Wise Media Consumption in Times of War & Disaster | Ajahn Dhammasiha

We have just experienced heavy flooding in Brisbane, and at the same time the war in Ukraine started. With twitter, facebook, TV and whole internet flooded by live reporting of all disasters and wars, our minds easily become flooded as well by fear, depression or anger.We have to apply the principle of the 'Middle Way' ('Majjhima-Paṭipadā') to our media consumption:One extreme is that we're glued to the screen and watch all day footage from war and disaster zones. The result is being overwhelmed by unwholesome mindstates.The other extreme would be to go into denial and completely ignore and refuse all information about disasters and war. The result would be lack of knowledge. If we don't know anything, we might even miss to evacuate in time, or we might fail to contribute to prevention of wars.The Middle Way is to know the right time, and the right measure, of media consumption.We have to pracise sense restraint, we have to guard the doors of the senses, so that we only watch as much as required to be sufficiently informed.Just so much that we know enough to take appropriate action.www.dhammagiri.netwww.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJwwww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive