http://sarvajan.ambedkar.org
and
www.buddhismandbusiness.webs.com
wishes success of SAKYA FOUNDATION GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Following suggestions may be discussed in the General Assembly.
1) The foundation may think of starting pre-schooling such as BUDDHI
JEEVIS to educate kids in Sila right from the day the child starts its
speech.
2) Train Buddhists to do business and trade to enable them to become rich to spread Dhamma in a more effective manner.
With Lots of metta
Jagatheesan Chandrasekharan
Teaching pre-school kids and young adults.
important, more important than usually thought of. I recall the first
point with reference to an event I used to see on Dr Wu’s Friday prayer
meetings at his home in Miami, Florida. Dr Wu is a Professor at Florida
State University, a very keen Buddhist. Friday prayer meetings there
are usually attended by several families including a large number of
children. Kneeling down before Buddha statue comes naturally to
children, and, surprisingly, even to their pet, a large white dog.
Once after the meeting, in a mood to test the dog, I said “Namo
Buddha”, and the dog impulsively knelt down, and I captured the scene
with my digital camera.
in our situations in India, where there is a common tendency to look
for a secure job in government or big corporations, and then feel safe
and sound. With the emergence of rural finance on easier terms, a young
adult can venture into some forms of retail stores, trade in
local agricultural or industrial produce, etc which would enable him to
develp entreprenurial talents, rather than make easy money in illegal
drug business. As and when he begins to make money and more money, he
should be able to develop his generosity as one of the pillars of
dhamma, and give donations to Buddhist charities.
Jagatheesan Chandrasekharan deserve special consideration at the
proposed Sakya Foundation General Assembly.
Most Respected Lakshman Ji,
Thank you very much for your kind support. Philothrophists like your kind self
may kindly lead a team to fulfill the suggestions made.
There is another need.
We must have our own media in all the languages to propagate Dhamma and all
related news including trade and Business by Buddhists.
With lots of metta
Jagatheesan Chandrasekharan
Mayawati has employed a new way
to tackle the Congress and opposition in a booklet distributed. She
said Congress is giving top appointments to SC/ST leaders because they
do not want these leaders to work closely with their people. She said
Meira Kumar has been made the speaker because the Congress wants to
keep her away from SC/STs and the common man. She goes a step further
to say that SC/ST leaders in the government work like bonded laborers
and even if they become the PM they can do very little for the
development of the SC/STs. To further add to her accusations she said
after the assembly elections in Maharashtra,
Sushil Kumar Shinde too, was removed from the CM’s post and made the
governor of Andhra. Just to keep him away from the voters. She said the
main aim of the Congress is to woo SC/STs and eat into BSP votes.
New Delhi, June 27(ANI):
Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday criticised Samajwadi
Party President bulldozer Mulayam Singh Yadav’s comments that he would bulldoze
all the memorials eructed by Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh.
“As
far as bulldozer Mulayam Singh Yadav’s statement that we will run a bulldozer on
the constructions, we are not in favour of this culture. Whatever
construction has been made, Congress Party does not believe in such
‘bulldozer culture’ if the constructions have been done by any elected
government,” said Digvijay Singh, All India Congress Committee General
Secretary in-charge for Uttar Pradesh.
“Congress is very clear
that it has nothing to do with the ongoing spat between SP and BSP in
UP on the issue. Digvijay Singh added.
Bharatiya
Janata Party leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that bulldozer Mulayam Singh Yadav way
is not the way to function in a democracy.
Bulldozer Singhs Mulayam and his friend Kalyan have already lost the support of Muslims for Bulldozing Babri Masjid. Yet they want to continue with their their Bulldozing culture. This Bulldozer Singh had damaged the Ambedkar Memorial and now wanted to bulldoze Kanshi Ram and Ambedkar Memorials. If allowed to have his own way he might even bulldoze the recently installed Shivaji Statue, Teen Murthy Bhavan costing more than 10,000 Crores. And also the statues and memorials of Gandhis and Nehrus. By doing so he will loose the support of Sarvajan Samaj which will bulldoze his bulldozing mentality. He must know that the Aga Khan Foundation is rebuilding the Bamyan Buddha Staues at the cost of $100 million. In fact, Prabuddha Bharatha Maatha Mayawati, we hope will nevr hesitate to renew all the Buddhist places in Uttar Pradesh for Sarvajan Hithay and Saravajan Sukhay, which will attract tourists from all over the world and generate lot of job opportunities.The intolerant Bulldozer Singhs and other traditional haters of Aboriginal Inhabitants of Jambudvipa, that is, the Great Prabuddha bharath dont like the memorials built for their leaders, though they are only the 4th rate souls in the Caste systems in this country. Only such 4th rate souls mourn for people those who are alive, but not the Buddhists.
It is common knowledge that SC/STs, the Aboriginal Inhabitants of Jambudvipa, that is, the Great Prabuddha Bharath were
a oppressed lot (and still are), long being treated as a political base
by the Congress party. It was the emergence of Kanshi Ram, who resigned
from his Government service and setup the Bahujan Samaj Party for
giving the SC/STs a voice.
It was Kanshi Ram who started
the process of making the SC/STs believe that they could wield
political power, and as a part of taking this process forward Kanshi
Ram handed over the actual power wielding to Mayawati.
It has been Mayawati who has taken the party much further in its quest
to become a major political power in the country, starting with the
critical state of Uttar Pradesh.
SheMayawati
had unveiled the 15 statues, which included that of BSP founder late
Kanshi Ram and her own, and parks at a hurriedly-organised function in
Lucknow on Thursday, nine days ahead of schedule.
has made this a mini-industry, along with the gratuitous naming of
parks, naming them primarily for Kanshi Ram and herself. Naming objects after leaders is not new, given that the
Congress names almost all things after Nehru, Indira Gandhi or Rajiv
Gandhi.
Express news service Posted online: Friday , Jun 26, 2009 at 1107 hrs
Lucknow : With Dalit agenda high on her mind after the Lok Sabha
elections, Chief Minister Mayawati on Thursday announced reservation
for SC, ST contractors in government works with estimated expenditure
up to Rs 5 lakh. The BSP Government has also decided that instead of
selecting new Ambedkar villages, it would choose from the 2,000-odd
existing villages for undertaking development works, like
electrification, sanitation, link roads and drinking water.
Addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting, the Mayawati said 21
per cent tenders involving the Government works up to Rs 5 lakh would
be reserved for contractors from Scheduled Castes, and 2 per cent for
those from Scheduled Tribes. The quota would be applicable in all
departments, government undertakings, corporations, local bodies and
councils.
The Chief Minister, expressing her dissatisfaction over development
works being carried out in Ambedkar villages, said: “I noticed that it
is difficult to ensure maintenance of the development works undertaken
in these villages. The development works in these villages do not
match my vision.” The CM has therefore said that development works
would be undertaken on priority in the 2,000 existing Ambedkar
villages. Steps to curb exorbitant school fees
Atiq Khan
U.P. high school students clearing five out of six subjects will be declared passed |
— Photo: Subir Roy
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati at a press meet in
Lucknow on Thursday.
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday moved in to curb
the practice of private unaided schools recognised by the Central Board
of Secondary Education (CBSE), Indian Council of Secondary Education
(ICSE) and the Madhyamik Shiksha Board to charge exorbitant fees from
students.
Now a committee headed by the District Magistrate would be
constituted to finalise the fees structure in these schools. Chief
Minister Mayawati, who presided over Thursday’s Cabinet meeting where
the decision was approved, said the school managements have been given
the option of approaching the Divisional Commissioner if they were
unsatisfied with the fees structure. The minority institutions were
exempted from this arrangement.
The Cabinet also granted relief to students appearing in the High
School examination. Under the new system to be introduced in the
2010-11 academic year, students passing in five out of six subjects
would be declared passed. The division of the students would not be
mentioned in the mark-sheet. Instead, a grading and credit system would
be introduced.
The Cabinet also okayed the proposal to upgrade the civic facilities
in the Dalit “bastis” in 2000 Ambedkar villages in the 2009-10
financial year involving a cumulative expenditure of over Rs.1,000
crore. The decision marked another attempt by Ms. Mayawati to sell her
Dalit agenda after the reverses in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Announcing the decisions, the Chief Minister admitted at a press
conference here that the development schemes in the Ambedkar villages
were not to her liking. So some qualitative changes were needed.
Ms. Mayawati said in the first phase this year, “pucca” roads would
be laid in 2,000 Ambedkar villages and the beginning in this direction
would be made from Dalit bastis. About Rs.800 crore would be spent on
this scheme.
The Dalit localities in these villages would also benefit from Ambedkar community centres to be built at a cost of Rs.260 crore.
The Chief Minister said members of “sarv samaj” would be allowed to
hold social gatherings in community centres. For lighting up the Dalit
bastis in the Ambedkar villages, 16 solar sodium lamps would be
installed in the first phase. Localities of other sections of the
society would be taken up in the remaining phases.
Ms. Mayawati said 1,884 Ambedkar villages were identified in 2007-08
and 3,657 in 2009 for building “pucca” roads and other development
projects. She said during her past three stints as Chief Minister,
3,834 Ambedkar villages were identified for development in 1995-96.
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Bill Podlich |
Buddha Statue in Bamiyan
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Bill Podlich |
Foot of the Statue
The work for the reconstruction of one of the two giant Buddhas,
destroyed in Taliban regime, has begun in Afghanistan’s central Bamiyan
province, Director of Cultural Department of the province Najibullah
Ahrar said on Thursday.
“After about one year’s feasibility studies, the work for the
restructuring of smaller Buddha formally commenced with the support of
Agha Khan Foundation on Tuesday,” he told Xinhua.
Ahrar added that a German company was carrying out the reconstruction process.
Taliban fanatic militants had dynamited the world’s cultural
heritage, the 53-metre and 35-metre giant Buddhas, in March 2001.
Rebuilding both the statues requires $100 million.
— Xinhua
Mayawati unveils memorials, statues before schedule
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Thursday night surprised many andunveiled as many as 15 projects, including memorials and statues eight
days before the schedule.
“To malign my image, my opponents have launched a vicious campaign
against me. They accuse me of misusing public money for constructing
parks, museums, and memorials dedicated to SC/STs,” said Mayawati.
“It (the charge) is totally baseless. I am not misusing funds,” the Bahujan Samaja Party (BSP) chief said.
One of the statues unveiled is her own, and she clarified: “It’s
because of the wish of (BSP founder) late Kanshi Ram who had desired
that a statue of his political successor should be installed beside
his.”
Majority of the projects inaugurated are part of the multi-crore
Ambedkar Sthal in Gomti Nagar and the Kanshi Ram memorial in New Delhi.
Delhi reels under power, water shortage
New Delhi, June 25, Frequent and long power cuts and water shortage,
combined with the escalating mercury levels, left the capital’s
residents praying for respite Thursday while Delhi Chief Minister
Sheila Dikshit warned of tough times ahead.
While the temperature rose to a merciless 42.2 degrees Celsius
Thursday, many parts of the city reeled in darkness thanks to long and
frequent power cuts.
Seeing the heat wave conditions, the Delhi government Thursday extended the summer vacations of schools by one week.
“A heat wave condition prevails in Delhi and we have decided to
extend the summer vacation for a week. We have issued orders to
government and private schools to now open on July 8,” Delhi
government’s Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely told reporters.
The decision will provide relief to nearly 2 million school-going children in the city.
According to a Delhi Transco Limited official, the city Thursday
faced a gap of 378 MW of power between availability and demand due to
prolonged heat wave and above normal day-time maximum temperature.
The maximum demand for power rose to 3,967 MW.
“Some of the power stations in the northern region have been having
electricity problems, thus leading to the power shortage here,” the
official said.
Rajesh Gulati, a hassled bridegroom, and his family sat huffing and
puffing without water and electricity on the wedding day in west Delhi
Thursday.
“Yesterday, there was no water and even today the situation is the
same. On top of that there is no power too. Who would feel like
celebrating, especially in this heat? My in-laws, worried about the
situation, have gifted me a generator!” Gulati said.
Agitated people protested in various parts of the capital and even vandalised public property.
Chief Minister Dikshit has called for an all-party meeting on power situation Monday and water shortage Tuesday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members for the second consecutive
day Thursday walked out of the state assembly, protesting water and
power shortage. The assembly budget session is being held at present.
“The situation is very grim and we are not able to meet demand. Nothing is hidden from you,” Dikshit told the assembly.
She, however, warned Delhiites of possible water and power shortage in coming days following delay in monsoon.
“We are asking people to conserve water and power. I am warning
everybody of tough days ahead if it doesn’t rain in coming days,”
Dikshit told reporters.
taking name of Shahu Maharaj, Babasahab , Phule etc. but practically
not doing anything. And when such Bill was passing MLA of Dalit
Parties not raised voice against the same.
given/provided Land for “SMARAK” ( Statue of our great leaders ) which
then become a property of Govt. itself & we feel great towards
govt. So think over it & be ready for making of an opinion that
“without substantial change in the system practically ” these govt. are
not ours. Fight for & create option to the Substantial change.
“Buddhist Education Society” at pune with upto 100 members. Be a member
of it with open eyes & not just bcoz u r follower of Babasahab. We
need open eyed leaders/followers & not blind followers/leaders.
Dear All,
Avoid accepting Rs. 1000/- note of series 2 AQ and 8 AC .
copy of this circular from RBI is also enclosed.
Please cascade to A/c officers too.
RegardsAdv.Kavita Nirmala Waman
Congratulating 10th-12th passed students
best wishes to all the graduating children for a bright future.
Are you by any chance related to Mr R.S.Gavai, the Governor of my home
State of Kerala?
On Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 8:23 AM, PrÅshåÑt <a1prashant@yahoo. com> wrote:
Dear Mr. Lakshman,
Jaibheem!
Thank you for your reply!
If you are located in Pune, I can send someone to collect it or I myself can come to you - so that we can even meet and talk.
Or if you are not from Pune, you could send me the cheque on my office address:
———— -
Prashant Gawai
Lead Engineer Product Development
Phone: 
+91.20.3056 6654
Cell: +91.9922464578
prashant.gawai@ symphonysv. com
Symphony Services,
Amar Apex, 5rd Floor,
Baner Road, Baner,
Pune - 411 045, India.
———— -
I am not sure if sending it via post/mail would be safe or not. If you are sure that shouldn’t be the problem.
I shall give the amount to event-manager after I get it and shall keep you posted on the event details.
However, if possible please try to make it for the event.
Thanks in advance!
SAKYA FOUNDATION GENERAL ASSEMBLY
ON JULY 5, 2009 SUNDAY
IN CHENNAI
(at Buddha Vihar, Mahabodhi Society, Egmore)
AGENDA :
- Action Plan for three years 2009 - 2012 (i.e. Dhamma Workshops in all districts of Tamil Nadu).
- Sakya News Letter.
- Responsibilities for new Committee.
- Approval of Budget.
- Fund Raising.
- Any other matters.
ALL ARE CORDIALLY INVITED
For details,
Please Call any of the SAKYA DHAMMA SEVAKAS (SDS) at:
+91 9324067233, +91…, +91 9380060090, +91…, +91 9751882421, +91 9382898018, + 91 9443699368, +91 9365886535, +91 9283302172, +91 971008941, +91 9871801943, +91 9443354638
A Conference of African Americans and SC/STs: Understanding, learning and working together
Jai Bhim!!
A conference of African Americans and Dalits: Understanding, learning
and working together is scheduled on July 3-4, 2009 at Nagaloka,
Nagpur.
The detailed schedule is given below:
For further details contact on 98234 60581
All are welcome to this conference. If you need a place to stay in
Nagpur, please write me back. It can be made available on cheaper
rates.
With much metta,
Mangesh
3rd July 2009
10.00: inauguration
10:30-11.30: Keynote addresses on : Black movement and SC/ST movement
in present day context
11: 30-11.45: Tea break
11.45-1.00: Group discussions cross groups
1.00-3.00: Lunch and rest
3.00-4.00: Learnings from each other: What we can learn from each
other? Presentations from both sides
4.00-4.30: Tea break
4.30-5.30: Discussions in groups
Evening: Cultural Program
4th July 2009
10.00-11.30: Identifying areas of working together
11.30-11.45: tea break
11.45-1.00: discussions
1.00-3.00: lunch and rest
3.00-4.00: A minimum program for future
Tea Break
And discussion on the basic proposal evolving out of the discussions
Participants from US: Tiffany Gardner, 6 interns of the One World Foundation
–
http://mangesh. dahiwale. googlepages. com/
“Cultivation of mind should be the ultimate aim of human existence.”
-Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities,
but in the expert’s there are few”
-Shunryu Suzuki in ‘Zen Mind, Beginner’s mind’
One’s self I sing, a simple separate person,
Yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-Masse.
Of physiology from top to toe I sing,
Not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is worthy for the Muse, I say
the Form complete is worthier far,
The Female equally with the Male I sing.
Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power,
Cheerful, for freest action form’d under the laws divine,
The Modern Man I sing.
-Walt Whitman
VR1
MEDIA
FREE ONLINE TRAINING ON PRECEPTS AND TRADE-25
How Paaliyan / Palayan became Paariyan or Parayan????The original language of present day Parayas or Pallas was Pali. They
were also called as Paliyan. The word changes over a period of time and
the name Paliyan became Parayan. In Tamil literature we find
interchange use of L for R and R for L. This shows the linguistic root
of present day Parayas and Pallas of so called Tamil Nadu.
Pali is another name for Sakya Nirutiya. Sakya Nirutiya is called Pali,
because it protected the words of Buddha (Dhamma). Pali means
protection. The Sakyans were called Paliyans or Pallas because they
were the protectors.
In the ancient days, there was no word Baudh. Baudh is a corrupted word
for Buddha. The Buddha Gaya is now known as Baudh Gaya. Baudh is a
Sanskrit word. In the entire Pali literature we do not find the word
Baudh. Rather the followers of Buddhas were called Sakyas. All ancient
inscription you find the word SAKYA……
In one of his discourse Buddha says, “All people when they follow
Dhamma give up their other identities and become SAKYAS as the
different rivers give up their identities like Ganga and Yamuna and
join in the great Ocean”.
