Economics in Buddhism.
By Ven.Galle Udita Maha Thero.
The Cause of Needs and Difficult Life
Unlike olden days, money is an essential factor of human beings to survive today.
People in the Stone Age era never thought of money. Neither hunters nor shepherds
thought of money. All those people had a few needs and they were happy with
what they could get. In the beginning food was prominent among other needs.
People wore leaves to cover their naked bodies. They lived in the caves and
on or under the trees. They found their own medicines for their ailments. There
were no barriers for those people to travel from place to place or to find lodgings
to stay temporary or permanently.
As time passed by, clothing and food of people changed to different varieties.
Then they exchanged one variety to another with others according to their needs.
Problem of permanent shelter arose when shepherd era was disappeared. As they
began to stay one place they increased their attachment and selfishness. In
Agganna Sutta Buddha says that first people who came to New Sphere from Brahma
World had very easy life. The plants bore fruits in the same day after people
plucked grains from them in the morning. Those grains also were very soft and
sweet. They did not have husks and could be eaten instantly.
But those beings increased more craving and began to collect more and more.
Hence, being unfair to others whom live with them. Eventually natural facilities
disappeared. And their life became harder and harder. They had to cultivate
and eat. The need of a ruler also arose, as properties were not shared evenly.
The beings that mentioned in the Agganna Sutta also were one family with equality
in the beginning but later as their desire improved sexual difference was visible.
Then some males with curiosity looked at opposite sex for long that they began
to hug and had sex openly. Others looked down this action questioning them how
could commit such immoral actions towards the members of same group. Anyway
this was the beginning of a family and they found shelter for the first time
to enjoy their mundane pleasures. (Agganna Sutta - Deega Nikaya)
The Difference of Past and Presence
There is a great difference between the long past and the presence. Today people
have a lot of needs. Many products have improved their needs. Science and technology
have given them a lot of hopes. As population increased many problems, conflicts,
debates and arguments also came into exist. The society is immensely complicated.
It is not easy to control by rulers consoling people with different views with
their various needs. Buddha has mentioned that when human knowledge is greatly
improved many problems would arise in the society. Now most of the things are
in organized forms unlike in the past. The various natures of human beings have
become a complexity of everything. Evolution of knowledge has contributed more
for the variety.
The Basic Needs of Human Beings
Although society has been changed with the time the basic needs of people are
the same as Buddha mentioned. Clothes, food, shelter and medicine are the basic
needs of human beings. In the Vinaya, Buddha has advised monks to depend on
these requisites and to use them very mindfully for a goal of ending all sufferings.
Those four also are common property of monks. They have to share with other
monks without any discrimination. They have to satisfy themselves with what
they receive from devotees and shouldn't bother over not gaining those requisites
as they could be contended with very few needs that could be found with a little
effort of themselves.
Contentment with Few Needs and Adapting with The Time.
Once Greek Philosopher Socrates said that happiness could be achieved only by
limiting the needs of man. Buddha being contemporary Master in six century BC
emphasized on few needs especially for recluses. Therefore monks did not worry
over requisites. Buddha also advised people to offer alms to virtuous monks
as it could cause a lot of happiness for laymen. When laymen do not offer food
to them they may go for collecting alms from house to house with their alms
bowls.
This has been practised, which also help poor people to follow charity for their
future benefit as miserliness is regarded as the cause of poverty. When robes
are not received, monks may find out cloths thrown away by people and clean
and dye them by themselves to use. If there is no temple to stay they may stay
under trees as shelter. When they do not have medicinal drinks they may make
medicines by themselves using gall nuts and cow urine.
As time has changed, monks also not may able to follow as same as before. Those
who do not know the way of practice of monks, collecting of alms is regarded
as very mean and also as begging but monks never ask people to give for them.
It is a misconception. Therefore in certain countries, where monks are not allowed
to collect alms and also look down for doing so . Even if they allowed it in
modern day, it is not easy to collect alms. As people live in flats, closed
doors with doubts and fear for security reasons. Unless monks live in undeveloped
or Buddhist countries like Thailand, Burma or Sri Lanka.
People also are busy with their own activities. They do not find enough time
to care monks all the time unlike before. Due to social and security reasons
today monks are not allowed to stay under trees too in developed countries.
Therefore monks life also has been changed today. They also have to find new
ways to survive and follow the teaching. They have adapted certain ways without
breaching precepts according to the environment that they live.
