David R. Loy 'Pave The Planet Or Wear Shoes'

In today’s society, one has to ask him or herself, “Am I living for my own happiness or am I living for the materialistic objects around me?” The phrase, “Pave the planet or wear shoes” highlights this moral dilemma. In chapter 3, David R. Loy begins elaborating on the Buddhist movement, asserting that it focuses on calming one’s mind and attaining happiness from within. Apart of their philosophy, their attitude towards wealth, poverty, and money is nonexistent since; true wisdom does not come from external entities. The best line that encapsulates Buddhist belief is on page 59, “It means attaining a wisdom that realizes the true nature of this world, including the true nature of oneself.” They find that wealth can corrupt people. On page