Sakya is the identity of original Buddhist. They were Buddhists much
before Siddharth Gotama was born. At the age of five Siddhartha went to
a Sakya Vihara and worshiped a Buddha. Before the great renunciation he
saw a Sakya (Buddhist) Monk. This proves the long history of Sakya
Samana and their Buddhist tradition.
Sakyans are not converted and certified neo Buddhists. They are
original and ancient Buddhists. Those who believe that they are
converted Buddhists may break the Sila and just worship Buddha for name
sake. But those who realize their ancient path follw Dhamma seriously
and develop gratitude to Buddha and other Sakyans who spread the
message of SAKYA MUNI.
May all the Sakyans realize their original history and tradition.
May they all follow the Dhamma, the UNIVERSAL TRUTH……
Metta
Sakya
Uttar Pradesh have adopted Buddhism. Please read the news pasted below
and attached with this mail. You are also requested to circulate this
news in your circle/network. Please give it a wide publicity.
have adopted Buddhism in a big way. The people, who have embraced
Buddhism without much ado, are now making a difference to the lives of
others.
people have given up non-vegetarian food and liquor and extravaganza in
functions like weddings and funerals are being cast away.
strains of Buddham Sharnam Gachchami — a prayer that is collectively
recited every day by the people in each of these 50 villages.
Buddhism about a decade ago and he started inspiring others to follow
suit. Gradually, more and more people — particularly those belonging to
dalit communities — started entering into the Buddhist fold and, today,
nearly 50 villages in the district have a dominant Buddhist
population,” says Ram Rathi, a dalit who joined the Buddhist fold two
years ago.
way of life and rise above man-made divisions. I am a dalit but my
daughter was married into a Yadav family, two months ago. Both the
families have taken to Buddhism and it was this that made this
possible,” he informs. Some of the villages where Buddhism is slowly
becoming a way of life include, Madhonagar, Sarai Gopal, Nagla Bari,
Deenpur, Atiya, Barapur, Hayatnagar, Salempur, Gursahayganj, Saraiyya,
Majhpurwa, Talgram and Atrauli.
social atmosphere in these villages has improved and the crime rate has
gone down as Buddhism has grown.
domestic and social violence has recorded a decline. Buddhism
emphasises non-violence and this has led to a downfall in the crime
rate. Majority of the people who have entered the Buddhist fold say
that they are more at peace with themselves and their families,” he
explains.
Saroj, a young housewife, says that ever since her
family embraced Buddhism and her husband, a daily wage worker, stopped
taking liquor, life has been much more congenial. “My husband no longer
beats me and we are happier,” she says gleefully.
Dear Dr Umakant,
fifty villages closes down due to lack of business in the wake of
Buddhist influence. If more and more intercaste marriage takes place,
that also would be great news. I hope such news would be forthcoming.
visit these fifty villages with his digital camera and make an
inspiring story of Kannauj district in U.P. going the Buddhist way.
Email: pplakshman08@ gmail.com
917-664-6566
Umakant <uk4in@yahoo. co.in> wrote:
[Attachment(s) from Umakant included below]
Addressing a meeting of parliament members and legislators of her
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) here Saturday, Mayawati reportedly called the
Father of the Nation a “natakbaaz” (fake).
She also distributed pamphlets condemning both Mahatma Gandhi and
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi for being allegedly insincere
about the improvement in the SC/STs’ socio-economic status.
karo diwas’ on the same day to counter the Congress’ efforts to woo
the SC/STs. Ms Mayawati had even gone to the extent of accusing
Mahatma Gandhi of doing ‘natak’ for the SC/STs.
birthday of Mr Rahul Gandhi, Rajveer Singh, said on the day all
Congress workers would take an oath to wipe out the Bahujan Samaj,
which they are already doing for the last 61 years instead of wiping out their tears.
This Drama was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi which is now handed over to Rahul Gandhi.
By next election it is the congress which is going to be wiped out while attempting to wipe out the Bahujan Samaj.
CDs on Varun Gandhi hate speeches have his voice: official
LUCKNOW - The Chandigarh-based Forensic Science Laboratory has
confirmed that the three CDs with recordings from Varun Gandhi’s
alleged hate speeches are in his voice, an Uttar Pradesh police
official has said.
However, criminal charges against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s
Pilibhit MP are yet to be substantiated because he had reportedly
refused to give his voice sample to investigating authorities in
Pilibhit, a top state police official told IANS.
“We have received the report of the CFSL and it confirms that it is
Varun’s voice. We have approached the home department of the state to
file a chargesheet,” Superintendent of Police Pilibhit Prakash D. told
IANS.
Three criminal cases are registered against Varun Gandhi for the
hate speeches he delivered during his election campaign in Pilibhit
parliamentary constituency in March in the run-up to the Lok Sabha
elections.
Confirming that the FSL had submitted its report, another official
told IANS here: “We had sent three recordings of Varun Gandhi’s
speeches to the Chandigarh-based Forensic Science Laboratory. It is
only a matter of formality to match his voice sample with that in the
recordings.”
“There were video recordings of the speeches too,” he said, claiming
that Varun Gandhi had refused to give his voice sample everytime he was
approached by an investigating officer.
The official refuted media reports that the CDs had also been sent
to a forensic laboratory in Hyderabad. “We had sent the voice
recordings for test only to Chandigarh. I do not know how some TV
channels have been talking about the involvement of the Hyderabad
forensic lab,” he wondered.
According to the Pilibhit police, three criminal cases were
registered against Varun. While the first one, relating to the
anti-Muslim speech he delivered at a public rally in Barkhera village
of Pilibhit district on March 8, was registered on March 17, the second
case was registered over the same incident at the behest of the
Election Commission which took serious cognisance of that speech.
Another reported hate speech delivered by Varun Gandhi at Desh Nagar
locality of Pilibhit town on March 7 was registered on March 19. Three
evidence exhibits sent to the forensic lab for analysis included a
compact disk, a mini video cassette that was recorded at Barkhera and a
microchip, which contained a voice recording from Desh Nagar.
Besides the FSL report, the state police also have an array of
evidence, like affidavits and recorded statements of 20 people. A total
of six FIRs have been filed in Pilibhit against Varun Gandhi, who is
currently out on bail.
SC/ST folk fusion music
Found this interesting article from this artist from Keralam, who isdoing a series of writing on his music in this site.
The song in the site is a remix of an old SC/ST folk song.
http://thefishpond. in/2009/06/ jukebox-diaries- 1/
Aggressive Appropriation: History of Buddhism in Kerala
Yasser Arafath,UoH, Department of History
References
of Buddhism in south India have been plenty and convincing to the
students of history. South India emerged as a land of Buddhist shrines
and saints and could almost rival the sanctity the holy land of
Buddhism in North India . Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Husuan –Tsang
mentions the flourishing Buddhist centers in south India in seventh
century. Apart from Andhra Pradesh, both Tamil Nadu and Kerala had very
strong presence of Buddhism in the initial stages of its beginning.[1] Places like Kanchipuram, Nagapattanam, Kodungallore, Alappuzha and many in south India still do bear
the testimony of the flourishing Buddhism for many centuries. Even
though the architectural and artistic relics of Buddhism vanished from
most of the places in South India gradually, the plentiful references
in the literature give us ample scope for the study.
Buddhism had developed the trend of south ward movement since the time of Asoka. The references to the Keralaputra in his Major Rock Edict 2nd shows that spread of Buddhist teaching was a quiet and strong possibility from the time of Asoka himself.[2] During
the course of time Buddhists spread across the state and the facts are
substantiated by the discoveries of large number of Buddhist sacred
objects from the coastal districts of Alappuzha, Kollam and Lakshadweep
. These objects included Budddha idols and statues which shows the
influence of the Mahayana sects in these areas. From Kavaratti (
Lakshadweep ) reported a large statue of the Buddha. Karumadikkuttan at
Ambalapuzha convinces us that a strong practicing Buddhist communities
who had the support of royalty and rich classes. Historians argue that
Kuramba Bhagawathy temple at Kodungallur was a Jainist or most probably
a Buddhist shrine or Vihara till at least 12th century.[3]
First
references to Kerala in written history can be seen in the book of
Megasthenese, the Greek ambassador in the court of Mauryas. Asoka who
succeeded Bindusara, also refers Kerala (Kerala putra) in his
Major Rock Edicts. These edicts give ample evidences about the relation
of Kerala with the Mauryan Empire directly or indirectly. This relation
was strengthened by the continuous inflow of the buddhist monks in to
Kerala and they practiced and propagated Buddhism almost all part of
the region. Many munimadas or “monk’s caves” discovered in
different parts of Malabar show us the settled and practicing Buddhist
monks across the coast of Kerala . Irattamada or “Double caves”
have been reported from Katakambal, (Trissur), Chatanparampu ( Calicut
) with precious stones in it. Prof.L.A. Krishnan Nair analyses it as
the places of Buddhist Nirvana.[4]
Many
ancient and medieval temples in Kerala especially in Malabar region
show the physical presence of Buddhism all over the region. The Vadakkunnatha
temple of Thrissur bears the testimonial to this fact. The
architectural style and some existing ritual elements show that it
actually belonged to the medieval Buddhism. Shiva Temple at Madavurpara
at Kazhakkoottam near Thiruvananthapuram and Karimadikkuttan show amble
evidences of the practicing Buddhist communities in the region.
Karumadikuttan is a statue of the Budhha in a sitting position engraved
on a black granite stone. Kollam
on the western cost of Kerala is considered to be the citadel of
medieval Buddhism. It had a long flourished history of Buddhism under
the glorious patronage of Cheras.[5] Wide
spread presence of the circular temples in Kerala is considered to be
one of the significant evidences shows the large practicing Monks and Upasakas in the urban centers in the region. Jadunath
Sarkar traces the Buddhist origin of the circular pattern of the
temples. He substantiates this fact by showing that the Southern Kerala
where Buddhism was a strong force shows comparatively large number of
circular temples. Some scholars have a different view point which regards the circular temples with a garbhagriha surrounded by one or two rows of columns bear some similarity to the circular
Buddhist temples of Sri Lanka , known as Vatadaga[6]. This tradition goes to the strong presence of Ezhavas (lower caste Hindu) who considered to be originally from Sri
Lanka and might have popularized this type of architecture which in course of time got mingled with the Brahminical tradition.
Buddhist
sites in north India and Kerala have some striking similarities. Almost
most of the areas are either trading centers by themselves or situating
near by once flourished urban centers. It is true that all the
religions in the world emerged in the urban centers with a cosmopolitan
population and it is very evident in the case of Buddhism. Buddhist
centers in south India such as Amaravati, Jaggeyeppeta, Nagapattinam,
Kancheepuram, Kodunagallore and Trissur and so on had long history of
trade and commerce. It can be said that buddhism flourished mainly in
the regions where lot of mobility occurred due to heavy exchanges of
people and goods. It flourished in capital cities, main urban centers
of kingdoms/republics, among occupation groups and on trade routes.
Buddhism in Kerala also emerged along with the unmistakable growth of
urban bases in the region.[7] Local kings and queens, ministers, craftsmen of various professions, merchants and guilds contributed immensely[8]
in Kerala too like elsewhere in India . Buddhism was associated with
booming commercial activities and trade relations on the coastal areas
of Kerala.
Buddhist
sermon of equality and social justice enticed lower caste population in
to the folder of its philosophy. It was when an aggressive caste
hierarchy was norm in many part of Kerala and untouchably and
un-seebility observed.[9] Buddha’s rejection of sacrificial religion of Brahmin varna
, advocacy against the social injustice and prohibitory religious
sanctions were very appealing. People in Kerala were happy with
rejection of divine origin of the social hierarchy. It was coupled with
military and mercantile activities which called for strong rational
thinking and behavior associated more with the Buddhist philosophy.[10]
Buddhism as a social code for conduct and life had a very strong stake in molding the socio-cultural space of Kerala.[11]
Buddhism emerged as a significant social mobilizer and questioned the
existing social hierarchies based on religious dogmas. First two
centuries of AD witnessed flourishing episode of the Buddhism in whole
south India which had gradually percolated in to the interior part of
Kerala and many these areas still have the remnants of the Buddhist vihara/chaityas. Places where Buddhism set the foot strongly are called as pallis. The traditional schools or pallikkodams were actually the contribution of Buddhism and teachers were generally called as asan, a word derived from pali. This pallis
became the hub of activities denouncing sacrificial Vedic religion of
the time. This was a time when a total transformation taking place in
the socio-economic sphere: complete transformation from pastoral
economy in to an agrarian economy. Peasentisation of the economy had
caused the emergence of many communities who could have had upward
social mobility with the new code of conduct. As in the case of Magadha
, Buddhism in Kerala also flourished among the new social forces.
Many
recorded history state the way Buddhism enjoyed the popular and royal
patronage in the cultural geography of Kerala. Paliyam copper plate of
the Aye king Varaguna (885-925AD) shows that Buddhists followers in the
Malabar enjoyed royal patronage till late 10th century. But later onwards this patronage has been disappeared and so
was the presence of the buddhism as in the case of Buddhism in eastern
India . Patronage to Vaishanavism by the Vaisnavite Kulashekara dynasty
facilitated a faster destruction process. Lower caste Hindus like the Ezhavas
(from Ezham, Tamil term for Sri Lanka), got absorbed as a result of
aggressive assimilation process taking place at that time to the
mainstream Hindu fold.
The
disappearance of the Buddhism as cultural force from the map of Kerala
culminated with the establishment of the caste/communities
solidification in the region. Assertion of the different castes like Nambuthiris (Brahmin) and Nairs
(upper Sudra) in the socio-political hierarchy and their close
association with the local power centers after the collapse of
Kulashekhara empire in 12th century AD was a major set back
to the practicing Buddhist believers. Fragmentation of the political
authority had led to the total loss of royal patronage for
Buddhist/Jainist sects. Adversary attitude of the afore mentioned
communities facilitated the revival of the varna based social system with a stronger
vigor. This forced them to have a revived Hinduism which was undergoing
all time low everywhere in India at the time. Sri Sankara. Who was born
in Kerala in 8th century contributed strongest ideological
background for this trend. His teaching facilitated to have a new
vitality in the revivalist Hinduism. It was reinforced with the
resurgence in the form of vaishnavism and shivism later
on. In later centuries Buddhism sometimes tolerated by local courts but
seldom supported by royal patronage gradually lost their hold on masses
and finally became extinct.[12]
The disappearance of the Buddhism had a faster phase after the emergence of Bhakti
movement which attracted the down trodden in the hierarchical society.
Already lost its royal patronage, buddhism could not withstand the
ideological and physical assault from the powerful Nambuthiri-Samantha Kshatriya-Nair
social dominance. This shift in the religious functioning disseminated
the seed of weakness in the cultural presence of buddhism which by then
lost all kind of patronage. Dominant social forces later on executed
violent methods to drive away the remaining cultural space of heterodox
sects. By persuasion and appropriation, strong rooted values and
symbols of Buddhism could not be wiped out hence they used the real
physical force with the help of lower caste groups. Buddhist upasakas
and monks, scattered in many urban areas could not defend them
physically as they never accustomed to that form of self defense.
The
element of violent persecution of the Buddhist in Kerala can be
corroborated by reconstructing some of the rituals in the existing
temples. Best example can be taken from the violent and abusive ritual at Kodungallor temple known as bharani where devotees sing and dance in an extremely abusive condition. The very image of the badrakali, local Sakti form, has eight arms in one of which she holds the head of the defeated demon darukan.
Cocks are preferred as the sacrificial animal in order to appease the
goddess. Until 1954 thousands of cocks lost their head for the blood
thirsty incarnation of Sakti. Interestingly all the caste and
communities; lower and upper, have ritual roles to play in this
festival unlike in other temples in Kerala.[13]
This particular festival atmosphere becomes a stinking cultural cacophony where no was spared from the abuse and verbal front.[14]
This festival is considered to be extremely violent and sexist and
invited the wrath of many political and social organizations. In all
probability this festival commemorates with sadistic pleasure the
violent inquisition and persecution done on buddhist laymen and monks
in the declining stage of their religion. Abusive languages and violent
action of cock sacrifices was meant to chase away the nuns in the
shrine at Kodungallor. Dominant caste forces used the low caste people
who were at their service most of the time as slaves to chase away the
‘polluting’ heterogeneous and heterodox monks and nuns from the
premises of the Kodungallore temple.[15]
They had in all possibility used extreme use of violence which can be
reconstructed from the very name “Kodungallore” which can be divided as
kodum-kola-cheytha- uru which means a “place of brutal homicide”.
Kodungallore
represents one of the many violent persecutions Buddhist faced in
entire south India in early medieval times. The history of persecution
of Buddhists ofcourse has had very long history. History shows us many
organized persecutions of Buddhists under Pushyamitra Shunga who
destroyed Maurya dynasty and later carried out by the iconoclast
Mihirakula, who was a devout worshiper of Shiva.[16] Depictions of the brutal assault on the Jainists can be seen on the Suparna Pushkarani mandapa of Madurai Minakshi temple.[17]
In general, in Kerala too, over a period of time all institutions
related with buddhism had been forcefully appropriated by the resurgent
Hinduism. Acquired new strength in the socio-politico life of Kerala by
dominant castes facilitated the total destruction of a great
civilizational process in the region.
