Am I greedy?

On my recent trip to taiwan i met this guy who is a lead guitarist of a independant band. In fact, all the band members are now my friends.

This guy was somehow amazed about my way of living after I photographed them for a personal project on independant musicians. And he likes to ask me very "deep" question.

Some of the question he ask me (i forgot what he asked me exactly) lead me to saying the following as answers.

"In today's world, able to do what you REALLY WANT to do is a luxury"

"I want to retire at 35, and photograph anything that i want if i still want to photograph anything, even if its my own faeces. If I can't earn enough money to do that, at least I want to be able to only accept jobs that interests me and have the financial liberty to say no to jobs that I don't like"

"I really don't ask for much in my life. I don't need big house, big cars, pretty gals with fake boobs, lobsters for snacks etc. "

It was a fulfilling chat late at night.

After a few days, he said this to me.

"You know, I have been thinking about what you told me last time. On the surface, you are one guy who don't ask for much in life you know. no big cars and houses and stuff...but now i think you are the one that is even more greedy than those people who wants big cars and big houses."

I was surprised. and I asked why.

"You want freedom, that is the even more "expensive" (he said with those colon finngers) than big cars and big houses. People who wants big cars and big houses, will never have that much freedom that what you asked for. first they need that kind of financial backing, that costs freedom, and people who wants such things will want to want the next new big car or house, that costs more freedom of the mind"

In a way, i see his point...as i was the one who said "Being able to do what you really want is a luxury in today's world"

but then, i really think i am NOT greedy. I always thought greed cannot be seperated from materialistic stuff. and what i ask for is really just enjoying simple pleasures in life without having to worry about materialistic stuff.

Morever, different people need different thing to make their life worthwhile. For me, its the liberty to wake up and 12pm if i want, photograph whatever i want even if nobody cares to see, and making short films with those ever coming stupid ideas that i have.

For some, it's the big lobster meals, the shiny red Ferrari, the blonde haired models, the downtown apartment, the media attention and a non-wrinkled 50 years face.

So..I can't be greedy.

And then I met one of my taiwanese uncle. I always held high regard for him because I really think he understand buddism inside out, more than some of the monks in the temple...and he is living the real buddist life with his wife.

I went to his house for dinner on my last day in taiwan, and we happen to talk about the beggars at this temple that my grandmother used to bring me when I was a kid.

"You know, some of these beggars like to pick up those empty plastic bottles for recycle?

"Yeah I know. there are many people in shanghai doing that too. they sell it for money to get by. Can be heart wrenching sometimes seeing old people doing these"

"haha...while I dunno about those in shanghai, but some of those in taiwan, they are not collecting the bottles to sell."

"oh?....then why do they do that?"

"Some of them have earned enough to sustain themselves till they die. some of them even have kids who bought them big houses! but they chose to wear those old clothes because they are used to wearing them, eat really little..well how much food they need? they don't work!...and just finding something simple and meaningful to them to do...i spoke to one of them, he picks bottle because he always hangs out at the temple and he just wants the temple to be free of such litter. you know, bottles takes up more space in the dustpan, so he thinks picking them up will help the cleaner keeping that area clean."

"really? is it like, living a life that has nothing to do with the rest of the world?"

"actually, i think they are living more in the real world than many others who think they are."

If someone can wear clothes and keep a unkept hairstyle without having to bother what others think about him, if someone can be satisfied with simple meals and simple public transport and he chose to retire early, if someone need not have to be successful in their careers such that his friends won't look down on him, if someone do not even worry about when he is going to die and yet lead a happy and meaningful life to himself...

ironically...i think that old man at the temple is the most greedy.