Buddhist Economics

tom_hitt

I thought this article was interesting enough to share with my NewBuddhist community. I hope you agree.

I found it interesting that there would even be a study in something labeled Buddhist economics. Then my thoughts whirled back to my time at college; studying as a student. I suppose it could be said that any organized social structure would have an economic component attached to it. All social structures will rely on resources that ultimately come from nature. Bringing up next, the question of ethics.

I particularly like the quote from a Claire Brown interview: We know how to move to a Buddhist economy. What we need is the political will coupled with the skillful means to create meaningful lives based on caring for one another and for the environment. Neuroscientists have shown that helping others makes us happy and has validated that buying more “stuff” does not lead to long-term happiness. Let’s turn off our devices and screens, stop being influenced by celebrities and advertisers, and enjoy our relationships and the world around us.

Pretty succinct. ~Tom~

lobster

Thanks Tom

Some Sangha are the ultimate minimalist consumers. However I would suggest that a lay community deeply commited to sustainable and enhancing/empowering economic models is worthwhile. This model is to be found in my heroes, the socially engaged Buddhists ...
http://www.zen-occidental.net/articles1/loy12-english.html

Jeroen

@tom_hitt said:
All social structures will rely on resources that ultimately come from nature.

It seems academia is some ways ahead of the practical world, in terms of creating sustainable socioeconomic models. But unfortunately as long as the profit motive reigns supreme amongst business owners and consumers continue to shop in a largely price-conscious way, it may be difficult to put it into practice.

Jason

An example of Buddhist economics can be found in DN 5.

For context, he brahmin Kutadanta asks the Buddha for advice on how to best conduct a great sacrifice. Kutadanta, who was evidently wealthy, had been given a village and some land by King Bimbisara, which he ruled as a king himself. On being asked by Kutadanta — who had a legion of animals waiting to be slaughtered — how to perform a great sacrifice, the Buddha answered with a fable about a great king who asks his chaplain a similar question.

Long story short, the king (i.e., the state), who'd amassed great personal wealth but whose kingdom was "beset by thieves" and "infested with brigands," is told by his chaplain that taxing the people, executing and imprisoning them, or simply banishing them from the land won't solve his kingdom's problems, and is given this advice:

To those in the kingdom who are engaged in cultivating crops and raising cattle, let Your Majesty distribute grain and fodder; to those in trade, give capital; to those in government service assign proper living wages. Then those people, being intent on their occupations, will not harm the kingdom. Your Majesty's revenues will be great, the land will be tranquil and not beset by thieves, and the people, with joy in their hearts, will play with their children, and will dwell in open houses.

lobster

Most of us. Well OK maybe just us living in the developed world (wherever that is) have everything we need.

Here is somewhere to give away spare junk stuff
https://www.freecycle.org

lobster

Some may be interested how personal data must be protected from the monetization bread heads ...
https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/what-surveillance-capitalism-and-how-did-it-hijack-internet

Top tips to protect yourself:

• You are not your interenet shell/persona (make sure of that)
• Use a secure computer if possible, phones are the worst data leakers. Good examples in order of preference BSD or Linux operating system, Apple hardware, Secure browser eg. Palemoon, Seamonkey.
• Protect your personal data: Farcebook and Gaagle are billion dollar companies that are targeting you for their profit - not yours.

Live, Long and prosper

adamcrossley

@lobster said:
Top tips to protect yourself:

• You are not your interenet shell/persona (make sure of that)

Good point. Makes me think, if the Buddha had been teaching in the Information Age, he might have started with it.

Monks, your internet persona is not-self.
Monks, form is not self . . .