Buddhist economics
Buddhist economics
Buddhist economics is a spiritual and philosophical approach to the study of economics. It examines the psychology of the human mind and the emotions that direct economic activity, in particular concepts such as anxiety, aspirations and self-actualization principles. In the view of its proponents, Buddhist economics aims to clear the confusion about what is harmful and what is beneficial in the ra
"Someone who grows in money and grain, in wives, children, and livestock, is wealthy, famous, and respected by relatives and friends, and even by royals. When someone grows in faith and ethics, wisdom, and both generosity and learning— a good man such as he sees clearly, and in the present life he grows in both ways."
"Beings in the ghost world do not farm, herd cattle, trade, buy, sell, or use gold and money. They survive on merits shared by humans. As water that rains on a mountain-top flows down to the bottom, so will the merits shared from the human world reach the beings in the ghost world. Just as streams of water fill the ocean, so will the merits shared from the human world reach the beings in the ghost world. One should share merits with departed relatives recalling, “He gave to me, he worked for me, he was a relative, friend, and companion.”"
"At that time in the great city of Vaishali there was a rich man named Vimalakirti. [...] In a spirit of trust and harmony he conducted all kinds of business enterprises, but though he reaped worldly profits, he took no delight in these."
"What six drains on wealth do they avoid? Habitually engaging in the following things is a drain on wealth: drinking alcohol; roaming the streets at night; frequenting festivals; gambling; bad friends; laziness."
"They pick up riches as bees roaming round pick up pollen. And their riches proceed to grow, like an ant-hill piling up. In gathering wealth like this, a householder does enough for their family. And they’d hold on to friends by dividing their wealth in four. One portion is to enjoy. Two parts invest in work. And the fourth should be kept for times of trouble."
"One might give alms impartially with a thousand coins of money month by month for a hundred years; but that is not worth a sixteenth part of having confidence in the Buddha. ...of having confidence in the Dhamma. ...of having confidence in the Sangha. ...of those who have mastered Dhamma."
