FriarN Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Buddhist Economics: A way forward for Japan and others "the economics of the unselfish" This thread was triggered by some comments from Morris Berman, in an interview he did with JH Kunstler MP3 : http://traffic.libsyn.com/kunstlercast/KunstlerCast_263.mp3 > http://kunstler.com/podcast/kunstlercast-263-yakking-with-morris-berman/ He wrote a book about Japan, which talks about the "Tokogawa period" from 1600-1850, when Japan had a disciplined period of austerity - that was ended abruptly by Commodore Perry Japan has "something to go back to", a cultural pattern with a subtle and spiritual core to it. He says, the US does not have that... and wonders how the US will fare in the post-capitalist period As JHK says, he sees American culture as "an ongoing 400 year hustle" ====== > Link to Here : http://tinyurl.com/Buddha-Econ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriarN Posted January 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 The Japanese "get" it Buddhist Economics Shinichi Inoue conceives the Buddhist vision of Dependent Co-arising (Pali: Paṭiccasamuppāda; Sanskrit: pratītyasamutpāda) in terms of the ultimate truth of interconnectedness of people and culture. With this Right Vision (Sammā-diṭṭhi), he has composed a Buddhist Economics book designated as ‘ Putting Buddhism to Work: A New Approach to Management and Business’. Inoue also put forwards his theory of Middle Path of Buddhist Economics as the ideal path between Capitalism and Socialism. Capitalism emphasizes the respect for basic human rights to excel and private wealth ownership while capitalism emphasizes the equitable distribution of wealth. The strength of Capitalism is its focus on free market and competition which draw out the potentiality and strengths of the entrepreneurs. Its glaring shortcoming or defect is the possibility of the strong or the greedy to exploit the weak for personal financial or material gains. The advantage of socialism is that the government or state controls or regulate fare or just distribution of wealth. Taking excessive wealth from the able and diligent earners or high-capacity workers to share with low-capacity or indolent workers discourages individual initiatives, diligence and excellence to struggle to gain and accumulate wealth. This curtails the development of human potentiality to excel for self-benefits and benefits of others. Inoue’s Buddhist economic model transcends this extreme practice of capitalism. According to Inoue, the highest good is the practice of the Middle Path in which the ideal of capitalism and that of socialism are combined or syncretized. Such an economic model is known as mixed economy. Developing Malaysia, which has been adopting the Look-east policy of learning from the excellent work culture of Korea and Japan, has practised mixed economy successfully in a multi-racial country. The growing affluent mainland China has also practised their mixed economy very successfully emerging currently as one of the growing economic superpowers in the world. While mainland China is vigorously and strategically developing the new townships and cities and expanding the existing cities in the east coast, the Chinese does not ignore the development of the poverty striken western provinces of China. The Middle Path of Buddhist economics ensures sustainable development. Sustainable development is undertaking economic development without damaging or depleting the natural environment, without being harmful towards the human resources and consumers. Succinctly, economic activities, such as free market mechanism, competitions and others ought to be undertaken without destroying or damaging nature and human society. Sustainable economics are to be more just and ecologically sound or harmless. Buddhism, Economics and Ecology are all inter-connected and mutually inclusive. == > http://www.buddhachannel.tv/portail/spip.php?article9283 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbubb Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 What is Buddhist Economics ? Here's a series of videos on the subject Part 1 : Intro by Lachlan Mackinnon (click on the first, and you will get the whole series) If you're wondering whether these videos on Buddhist Economics are right for you, they are definitely right for you if you're in to ideas, if you want to make a difference in the world, if you have a mission or purpose or 'dharma' you need to get out to the world, if you're interested in Yoga philosophy or Buddhism or Meditation, or if you're interested in Economics, Management, Business or Entrepreneurship with a heart, based around your values. "RIGHT LIVELIHOOD" is a key concept, and so is "DHARMA" - which is higher purpose Classic Economics, assumptions: + People are infinitely greedy + People have no values + There is no government (constantly interfering), and consumers are free of brainwashing ( People have no stake in others thriving, and in the planet thriving) These are the assumptions that a Psychopath can work with. By contrast, the Buddhist aims to develop compassion, which is the opposite of Psychopathology Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbubb Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Here's a Leader who practices what Buddhists would recommend clif @clif_high · 6h6 hours ago Ack! "people “who like money too much must be kicked out of politics." Mujica vs Hillary for USA Pres. 2016! http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Uruguays-Mujica-Donates-more-than-75-of-Presidential-Salary-20150109-0043.html … http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Uruguays-Mujica-Donates-more-than-75-of-Presidential-Salary-20150109-0043.html Uruguay's outgoing President Jose Mujica stands outside his modest house Mujica’s generosity runs parallel to a government announcement that minimum wage will rise more than 13 percent in 2015. Uruguay's outgoing President Mujica is known world-wide for his generosity and humble lifestyle, but his revelation Friday that he donated US$550,000 over during his five years as president will still come as a shock to many who are unused to politicians practicising what they preach. "You can talk all you want, but put your money where your mouth is," Mujica said on his regular program on Radio M24. The large bulk of the money – US$400,000 – was donated to the Plan Together, a social program that supports vulnerable families in the South American nation. The leader donated the rest back to his political movement, the Broad Front, which has carried out huge progressive social reforms since it was first elected to lead Uruguay in 2005. In an interview with teleSUR in October, Mujica said that people “who like money too much must be kicked out of politics." With regard to his famous austere life, he said that “I travel in life light in luggage, so those things don't rob me of my freedom.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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