FREE ESSAY ON BUDDHIST ECONOMICS

BUDDHIST ECONOMICS

Buddhist Economics
Most people think that religion and economics don't mix. So you would think the same in
the case with Buddhism and economics. But actually the there is a set of rules that go
along with our modern day economics that have their own meanings. Buddhists believe that
spiritual health and well being go hand in hand. They use the fundamentals of practical
ecnomics and mix it with the values and morals of Buddhism.
The Buddhist point of view takes the function of work to be at least threefold: to give a
man a chance to utilize and develop his faculties; to enable him to overcome his
ego-centeredness by joining with other people in a common task; and to bring forth the
goods and services needed for a becoming existence.
In modern economics, when there is a demand for say, beer, it is supplied by production
and distributed to the consumers. When it is consumed, that demand is satisfied. Modern
economics stop thinking here at the satisfaction of the demand. There is no interest in
what happens after the demand is satisfied. Economics inspired by Buddhism would be
concerned with how activities influence cause and condition. This means looking at the
three conditions of humans, the individual, society and nature or the environment. In the
case with the beer, the person would ask how does this influence the individual, society,
and the environment