[Buddha-l] The DVR as a Kalyānamitta

[Franz Metcalf]

Dear Richard,

On Oct 10, 2007, at 1:21 PM, Richard Hayes wrote:

> Like my father, I talk a good game of stoic dispassion, but my house 
> is full
> of broken cups and cats cowering under chairs. I must stop watching the
> evening news on television. Just about every story I see reminds me 
> that
> PEOPLE ARE TOO GODDAMN EMOTIONAL!

Oh dear, you aren't still watching the president, are you? I gave that 
up about three years ago and have never regretted it. I realized 
watching him was simply an akusala action on my part: it watered the 
roots of anger, hatred, and so on. Buddha knows I still have plenty 
other avenues for that, but cutting out this one was a good start.

If you insist on watching the news, you really need to get a DVR 
(digital video recorder, the machine that comes with satellite TV but 
can be acquired independently) so that you can record the entire thing 
but skip over the sections that excite your kilesas. Perhaps this 
sounds flip, but I really mean it: DVRs are wondrous devices permitting 
us to enjoy "free" broadcast television without the unfortunate 
corollaries of commercials (encouraging the avijjā that material 
commodities can provide happiness) and politicians (encouraging the 
avijjā that governments [even progressive (and thus anti-American) 
ones] can provide happiness).

Franz