Safer Society and Happy Family
Monks and layman are not same. The laymen have more responsibilities and duties
than the monks. Their whole life depends on economical factors today. They have
to earn a living as they depend on themselves unlike monks. Therefore Buddha
advises in a different way to layman. A layman must follow five principles for
morality, which comprises with abandoning killing, stealing, sexual misconduct,
lying and drinking liquor (including taking intoxicants) that could cause disorder
of mind and body. These moral deeds contribute not only for the well-being of
oneself but also of the society. The society is very safe when no body is committing
any of those immoral practices. Peace and harmony would prevail in the society.
No one has fear in the mind as each and every person keeps the confidence among
him or her. Laymen are not supposed to live like monks, as they have to lead
a married life. But they should not go to extremes in enjoying life. Today many
families have broken up due to the doubts between husband and wife or extra
marital affairs by either one or both parties. Therefore mutual strong love
and confidence between husband and wife is very essential for the stability
of the family.
Ethics in Buddhist Economics and The Purpose of Wealth
Buddha has preached thirty-eight blessing factors for the laymen to follow in
Mangala Sutta. Laymen must acquire knowledge and skills to work. He should associate
with good friends and find out good place to live. He should look after old
parents wife and children, and care of relatives, and friends, make offerings
to those deserve of offerings; he should abstain from drinking liquor (taking
intoxicants) and all evil deeds and depend on right means and follow charity,
moral teaching and improve wisdom.
In Parabhava Sutta Buddha points out all the downfall factors for the layman
to know so that he could avoid them for his own benefit. He should not be lazy,
talking too much with crowd, and indulged in slumber. He should not be involved
in gambling, debauchery and drinking in wasting money; he should not cheat religious
people such as monks or any other mendicant. He should not speak lies for whatever
gain. He should not marry a woman of vast difference in age. And he should not
expect power in a country having a little of wealth. In his responsible movements,
a person whose habit is to drink and enjoy should not be kept. He should be
satisfied with his own wife without visiting prostitutes for sexual pleasures.
Being proud of birth, wealth, or clan if a person despises his own kinsmen,
the downfall will occur to him. Being rich he should not neglect supporting
parents and sharing his wealth with others. He should not dislike virtuous religious
masters and their good teachings.
Material Gains do not make Human Dignity
In Vasala Sutta Buddha also points out the factors that disgrace human dignity.
The layman who does regard his status has to stop committing of those disgracing
factors. He should have compassion to unfortunate beings; He should not run
away from moneylenders denying loan, he has borrowed. He should not condemn
or beat wife, parents and relatives. Being proud of having money, due to race
or caste he should not look down others. He should not rob or destroy the wealth
of others and he must avoid killing wayfarers for a trifle gain.
He should not cover the truth replying in witness due to partiality or for any
selfish gain. Trying to conceal evil deeds is not proper by one. As others welcome
us when visiting them we also have to welcome them. We should be shame and afraid
of committing evils as human beings. Buddha in this Vasala Sutta emphasizes
on the wholesome activities and discourages the person to do mean deeds. Buddha
refuses the idea that one becomes a higher or lower by birth, but He proclaims
that the person is higher or lower according to the deeds performed by him.
Abuse of Knowledge
But today people respect not for the qualities but for money. To some, money
is like God. A big house, a brand new car, decides the dignity of the person
rather than good qualities. In a party drinking is a must because the status
of the person has to be maintained. Some argue that they cannot abandon drinking
because of their business gains. Betting for the winner in the bull fighting,
wrestling or boxing is significant where money is concerned but good qualities
are less significant as they haven't any economical value. By mass media advertisements
are made to attract the users for products without considering any abusive effects
of them. Today information technology is very advanced that all can share knowledge
in a short of time and the vast world has become very tiny under this atmosphere.
But in spite of good that can achieve through them some abuse it for man's destruction.
Science and technology have done a tremendous service in saving the life of
people but they also are being abused for the calamity of human being that handle
it wrongly. A wise man knows how to use a razor knife but it is very dangerous
when a monkey handles it. Once a man who learned to use the bow an arrow practised
his shooting on an Arahant . With his fooliness, he had abused his knowledge
of shooting, by killing an Arahant, which led him to be born in the hell to
suffer a long period of time in the circle of existence. (Dhammapada)
How to Achieve Happiness?
In Viyaggapajjha Sutta Buddha addressed the householder Koliyan Dhigajanu replying
his question how to get happiness by a layman and showed him four factors for
the happiness here and four factors for the happiness hereafter. Endowment of
endeavor, endowment of watchfulness, endowment of good companionship and balanced
livelihood lead to the happiness in this life. The wealth has to be protected
from fire, flood, theft and government. The confidence in the Triple Gem, morality,
charity and wisdom guide the person for happiness in the next world.
How to Save Money and Achieve Prosperity?