[1] Jan Fontein, “A Buddhist Altar Piece from South India”, Museum of Fine Arts Bulletin, Vol,78, 1980
[2] D.N. Jha, Ancient India : In Historical Outline, Manohar, New Delhi , 2001
[3] V.T.Induhudan, The Secret Chamber, The Cochin Dewaswom Board, Trichur, 1969,
[4]L.A. Krishnan Nair ,Kerala and Her people, p.23
[5]
Jayaprakash, paper on “Our Buddhist History and Tradition'’ at a
history seminar organized by Sri Buddha Central School , Quillion, 13th
may,2006
[6] Shivaji Panikkar, “Temple Tradition in Kerala”, in Essays on The Cultural Formation of Kerala, P.J.Cherian (ed), KCHR, Trivandram,
[7] Chakrabarthi, The Archaeology of Ancient Indian Cities , OUP, Delhi , 1994
[8] Dilip K Chakrabarthi, “Buddhist Sites Across South Asia , As Influenced by Political and Economic Factors”, World Archaeology, Vol.27, No, 2, Buddhist Archaeology, Oct, 1995
[9] Sreedhara Menon, , Social and Cultural History of Kerala, Sterling Publishers, Trivandrum ,1979
[10] Francois Houtart, “Buddhism and Politics in South East Asia ”: Part-1, Social Scientist, Vol. 5, No.3, Oct, 1976
[11] M.G.S.Narayanan, Cultural Symbiosis, Kerala Historical Society, Trivandram, 1972
[12] Jan Fontein, 1980
[13] Inducudan, 1969
[14] M.J.Gentes, “Scandalizing the Goddess at Kodungallore”, Asian Folklore Studies, Vol.51, No.2, 1992
[15] Induchudan,1969, 39
[16] D.N.Jha, 2001
[17] M.S. Ramaswami Ayyakar, Studies in South Indian Jainism,
The sad demise of Ven Dhammakirti
of Ven. Dhammakirti’s sudden demise. Ananand Buddha Vihar in
Secunderabad with which he is associated is one of the greatest
Buddhist centres of learning, publishing the well-known Buddhist
quarterly, Suhrulekha. Ven. Vinayarakkhita, a resident monk there, is
the Vice President of our Meditation Society in Wayanad, Kerala.
in educating more and more people about the teachings of the Buddha.
What a great loss! I wish to convey my heartfelt condolences to all
those who were close to him in Secunderabad and Mysore.
June 21, ‘09
Congress, BJP ganged up to stop me from becoming PM: Mayawati
Lucknow, June 19 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Fridayaccused the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other
political parties of conspiring to prevent her from becoming the prime
minister.
“It was amply evident that the Congress, BJP and SP (Samajwadi Party)
ganged up to prevent my rise to the prime minister’s chair, simply
because they could not digest the idea of a Dalit occupying the highest
office,” Mayawati, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo, told a public
rally here.
She said this “anti-SC/ST” approach of these parties was a glaring example of “rabid caste politics”.
Threatened by the revival of the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh,
Mayawati also reiterated her commitment to ’social engineering’ and
accused the opposition of conspiring to break this campaign.
She said she was not prepared to give up her campaign after her party’s poor performance in the April-May Lok Sabha elections.
“I am aware that the opposition parties have been conspiring to
break the social engineering campaign undertaken by us. But let me tell
you that no matter what they do, they would not be able to deter me
from pursuing my ultimate mission,” Mayawati told the gathering.
A large part of her hour-long address was aimed at accusing the
opposition in general, and the Congress in particular, of attempting to
break the “bhaichara” (social harmony) that the BSP has been trying to
promote as part of its effort to break caste barriers and bring upper
caste Hindus and Muslims together with SC/STs on the party platform.
Before the Lok Sabha polls, Mayawati projected herself as the prime
ministerial candidate of the Third Front but now she admitted that
would take time. She said: “It does not matter to me how many more
years it will take to achieve my ultimate goal.”
Mayawati argued that the BSP’s vote share in the state “was still way ahead of all other political rivals.”
She was scheduled to address such rallies in three cities - Lucknow,
Ghaziabad in western Uttar Pradesh, and Azamgarh in eastern Uttar
Pradesh, but she chose to cancel her trip to Azamgarh.
Mayawati declared Friday’s rallies as the beginning of a nationwide
campaign to condemn the “casteist” approach of all other parties.
Madurai, June 20: A Madras HC-appointed inquiry commission has held
that police committed excesses against Dalits, including women, by
subjecting them to illegal detention and physical assault following a
caste clash in a village near here in October last.
“There was infringement of fundamental rights, mental agony was caused
and we could observe a sense of insecurity in the minds of the victims
of Uthapuram village,” the two-member commission, comprising retired
district judge S Tirupathy and sub-judge K Venkatasamy, said in its
report.
It recommended a compensation of Rs 15.20 lakh to 193 victims.
Though the commission had submitted its report on April 15, the
division bench of the Madras High Court in Madurai comprising Justice
V Ramasubramanian and Justice D Hariparanthaman perused it only
yesterday after the summer vacation.
The court had on January 22 ordered the setting up of the commission
following a public interest litigation, filed by All India Democratic
Women’s Association.
The association had alleged that Dalits were beaten up on October 2, a
day after a clash between them and upper caste Hindus over painting of
the walls of a local temple.
The commission said the victims suffered physical injuries and
underwent mental agony. Household goods were also damaged.
Five women suffered abortion and one died immediately after delivery.
Two others sustained injuries in their genital parts and 26 women were
attacked along with their children. Of the victims, 43 were in the age
group of 50-70, it said.
The bench posted the case to June 29 for further hearing.
Bureau Report
Mayawati keen to speed up development projects
Lucknow, June 18 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has decided to speed up development projects
in her state in order to win back the electorate, official sources
said.
To accelerate implementation of infrastructure projects and to keep
track of their progress, the chief minister has set up an eight-member
Infrastructure Monitoring Committee, headed by the chief secretary.
The other members of the panel include principal secretaries of
different departments and the infrastructure and industrial
development commissioner (IIDC). It is to meet monthly to review
implementation of projects and find out ways to overcome bottlenecks.
The Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department will monitor
the progress of the various works, the source said.
The state government has identified various projects in different
sectors where it wants to speed up implementation, like the Metro
rail, overbridges, roads, aviation, power, transport, health,
education, tourism and urban rejuvenation.
— IANS
On Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 10:29 AM, Ritesh Manwatkar <rtyu_mnwt@yahoo. com> wrote:
Dear All,
Last week I had opportunity to visit
villages in Karnataka near Sakleshpur (230 Kms of Bangalore). The
specialty is of this place is that it has around 20 villages and 2-3
villages have 100% Buddhist population. Some other villages have around
50% Buddhist population.
Most people have been to Diksha Bhoomi at least once. The most
impressive part is that they are strong followers of Dr. Ambedkar and
practitioner of Buddhist way of life in day to day which is missing in
cities and educated among Buddhists.
This was arranged by Odanadi Seva Trust, Mysore (which work for
women issues) and Bhante Bodhidatta. There is a delegation of around 30
international women (from US, UK, Belgian, Ireland etc.) on cycling
expedition in parts of Karnataka for awareness on women issues. These
women stayed for whole day/night and had food in Buddhist village,
participated with people in the cultural program (songs in Kannada by
village people on Dr. Ambedkar and Buddha).
I was asked to update these women (comprising a hollywood star,
editor of canada news paper) about women status in india and
contribution to Women empowerment by Dr. Ambedkar.
Also we started educational program for village students in village.
With metta,
Ritesh Manwatkar
9845560816/99670650 83
Jobs Prabuddha Bharath
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Sakya Means Humanity.
May all beings be happy!
“I have never claimed to be a universal leader of suffering humanity.
The problem of the untouchables is quite enough for my slender
strength. I do not say that other causes are not equally noble. But
knowing that life is short, one can only serve one cause and I have
never aspired to do more than serve the Untouchables.” Bodhisatta
Babasaheb B.R.Ambedkar
“The basis of my politics lies in the proposition that the Untouchables
are not a sub-division or sub-section of Hindus, and that they are a
separate and distinct element in the national life of India.”
Bodhisatta Babasaheb B.R.Ambedkar
“My social philosophy may be said to be enshrined in three words:
liberty, equality and fraternity. My philosophy has roots in religion
and not in political science. I have derived them from the teachings of
my master, the Buddha.” Bodhisatta Babasaheb B.R.Ambedkar
Sakya Sangha
8/A, Thiyagarayapuram,
Thangal, Thiruvottiyur,
Chennai - 600 019.
Tamil Nadu, India
http://www.sakyasangha.org
MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY
Andhra Pradesh - Karimnagar
‘Book KCR under SC/ST Atrocities Act’
Staff Reporter
Effigy of TRS chief burnt
Attack on Ravindra Naik condemned
SC/ST leaders seek KCR’s apology
KARIMNAGAR: SC\ST district leaders set fire to an effigy of TRS
president K. Chandrasekhar Rao in Karimnagar on Monday in protest
against the attack on party senior leader Ravindra Naik by TRS
activists at Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad. SC\ST association leaders
led by Roop Singh and Ramchander Naik set fire to the effigy at
Sripada Rao statue in the town and raised slogans KCR and demanded an
unconditional apology for humiliating and attacking a tribal leader.
They alleged that the TRS president is using Telangana sentiment for
his selfish gains of attaining power and benefiting his family members
by making money.
‘Hidden agenda’
Reminding Mr. Rao’s statement of appointing a Dalit as Chief Minister
in separate Telangana state and providing reservations to tribals,
they asked whether insulting the Dalits and tribals was his hidden
agenda. They demanded the government to register case against Mr. Rao
under the SC\ST Atrocities Act.
UP govt announces sops for SC/STs
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh govtdecided to give 21 and two per cent quota for SCs and STs in contracts for
construction work worth up to Rs 5
corporations in the state.
Mayawati, who presided over a cabinet meeting earlier in the day,
said a similar arrangement is being implemented in other government departments
and the education sector.
She said the 21% reservation for the
Scheduled Castes and the 2% to Scheduled Tribes would be extended in
construction contracts worth up to Rs 5 lakh being carried out by working
divisions of various departments, corporations, enterprises, authorities and
parishads.
The chief minister, who has been working for development
of identified Ambedkar villages all over the state, further said her cabinet has
also decided to do away with the earlier practice of identifying new villages
every year.
The government would concentrate on maintenance and
upkeep of the 2,000 identified Ambedkar villages, she said.
“It has
been seen that despite taking up the development of the Ambedkar villages, their
maintenance and upkeep had not not been up to my expectations,” Mayawati said.
Emphasis would be given on SC/STs localities while constructing roads
and taking up other development activities, she said.
BSP to launch campaign against
casteism
Special Correspondent
Bahujan Samaj Party will launch a nationwide campaign on June 19 to caution the
people against what it calls the tactics employed by the Opposition parties,
especially the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, to undermine its
influence.
It will start in Uttar Pradesh, where public meetings will be held in all
district headquarters.
The decision was taken at a meeting of BSP office-bearers, coordinators,
MPs, MLAs and Ministers held here on Saturday. With Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister and party chief Mayawati in the chair, the meeting reviewed the BSP’s
performance in the Lok Sabha elections.
A note issued on the campaign points to the “joint role” played by the
Congress, the BJP and their allies — with their “casteist mentality” — in
preventing Ms. Mayawati from becoming the Prime Minister after the Lok Sabha
elections.
It also claims that the Congress and the BJP prevented the formation of a
BSP-led alternative government during the July 22, 2008 trust vote sought by
the UPA government after it lost the support of the Left parties over the
India-U.S. nuclear deal.
Vowing to end casteism, it says public meetings and cadre camps would be
organised all over the country for creating awareness of casteism.
A book in Hindi and English (penned by Ms. Mayawati) will also be released
Mayawati writes to PM to increase BPL quota for Uttar Pradesh
LUCKNOW - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has written a letter
to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh requesting him to increase Below
Poverty Line quota for her State.
Drawing the PM’s attention towards her previous letter sent to him
last October on increasing the BPL quota for the State, Mayawati said
that the issue of increasing the BPL quota had been pending since long
with the Central Government.
Mayawati, in her latest letter, has sought relief for a large number of poor families.
She has stated that surveys in Uttar Pradesh indicated that there
was a substantial variation between ground realities and numbers
assigned to the State by the Central Government.
The number of poor people was significantly higher in reality, and
there was an urgent need to include them in BPL list, Maywati stressed
in her letter.
Mayawati has said that the 2002 survey had provided for an
additional BPL quota of 10 per cent as a Transient Poor category.
However, the State could not get the benefit of this additional quota
of 10.6 lakh families, which could have partly mitigated the needs of
the State’s poor.
Mayawati has requested the Prime Minister to direct the new expert
committee set up by the Union Government to develop criteria and a
process of identifying poverty, to look into this critical issue, which
is likely to impact millions of urban migrants. (ANI)
Buddhist Teachings: Acquisition of Wealth and Maintaining
an Unperturbed Socio-spiritual Life
Bhikkhu
Nyanabodhi
nyanabodhi@gmail.com
It has been often incriminated that
Buddhism is more concerned about spirituality more than its concern about
worldly matters. Against this criticism, over the recent centuries scholars
have contributed greatly unearthing the social dimensions of Buddha’s teachings.
In this article, we shall look into some economic principles of the
Buddhadhamma by drawing some references from the Pāli canon.
The teaching of Gotama Buddha
as we know is centred upon the four noble truths (cattāri ariyasaccāni),
of which the first is dukkha (suffering or unsatisfactoriness). In
spite of the high spiritual application of the concept in other texts, in the
Dhammapada verse 203, Gotama Buddha addresses the issue of Suffering
in two fundamental aspects:
1. Hunger (jigacchā) – the primary source of human
suffering which needs to be coped with every day, and
2. Conditioned things (saṃkhāra) - the primary source suffering
to be realized as it is (yathābhūtaṃ) and overcome by the wise.
From this aforementioned primary
issues of suffering, we see Buddhism stresses liberation (vimutti)
from both these two aspect of anguish or vexation in the same urgent spirit.
Elsewhere we learn from the Buddha who says ‘all living beings are
dependent upon food’ – (sabbe sattā āharaṭṭhiṭikā) which generated his idea of the Middle
Path in the pursuit of a more conducive spiritual life.
In fact, the spiritual life of Gotama
Buddha itself had awakened him to the importance of leading a life of
moderation – the Middle Path. We see that ascetic Siddhattha’s attainment
of perfect Enlightenment (sammā sambodhi) was possible only after he
was disillusioned with the idea of ‘austere practices’ and resorted to ‘middle
way’. Thus, this noble discovery of the Middle Path of the Blessed One
motivated him to avert the extremity of self-indulgence (kāmesukhallikānuyogo)
and self-mortification (attakilamatānuyogo). The Middle path is to
maintain the moderation in attainment of both worldly and spiritual success.
The fact that poverty is woeful (dāliddiyaṃbhikkhave
dukkhaṃ lokasmiṃ) accentuates the importance of wealth in the life of a worldly person.
Therefore, the Buddha advocates rightful means in acquiring wealth. By
‘material wealth’ (dhana), Buddhism recognises the four fundamental
needs (catu paccaya): food (āhāra), cloths (vattha),
shelter (geha) and medicine (bhesajja) before one undertakes
the education (spiritual training) for the attainment of noble wealth (ariyadhana).
Of the four, food is distinguished as the foremost as ‘this body survives
depended upon food, without food it cannot survive’ – (ayaṃ
kāyo āharaṭṭhitiko āhāraṃ
paṭicca tiṭṭhati anāharo na tiṭṭhati).
Yet, it is a pathetic sight that
around the world millions of people are very poor . Many have died due to
hunger. Owing to the severity of hunger, some were compelled
even to feed on the flesh of other humans.
The Buddha evidently mentioned in the
Cakkavattisīhanāda Sutta of Dīgha-Nikāya that owing to the
imbalanced distribution of wealth, there arises poverty which in turn leads to
immorality and crimes such as thefts, falsehood, violences, hatred and cruelty
and so forth. The sutta emphasizes the state responsibility to judge
the divergent individual capacities of his citizens and distribute resources
accordingly. Thus, those with agricultural talents should be provided with
seeds and fields; those talented in business with capital; and those who can serve
in various government sectors with such opportunities. In this way, people
being busy with their duties will not develop harmful tendencies.
Besides relying on the economic
support from King, Gotama Buddha also educated his lay devotees on the righteous
means to gain wealth. The Exalted One elucidated how the righteous life
first leads to rebirth in this terrestrial world and eventually will lead
to a happy life in the next world (Dhammacāri sukhaṃ
seti asmiṃ loke paraṃ hi ca).
In the
Dīghajānu Sutta, when the Buddha was asked by householder Dīghajānu about the
way to get happiness in this life and the life after, the Exalted Master
expounded four factors conducive to attaining happiness in this life thus:
1. Diligent acquisition(uṭṭhānasampada)
2. Careful conservation(ārakkhasampada)
3. Having virtuous friends(kalyānamittatā)and
4. Living within your means(Samājīvikatā)
Buddhism
always emphasizes right livelihood striving righteously (dhammena)
and diligently (appamādena) to be successful in material, social, or
even spiritual gains. It is mentioned in the scriptures that like a bee
accumulating honey or an ant building its anthill, a person must exercise his
energy and effort to accumulate his wealth. There is a saying in Sanskrit
stressing the effort of a man in both earning wealth and practicing a religious
life. It says that in earning wealth and in education, one must not think of
decay or death. But in his everyday life, he should think that the death is
extremely near to him (ajarāmaravat prajño/vidyamarthaṃ
ca sādhayet/gŗhita iva kesesu/mŗtyunā dharmamācaret).
The way to earn wealth is precisely
explicated in the Aṅguttara Nikāya thus : “for a good person
wealth is or should be earned not by violent means, but by energetic striving,
amassed by strength of arm, won by sweat, and received with the righteous means”
– (Bhogā honti asāhasena uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatehi bhogehi
bāhābalaparicitehi sedāvakkhittehi dhammikehi dhammaladdhehi). The golden rule governing right
livelihood or Buddhist economics is thus : to do jobs that harm neither oneself
nor another person or other beings (morally or even materially). Thus, five
kinds of businesses are declared by Gotama Buddha as not righteous:
1. The trade of weapons (sattha vānijja)
2. The trade of poison (visa vānijja)
3. The trade of alcohol and dangerous drugs (majja vānijja)
4. The trade of flesh and (maṃsa vānijja)
5. The trade of people (satta vānijja).
This reminds
us of the social obligations that must be cogitated by manufacturers and tradespersons;
not only by seeking self centric ends but by truly serving the society.
