the buddha, his teachings and buddhist economics

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The Buddha, his teachings and Buddhist Economics Relevance of Buddhism in modern-day life and business. ~ Suyog Prajapati, M.Sc., MA (TU) 23 Jan, 2017 (Monday)

Transcript of the buddha, his teachings and buddhist economics

The Buddha, his teachings and Buddhist

Economics

Relevance of Buddhism in modern-day life and business.

~ Suyog Prajapati, M.Sc., MA (TU)

23 Jan, 2017 (Monday)

ò  Who was the Buddha and what are his teachings (philosophy)?

ò  How do we know about Buddha’s teachings?

ò  Why is Buddhism such a major force in modern-day life?

ò  What is Buddhist Economics?

ò  How can Buddhist practices be related to economics and management?

Who was the Buddha?

ò  The word “Buddha” is a title.

ò  Sanskrit/P�li root: budh (“to perceive”)

ò  Buddha = “the one who is awakened” or “one who can perceive and understand the four noble truths”

ò  Historically refers to Gautama Buddha

ò  Born 563 BCE at Lumbini into the Shakya clan

ò  Birth name Siddh�rtha

Early life

ò  Tradition — his mother Mah�m�y� Dev� conceived him while dreaming of a white elephant — on the way to her maternal home Devdaha (the Koliya kingdom) gave birth to Siddhartha in the beautiful Lumbini garden (Vaiṣākha P�rṇim�)

ò  Father �uddhodana invited five renowned Brahmin scholars during his naming ceremony. Four prophesized the boy would either be a great king or a great sage.

ò  The youngest Brahmin, Koṇdaññya singly predicts that the boy would be a great sage (a Buddha).

ò  Fearing his son will leave the palace, shields him from all kinds of misery and indulges him in extreme luxury

Marriage and the Four Great Sights

ò  At age 16, father �uddhodana arranges marriage of Siddh�rtha to his cousin, Ya�odhar� (also 16), a Koliya princess.

ò  All education and military training completed within the confines of the palace.

ò  At age 29, decides to venture outside to meet his subjects. Aghast seeing the sight of an old man, a diseased person and a funeral procession.

ò  Also sees a calm ascetic monk. Asks his charioteer, Channa about all this, who tells him that this is real world.

Dissatisfaction and the Great Departure

ò  At around the same time Siddh�rtha is blessed with a son, named R�hula.

ò  Instead of happiness, feels even greater mortification. Vows to relinquish life as a prince.

ò  Convinced to look for the root cause and end of all bodily and mental anguish.

ò  In the dead of night with the help of Channa, riding the horse Kaṇṭhaka silently departs, leaving behind all material possessions. The event — Mah�bhiniṣkramaṇa

Practices existing yoga techniques

ò  After departure goes to R�jagṛha

ò  First learns meditation techniques from �l�ra K�l�m, then from Uddaka R�maputta, both renowned vedic sages. Unsatisfied, departs to Uruvela.

ò  Practices very harsh meditation techniques for six arduous years.

ò  Extreme mortification almost leads to death.

“Enlightenment’

ò  On the full moon day of Vaiṣākha, a lady named Suj�ta offers rice-pudding to Siddh�rtha, meditating under a tree, thinking him to be a tree-spirit.

ò  At once Siddh�rtha realizes the uselessness of self-torture. Again begins deep meditation.

ò  In three stages of 4-hour each (praharas), achieves three stages of enlightenment—1st, the recollection of past memories (p�rvaniv�s�nusmṛti jñ�na); 2nd, the knowledge of arising and diminishing (cyutotpatti jñ�na); 3rd, the knowledge of interdependence (��ravakṣaya jñ�na)

ò  Upon realizing the third level of enlightenment (unique till that time), he achieved the Bodhijñ�na and became the Buddha

What are the teachings of the Buddha?

ò  At age 36, made his first discourse in the Deer-park at S�rn�th to five ascetics. Event — dharmacakrapravartana

ò  The five ascetics became the first Saṃgha. The first teachings of the Buddha (Dharma) was about the four noble truths and eight-fold noble paths

ò  The Three Jewels of Buddhism (Tri-Ratna) — Buddha (the teacher), Dharma (the teachings) and Saṃgha (the disciples)

ò  A Buddhist — someone who has taken refuge upon the Tri-Ratna (Tri-�araṇa)

The Four Noble Truths

ò  Sufferings (dissatisfaction, unease etc.) prevail in life (PROBLEM)

ò  These sufferings are caused by desires (CAUSE)

ò  Sufferings are ended when nirvāṇa is attained (SOLUTION)

ò  Nirvāṇā is achieved through the eight-fold noble paths (METHOD/PATH)

The Eight-fold Noble Paths

ò  Right Understanding

ò  Right Thinking

ò  Right Speech

ò  Right Action

ò  Right Livelihood

ò  Right Effort

ò  Right Attention

ò  Right Meditation

Prajñ� (insight/wisdom)

��la (morality)

Sam�dhi (concentration)

u K�ya (body)

u V�ka (speech)

u Citta (mind)

The Three Universal Characteristics, the Three Root Causes of Sufferings and

the Five Aggregates

ò  Tri-lakṣaṇa— Anitya (change) — Dukkha (unease/suffering) — An�tma (no-self)

ò  Dukkha caused by — R�ga (attachment), Dwe�a (hatred) and Moha (ignorace)

ò  World is made up of Pañca-Skandha (Five Aggregates) — Form (R�pa), Feeling (Vedan�), Congition (Sajñ�), Volition (Saṃsk�ra) and Consciousness (Vijñ�na)

How do we know about the Buddha and about his

teachings?

Why is Buddhism such a major force in modern-day

life? ò  Until the late 1700s, Buddhism was limited only to Asia

ò  During the 19th century many original Buddhist texts arrived to Europe. Meanwhile Buddhist archaeological sites were being discovered in South and Southeast Asia

ò  Western scholars became interested in this hitherto unknown form of belief and began translating the texts.

ò  Towards the end of the 1800s and beginning of the 20th century, organizations like the Pali Text Society and the Buddhist Society of London were formed in the West

The “experience yourself ” philosophy

ò  The European enlightenment, industrial revolution and dramatic economic changes lead to great social upheaval.

ò  Scholars, philosophers, artists and writers were on the look out for radical view points.

ò  Buddhism attracted the rational scientific minded Europeans because of it’s strict emphasis on first-hand evidence (eg. K�l�ma Sutta of Aṅguttara Nik�ya)

ò  Buddha himself instructed not to take his words at face value — “Don’t believe just because it’s written in the scriptures, just because your teacher told you, or because of tradition� always see, feel and experience what has been said first-hand in order to believe it”

The “middle-way”

ò  Siddh�rtha Gautama before leaving palace was in extreme luxury. Then in the forest practiced extreme mortification. Both did not favor him. So he sought a “middle-way” (madhyama-m�rga)

ò  Neither eternalistic (leading to fatalistic thinking) nor nihilistic (leading to hedonistic thinking)

ò  Like tuning a stringed intrument

ò  Applicable in all situations in day-to-day life

Spread of mindfulness meditation

ò  Since the last half-century many Buddhists from Asia travelling to Western countries. Americans, Europeans and Australians are also coming for meditation practice

ò  Tibetan-diaspora attracted attention of powerful countries like the US. Also increased interest in their culture which is in large part Buddhistic

ò  Integration of mindfulness techniques with modern Psychology helping countless people live stress-free lives

ò  Study of Buddhism not limited to only scholars

What is Buddhist Economics?

ò  Right Livelihood — one of the Eight-fold Noble Paths. It means Buddhism is directly related to daily transactions.

ò  E.F. Schumacher used the term “Buddhist Economics” in his seminal work ‘Small is Beautiful’

ò  Modern liberal economics — solely profit oriented, consumer-market based, reduces the function of work to merely the production of goods

ò  Buddhist Economics takes the function of work as to — help enable and develop ones faculties, let go of ego and cooperate and create goods and services for better (happier) existence

Materalist goods versus Buddhist liberation

ò  Materialist interested mainly in goods. Buddhists aim at liberation from the cycle of rebirth and suffering.

ò  But Buddhism being “The Middle Way” does allow materialistic fulfillments as well.

ò  Wealth does not hinder liberation. Rather attachment to wealth does.

ò  Craving for pleasure and not the enjoyment of pleasurable things are the source for entanglement

ò  Buddhist Economics focus simplicity (lessening desire and cravings) and non-violence

Maximum well-being with minimum consumption

ò  Buddhism does not oppose the accumulation of wealth or the use of material goods.

ò  But both should be optimum and not excessive

ò  Buddhist Economics measures high standard of living not by more consumption but by optimal consumption through least effort, thus allowing our efforts to be directed towards other creative endeavors

ò  Modern economics — maximize consumption by optimal pattern of productive effort

ò  Buddhist Economics — maximize human satisfaction by optimal pattern of consumption (“the middle way”)

Buddhist practices, economics and management

ò  Main aim of Buddhists — Happiness in this world (Lokiya Sukha) and Happiness in the world hereafter (Lokottara Sukha)

ò  Driving force for both economics and management —��la (Morality). Pañca ��la (Five precepts) — not to kill, not to steal, refrain from sexual misconducts, not to lie and refrain from intoxication

ò  E.g. Sig�lov�da Sutta of D�gha Nik�ya — Guidelines for Householders (gṛha vinaya) based on above — covers the whole spectrum of economics and management.

Fulfillment of reciprocal duties ò  Six directions of veneration — East (Mother and Father),

South (Teachers), West (Wife/Husband and Children), North (Friends and Relatives), Zenith (Holy People, Seers, Buddha) and Nadir (Workers, Employees)

ò  Parents — support and nurture them in their old age

ò  Teachers — greet with respect and master their teachings

ò  Spouse & Children — provide respect, security and skills

ò  Friends/Relatives — be generous, use kind words

ò  Ascetics — proper acts of mind-body-speech and hospitality

ò  Workers — be just, allow appropriate work

Economic and Social aspects in Sig�lov�da Sutta

ò  6 ways wealth is lost — intoxicants — wandering streets at unseemly hours — frequenting theatrical shows — gambling — being with evil companions — habitual idleness

ò  Optimum use of earning — one-fourth for daily use, donation etc., on-fourth for security (contingency) and half as capital for business

ò  Treatment of employees — give work as per capacity, sufficient wages, medical facilities, do not discriminate, give holidays, incentives for working overtime

Final Remarks

Modern Western Economics Buddhist Economics

Maximize Profit Minimize Sufferings

Maximize Desires Minimize Desires

Maximize Market Minimize Violence

Maximize Instrumental Use Minimize Instrumental Use

Maximize Self-interest Minimize Self-interest

“Bigger is Better” “Small is Beautiful”

“More is More” “Less is More”

v Use available facilities and develop new ones — Simplify Desires — Do not cling to any objects (mental or physical) — Always follow ��la, practice Sam�dh� and have Prajñ�

Ye dharm� hetu prabhav� hetun, teṣāṃ tath�gato hyavadat, teṣāṃ ca yo nirodha, evaṃ v�d� mah��ramaṇa!!

(Hetu Dh�raṇī)

Manopubbaṅgam� dhamm� manoseṭṭh� manomay�

manas� ce paduṭṭhena bh�sat� v� karoti v�

tato naṃ dukkham anveti cakkaṃ va vahato padaṃ.

Manopubbaṅgam� dhamm� manoseṭṭh� manomay�

manas� ce pasannena bh�sat� v� karoti v�

tato naṃ sukkham anveti ch�y� va anap�yin�.

~Dhammapada

Thank You!