The Buddha as Astute Businessman, Economist, Lawyer

I regret not having attended this lecture by Gregory Schopen, chair of the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures and an authority on ancient Indian Buddhism.

"The Buddha was a businessman. But don't take anyone's word for it — it's written in stone.

Of all the iconic scenes found in the earliest Buddhist art from India, none are more striking than the sculpted representation of a title deed involving one of Buddhism's most venerable monasteries: The transaction, involving 10 million gold coins, clearly shows that, far from being an ascetic, other-worldly religious tradition, Buddhism was, in fact, "deeply entangled with money – and a very great deal of it at that," according to Gregory Schopen, chair of the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures and an authority on ancient Indian Buddhism."

Read Full Article.

Corporate/Poltical leader now, Asura tomorrow

The six realms of Buddhism are rebirth as a deva, an asura, a human being, an animal, a hungry ghost, or a being in Naraka (hell). Can we make any metaphorical connections from these realms to our life here as a human?

O'Brien writes about how being reborn as an asura may very much be like being a corporate or political leader.

"I believe these days most of us (including, I understand, His Holiness the Dalai Lama) do not believe in the Six Realms as actual locations. Instead, they are more often understood as metaphors for our psychological projections. As such, it seems to me the Six Realms teachings shed light on our ongoing financial crisis."

Read full article.

Photo from The Buddhist Channel.

Buddhist Economics

Here's a short article about applying Buddhism to the current economy.

"I would distill it even further in Buddhist thought. We're in the soup economically because of a lack of mindfulness. We at the micro level and those at the macro level didn't pay close attention to economic decisions."

Read full article.

What does a Buddhist say to the Christmas shopper?

I have posted a few articles on Buddhism and shopping, as we all feel a certain degree of necessity to buy presents for those we care about. But how can we balance all the sales, lines, and gift wrapping with merely enjoying the holidays for what it really represents - a time to recollect and spend time with loved ones at the end of the year.

I found this short but clever and helpful little line from the article "Where Buddha Meets Freud":

Q: What does a Buddhist blogger say to the Christmas shopper?
A: Be the present.

Yes, be the present. Not only does that provide an interesting way of looking at the holidays but it also eliminates all the stress of pushing and shoving through crowds and lining up at stores...the list could go on. May everyone enjoy their holidays.

Read full article

Dalai Lama speaks about economic crisis

The Dalai Lama spoke at a joint press conference with Hans-Gert Poettering, the President of the European Parliament. The Buddhist Channel features an article on what the Dalai Lama had to say about the world economic crisis:

"Answering a question about economic crisis, the spiritual leader explained the ongoing market crisis around the world. Saying, 'Market itself is a creation of human beings,' the Buddhist leader asked, 'What is the real cause of this sort of economic crisis?' Citing answers from his business friends, the Dalai Lama told journalists: 'Too much speculation and ultimately greed,' adding, 'The potential to help is: reduce greed and (increase) self-discipline. 'Economic crisis is something urgent so it will be helpful to reduce some other conflict (that are going on) in the name of faith and nationality.' "

Read full article.

What would the Buddha buy?

The Buddhist Channel features an interesting article by Gary Gach, the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism and a member of the International Panel of Advisers for the Buddhist Channel.

So what would the Buddha buy? Here's what Gach has to say:

"What would the Buddha buy? Not too much, not too little. Picture him with his own reusable grocery bag slung over his shoulder, talking to a shopper about making mindful choices: “Do you really need it?” “Where does it come from?” “How will it affect the environment when you’re done?” He might have enjoyed celebrating International Buy Nothing Day on November 29 as a spiritual retreat from frantic holiday shopping (the “shopocalypse,” as Reverend Billy calls it)."

"Neither capitalism nor socialism has prevented children from starving in Somalia. We should be trying to base contentment on being, rather than having. Then the question of buying that fourth shirt or that new gizmo on display might be dwarfed by the prospect of creating more space in one’s life by donating your extra stuff. "

Hsi Lai Temple awarded scholarships

The Hsi Lai Temple and the Buddha's Light International Association awarded 160 scholarships to elementary, middle, and high school students from the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District. Elementary students were given $100, middle students $150, and high school students $200.

"Located in a low-income neighborhood, the families put the money to good use.

'It's all part of our community outreach program. We value education and want to help our local schools,' said the Venerable Miao Hsi, a Buddhist monk at the Hacienda Heights temple."

Oprah and enlightenment

"In just half an hour, Oprah earns enough money to buy a car."

Watch the slide show to see how much celebrities earn and what they can buy with their earnings. Though not directly Buddhist related, it's interesting to think about this (and money in general) from a Buddhist perspective. In order to reach enlightenment, the Buddha relinquished his life of luxury in the palace for a life of asceticism among monastics. I wonder if anyone nowadays would be able to sacrifice that.