According to Buddhism, cheating is an unskilful action that should be
abandoned. It has been often misapprehended that succeeding in business without
cheating is impossible. But one should also think that he himself does not like
to be cheated. There is a muscular saying of George Washington; ‘Honesty is the
best policy’ which is one of the five basic ethical principles (pañcasīla)
of Buddhism and which should attentively be applied in the business matters.
Buddhism also highlights the
careful observation and protection of wealth acquired by the individual with
his hard work. It recommends that a person should take a good care of his
wealth, not allowing it to be eroded away by unjust taxation, theft, natural
disaster or undeserving successors. Furthermore, when saving up one’s wealth,
one should not allow such doing to bring oneself into conflict with those
around him. The reason why Buddhism advises one to protect one’s wealth
is that in case of emergency such as repairing the consequences of fire,
flood, excess taxation, and so forth, he can make use of his wealth and
overcome the difficulties in life. Of course the best way to conserve one’s
wealth is by way of acquiring transcendental wealth or merit. In such a
form, it is beyond the touch of any evil force. Furthermore, it will be
appreciated with the passing of the years, thus saving in the form of transcendental
wealth is really the most skilful way of conserving one’s wealth.
Along with the economic activities or
even day to day life, an individual should also keep companionship with
virtuous friends having faith (saddhā), self-discipline (sīla),
self-sacrifice (cāga) and wisdom (paññā). The Buddha teaches
that worldly wealth may be exhausted in a moment, but the value of training
other people to be virtuous never knows an end. In many of the sutta-s
such as Maṅgala sutta, Sigālovāda sutta etc., the Buddha gave a detailed account
on how the behaviour of a friend should actually be. And he also advises
us to associate with the wise and virtuous friends and to avoid
associating with the unskilful and bad ones (asevanā ca bālānaṃ
panditānaṃ ca sevanā).
And finally, we are advised to
live within our means (samajīvikatā). One should live a life not being
a luxury-seeker and also not being too spendthrift either. There is a very
simple yet extremely significant statement which in a nutshell contains the
essential features of the Buddhist economics. The statement runs thus: – an
individual should divide his wealth in four portions, of these the first
portion will be used for his own expense, a half of the total wealth i.e. the
second and the third portions should be used in reinvestments. And the
best approach to the investment as mentioned in Buddhism is – development of
skills, training experience, fulfilling the basic needs of others and so on.
And with regard to the hospitality there is a mention of five bali-s
(offerings or treatments) namely;treating relatives[ñāti bali],
guests[atithi bali], the government[rāja bali], departed
relatives[peta bali], and samanas and brāhmanas [devatā
bali]. And the last portion should be kept for the future needs such as –
floods, calamities and drought and so on.
Thus, while one is practicing the
above mentioned four qualities, one develops four more spiritual qualities
namely saddhā (faith), sīla (morality or virtue), cāga
(generosity), and paññā (wisdom). Having these qualities developed,
one then obtains four kinds of happiness namely:
1. One becomes happy thinking that he acquires
his wealth in a righteous way (atthi sukha)
2. He becomes happy in using the wealth earned
in the blameless way (bhoga sukha)
3. He becomes happy being able to say ‘I
have no debts’ which is the bliss of debtlessness (anaṇa sukha), and
4. Finally, he enjoys the bliss of
blamelessness (anavajja
sukha).
The Buddha praised the fourth type of
happiness because this person does not do any unskilful action either through
his body or speech or mind. And hence he is freed from harming others in any
way; therefore he leads a blameless life.
The economic theory in Buddhism is
rather a holistic one. Buddhism begins primarily talking with individual
economy and then it goes on to social economy and then to state economy. With
the development of wealth, an individual is expected to be developed in the
dharma. He does everything for the benefit and wellbeing of the both oneself and
others as the Buddhist saying goes; “May all livings be well and happy” – (sabbe
sattā bhavantu sukhitattā). An individual trained in such a way is
related to the family; a family to a group, a group to a state or a nation; and
a state to other states. In such a state even the animals, birds, fish as well
as trees and plants are protected. Thus happiness prevails in such a country.
Therefore, Buddhism appreciates such
economic activities which do not exploit others; do not increase additional
wants depriving the basic needs; do not fall within the five areas of trade and
do not use material resources without maintaining the ecological balance.
Buddhism always stresses on right livelihood . Right livelihood
means that a man should not just accumulate wealth for the sake of
enjoying life, rather taking the economic activities as a mean to achieve
the end and which is to be known as the socio-spiritual life. In respect of
this way of livelihood, a modern economist, Glen Alexandrian, says that ethical
consideration should be given a prominent place in production and distribution
of wealth. Therefore, it should be said that Buddhism does not see any fault in
the wealth itself. Its emphasis is mostly the ethical acquisition and
usage of the wealth. It recommends that in the acquisition of wealth, one
must not exercise greed, stinginess, grasping, attachment, and hoarding. In
other words, the economic activities should not be done with competition or
contest, but with co-operation and zeal. In so doing one, would then be able to
lead an unperturbed socio-spiritual life.
Editor’s Note:
Most of the important early Buddhist
Economics promulgated by Gotama Buddha is incorporated in this essay. We can
learn Buddhadhamma as well as
Way
Earning and utility of economic wealth is a conditioned phenomenon.
Non-violation of Buddhist principle of Dependent Co-arising is the Principle.
The wisdom of Anattā integrates the phenomenon with the Principle harmoniously.
Live in Anattā and you are perfectly protected in any sphere of activity
including economic activities. To live in Anattā : Annihilate your
self-identity in the Totality of any collective work.
Individual and group responsibility in the elimination of poverty in a society as portrayed in Buddhist literature
“Dependant
origination” or “Causal Genesis” (paticca Samuppada) is the most
fundamental doctrine in the teachings of Gautama Buddha, the founder of
Buddhism. This doctrine is of such paramount importance in Buddhism
that it is sometimes equated with the Buddha’s teachings. In the
Mahahatthipadopama Sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya (Vol 1 p. 191) it is
said: “He who understands dependant origination, understands correctly
the teachings of the Buddha and he who thus understands the teachings
of the Buddha truly understands who the Buddha was. The whole edifice
of Buddhism is built up on this fundamental doctrine. Three current
theories were refuted by this doctrine of causal genesis, namely, the
theory of divine creation (issaranimmanavada) , the theory of
pre-destination (pubbekata hetuvada) and the theory of chance
occurrence (adhiccasamuppanna vada) (S.II, p. 18-20). So, when we apply
this fundamental doctrine of Buddhism to understand the problem of
poverty in a county, how it has come to be and how to can be
eliminated, Buddhism rejects the view that poverty is due to divine
creation or that it is pre-destined or that poverty occurs without
causes or conditions. Having rejected these three views, Buddhism
maintains that, like all other phenomena, poverty, too, has come into
being depending on causes and conditions. When we say that a thing has
come into being depending on causes and conditions, the logical
conclusion one can arrive at is that, with the changing or removal of
those causes and conditions, there will take place a change or
disappearance of that thing itself.
We
see that poverty of people in a country too, is thus dependant in
origination that means that it manifests itself when causes and
conditions that give rise to poverty are present, and hence with the
changing or removal of such causes and conditions, poverty, too, will
wither away. It is not a permanent feature that persists for all time.
An important discourse in the Digha Nikaya,,the Cakkavatti Sihanada Sutta of
the “Discourse of the lion’s Roar of a Universal Monarch (D. III.
58-79) very vividly describes how an ancient people declined in all
morals and ethical behaviour, due to neglect of duty on the part of the
ruler of that country and how that same people subsequently became law
abiding, duty conscious, disciplined, happy and content when the ruler
reorganized the entire state machinery in such a way that there were
plenty of employment opportunities for intellectual economic, spiritual
and physical development of the people. This is how the argument runs:
“Due to absence of employment opportunities, poverty became rampant.
When poverty became rampant, some people resorted to stealing in order
to live. When stealing became wide spread, wealth owners armed
themselves with weapons to protect themselves and their wealth from
thieves. The thieves, too, had to resort to weapons when wealth owners
armed themselves with weapons. This resulted in conflict and clashes,
ending in death or physical injury to many – to thieves as well as to
wealth owners. When the thieves were caught and were produced before
courts of law they uttered falsehood and offered bribes to escape
punishment. In this way the entire society became afflicted and
disorganized, and people had to live in constant fear and doubt. When
the situation deteriorated to a very low level the ministers sat in
council and advised the king to take suitable measures to rectify the
situation. On their advice the king implemented a crash programme to
provide people with employment opportunities. Now, those people who
earlier resorted to stealing and other forms of anti-social behaviour
began to engage themselves in many socially beneficent activities that
brought them good incomes; and thus the need to resort to stealing,
falsehood and other forms of corruption did nor arise and once again
peace, prosperity and goodwill prevailed in the country”.
A similar idea is expressed in another Buddhist discourse that occurs in the Digha Nikaya called the Kutadanta Sutta or
the “Discourse to Kutadanta” (D.I p.127). There it is said that an
ancient king wanted to perform a magnificent sacrificial ceremony to
avert peril form evil spirits. When he summoned his counselors to
discuss the programme, they unitedly expressed: “Your Majesty, the
country is already in a chaotic condition. Poverty is wide spread and
many people have resorted to stealing and committing other crimes,
because they have no other way of earning a living. Due to these things
the general moral standard has reached its lowest ebb. When the
situation is such, if the king decides to perform this great
sacrificial ceremony involving great expenditure and forced labour that
means more burdens will have to be laid on the already taxed and
tormented people. If that happens more and more people will resort to
stealing and committing many other crimes and the situation will go
from bad to worst. Your Majesty might think that by rounding up the
wrong-doers and by punishing them severely or by imprisoning them, it
might be possible to restore peace and harmony in the country, but it
will not happen, because, when some thieves are given capital
punishment or imprisonment, many others will take their place to
torment the country. What your Majesty should immediately do is to
pacify the people by providing them with suitable employment
opportunities so that they can earn an income to support themselves and
their families. “The king followed the advice of the counselors and
implemented a suitable pregramme to solve the unemployment problem of
the country and before long the conditions of the country changed for
the better and peace and harmony prevailed once again in the country.
Now,
all these episodes are meant to drive into our minds that human beings
are by nature almost the same at all times, then and now, but
prevailing environmental factors make them saints or scoundrels and
therefore, responsible human beings should Endeavour to change the
social environment in such a way that human beings living in such
environments can develop their potentialities in the right direction,
for the benefit of the individual and the community.
As far as the individual is concerned, Buddhism teaches that one is one’s own master (atta hi attano natho-kohi natho parosiya) (Dhp. V. 160). That means that one is to a great degree responsible for one’s own progress or degeneration. In the Pattakamma Vagga of the Anguttara Nikaya the
Buddha says that a man with vision and initiative can enjoy a fourfold
happiness throughout life. They are: happiness derived when one sees
that one has enough wealth and monetary resources (atthisukka), happiness derived when one sees that one’s wealth is properly and profitably utilized (bhogasukha), happiness derived when one knows that one is not in debt (ananasukha), and the happiness derived when one sees that one lives a blameless and useful life (anavajjasukha).
A person can experience the first kind of happiness if he has
energetically developed his potentialities form childhood to gather
knowledge, experience and various types of skills through which he is
able to earn and accumulate wealth, in a righteous manner, without
causing hardship or embarrassment or damage to others. A man who
manufactures and trades in weapons of destruction, a man who trades in
animals and flesh, a man who produces and sells harmful drugs, alcohol
and poison, a man produces pornographic literature, blue films and the
like, cannot enjoy this happiness, though he may have accumulated a
fortune from such things, because his conscience will keep on pricking
him all the time when he ponders over how he earned his wealth. The
second type of happiness is derived when one sees that one’s wealth is
property utilized. One should eat well, dress well and live in comfort
and safety. One should also provide for the needs and comforts of one’s
kith and kin treat friends and neighbors fairly and should also engage
in social welfare work. When one sees that one’s well gotten wealth is
properly utilized in this manner, one derives a happiness there from. A
person though rich, if he does not spend adequately for his own
comforts and needs, if he does not spend his wealth to make his kith
and kin comfortable and happy, if he does not treat his friends and
neighbours when the need for it arises, if he does not spend anything
for social welfare work, he cannot enjoy the second type of happiness
one derives from proper utilization of one’s wealth. The third type of
happiness is derived from non-indebtedness. Though one may earn much,
if he becomes a spend thrift and resorts to gambling, drinking and
debauchery, one’s wealth would vanish in no time and one would fall
into debt. Such a person cannot enjoy any peace of mind. He will be in
constant fear and sorrow. On the other hand, a man who earns well and
utilizes that money properly and sagaciously will never fall into debt.
Buddhism teaches how a person should plan his economics. One’s income
should be divided into four parts. One part should be used for personal
and family needs, such as food clothing and medicine, two parts should
be invested as financial investments in banks or to buy property, and
the fourth part should be set apart for emergencies. When
one plans one’s economy wisely in this manner, one will not fall into
debt, and thereby one derives happiness and peace of mind. The fourth
type of happiness is derived by one when one sees that one lives a
harmless and blame free life, a life that is positively beneficial to
oneself and many others. One who does not destroy or injure living
beings, one who does not steal, one who does not misbehave in the
senses, one who does not utter falsehood, slander, harsh speech and
gossip, one who does not resort to drugs or narcotics and the like,
only, can enjoy the fourth type of happiness.
A programme of work consisting of eight factors (Vism.
Chp. III, p.295) is recommended by Buddhism to every individual to make
his life here and now happy and content. Firstly, he has to develop
correct attitudes and views about life. He has to realise that life is
sacred to each and every living being, that beings resent suffering and
wish to live in happiness and in comfort, and that all should behave in
such a way that community life becomes pleasant and trouble-free to all
(sammaditthi-right views). Secondly, having formed such views,
one should be well disposed towards all sentient beings and harbour
thoughts of friendship and non-violence (samma sankappa – right
thoughts). Thirdly, of should use speech in such a way that while
avoiding all social conflicts arising out of wrong speech, his speech
should result in friendship, efficiency, harmony and peace in society (sammavaca – right
speech). Fourthly, all his physical actions should not only be
non-injurious to any living being, but positively useful to some being (samma kammanta – right
action). Fifthly, whatever activities he would be engaged in, by way of
earning a living, should not only be harmless to himself and to others,
but should positively be useful to himself and others (samma ajiva- right
livelihood). Sixthly, one should always be energetic and courageous to
avoid all pitfalls in life and pursue on the path to progress and
happiness, with determination (samma vayama – right effort).
Seventhly, one should always be alert and vigilant about all his
activities, what he thinks, what he speaks and what he does, so that he
is able to avoid in time whatever thing is injurious to him and others
and to pursue whatever thing is useful to him and others (samma sati – right
mindfulness) , and eighthly, one should practice meditation or mental
culture to overcome and eliminate psychological weakness in him and to
cultivate and nurture wholesome psychological tendencies (samma Samadhi – right concentration of mind).
Buddhism also speaks of four supreme psychological states (brahmavihara) (Vism.p.III)
that each individual should cultivate and develop in him for his own
happiness and welfare and the welfare of others in society. Firstly,
one’s disposition should be one of friendship and love to all sentient
beings. One should always wish for the happiness of all=one’s own self,
one’s kith and kin, friends, neighbours, country-men- in fact all
sentient beings (metta – loving kindness). This attitude should
cover the whole universe, not only human beings, but all other beings
as well. When one has in him friendship and loving kindness to all
beings, naturally one would be psychologically moved when one sees some
being in an unfortunate situation or in a pitiable condition, under
going hardship agony or sorrow. When a sympathetic person sees one in
such a situation, he will do something himself, to help the suffering
being to minimize its suffering or to completely overcome it. If it is
not within his power to do it himself, he will not keep quiet, but will
persuade others to do something to help the unfortunate being (karuna - sympathy).
When he sees other beings living in comfort peace and happiness, when
he sees beings who were in dire circumstances get out of such
circumstances, he will experience a feeling of happiness himself, an
altruistic happiness born at the sight of another’s happiness (mudita)
an lastly, he should be able to maintain equipoise or balance of mind
in all situations in life-in gain or loss, in fame or ill-fame, in
praise or blame and in happiness or suffering (upekkha - equipoise).
Buddhism
advocates that each individual has to strive hard to improve himself,
but it is not blind regarding the role the environment plays in the
molding of the character of an individual. Man is essentially a social
being, and many people play a wide role to feed him, care for him in
illness, and protect him from possible calamities from all directions
and gradually introduce him to the world at large. When he grows up a
little, other people come into the scene-teachers, friends and the
like-who too play active parts in molding his character. Next comes a
very important person, the wife on whom depends a man’s success and
happiness in life. The wife is followed by children, who too,
contribute an important share in the happiness of a man. Buddhism is
quite aware of these situations and hence in another important
discourse, the Sigalovada sutta (D.III.p.80ff) describes
in detail the duties and obligations of an individual to all who matter
in his life-parents, teachers, wife and children, relations, friends,
religious men, servants and subordinates.
Buddhism
does not close its eyes to the importance of the role the state has to
play in ensuring the happiness and well being of man. Discussing the
origin of state and kingship, the Buddha says in the Agganna sutta (D.III.p.93)
that the earliest king was elected from among the people themselves, to
look after the interests of all people and that the king could hold on
to that position only in so far as he was able to perform his duties
and obligations to the people on a righteous and fair manner. Buddhism
reiterates that it is the sacred duty of a king or state to ensure
human rights to every citizen, to provide facilities for intellectual,
cultural, material and physical development of every man in the
country. In this respect another Buddhist text (jVol.1, 260-99)
mentions ten qualities that should be there in a king or ruler to
ensure human rights to all citizens. The ten qualities are: a king
should be generous, he should have his senses under control, he should
be ready to make sacrifices, he should be straight forward, he should
be gentle and king, he should be able to suffer hardship for the
people, he should be from anger and resentment, he should be
compassionate to all, he should be tolerant and he should be
approachable.
In
conclusion, it should be added that poverty in all its
forms-intellectual, spiritual, material or social, can be minimized or
completely eliminated only by a well thought out and properly planned
programme of work, where in all sections of people should contribute
their share-individually or as organized groups. Form the angel of the
individual, each individual should be encouraged to develop his
potentialities to the maximum capacity so that he can contribute
something to ease poverty while looking after his own interests. He
must be trained to live a simple life, utilizing for him the minimum of
needs, so that he can make a sacrifice to help others in need. From the
point of welfare and religious organizations, they can raise funds form
suitable sources and organize welfare activities, such as running homes
for the aged homes for children and the destitute, organizing work
camps to educate people, finding employment opportunities for the
jobless and doing relief work, wherever necessary. The biggest role has
to be played by the state. The rulers should be farsighted and state
man like, efficient and honest. They must study the problems of the
country and the people, minutely and implement suitable programmes
efficiently to solve whatever problems there are in the country. The
state policies should be planned in such a way that there will be
enough employment facilities, for all people. The ultimate
responsibility of eliminating the poverty of any people rests with the
state and individuals and welfare organizations can only give a helping
hand to the state, if the state makes a sincere attempt to solve the
problem. There is one thing that religious organizations can do, to
help solve the problem of poverty, that is, they can appeal to
developed countries who waste away a lot of money to produce weapons of
war and destruction, to stop the arms race and utilize at least a part
of that money to nourish the millions of unfortunate human beings all
over the world
Dr. W.G. Weeraratne
CPRI releases new potato variety for French fries
Published: 08 Jun 2009 22:53:22 PST
The Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI),
Shimla, has released a new potato variety Kufri Frysona. This is the first ever
potato variety from India suitable for preparation of French fries. The trials
conducted on the variety have shown its suitability for cultivation in Punjab,
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and
The variety produces long tubers having more than 20 per cent dry matter,
informed S K Pandey, director, CPRI.
The breeder seeds will be produced after it is notified either by the state
or central variety release committee. However, its quality seed as well as
disease-free in-vitro planting material will be available to farmers from next
year.
According to Pandey, it was a good sign that potato production was
increasing with the advent of several new high-yielding varieties like Kufri
Pushkar for the entire Indo-Gangetic belt, Kufri Sadabahar for Uttar Pradesh,
Kufri Surya for warmer areas like Karnataka and
Looking at the estimated demand
of nearly 50 million tonne (mt) of potato by 2020, for a population of 1.3
billion, these varieties would help meet the requirement, he said.
Pandey said that the potato processing sector had slowly emerged as a very
large industry with more than 35-40 processing units located in
various parts of the country. They were engaged in value-added products like
potato powder, chips and French fries.
It is estimated that by 2010-11, nearly 10 per cent of the total
potato produced in the country will be consumed by the processing industry,
which at present is merely 4.5 per cent. This will provide good returns to the
farmers on one hand and will also absorb excess supplies during a glut.
The way of home life Ethics
A person should show
respect for his or her relatives in five ways:
1) by giving charity,
2) by saying kind words,
3) by benefiting others,
4) by sharing things, and
5) by not taking advantage of others.
Relative
should show respect for one of their in five ways:
1)
by guiding the wild and unrestrained,
2)
by protecting those who lose wealth
because of their unrestrained ways,
3)
by protecting the fearful,
4)
by not admonishing each other in public,
and
5)
by praising each other.
An employer should show respect for his or her employee in five ways:
1 by
applying oneself where able,
2 by
supplying food and drink appropriately,
3 by
working as the occasion demands,
4 by
giving medical treatment when ill, and
5 by
allowing for rest.
An employee should show respect for his or her employer in five ways:
1)
by rising early,
2)
by doing a thorough job,
3)
by not taking what is not given,
4)
by doing their work correctly and
effectively, and
5)
by supporting and praising one’s
employer appropriately.
Mayawati writes to PM to increase BPL quota for Uttar Pradesh
LUCKNOW - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has written a letter
to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh requesting him to increase Below
Poverty Line quota for her State.
Drawing the PM’s attention towards her previous letter sent to him
last October on increasing the BPL quota for the State, Mayawati said
that the issue of increasing the BPL quota had been pending since long
with the Central Government.
Mayawati, in her latest letter, has sought relief for a large number of poor families.
She has stated that surveys in Uttar Pradesh indicated that there
was a substantial variation between ground realities and numbers
assigned to the State by the Central Government.
The number of poor people was significantly higher in reality, and
there was an urgent need to include them in BPL list, Maywati stressed
in her letter.
Mayawati has said that the 2002 survey had provided for an
additional BPL quota of 10 per cent as a Transient Poor category.
However, the State could not get the benefit of this additional quota
of 10.6 lakh families, which could have partly mitigated the needs of
the State’s poor.
Mayawati has requested the Prime Minister to direct the new expert
committee set up by the Union Government to develop criteria and a
process of identifying poverty, to look into this critical issue, which
is likely to impact millions of urban migrants. (ANI)
Maruti set for a change
The ageing F-series engine may be upgraded to the new
emission standard
Although maruti has stated that it will discontinue the 800 in 11
cities by 2010, when tougher Bharat Stage IV norms kick in, it is likely that
the ageing F-series engine that power the 80, Omni, Alto and Wagan R will be
upgraded to the new emission standard.
One replacement option for the
F-series engines in the all-new and significantly cleaner K-series into 800,
Alto snd Wagan R is proving to be a nightmare for Maruti engineers.
An easier option is to increase the
‘after treatment’ with catalysts on the F-series engines to make them cleaner.
But this isn’t as easy as it sounds as it involves the fine calibration of the
engine to balance out loss of power and efficiency from the increased back
pressure of a bigger catalyst.
Maruti has already begun work to
meet the April 2010 deadline for its stage IV engines with the Ritz being their
first Stage IV-compliant engined car.
VR1
MEDIA
FREE
ONLINE TRAINING ON PRECEPTS AND TRADE-23
The
way of home life
Ethics
A husband should show
respect for his wife in five ways:
1) by treating her with
respect and love,
2) by being dignified and
decent,
3) by aptly providing
daily necessities,
4) by being serious when
appropriate, and
5) by entrusting her with
household matters.
A wife should show
respect for her husband in five ways:
1) by
showing him consideration, respect , and love,
2) by
being neat and tidy,
3) by
being warm and affectionate,
4) by
being sincere and honest, and
5) by
praising and complimenting him.
GREAT NEWS
My final words of advice to
you are educate, agitate and organize; have faith in yourself. With justice on
our side I do not see how we can loose our battle. The battle to me is a matter
of joy. The battle is in the fullest sense spiritual. There is nothing material
or social in it. For ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is battle
for freedom. It is the battle of reclamation of human personality? .
Dr. B.R.Ambedkar
On Fri, Jun 5, 2009
at 2:37 PM, <uk4in@yahoo. co.in> wrote:
Dear Friends
Namo Buddhay and Jai
Bhim!
It is a great news
and and I take this opportunity to share with you all. Our Prabuddha Bharatha Matha Honourable Ms.
Mayawati has set up an International Buddhist Institute (Antarrashtriya Baudh
Sansthan) at
Uttar Pradesh (U.P.). The U.P Government led by our Honourable leader has set
this Antarrashtriya Baudh Sansthan to spread Buddhist culture and ideology.
The newly set up Antarrashtriya Baudh Sansthan is headed
by Venerable Bhante Nand Ratan, the
head monk at Kushinagar. He has also been accorded the status of a
Minister of State in Uttar Pradesh. The name of other honourable member of this
Sansthan are as follows:
1. Venerable Bhante Sheel Ratan
2. Venerable Bhante Gyan Vansh
3. Venerable Bhante Sheel Prakash Khairo
4. Venerable Bhante Deepankar
5. Venerable Bhante Dhamma Priya
6. Venerable Bhante Sharan Pal
7. Venerable Bhante Gyan Aditya
8. Venerable Bhante Gyan Sagar
Mr. Y.P. Singh would be the Director of
this Sansthan. The construction work of the new
building for this newly set up Baudh Sansthan has already started at
Gomati Nagar, near Reserve Bank of
(News Courtesy: Amar
Ujala (A Hindi Newspaper),
03.06.2009).
Freinds, this is perhaps for the first time
that a democratically elected Government in India has taken such an important
initiative to spread Buddhist culture and ideology, though we do not know much
if any such kind of initiative has been taken up in
But in the heartland of Jambudipa, that
is, the Great POrabuddha Bharath and Buddhism after the great Buddhist Kings
Asoka, Kaniska and Harsa, a state patronage has been provided by our honourable
leader Ms. Mayawati to propagate Buddhism.
Please circulate this news as widely as
possible in all your circles/networks.
With Regards & In
Solidarity
Umakant, Ph.D
Uttar Pradesh
politics is unpredictable, with the four major players in the field - BSP, SP,
BJP, Congress - each sharing the votes polled and seats won, as in
the 2009 elections, not vastly different from one another. It is this fact that
came up in my mind, holding back my applause for the project just launched by
Mayawati for an International Buddhist Institute at
greetings, and pray for long, healthy life for the project.
I want to assure
myself that Mayawati would continue to be the Chief Minister of U.P. beyond
2012, and that the Director of the proposed Institute, Mr Y.P.Singh, is a
dedicated Buddhist, and Mayawati herself would become an
unerring practising Buddhist as a triumphant ruling monarch once became
like Emperor Asoka.
Best wishes,
Lakshman
June 7,
‘09
“P.P.
Lakshman” pplakshman08@gmail.com
NOW Prabuddha Bharath Matha Mayawati
is not just Honourable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, but heading
toward ARAHAT which is many times higher the TITLES such as PRIME
MINISTER or PRESIDENT of any Country.
Jagatheesan
Chandrasekharan
Chandrasekharan.tipitaka.jagat@gmail.com
Always Kindly visit:
and
www.buddhismandbusiness.webs.com
for your favourite positive NEWS
Buddhist Teachings: Acquisition of Wealth and Maintaining
an Unperturbed Socio-spiritual Life
Bhikkhu
Nyanabodhi
nyanabodhi@gmail.com
It has been often incriminated that
Buddhism is more concerned about spirituality more than its concern about
worldly matters. Against this criticism, over the recent centuries scholars
have contributed greatly unearthing the social dimensions of Buddha’s
teachings. In this article, we shall look into some economic principles of the
Buddhadhamma by drawing some references from the Pāli canon.
The teaching of Gotama Buddha
as we know is centred upon the four noble truths (cattāri ariyasaccāni),
of which the first is dukkha (suffering or unsatisfactoriness). In
spite of the high spiritual application of the concept in other texts, in the
Dhammapada verse 203, Gotama Buddha addresses the issue of Suffering
in two fundamental aspects:
1. Hunger (jigacchā) – the primary source of human
suffering which needs to be coped with every day, and
2. Conditioned things (saṃkhāra) - the primary source suffering
to be realized as it is (yathābhūtaṃ) and overcome by the wise.
From this aforementioned primary
issues of suffering, we see Buddhism stresses liberation (vimutti)
from both these two aspect of anguish or vexation in the same urgent spirit.
Elsewhere we learn from the Buddha who says ‘all living beings are
dependent upon food’ – (sabbe sattā āharaṭṭhiṭikā) which generated his idea of the Middle
Path in the pursuit of a more conducive spiritual life.
In fact, the spiritual life of Gotama
Buddha itself had awakened him to the importance of leading a life of
moderation – the Middle Path. We see that ascetic Siddhattha’s attainment
of perfect Enlightenment (sammā sambodhi) was possible only after he
was disillusioned with the idea of ‘austere practices’ and resorted to ‘middle
way’. Thus, this noble discovery of the Middle Path of the Blessed One
motivated him to avert the extremity of self-indulgence (kāmesukhallikānuyogo)
and self-mortification (attakilamatānuyogo). The Middle path is to
maintain the moderation in attainment of both worldly and spiritual success.
The fact that poverty is woeful (dāliddiyaṃbhikkhave
dukkhaṃ lokasmiṃ) accentuates the importance of wealth in the life of a worldly person.
Therefore, the Buddha advocates rightful means in acquiring wealth. By
‘material wealth’ (dhana), Buddhism recognises the four fundamental
needs (catu paccaya): food (āhāra), cloths (vattha),
shelter (geha) and medicine (bhesajja) before one undertakes
the education (spiritual training) for the attainment of noble wealth (ariyadhana).
Of the four, food is distinguished as the foremost as ‘this body survives
depended upon food, without food it cannot survive’ – (ayaṃ
kāyo āharaṭṭhitiko āhāraṃ
paṭicca tiṭṭhati anāharo na tiṭṭhati).
Yet, it is a pathetic sight that
around the world millions of people are very poor . Many have died due to
hunger. Owing to the severity of hunger, some were compelled
even to feed on the flesh of other humans.
The Buddha evidently mentioned in the
Cakkavattisīhanāda Sutta of Dīgha-Nikāya that owing to the
imbalanced distribution of wealth, there arises poverty which in turn leads to
immorality and crimes such as thefts, falsehood, violences, hatred and cruelty
and so forth. The sutta emphasizes the state responsibility to judge
the divergent individual capacities of his citizens and distribute resources accordingly.
Thus, those with agricultural talents should be provided with seeds and fields;
those talented in business with capital; and those who can serve in various
government sectors with such opportunities. In this way, people being busy with
their duties will not develop harmful tendencies.
Besides relying on the economic
support from King, Gotama Buddha also educated his lay devotees on the
righteous means to gain wealth. The Exalted One elucidated how the
righteous life first leads to rebirth in this terrestrial world and
eventually will lead to a happy life in the next world (Dhammacāri sukhaṃ
seti asmiṃ loke paraṃ hi ca).
In the
Dīghajānu Sutta, when the Buddha was asked by householder Dīghajānu about the
way to get happiness in this life and the life after, the Exalted Master
expounded four factors conducive to attaining happiness in this life thus:
1. Diligent acquisition(uṭṭhānasampada)
2. Careful conservation(ārakkhasampada)
3. Having virtuous friends(kalyānamittatā)and
4. Living within your means(Samājīvikatā)
Buddhism
always emphasizes right livelihood striving righteously (dhammena)
and diligently (appamādena) to be successful in material, social, or
even spiritual gains. It is mentioned in the scriptures that like a bee
accumulating honey or an ant building its anthill, a person must exercise his
energy and effort to accumulate his wealth. There is a saying in Sanskrit
stressing the effort of a man in both earning wealth and practicing a religious
life. It says that in earning wealth and in education, one must not think of
decay or death. But in his everyday life, he should think that the death is
extremely near to him (ajarāmaravat prajño/vidyamarthaṃ
ca sādhayet/gŗhita iva kesesu/mŗtyunā dharmamācaret).
The way to earn wealth is precisely
explicated in the Aṅguttara Nikāya thus : “for a good person
wealth is or should be earned not by violent means, but by energetic striving,
amassed by strength of arm, won by sweat, and received with the righteous means”
– (Bhogā honti asāhasena uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatehi bhogehi
bāhābalaparicitehi sedāvakkhittehi dhammikehi dhammaladdhehi). The golden rule governing right
livelihood or Buddhist economics is thus : to do jobs that harm neither oneself
nor another person or other beings (morally or even materially). Thus, five
kinds of businesses are declared by Gotama Buddha as not righteous:
1. The trade of weapons (sattha vānijja)
2. The trade of poison (visa vānijja)
3. The trade of alcohol and dangerous drugs (majja vānijja)
4. The trade of flesh and (maṃsa vānijja)
5. The trade of people (satta vānijja).
This reminds
us of the social obligations that must be cogitated by manufacturers and tradespersons;
not only by seeking self centric ends but by truly serving the society.
According to Buddhism, cheating is an unskilful action that should be
abandoned. It has been often misapprehended that succeeding in business without
cheating is impossible. But one should also think that he himself does not like
to be cheated. There is a muscular saying of George Washington; ‘Honesty is the
best policy’ which is one of the five basic ethical principles (pañcasīla)
of Buddhism and which should attentively be applied in the business matters.
Buddhism also highlights the
careful observation and protection of wealth acquired by the individual with
his hard work. It recommends that a person should take a good care of his
wealth, not allowing it to be eroded away by unjust taxation, theft, natural
disaster or undeserving successors. Furthermore, when saving up one’s wealth,
one should not allow such doing to bring oneself into conflict with those
around him. The reason why Buddhism advises one to protect one’s wealth
is that in case of emergency such as repairing the consequences of fire,
flood, excess taxation, and so forth, he can make use of his wealth and
overcome the difficulties in life. Of course the best way to conserve one’s
wealth is by way of acquiring transcendental wealth or merit. In such a
form, it is beyond the touch of any evil force. Furthermore, it will be
appreciated with the passing of the years, thus saving in the form of transcendental
wealth is really the most skilful way of conserving one’s wealth.
Along with the economic activities or
even day to day life, an individual should also keep companionship with
virtuous friends having faith (saddhā), self-discipline (sīla),
self-sacrifice (cāga) and wisdom (paññā). The Buddha teaches
that worldly wealth may be exhausted in a moment, but the value of training
other people to be virtuous never knows an end. In many of the sutta-s
such as Maṅgala sutta, Sigālovāda sutta etc., the Buddha gave a detailed account
on how the behaviour of a friend should actually be. And he also advises
us to associate with the wise and virtuous friends and to avoid
associating with the unskilful and bad ones (asevanā ca bālānaṃ
panditānaṃ ca sevanā).
And finally, we are advised to
live within our means (samajīvikatā). One should live a life not being
a luxury-seeker and also not being too spendthrift either. There is a very
simple yet extremely significant statement which in a nutshell contains the
essential features of the Buddhist economics. The statement runs thus: – an
individual should divide his wealth in four portions, of these the first
portion will be used for his own expense, a half of the total wealth i.e. the
second and the third portions should be used in reinvestments. And the
best approach to the investment as mentioned in Buddhism is – development of
skills, training experience, fulfilling the basic needs of others and so on.
And with regard to the hospitality there is a mention of five bali-s
(offerings or treatments) namely;treating relatives[ñāti bali],
guests[atithi bali], the government[rāja bali], departed
relatives[peta bali], and samanas and brāhmanas [devatā
bali]. And the last portion should be kept for the future needs such as –
floods, calamities and drought and so on.
Thus, while one is practicing the
above mentioned four qualities, one develops four more spiritual qualities
namely saddhā (faith), sīla (morality or virtue), cāga
(generosity), and paññā (wisdom). Having these qualities developed,
one then obtains four kinds of happiness namely:
1. One becomes happy thinking that he acquires
his wealth in a righteous way (atthi sukha)
2. He becomes happy in using the wealth earned
in the blameless way (bhoga sukha)
3. He becomes happy being able to say ‘I
have no debts’ which is the bliss of debtlessness (anaṇa sukha), and
4. Finally, he enjoys the bliss of
blamelessness (anavajja
sukha).
The Buddha praised the fourth type of
happiness because this person does not do any unskilful action either through
his body or speech or mind. And hence he is freed from harming others in any
way; therefore he leads a blameless life.
The economic theory in Buddhism is
rather a holistic one. Buddhism begins primarily talking with individual
economy and then it goes on to social economy and then to state economy. With
the development of wealth, an individual is expected to be developed in the
dharma. He does everything for the benefit and wellbeing of the both oneself and
others as the Buddhist saying goes; “May all livings be well and happy” – (sabbe
sattā bhavantu sukhitattā). An individual trained in such a way is
related to the family; a family to a group, a group to a state or a nation; and
a state to other states. In such a state even the animals, birds, fish as well
as trees and plants are protected. Thus happiness prevails in such a country.
Therefore, Buddhism appreciates such
economic activities which do not exploit others; do not increase additional
wants depriving the basic needs; do not fall within the five areas of trade and
do not use material resources without maintaining the ecological balance.
Buddhism always stresses on right livelihood . Right livelihood
means that a man should not just accumulate wealth for the sake of
enjoying life, rather taking the economic activities as a mean to achieve
the end and which is to be known as the socio-spiritual life. In respect of
this way of livelihood, a modern economist, Glen Alexandrian, says that ethical
consideration should be given a prominent place in production and distribution
of wealth. Therefore, it should be said that Buddhism does not see any fault in
the wealth itself. Its emphasis is mostly the ethical acquisition and
usage of the wealth. It recommends that in the acquisition of wealth, one
must not exercise greed, stinginess, grasping, attachment, and hoarding. In
other words, the economic activities should not be done with competition or
contest, but with co-operation and zeal. In so doing one, would then be able to
lead an unperturbed socio-spiritual life.
Editor’s Note:
Most of the important early Buddhist
Economics promulgated by Gotama Buddha is incorporated in this essay. We can
learn Buddhadhamma as well as
Way
Earning and utility of economic wealth is a conditioned phenomenon.
Non-violation of Buddhist principle of Dependent Co-arising is the Principle.
The wisdom of Anattā integrates the phenomenon with the Principle harmoniously.
Live in Anattā and you are perfectly protected in any sphere of activity
including economic activities. To live in Anattā : Annihilate your
self-identity in the Totality of any collective work.
World Bank okays Rs.1,332 crore loan for Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow, June 7 (IANS) The World Bank has given its
nod to a whopping Rs.1,332 crore (Rs.13.32 billion) soft loan for
reclamation of sodic land in Uttar Pradesh - a move that will help an
estimated 250,000 farmers.
Making the announcement at a press conference here Sunday, Uttar
Pradesh Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said, “The scheme
would help reclaim a huge chunk of about 130,000 hectares of sodic land
in the state.”
The scheme, an extension of two previous phases of a similar
exercise undertaken in the state, will benefit an estimated 250,000
farmers, he said.
“At least 43 percent of the beneficiaries would be marginal farmers, of which a larger chunk would be SC/STs.”
The state government has also finalised a large-scale afforestation programme aiming to plant 55 million trees.
UP police to seek ‘godman’ Ashok Jadeja’s custody
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh police willseek custody of inter-state conman Ashok Jadeja in connection with an FIR lodged
against him for duping
officials said here on Sunday.
A case was lodged against Jadeja and
nine others, including his wife Neetu, yesterday for duping 22 members of Bhaatu
and Sansi tribes in Mathura district.
A warrant is being issued and
will be served on Jadeja, who is currently lodged in Ahmedabad jail, Additional
Director General of Police (Law and Order) Brij Lal said.
Jadeja, who
had duped many people by posing as a godman, was arrested by Ahmedabad police on
June 3.
The officials said that following Jadeja’s arrest a circular
was issued by the ADG directing the district level officers to register a case
against the conman and investigate cases of fraud by him.
After the
circular was issued, some people contacted Senior Superintendent of Police
Mathura Satish Ganesh and lodged a complaint that they were duped by Jadeja and
his associates.
The complainants alleged that on March 14 Jadeja
visited tribal dominated localities and claimed that he had blessings of the
goddess, police said, adding that he and his associates collected around 40-50
lakh from 22 tribals and assured them that they would prosper.
Uttar Pradesh to go head hunting in colleges for doctors
Lucknow, June 7: The Uttar Pradesh government isplanning campus recruitment of doctors to fill nearly 5,000 vacancies
in the state’s provincial medical services, an official has said.
“The move will enable us deliver better health facilities across the
state, particularly in the rural areas, where people rely on community
and primary health centres for medical treatment,'’ Director General
(Medical and Health) I.S. Srivastava told IANS.
A proposal to hold campus interviews in different medical colleges
of the state for recruitment of government doctors has already been
prepared and the order will come within two months, he added.
According to officials, the strength of the provincial medical services is 12,000, of which nearly half are vacant.
Delay in recruitment of doctors and lethargic response of medical
graduates to the vacancies advertised by the state public service
commission has prompted the government to opt for campus recruitment,
the official added.
The state’s Provincial and Medical Services Association (PMSA) has hailed the government’s move.
“The move will surely help to upgrade the health management system
in the state. It’s good that the government will now recruit doctors
through campus
Mayawati leaves her ministers ‘powerless’
| Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has stripped her ministers of the powers to directly appoint, promote, suspend or transfer any official in their respective departments. |
|
|
Henceforth, the ministers can only make recommendations for effecting transfers of officials of their departments to the chief minister, whose decision would be final. The ministers cannot directly appoint, promote, suspend or terminate the services of the officials without obtaining consent of the chief minister. The decision to strip the ministers of the authority was taken in a meeting of the Uttar Pradesh cabinet held on Friday evening. As A senior minister, Incidentally, During She The They reportedly told the BSP chief that the ministers failed to take action against the guilty officials despite their demands. “By |
|
Maya govt initiates privatisation of power transmission
Lucknow:
The
Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has initiated the
process for privatisation of power transmission in the state. In this
connection, it has invited bids from consultant companies who will
formulate the financial and technical model for the project.
Seven companies —
Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Ernst & Young, CRISIL (Credit Rating
Information Services of India Limited), SBI Capital, Feedback Ventures,
ICRA and Srei Infrastructure Finance Limited — have shown their
willingness to assist the state government in its project through the
public-private partnership (PPP) model.
“The corporation
is evaluating their technical bids, which will be complete by Saturday.
The financial bids, which qualify, will be opened on Monday,” said
Navneet Sahgal, Chairman and Managing Director of UPPCL.
The corporation is
working on a Rs 8,000-crore proposal for power transmission in the
state. “Since we plan to add 10,000 MW of electricity generation in the
next three to five years, there will be a need to strengthen and
upgrade transmission as well. Therefore, this exercise,” a senior UPPCL
official said.
Sri Lankan Monk leaves Meditation Retreat to help Refugees
A Special Report by Ven Y. Wimala, The Buddhist Channel, June 8, 2009
Ven
Y. Wimala, a recipient of the “Global Peace Award” in 2007, has
returned to Sri Lanka to help “internally displaced people” - mostly
victims of the island’s civil war
Vavuniya, Sri Lanka — When I arrived in Sri Lanka
just days ago, the national flag was flying everywhere. Everyone I
spoke with was happy that the war has finally ended. Incredibly, I
noticed fewer road blocks and less military presence on the streets
than before. It took a while for me to begin to believe that the past
30 years of war had really, really ended and people were celebrating
this return to normalcy.
Venerable Wimala distributing school materials to the children in the IDP camps
The Sri Lankan government has being fighting for the past 30 years a
group known as “the worlds most dangerous terrorist organization”, the
LTTE or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam” During this period of 30
years, over one hundred thousand people have died including the Tigers,
civilians and about 22,000 government soldiers. Hundreds of thousands
have been injured, displaced and disabled.
Although the guns have become silent, the victims of war continue to
suffer. The day after my arrival we drove to Vavuniya, a town in
northern Sri Lanka, to visit the refugees now called IDPs (internally
displaced people). Since the end of the fighting more than three
hundred thousand people have become IDPs .
When we arrived in the area known as Manik Farm where most of the IDPs
were settled, there were so many temporary and makeshift buildings.
Some areas looked like an endless sea of tents. It is hard to describe
the instant feelings of pain, sadness and concern you feel for these
innocent people. Those who escaped the war arrived here with nothing
but few of their belongings. Obviously there are many problems
providing food, clothing and the most basic human needs.
Although it is sad to see so many displaced people I felt the
opportunity to be there to help them in some small ways. The following
are some of the relief projects we have conducted so far.
School Supplies for 2000 Displaced Students
As you might know from the history of Triple Gem Society, we are
always interested in getting involved with projects related to the
education of children, especially those who are affected by war or
natural disasters. The Manik Farm area has been divided into four
zones. Brigadier Wikramasinhe, who is in charge of Zone 1, informed us
of the need for school supplies for students in grades 8, 9 and 10.
These children have missed school for past few months due to the heavy
fighting in the area. Arrangements are now being made to start schools
immediately in temporary huts. When I arrived in Sri Lanka, Ven.
Subuthi who invited me to serve the IDPs, had already organized the
purchase and transportation of the school supplies. I simply had to pay
the bills and take the materials to the IDP camps. We were happy to
help these two thousand students with notebooks, pens, mathematics
equipment boxes and other essential school items.
Clean Water in 25 Giant Plastic Tanks.
When I was touring the IDP camps for the first time, I noticed long
lines of people. Some of them were waiting in patiently with individual
buckets to get fresh water. When I inquired as to the situation from
Brigadier Wikramasinhe, he told us that many more holding tanks were
needed to supply water to such large number of people. The next day we
arranged for 25 huge plastic water tanks, most of them 1000 Liter
capacity, to be delivered. I was happy to participate in distributing
them throughout the IDP camps.
Hindu Temple
Day by day, people are still pouring in and settling into temporary
shelters or tents. To help implement a sense of normalcy as quickly as
possible, the government is busy preparing and planning for schools and
places of worship. The Hindu temple in Zone 1 is a temporary hut with a
thatched roof and no walls or floor. People were sitting on a plastic
cover on the sand to attend worship and religious ceremonies. We worked
with a local contractor to lay bricks, build a cement floor for the
temple and build a shrine. We also donated statues of gods to create a
proper temple atmosphere.
Robes for 75 Hindu Priests
The government hves created a separate section for Hindu Priests in
Manik Farm, where thousands of families have moved into temporary
shelters. There are currently about one hundred Hindu priests in this
special section. When they left the war zone few weeks ago they left
all of their prior belongings behind. Most of them came with only the
clothes they were wearing. We provided seventy five priests with the
robes that they wear to perform Puja or religious ceremonies. Some
times it is these small simple deeds that bring the smiles of
gratitude.
Bicycles for Village Heads
The houses in this special IDP region are spread out over a large
geographic area. The civil servants who were working in the former
villages at the time of the war have now been reemployed in the IDP
camps as head of separate zones. When meetings are called it takes them
a long time to come together from their various locations. When I was
informed of this transportation problem by the camp manager, we were
happy to donate bicycles to the heads of separate camp zones.
Semi-Permanent Housing for 250 Tamil Families
We have competed preparations for building 250 units of semi
permanent housing for displaced families. The land, contractors, design
all are ready. This project will be completed with Triple Gem Society
funds. As the first phase, housing for 100 families will be competed
within six weeks. We will sign the contract within the next day.
At the moment, housing is the most urgent need for these displaced
victims of war. We can not yet know how long people may have to stay in
these camps; current government estimates are 6 to 12 months. Decent
living conditions will make a world of difference in improving normalcy
and aiding in disease prevention.
I know that this is a big undertaking. Triple Gem Society is a small
organization and humanitarian projects are not our primary focus.
Even so, I feel compelled to do everything I can to help the IDPs after
seeing the conditions in the camps and hearing what these people have
gone through to simply survive these past six months.
Since the buildings will be semi permanent, the final cost per unit
will be about $2000 US. I know it is a lot of money to think of
building 250 units. Please do not get concerned. If we think of just
one family at a time, we all can do this together.
————————
Donations can be made to the Triple Gem Society by bank draft, TT, credit card, etc or visit the website www.bhantewimala.com
Triple Gem Society
P.O. Box 713, Princeton,
NJ 08542
USA
Mayawati: nothing new in Pratibha’s address
Special Correspondent
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Friday said the
Centre should pay greater attention to implementing the schemes for
the welfare of Dalits and other weaker sections of society.
Reacting to President Pratibha Patil’s address to Parliament, Ms.
Mayawati said in a statement that there was nothing new in the
programmes announced for Dalits and other weaker sections. The welfare
programmes should be implemented without discrimination.
Schemes for SCs, STs
The UPA government was silent on the schemes it had announced for the
Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and deprived sections. One such
issue was giving reservation to SCs/STs in the private sector.
Ms. Mayawati said she had written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh, seeking quota for SCs/STs in the private sector, judiciary and
legislature.
Sachar panel
The Chief Minister wanted an action plan formulated for implementing
the Sachar panel recommendations on the welfare of Muslims. She
alleged that the loan waiver scheme benefited only rich farmers, who
had taken loans from banks. She wanted steps taken for waiving the
loans taken by SC/STs.
Instead of 100-day employment, jobs for the whole year should be
provided under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme.
The Chief Minister’s statement was released by Cabinet Secretary
Shashank Shekhar Singh here.
Talking to journalists, Mr. Singh claimed that contrary to the
Opposition propaganda on the law and order situation, there was a fall
in the number of incidents of crime.
http://e-pao. net/GP.asp? src=14..070609. jun09
Post matric scholarship for SC/ST
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 06 2009: Post matric scholarship for scheduled tribe and
scheduled caste students (2008-09) of DM College of Arts will be
distributed from June 9 onwards in between 11 am to 3 pm at the 2nd
Battalion Manipur Rifles for which eligible students are required to
produce identity cards (valid) at the time of collecting their
scholarship amount, said a DMC Arts release issued by its Principal.
ST students of BA III year may avail the scholarship amount on june 9
whereas BA II and I year students are informed to collect the same on
June 10 and 11 respectively.
For SC students the scholarships would be disbursed on June 12, the
release added.
FREE ONLINE TRAINING ON PRECEPTS AND TRADE-22
The way of home life – Ethics
Children should show
respect for their parents in the following ways:
1)
By
supporting and attending to them, and making sure their needs are satisfied,
2)
By first
notifying their parentswhen they want to do something,
3)
By obeying
the wishes of their parents,
4)
By not
rebelling against the authority of their parents, and
5)
By
continuing and enhancing the parents’ profession.
Parents, too, should
raise and educate their children in five ways:
1)
by teaching
their children not to do anything destructive,
2)
by
instructing and guiding them in good ways,
3)
by deeply
loving and looking after them,
4)
by properly
arranging good marriages for them, and
5)
by providing
them with an appropriate allowance.
MEDIA
[dhamma_voice] Breaking barriers: Scheduled Caste sets up software company
Dr.Berwa
Thirty-one-year
old Atul Paswan has successfully changed what many may have said was
his destiny. A Scheduled Caste from Siwan district in Bihar three years ago, the
village schoolteacher’s son set up a software company in Bangalore.
Company Name : Indo-Sakura Software Pvt. Ltd
Check out NDTV video at http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=T8xOia2MjXU
The challenge of being MayawatiThere is a message in the BSP’s 27.42 per cent vote share: That all is
not lost, and she will recover the ground lost as she reclaims
the qualities that brought her to power two years ago.
In the summer of 2007, as the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party galloped
towards an absolute majority in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
Ms Mayawati’s implausible journey from a Scheduled Caste background of
deprivation and discrimination to Chief Minister on her own strength
was a story without precedent. (Barack Obama came later.) It had been
made possible as much by grit, struggle and courage as by strategy,
craft and a keen understanding of what to do when. Ms Mayawati plotted
her victory with precision, making a gradual but astute shift from the
exclusivist, strident Scheduled Caste-centred agenda of the past to a pragmatic
politics of inclusion and reaching out.
BSP alleges Allahabad High Court for Stopping Development of UP
Published by Read it India News Bureau
In a Press release on its site,Bahujan Samaj Party has alleged Allahabad High Court for Stopping Development of UP.
The Allahabad High Court has barred the Uttar Pradesh Government
from proceeding ahead on the ambitious eight-laned Ganga Expressway
project and directed the concerned authorities to obtain prior
clearance from environmental board.
A bench comprising Justice Ashok Bhusan and Justice Arun Tandon on
Friday passed this order on the petition filed by two voluntary
organisations, which questioned the environmental feasibility of the
project.
The Court has stayed further work on over 1000 kilometres long
project that would connect the eastern and western boundaries of Uttar
Pradesh because of environmental concerns.
“The Allahabad High Court has restrained the proceedings of The
Ganga-Express way, the 1100 kilometre long expressway from Noida to
Ballia because of environmental issues. The project was started by the
Mayawati government,” said Arun Kumar Gupta, counsel for petitioners.
Further he informed that court has also asked the state government
to obtain clearance from the state-level Environment Impact Assessment
Authority.The High Court has also quashed the earlier environmental
clearance granted by the Environmental Protection Authority. The court
also directed UP government not to proceed with the highway project
unless and until it obtains a due clearance from the state-level
Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA),” Gupta added.
Mayawati’s new mantra: zero tolerance for bribery
Lucknow:
Mayawati has also asked top cops to ensure that the common man’s grievances do not go unheard.
Honesty, after all, may be the best policy. At least
that’s what Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati seems to be saying
after a post-mortem of her Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) losses in the
Lok Sabha polls suggested that rampant corruption may have taken a
toll.
In damage control mode now, Mayawati has despatched a
three-member team of bureaucrats handpicked by her to spread the
message of “no tolerance” for corruption.
A team comprising additional cabinet secretary Vijay Shankar
Pandey, principal home secretary Kunwar Fateh Bahadur and deputy
inspector general of police Jasvir Singh launched its anti-corruption
campaign this week when they went to Varanasi to hold a meeting with
local police and revenue officials.
“The objective behind the chief minister’s mission is to make
government functionaries realise that bribery of any kind will not be
tolerated,” Pandey said.
The exercise which began from Varanasi was carried out in
Firozabad Wednesday with all local government functionaries - district
magistrate and superintendent of police downwards.
“You will neither give bribe to anyone nor accept bribes under any circumstances” is what the officials were told.
Officials at all levels were told, “The chief minister wants to
make it clear that you have to put an end to bribery - don’t accept or
demand bribes from anyone and if any of your superiors demand bribes,
report it directly to us. You may rest assured that the chief minister
is not going to spare such a person.”
The chief minister’s special envoys are stated to have
emphasised “deterrent punishment will follow against those who refuse
to mend their ways and continue to indulge in corrupt practices,
causing hindrances in official delivery systems”.
“Punitive action will follow against officials who fail to
respond to the complaints of common people or refuse to register their
FIRs,” said Pandey, who had once spearheaded a powerful campaign to
identify the three most corrupt administrative officers in Uttar
Pradesh.
While the three-member special team is running its “no bribe”
campaign, the chief minister has also detailed some of her select
officers to visit each of the state’s 72 districts to monitor the pace
of various development schemes.
To ensure that the visit does not remain just a perfunctory
exercise, handpicked officers of the rank of principal secretary were
assigned to spend two full days in the districts and submit a report.
“This has surely helped us get a detailed picture of the state
of various development programmes, to identify the stumbling blocks as
also to find ways of clearing the hurdles,” observed Shailesh Krishna,
principal secretary to the chief minister, after returning from his
two-day camp in Jaunpur from where he chose to start the exercise.
Mayawati’s BSP won only 20 of the state’s 80 parliamentary seats in the 15th Lok Sabha polls.(IANS)
Sci. & Tech.
Safer and affordable solar lamps for rural households
New Delhi (PTI): Rural households in
Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh with no electricity will now have the
option to use safer and affordable solar lamps instead of the polluting
kerosene ones.
D.light Design, a lighting and power
company, has joined hands with UK-based NGO Shell Foundation to deliver
affordable and high quality lighting solutions to rural households
living without adequate electricity in the country.
The project, funded by the Foundation,
is being initially rolled out in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh,
according to a joint statement issued by the two.
The portable lanterns will be made
available in two variants priced between Rs 800 and Rs 1,600 and are up
to 10 times brighter than the kerosene ones and provide up to 32 hours
of lighting, an official of the D.light Design claimed.
The company aims to provide clean source of light to 10 million rural homes in India by the end of 2010.
Shell Foundation analyst Simon
Desjardins said: “Renewable energy technologies represent the best
option for poor consumers in most rural markets in India primarily
because of their lower cost and usage flexibility relative to
government grid extension schemes, kerosene lanterns, or diesel
generator sets.”
| UP sets up panel to attract investment |
To tide over bureaucratic and procedural delays in approving investment
proposals, the Uttar Pradesh government has constituted an Empowered
Committee (EC) for time-bound clearance of such cases.
EC has been mandated to develop a fresh perspective among the state
machinery for securing investment and attracting entrepreneurs.
In the last two years, UP has failed to secure investment in several
sectors, including sugar, transport, technical education and tourism
due to lack of clarity in economic policies and adequate incentives.
EC will review existing policies, rules and regulation relating to
industrial and infrastructure development to make them simpler and
efficient. It will also decide over rebate on trade tax to boost
industrialisation.
The 29-member committee is headed by the state chief secretary and
comprises agriculture production commissioner, Infrastructure and
Industrial Development commissioner, and chief executive officers of
Yamuna Expressway and UP Expressway among others.
The proposals would be forwarded to the department concerned within
24 hrs, which will give its recommendation to Udyog Bandhu within seven
days. Later, Udyog Bandhu will put up the case before EC, in which the
entrepreneur would also be invited.
EC will take up matters pertaining to infrastructure and industry
entailing investment of over Rs 50 crore, and projects related to
agriculture, food processing, electronics, IT and biotechnology and
entailing investment of over Rs 10 crore.
It will also consider cases for revival of industrial units, which
are defunct and beyond the purview of Board for Industrial and
Financial Reconstruction (BIFR).
EC has also been entrusted with the task of taking decisions on
issues related to environment and allotting rivers and canals to
industrial units
Kindly visit:
http://www.inebnetwork.org/web/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=42
| Buddhist Social capital |
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As author of a book on peace, democracy, and righteousness (Santi Pracha Dhamma) and governor of the Bank of Thailand, the memory of Dr. Puey Ungphakorn challenges us to ask how Buddhist principles connect with the major globalizing force of today, economics. Corporations Since nations still have Economics on a Biological Model Western economics The Monitoring Participation by CSOs Social Capital Buddhist Social Principles
From
Santi Pracha Dhamma
Essays in honour of the late Puey Ungphakorn
Page 279-287
|
http://www.buddhanet.net/budwork.htm
Book Review
Title:
Putting Buddhism to Work:
A New Approach to Management and Business
Author:
Shinichi Inoue
Publisher:
Kodansha International Ltd. (Tokyo)
Year of publication: 1997
Buddhist
Economics: The Emerging Middle Path between Capitalism and Socialism
Shinichi
Inoue, a former President of the Japanese Miyazaki Bank and reputed
economist, has proposed a novel approach to economic management that
goes beyond socialism and capitalism. He calls his proposed economics
for the 21st century ‘Buddhist Economics’, a phrase first used in
print by Dr. E.F.Schumacher in 1973 in his best-selling book ”
Small is Beautiful “.
Based
on the insight of the Buddha that spiritual liberation is attained
by avoiding extremes, whether by indulgence in worldly pleasures or
severe asceticism, and treading namely ‘ the Middle Way ‘, Inoue recommends
‘Buddhist Economics ‘ as the ideal middle path between the competing
models of capitalism and socialism. Both these systems, Inoue argues,
have failed to contain the relentless destruction of the natural environment
and the human community, thereby forcing leading executives and planners
to search for new solutions for planetary problems.
Inoue
draws on the best aspects of both capitalist and socialist economic
systems, in his ‘ Buddhist Economics ‘ model. It supports the conventional
forces of a free market and competition without destroying either
nature or human society. His alternate vision of sustainable economics
is meant to be more just and more ecologically sound.
Inspired
by the fundamental Buddhist insight of the inter-connectedness existing
among all living things, Inoue says that Buddhism, Economics and Ecology
are all inter-related. He places a heavy emphasis on the concept of
freedom as understood in Buddhism in contrast to the Western concept
of ‘freedom’. In the West ‘freedom’ revolves around the rights of
the individual i.e. freedom to do what one wishes. In Buddhism, ‘freedom’
means freedom from personal desires or attachments.
In
Inoue’s view, a Buddhist approach to economics requires an understanding
that economics and a moral and spiritual life are neither separate
nor mutually exclusive. The 20th Century has been ravaged by a materialistic,
self-centered consumerism. The next century needs to focus on the
quality and spirituality of life itself. Buddhism, which advocates
the ‘Middle Path’, serves as an important resource to pursue an alternative
to the extremes of capitalism and socialism, or pure self-interest
and utter self-negation.
The
Essence of Buddhist Economics
Inoue
identifies three key phrases that underlie his model of Buddhist Economics.
They are:
1)
an economics that benefits oneself and others
2) an economics of tolerance and peace
3) an economics that can save the earth.
An
Economics that benefits oneself and others
Adam
Smith developed his theory of free enterprise based on the concept
of self-benefit’. This led to people being more concerned with enriching
themselves and disregarding the interests of others. At the international
level, during Adam Smith’s day, major colonial powers such as England,
Netherlands, France, Portugal and Spain developed their economies
from the resources taken from other poorer regions, without an adequate
resulting benefit accruing to the colonies. In contrast, the earlier
Buddhist societies such as India during the time of the Buddha or
Japan during
the time of Prince Shotuku ( 574 - 622 AD ) existed with a radically
different social approach. In Japanese society where the density of
population was high, human relations were tightly interwoven, and
Japanese people were encouraged to pay great attention to how other
people thought or reacted. In the Japanese world of business, earning
the trust of others and entering into mutually beneficial transactions
have always been given priority. Such conduct was the result of
deep-seated Buddhist influence.
The
Western obsession with ’self-benefit ‘ and indifference to the rights
of non-European people has been well analysed by former Indian diplomat
K.M.Panikkar in his ground breaking book ‘Asia and Western Domination
- A Survey of the Vasco De Gama Epoch of Asian History 1498 - 1945,
published in 1953. Panikkar says that western colonial powers were
reluctant to recognise that doctrines of international law applied
outside Europe or that European nations had any moral obligations
when dealing with Asian people. For example, when Britain insisted
on the opium trade against the laws of China in the 19th Century,
there was a prohibition by law on opium smoking in England. In countries
under direct British occupation eg. India, Ceylon and Burma, though
there were equal rights established by law, there was considerable
reservation in enforcing the law against Europeans. Maurice Collis,
a British magistrate in Burma, gives a rare candid account in his
book ‘Trials in Burma’ ( 1938 ) about the pressures brought upon him
by the members of the Colonial Government and the British expatriate
community, to be partial towards Europeans in his judgments. Panikkar
avers that this doctrine of different rights (which made a mockery
of the concept of the Rule of Law) persisted to the very end of western
colonial domination and was a prime cause of Europe’s ultimate failure
in Asia.
An
Economics of Tolerance and Peace
The
Indian Emperor Asoka established the world’s first welfare state in
the third century BC upon embracing Buddhism. He renounced the idea
of conquest by the sword. In contrast to the western concept of ‘
Rule of Law ‘, Asoka embarked upon a ‘policy of piety or rule of righteousness’.
The basic assumption of this policy of piety was that the ruler who
serves as a moral model would be more effective than one who rules
purely by strict law enforcement. The right method of governing is
not only by legislation and law enforcement, but also by promoting
the moral education of the people. Asoka began by issuing edicts concerning
the ideas and practice of dharma, dealing with universal law and social
order. Realizing that poverty eroded the social fabric, one of his
first acts was to fund social welfare and other public projects. Asoka’s
ideals involved promoting policies for the benefit of everyone in
society, treating all his subjects as if they were his children and
protecting religion. He built hospitals, animal welfare shelters and
enforced a ban on owning slaves and killing. He gave recognition to
animal rights in a number of his rock edicts and accepted state responsibility
for the protection of animals. Animal sacrifice was forbidden by law.
An
important aspect of Asoka’s economics of peace was tolerance. In one
of his rock edicts, Asoka calls for religious freedom and tolerance,
and declares that by respecting someone else’s religion, one brings
credit to one’s own religion. Inoue says that the idea of religious
tolerance only emerged in the West in 1689 with the publication of
John Locke’s book ‘ A Letter Concerning Toleration ‘.
Inoue
says that from a Buddhist perspective, politics can be summed up by
the Sanskrit word 4 cakravartin ‘ (the wheel turner ), which means
a king or political ruler who protects his people and the Buddhist
teachings. Asoka was the prototype of this ruler whose political ideas
were to inspire a countless number of other Asian Emperors and rulers.
One enthusiastic follower of Asoka in Japan was Prince Shotuku. (574
- 622 AD ). An ardent believer in Buddhism, Shotukti drafted a 17
Article Constitution (the first Buddhist Constitution of Japan), which
was promulgated in 604 AD. Shotuku appeals neither to ’self-evident
truths ‘ (as in the American Constitution ) nor to some divine right
of kings as the basis of law. Instead he begins pragmatically by stating
that if society is to work efficiently for the good of all, then people
must restrain factionalism and learn to work together. A key feature
of this Constitution is the emphasis placed on resolving differences
by appeals to harmony and common good, using the procedure of consensus.
This approach is in marked contrast to the western view that factions
can be controlled only legally by a balance of powers. Decision making
by consensus is a significant characteristic of Japanese society.
Every effort is made to ensure that minority dissident factions are
not allowed to lose face.
The
influence of Buddhism in Japan was such that in 792 AD Emperor Kammu
(781 - 806 AD) despite constant threats from Korea, abolished the
100 year old national army, except for one regiment to guard the region
near Korea. National security was maintained by sons of local clan
leaders somewhat similar to the present day police. Japan was effectively
without an army until the emergence of the new warrior class before
the Kamakura, Shogunate (1192 - 1333 AD). Tibet is another example
of demilitarisation (in the 17th century). What is significant to
note here is that long before the ideal of demilitarisation was espoused
in western countries, ancient Buddhist countries had already implemented
it. In Japan, beginning from the 9th century, the death penalty was
abolished for nearly three and a half centuries.
An
Economics to save the Earth
Inoue
is vehemently critical of the practice of industrial societies indulging
in a policy of take-and-take from nature, despite economics being
fundamentally about exchange or give-and-take. He identifies a passage
in the Bible (Genesis 1: 27 - 28) as a possible root cause of the
western attitude towards nature. This passage declares:
“So
God created man in his own image, in the image created he him, male
and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto
them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth and
subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the
earth”.
Some
have interpreted this passage literally, as one giving divine sanction
to domination of the earth for the benefit of only human beings and
disregarding the interests of both plants and other living creatures
of this world. In contrast, Buddhist sacred texts are much more humble
and always emphasise the need to live in harmony with nature and peacefully
co-exist with other living creatures, as the ideal and noble way.
In the Buddhist worldview, humans rather being masters of this earth,
simply make up one tiny element in a vast cosmos. In the Buddhist
Economics that Inoue proposes, the earth rather than human beings
will be placed at the center of our worldview.
History
of Economics
Inoue
examines the major ideas in the theories of prominent economists such
as Adam Smith (1723 - 1790), David Ricardo (1772 - 1823), Karl, Marx
(1818 - 1883), John Keynes (1883 - 1946) Joan Robinson (1903 - 1983)
and the German Economists Friedrich von Hayek (1899 - 1992), Wilhelm
Lopke (1899 - 1966) and Ludwig Erhard (1897 - 1977). Inoue singles
out Lopke’s best-selling book ‘ Civitas Humanas (Human Citizen) published
in 1949 as laying the foundation for the new humanistic school of
economics. Inoue uses the concept of `social market economics’ advocated
by Ludwig Erhard in his 1957 book ‘Woffistand fur Alles (Happiness
for All ) as the precedent for developing the new Buddhist Economics.
Erhard called for the need to overcome the inherent tensions between
the haves and have-nots in society, through such governmental policies
as the banning of cartels, using government ‘price valuation’ to ensure
fair pricing, rent control and supporting people with disabilities.
Inoue
was also inspired by Dr. E.F Schumacher’s book ‘Small is Beautiful’,
which has a chapter on ‘Buddhist Economics.’ Schumacher was heavily
influenced by Buddhist meditation and wisdom during his time in Myanmar
(formerly Burma). Though Schumacher recommended a new approach to
economics based on Buddhism, Inoue says that Schumacher’s ultimate
solutions were sought in Christian oriented ethics. Nevertheless,
Inoue says that Schumacher’s book should serve as a wake up call for
those living in Buddhist countries. He further says that given the
destruction of the natural environment that has taken place in the
industrial West, the time has come to use a Buddhist approach to economics.
Historical
Background of Buddhist Economics
The
life story of the Buddha offers a valuable lesson when focusing on
Buddhist economics. Prince Siddhartha rejected the material comforts
of a royal life, and also realised the futility of asceticism and
denial of natural physical needs. Inoue says ‘’The Buddha walked a
fine line between materialism and denial of the world, and this middle
way or moderate standpoint is fundamental to understanding Buddhist
Economics’.
The
ordinary public and the merchant class supported Buddhism from the
very outset. As Buddhism moved eastwards over the centuries, to China,
Korea and Japan it absorbed elements of the culture of these countries
and became transformed along the way. It also managed to transform
the societies and economies of these countries by introducing ethical
concepts into the pursuit of profit. In Japanese history there has
been substantial Buddhist support of commerce, which had come to fruition
during the Edo period (1603 - 1867). This period witnessed an explosion
of economic activity. Some sociologists have found interesting parallels
in the connections between the Protestant work ethic and capitalism,
and between the rise of Japanese Capitalism and the religious thought
of the time.
Unrestrained
Consumption
The
world’s natural resources would be depleted if two factors are not
immediately addressed:
1)
the ever increasing population growth, and
2) the mismanagement of desire ( particularly of those people in the
so-called advanced countries)
In
the Ryoan-ji, the Buddhist Temple of Kyoto, famous for its stone and
sand garden, there is a poem carved on a stone, which says ‘ Know
what one really needs ‘. Inoue says that this is no simple injunction.
To know what one really needs in life requires great wisdom. But to
have the strength to say ‘no’ to the unessential products in life
would release a person from the coils of consumption. Inoue says that
this view i.e. of wanting what is really essential reflects the Buddhist
view of consumption and it is the ideal attitude to be promoted in
the coming century.
Right
Livelihood
Right
livelihood is one of the components of the Noble Eightfold Path. Its
importance lies in the fact that the work one does for a living influences
a person’s thinking. The Buddha has named five types of occupations
as unwholesome ways of earning a living. They are 1) Selling liqour
or being connected with the production and sale of liquor 2) Sale
of flesh or being connected with the raising and killing of animals
3) Poison (includes drugs) 4) Trading in living beings (includes slavery
or for similar purposes) 5) Dangerous weapons.
