to join in only once they see (most) others involved. The thinking here is that no real or sustainable benefit for themselves can be secured until the majority of society become members of the sharing economy. Many would like to share but nobody wants to be the first to do so whilst still in a system that values the acquisition of money as the principle “need”. Under these conditions, it is thought, that sharing could threaten your very own state of security.

This entirely misconstrues the nature of sharing as well as how sharing and service to others might function effectively in our society. We tend to interpret our notions of economic exchange through the current capitalist model of self-interest and individualism – how can I obtain the needed financial security to make my life happier. If we are honest with ourselves it is not money that we are seeking but, ultimately, it is happiness that we seek and we see money as the means by which happiness will be secured. That message, however, is flawed. Money can purchase our basic material needs in a capitalist system (which, when examined carefully, are really very insignificant) but it cannot buy us the happiness and sense of fulfillment or purpose in life for which we are genuinely searching. We have been made to look at life as a series of transactions which yield profits or gains (mostly monetary gains) which can then be used toward acquiring some nearly infinite offering of “things” from the marketplace. This marketplace, consequently, has been grooming consumers to believe that their particular products will fulfill that search for happiness and wholeness. We resist the act of sharing as part of a workable system of economics because the act of sharing does not appear to provide the immediate returns needed to continue buying one’s way to happiness.

This is not how sharing works. Sharing elevates economic transactions to a higher octave and makes human relationship and the value of human life and living paramount in the exchange rather than the acquisition of profit or material advantage. It fundamentally bypasses the need for the ‘middleman’ to happiness (i.e., money) and pays its dividends immediately and directly in the currency of happiness and fulfillment. The interest on the investment in sharing is collected instantaneously by both parties in the transaction with the receiving party acquiring an item of need (food, clothing, etc) and the Good Samaritan obtaining instant satisfaction, happiness and a sense of fulfillment.

The only amounts that you need to share are those resources which you might have already dedicated toward purchasing your happiness from the marketplace. Any amount that you might have spent on acquiring ‘things’ to distract you from your loneliness and alienation can become a potential resource for sharing with those in need. The goals of happiness and fulfillment are achieved much more effectively and efficiently.

Sharing in the sense that I am discussing here is not a method of exchange where both parties receive equivalent material resources. One party receives an important item for their basic material security while the other receives the gift of a meaningful and enriching experience. A further benefit derived by both parties is the shared experience of connectedness, inclusion, mutual respect and love. This experience carries an even greater benefit since the ‘externalities’ of an economic exchange based on sharing or service includes deeper social cohesiveness, increased empathy and compassion between people, improved public security, enhanced cooperation and a societal framework defined by its altruism and mutual wellbeing. A social agenda based in a practical and realistic appreciation for sharing and service, in support of the needs of each other, would represent the first major steps for humanity toward establishing a lasting harmony and peace in the world. It signifies the manifestation of a way of life which embodies the unity and interconnectedness of the human family and creates the necessary conditions for the elimination of war, famine, poverty and disease.

The pursuit of personal possessions can never provide a sense of sustained fulfillment and happiness. In fact, the pursuit of possessions almost always leads to an increase in stress, obligation, compulsion, liability and confinement. When asked to seriously consider sharing our resources to create a more fair and balanced society we often pull back in the fear of diminishing our own needed physical assets or it is perceived as a threat to our own capacity to be happy. The cost we have paid through the belief in obtaining happiness from the pursuit of material gains has been to tolerate isolation and suffering as a shadow that dims the light of our daily experience. This is the spiritual crisis that we, the human family, face today and has become corrosive to both our communities and the environment. Without sharing, economics remains defined only by material exchanges and withholds from us the human element of kindness and compassion that we so crave in our daily interactions.