As in Viyaggapajjha Sutta, Buddha in Sigalovada Sutta, preached the young man
Sigala, who obeyed father's advice after his death, that householder should
not be lazy and he should work hard. Six channels of wasting wealth are explained
in the Sutta as drinking, loitering in unseasonable hours, frequenting in places
of amusements, gambling, association with evil companions, and indolence.
Good company is very significant where one's wellbeing is concerned. Evil friends
bring misery in this life and next life of the person. Whole teaching does depend
on the true friendship according to Buddha. Nothing can be achieved without
the help of true friends who guide the person to the right track.
Human being always does not have good time because his life has been formed
with the good and bad karmic force created in the numerous past births. Therefore
Eight Worldly contingencies namely gain, loss, defame, fame, blame, praise,
sorrow, and happiness follow after the man time to time. The man has to bear
up these worldly conditions, as they are unavoidable in human world. Life is
always confronted with problems; therefore assistance of true friends is essential.
If not people may go astray with confusing and worried mentality. Here, religion
also contributes very much for man to find a way to gain the peace of mind.
The money hardly earned must be utilized well and the householder must know
how to keep money for future use and how to improve it for the benefit of him
and others. With regard to it, Buddha advises to layman to divide his income
into four quarters and invest two quarters for the growth of income while depositing
one quarter for the future and utilizing the other quarter for daily expenditure.
This advice of Buddha is very suitable even for modern society for their safety,
happiness, protection and prosperity. They may not have to borrow money from
moneylenders and pay high interests which may be a big burden and very stressful
for life. Buddha also advised layman not to transgress the truth because of
desire, ill-will, fear and ignorance. By transgressing the truth with those
four evil tendencies the householder would decline like the descending moon.
He would prosper like the waxing moon when is not partial to desire, ill-will,
fear, and ignorance according to Buddha. (Sigalovada Sutta - Deega Nikaya)
The cause of crime and misery
The vice is rife when people have problems due to the poverty according to Cakkawatti
Seehanada Sutta. The rulers must help unfortunate and poor people for their
survival. Misleading perspectives could also cause increasing of crimes according
to this Sutta. The wealth is not only for the enjoyments of senses of beings
but also for the wellbeing of the society. Once the king Kosala reported to
Buddha that a millionaire died leaving all his wealth behind.
Then Buddha commented that wealth should be utilized wisely for the benefit
of wife and children, relatives and friends. The foolish make his own misery
with the craving for wealth as it happened to another millionaire named Ananda
whose attachment was so great to wealth that he advised his son Mulasiri to
not give anything to anyone as wealth would decline. He himself too hid his
wealth under ground without giving to anyone. And that who was born as a lame
beggar who was abandoned by his family itself. (Dhammapada-Balavagga)
How does a Householder Enjoy the Wealth?
Merchant Anathapindika was advised by the Buddha that householder must enjoy
four kinds of happiness. Ownership of wealth is the first category. The person
is very happy having a land, a house. A vehicle, and whatever other properties
due to his rightly earned wealth. Secondly the person must enjoy the wealth
for his own needs.
Happiness is experienced when his mind reminds him that the things he used are
not caused by evil earning but by rightly earning with his own effort. Third
is the happiness enjoyed without being indebted to anyone as he survives with
his own wealth. His mind is lighter as he does not have to borrow or pay interests
to anyone. The fourth happiness is more important than others as it conditions
through unblamable deeds. The people who commit evil cannot be happy, as their
mind is restless and filled with defilements. Therefore who do good deeds, wholesome
deeds are happy not only in this very life but also hereafter.
Economics is a Part of Life and the Contentment is the Greatest Wealth
On the view of Buddhism the man must have one eye to see the way of happiness
in this life and one eye to see the way of happiness in the next life. Those
who do not see both ways are like blinds. And the person who may see the happiness
in this world only is awake in one eye and blind in one eye as mentioned in
Anguttara Nikaya. Buddhism is for living people and for the happiness of mankind.
It is a way of life and it can be applied in our daily life
In Buddhism mental factors are more important than physical factors because
it is mind that directs all matters relevant behaviour including economy. A
person is not able to do anything if mind stands still. The bahaviour of us
decides by our mentality. The mind and material phenomenon combine to form a
life and to activate visibly. Mind is a natural energy which has a link from
the past birth .It has no substances but it flows in a state of flux. The man
has taken this mental force wrongly as God-given soul or permanent entity but
it is one of the cosmic orders, which function naturally. The man does foster
it with his mental, verbal and physical deeds. Everything is conditioned and
nothing arises without causes. Our actions are the reactions of mental deeds.
Therefore all plans come from mind and mental improvement acquiring knowledge
through five senses. Therefore mind must be alert in doing things. Happiness
and unhappiness depend on the mental qualities. According to Dhammapada, contentment
is the greatest wealth because, if the man cannot be satisfied with what he
can get, he has to suffer. All sufferings are caused with the attachment, illwill,
and illusion on the point of Buddhism. People commit all kinds of evils due
to defilements in the mind. Referring to this, right view is essential to understand
things correctly.
Modern Economics and The Buddha's Advice
In the first sermon, Buddha has explained Noble Eight paths, which is called
Middle Way. In that contents Buddha recommends right livelihood to followers.
This right livelihood comprises with abandoning evil trades called trade of
living beings, trade of flesh of beings, trade of poison and trade of intoxicant
drinks and drugs. Under the modern economics, productivity, consumption and
distribution play an important roll. The repercussion of consumption is insignificant.
But we can see the evil effects of certain kinds of products, consumption and
distribution.
Arms trade has violated the peace and harmony in the countries. All those trades
have caused a lot of damages for not only to individual but also to whole society.
Mr.E.F.Schumacher has tried to integrate Buddhist teaching with modern economics
for the first time using this concept of right livelihood in his book "Small
is Beautiful". If we are going to supply all demands, which unsatisfied
human mind, is seeking for, the world will be in a mess. Therefore modern economics
must follow certain ethics considering man's well being rather than trying to
make profits and amusements.
Correct Way of Using Wealth
Hundred millions are suffering in the world without food according to the reports
of UN development Programme. But billions of dollars are spent on weapons and
nuclear testing in the countries. Many suffer from malnutrition due to the lack
of proper food while some rich are wasting a lot of food. Why not we help all
those suffering mass with our contributions? The purpose of wealth is to help
others according to Buddha. The wealth we accumulate cannot be taken to next
world. All the properties, all belongings have to be left when a person leaves
this world.
The wealth is no use if it is not utilized for the family, relatives, society,
country, religion and nation. Householder must perform five sacrifices towards
others with his wealth in the view of Buddhism. Giving to relatives, welcoming
of guests, offering to ancestors, offering to monks and giving to government.
These are the benefits of rightly earned wealth.
Purity Depends on Moral Deeds
The being is purified not with material things. But with wholesome actions,
knowledge, practice of teaching and higher morals. As sensible people we know
that Ganga or any other river water cannot wash away our sins.
Our sins must be washed away by ourselves cultivating morality, concentration
and wisdom. This is called ending of karmic force and it is the Ultimate Goal
of Buddhists. On whatever reason it is not advisable to commit evils. (Dhammapada)
Animal Nature in the Human Mind
Happiness, which we achieve through material things, is not permanent and therefore
it does not last long. When we are not able to get our material needs or our
wises do not come through we are sad and worry. If it is so we have to find
out a way for everlasting peace and happiness. Our life is also an evolution.
This birth is evolved to another birth according to the type we lead this life.
Although we are physically human beings here mentally can be spirit or animal
or deity.
If we practise qualities of real human beings it is sure we can be human beings
again or else we may become animals due to animal nature in the mind or ghosts
due to such qualities we follow here. Some people are very stingy that they
even do not eat well or dress well but just keep more and more money secretly.
They do not share their wealth with families or fellow citizens So how can they
become human beings again unless become spirits to guard their wealth again
in the next life? Knowing this we should practise charity.
According to Buddha a householder must follow four qualities which constitute
charity, pleasant speech, constructive activities, and equality in dealing with
associates. (Sigalovada Sutta) A true friend is endowed with four qualities,
which comprise of confidence in the true religious masters, practice of morality,
charity and wisdom. (Wyaggapajja Sutta)
Everlasting Happiness
True happiness could be achieved only through practice of wholesome qualities,
which are conducive to have a noble birth. As life is a circle of existence,
the wholesome energy obtained through wholesome activities brings happiness
for the doer for many births as human being or deity according to Buddhism.
Not only that, this accumulation of merit helps the person to end up his all
sufferings at the end when reducing unwholesome forces through mind. Eradication
of desire, illwill and ignorance is called deliverance in Buddhism, which brings
the everlasting happiness to the follower. This happiness is totally super-mundane
and spiritual and also is focussed through wisdom only.
Wish or Desire?
To live in this world, wealth is very essential. So everyone has to work for
money as society depends on economics but we should not respect wealth regarding
like the God. Trying to get wealth through right means is not wrong. It is not
craving but the determination or wish to achieve the goal. Competition can be
bad if it is directed by ulterior motives. But it is very helpful and effective
concerning success and progress where motive is good and correct. The man who
has no selfish attachment to wealth is able to do a lot of things to the society
with his wealth accumulated with his own effort or inherited through family.
Written By:
Ven. Udita Maha Thero
Buddha Vihara Society
March 1998