Inoue
uses the ‘Sigalovada Sutta ‘ (which is also called the layman’s code
of discipline or gihi vinaya ) as the premise for developing the right
work ethic for the next century. In one passage of this Sutta, the
Buddha says “One should work like a bee to earn one’s livelihood.
Do not wait for others to help, nor depend on others foolishly”.
In the Sigalovada Sutta, the Buddha showed his concern for the material
welfare and the spiritual development of his lay disciples. In the
discourse to young Sigala, the Buddha explained the full range of
duties owed by a layman to all those with whom he interacts. The Buddha
also indicated how wealth has to be spent i.e. one portion for one’s
needs, which includes offerings to monks and charity, two portions
on investment and the fourth portion to be kept for an emergency.
The
Author
Inoue
was born in 1918 in Southern Japan. Upon graduating from the Department
of Economics of the University of Tokyo, he joined the Bank of Japan.
In 1975 he was made the President of the Miyazaki Bank. Throughout
his career Inoue has sought to combine the practice of Buddhism with
his expertise in Economics and Management. He is the current Chairman
of the Foundation for the Promotion of Buddhism, and a member of the
Buddhist Economics Research Institute of Komazawa University.
In
the concluding chapters of this book, Inoue illustrates his creative
approach to business with a number of anecdotes of leading Japanese
entrepreneurs who had incorporated Buddhist principles and meditation
techniques in their day to day work in an effort to develop a more
humanistic and environmentalist business ethic.
Buddhist
Economic Vision
Though
much of the postulates of Inoue have been developed in a Japanese
Mahayana Buddhist context, the contents of this book nevertheless
provide food for thought to anyone wishing to adopt an innovative
approach to Management and Business. However the greatest appeal of
this highly readable book lies in the elaborate development of Schumacher’s
profound insight that there is another way of approaching economics,
based on the ideas taught in the East 2500 years ago, particularly
of the fundamental interconnectedness of people and nature. It is
upon this premise that the world can shift from a throw-away culture
to a more sustainable* civilisation. This work also throws a challenge
to governments in Buddhist countries to develop a Buddhist economic
vision as a part of national planning, as we move towards a new millennium.
___The Buddhist Way to Economic Stability___- Ven.
M. Pannasha Maha Nayaka Thera
The
word ‘Manussa,’ man, had different etymological meanings
given it by eastern scholars in the past. While popular or
general Indian tradition traces the origin of the word to
‘Manu’ the mythical progenitor of the human race, in
the Buddhist texts the derivation of the word is given as
‘manassa-ussannataya=manussa’- man, because of his
highly developed state of mind (as compared to the underdeveloped
or rudimentary mental state of the lower animal). According
to Buddhist thought man ranks as the highest of beings due
to the vast potential of the human mind.
Kautilya’s
Arthasastra and Brhaspati’s Arthasastra - two
famous ancient treatises on economics - were both written
after the Buddha’s lifetime. They held one common feature,
and that, - under title of Arthasastra both writers
had written on politics and economics, leaving out the most
important factor, of ethics and the moral development of man
himself.
Of
the Pali term “Attha“ (-Sanskrit ‘artha’)
- which has more than one meaning according to
Buddhism, the word as signifying success is used at two separate
levels, i.e. ‘attha’ meaning success, and ‘uttamattha’
meaning the highest success. The latter concerns man’s
mental and spiritual development resulting in the realization
of supramundane knowledge of the Four Noble Truths, in the
conquest of Self and attainment to spiritual perfection or
Arahanthood.
Generally
speaking, the word ‘attha’ as success, relates to the
various aspects of man’s socio-economic development - such
as the economy, politics, education, health, law and morality
of a society. It refers to social progress due to the harmonious
unification of all the above factors, contributing to the
prosperity and peaceful co-existence of a people.
Except
in the case of legal administration of the Sangha, no single
discourse of the Buddha deals fully on any one of the above
factors of social progress. Yet reading through the numerous
discourses (or Suttas) it is possible to develop a fully consistent
and complete view-point of the Buddha’s stand on each of the
above topics drawn from the various discourses of the Buddha.
A socio-economic system based on Buddhist principles and practices
could easily be formulated to suit today’s modern progressive
society.
In
recent times many books have been written on the subject of
economics and economic theory, all of them either from the
Capitalist or Socialist point of view. Neither of these systems
pays attention to, nor considers the inner development of
man as an important factor in the growth of society. Hence
there has been a rapid deterioration in human values and standards
of behaviour in all classes of society. Science and technology
have taken gigantic strides forward to send man to the moon,
and it will not be long before he visits other planets. But
fears are expressed that if the present trend towards moral
degeneration continues, before long it would be impossible
to differentiate human action from that of the animal. This
fear is not baseless. It would be a great tragedy indeed were
man to turn beast even in one of the many bestial aspects
of behaviour belonging to the lower animals. Thus what the
world requires today is a socially stable economic system
which yields the highest place to man’s moral development
and cultivation of human values.
The
Buddha lived in a society entangled and confused by sixty-two
divergent views and one hundred and eight types of craving.
There were hundreds who went about in search of an escape
from this entanglement of views. Once the Buddha was asked
the question: (Jata sutta)
The
inner tangle and the outer tangle -
This world is entangled in a tangle.
Who succeeds in disentangling this tangle?
The
Buddha who explained that all these tangles have mind as the
fore-runner, answered thus
When
a wise man, established well in virtue, Develops consciousness
and understanding, ‘Men as a bhikkhu ardent and sagacious
He succeeds in disentangling this tangle.
Realising
the importance of the external factors in man’s endeavour
towards disentangling himself from the inner tangle, the Buddha
gave many discourses on the ways and means of overcoming the
outer tangle. Some of these teachings were meant only for
the bhikkhus. Others were only for laymen. The rest were meant
for both bhikkhus and laymen, although in the latter case,
the discourses were mainly directed to the bhikkhus. In one
such discourse, he approved the acceptance by the bhdddius
of the four requisites namely robes, food, shelter and medicine.
Man could live without all other modern contraptions but for
life to go on, these four requisites are essential. Wealth
is required by man to obtain these four requisites and to
meet his other needs.
The
Noble Eightfold Path which could be classified under right
values and right action, enables man to achieve the highest
ends. For economic stability and well-being, the Buddhist
system stresses three factors in the Vyagghapajja Sutta.
1.
Utthana Sampada: Production of wealth through skilled and
earnest endeavour.
2. Arakkha Sampada: Its protection and savings.
3. Samajivikata - Living within one’s means.
1.
Utthana Sampada
The
Buddha when encouraging the production of wealth makes special
reference to six job ranges prevalent at that time:
1.
Agriculture
2. Trade
3. Cattle breeding
4. Defence services
5. Government services
6. Professional services
India
was predominantly an agricultural country. Hence many references
in the discourses were made to agriculture. For example in
the ‘Sadapunnappavaddhana Sutta’ it is mentioned that
providing of irrigation facilities results in yielding continuous
merit. In the ‘Samyutta Nikaya’ it is mentioned that
the greatest asset for agriculture is cattle, while in the
Sutta Nipatha cattle from whom man obtains milk, ghee,
curd, butter and whey, of much nutritious value, are described
as the best friends of a country. In developing countries,
water and draught power provided by cattle, are basic needs
for agriculture.
In
the discourse pertaining to a layman’s happiness (domestic
and otherwise) (Cahapati Sukha), foremost is mentioned
the satisfaction derived by a layman from the possession of
wealth obtained through righteous means. (Atthi Sukka).
However, the Buddha warns man against the tendency to
become a slave to the mere accumulation of wealth for its
own sake. Ibis would lead to both physical and mental suffering
later. Adequate means of livelihood to support oneself and
family, to help relatives and friends, and to distribute among
the needy and the deserving, would lead to contentment and
inner satisfaction. This in turn would result in the moral
and spiritual development of man.
In
the ‘Kutadanta Sutta’ the Buddha shows how peace and
prosperity and freedom from crime comes to a country
through the equitable distribution of wealth among its people.
He
says: ‘Long ago, 0 Brahman, there was a king by name Wide-realm
(Maha-Vijita), mighty with great wealth and large property
with stores of silver and gold, of aids to enjoyment, of goods
and corn; with his treasure houses and his garners full. Now
when Ying Wide-realm was once sitting alone in meditation
he became anxious at the thought: I have in abundance all
the good things a mortal can enjoy. The whole wide circle
of the earth. is mine by conquest to possess. “Twere
well if I were to offer a great sacrifice that should ensure
me weal and welfare for many days.”
And
he had the Brahman, his chaplain, called; and telling him
all that he had thought, he said: “So I would fain, 0
Brahman, offer a great sacrifice - let the venerable one instruct
me how - for my weal and my welfare for many days.”
Thereupon
the Brahman who was chaplain said to the king: ‘The king’s
country, Sire, is harassed and harried. There are dacoits
abroad who pillage the villages and townships, and who make
the roads unsafe. Were the king, so long as that is so, to
levy a fresh tax, verily his majesty would be acting wrongly.
But perchance his majesty might think: I will soon put a stop
to these scoundrels’ game by degradation and banishment, and
fines and bonds and death! But their licence cannot be satisfactorily
put a stop to do so. The remnant left unpunished would still
go on harassing the realm. Now there is one method to adopt
to put a thorough end to this disorder. Whosoever, there be
in the king’s realm who devote themselves to keeping cattle
and the farm, to them let his majesty the king give food and
seed corn. Whosoever, there be in the king’s realm who devote
themselves to trade, to them let his majesty the king give
wages and food. Then those men, following each his own business,
will no longer harass the realm; the king’s revenue will go
up; the country will be quiet and at peace; and the populace,
pleased one with another and happy, dancing their children
in their arms, will dwell with open doors.”
The
King Wide-realm, 0 Brahman, accepted the word of his chaplain,
and did as he had said. And the men, following their business,
harassed the realm no n-tore. And the king’s revenue went
up. And the country became quiet and at peace. And the populace,
pleased one with another and happy, dancing their children
in their arms, dwelt with open doors.
So
King Wide-realm had his chaplain called, and said: The disorder
is at an end. The country is at peace. (Dialogues of the
Buddha - Part I, pp. 175-6).
2.
Arakkha Samapada
This
means the worldly happiness derived from the constant protection
of one’s wealth (that has been righteously obtained) from
burglary, fire, floods etc. As the Buddha has extolled the
virtue of savings, this factor too could be considered in
this context.
Obtaining
money on credit (or loans) was prevalent even during the Buddha’s
time. Persons like Anathapindika were the bankers of the day.
The Buddhist texts make references to instances where he gave
loans both to the state as well as to ordinary people. However,
Buddhism does not approve of excessive borrowing for as the
saying goes “borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry”
- and the Buddha’s advocacy of a life free from debts (anana
sukha) as being conducive to the happiness of a layman
supports this statement.
In
the ‘Samannaphala Sutta,’ the Buddha compares the SamannaPhala
(or fruit of a recluse’s life) to the happiness derived
by a person, who having been in debt frees himself of all
his debts, and now supports his family and children from the
savings he has managed to put aside. The importance of making
savings from one’s earnings is stressed in this manner. In
general, the Buddha gives details of the proper use of one’s
earnings. But in the ‘Sigalovada Sutta.’ He admonishes
particularly a big magnate, Sigala to apportion his savings
into four and to spend one part of it for his daily upkeep
and that of his family. Two portions were to be invested in
his business; and the fourth put aside for any emergency.
3.
Sanmjivikata
This
is the third of the three basic principles in the Buddhist
Economic system. A person should spend reasonably in proportion
to his income, neither too much nor too little. In the discourse
relating to the householders’ happiness (gahapati sukha)
enjoyment of one’s income appropriately and wisely
(bhoga sukha) is given as one of the four factors conducive
to lay happiness.
In
the Pattakamma Sutta the manner in which a person
should spend his wealth is given in detail as follows:
1.
Expenditure on food and clothing and other needs.
2. Maintenance of parents, wife and children and servants.
3. For illness and other emergencies.
4. For charitable purposes.
5. For the performance of the following:
(i)
treating one’s relatives;
(ii) treating one’s visitors;
(iii) offering alms in memory of the departed;
(iv) offering merit to the deities;
(v) payment of state taxes and dues in time.
The
Buddha extols simple living as being more conducive to the
development of one’s mind. A society progresses to the extent
the mind of the individual is developed. Administration of
such a society becomes easier, when law and order is well
established. Knowing this, ancient kings in Sri Lanka gave
much publicity to the contents of the Ariyavamsa Sutta.’
In this Sutta, preached by the Buddha for the benefit
of the bhikkhus, the latter are exhorted to be contented with
(i)
The robes (clothes) they receive (whether coarse or fine).
.
(ii) Alms (food) they receive (whether unpalatable or delicious).
(iii) The abodes (houses) they receive (whether simple or
luxurious).
(iv) Meditation (development of mind).
Becoming
content with the first three it is possible to reduce economic
restlessness, and at the same time to inculcate the habits
and values of simple living. Through meditation the human
mind develops itself both morally and spiritually, resulting
in reducing social disharmony and insurrection which arise
first in the minds of men and then put into action. Peace
and progress of a country is thus assured.
In
this modern world although highly advanced in science and
technology, with its rapid expansion of knowledge, there appears
to be a steady deterioration of human values. Present day
politics, the economy, and educational systems are some of
the more important reasons for this state of affairs. In this
context it is considered desirable that the existing political
and economic thought and educational systems should be changed
so as to give priority to the development of human values.
Buddhism
is both a path of emancipation and a way of life. As a way
of life it interacts with the economic, Political and social
beliefs and practices of the people. It is felt that the time
is now most opportune to make known to the world each of the
above aspects of society within the framework of Buddhist
Ethics and the basic principles of Buddhism. The progress
of a country depends ultimately on the progress of the individual.
Over 2500 years ago, the Buddha was born into a confused society
entangled in various views regarding life and thought in general.
Through Buddhism it was possible to disentangle this tangle
of views and to reduce this confusion. Today too, in This
Confused Society it is generally believed that Buddhism
could again help in lighting a path through the darkness of
this confusion.
Special
thanks to Phramaha Somnuek Saksree
In the person of Nembutsu opens up the
great path of unobstructed freedom.
“Tannisho, A Shin Buddhist Classic,” trans. by Taitetsu Unno
Globalization and Buddhism
by Alfred Bloom, Professor Emeritus, University of Hawaii
The issue of globalization is an important topic affecting all our
lives. It is important for Buddhism because Buddhism is a global, world
faith. Further Buddhism stresses the principle of interdependence which is
also employed by proponents of globalization to advance their economic
interests.
Unfortunately, economic globalization is opposed by many people,
because the effects of the globalization of business and trade are often
disastrous for underdeveloped nations. These nations provide the raw
materials and cheap labor which are necessary to make globalization
prosperous for the more developed nations. Though there are successes in
the process of globalization, there is much unrest among peoples today.
Unrest occurs mainly among poor and underdeveloped nations which are deep
in debt and suffer internal conflict, poverty, droughts and famines.
Globalization also leads to the globalization of culture, the
homogenization of culture. It can undermine local cultures and disrupt
traditional relationships in a society with the assumption that free trade
will also to lead to a more democratic society.
The underlying principle and argument for globalization, as we have
indicated, is the interdependence of all peoples in this age of worldwide
travel and communications. The world is interconnected instantaneously
through electronic means such as television and the Internet. There is
immediate knowledge of disasters and tragedies. The glint and glitter of
the developed nations are flashed to the underdeveloped nations, arousing
desires for a better life among people whose political, educational,
social and economic conditions prevent quick fulfillment of those desires.
You may ask what has this to do with Buddhism? Buddhism and its role in
the modern world is affected by the way people understand the nature of
their lives. As a spiritual perspective, the principle of interdependence
is a positive teaching aimed at curbing our deep-rooted egoism. It teaches
that we cannot live simply for ourselves or without regard to others who
make our lives possible.
When this concept is transferred to the contemporary world of politics
and economics, it can turn into an onerous reality where the dominant
nations control the conditions within the dependent nations who need their
financial and economic support. Such dependence leads to enormous debt for
the underdeveloped nations and severe political inequalities.
Underdeveloped nations are often despotic and characterized by a high
degree of corruption. Interdependence which enables dependence increases
the tendency to nationalism and ethnic divisions as people look for
scapegoats for their problems.
We hear much about free trade as an important aspect of the principle
of globalization. However, when free trade causes economic dislocation in
developed nations, it turns quickly into protectionism for national
industries. Free trade comes to mean trading freely in underdeveloped
nations to sell products while protecting business in the developed
societies.
As a consequence, there is strong, negative reaction to the idea of
globalization and interdependence. Riots and violence at meetings of
governmental, international organizations such as the World Bank and
International Monetary Fund attest to this problem.
If Buddhism promotes the principle of interdependence which is a
fundamental truth of life, it must also promote the principle of equality
and justice, together with the rule of law for all participants in this
process. It must work to transform not only the nationalism of the
dependent nations, but the nationalism of the dominant nations.
Buddhists must be clearer in articulating the meaning of
interdependence. It is not simply the interdependence between people. It
is the interdependence of causation. The original teaching of
interdependence or pratitya-samutpada. was proclaimed in Sakyamuni
Buddha’s first sermon as a central teaching. It refers to the twelve
link chain of causation which describes the conditions that give rise to
sentient being in the process of rebirth. It is also the basis for
understanding the way to attain nirvana and spiritual emancipation. The
forward movement of these links indicates the way that our passions and
ignorance produce the sufferings of life, noted in the first truth that
all life is suffering. The reverse movement of the chain suggests that the
removal of the various causes in the series is the way to escape rebirth
and attain nirvana.
Ignorance is the root of the series of links, though the totality forms
a circle as the wheel of births and deaths. This circle continues to
revolve as long as each element is produced and nurtured. Ignorance
produces mental functions; then in order consciousness, name and form, the
six sense organs, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, becoming , birth,
old age and death. The cycle begins again as ignorance arises and produces
the links of the chain. Each factor in the chain relates to aspects of our
experience and nature as a human being. However, the system as a whole
indicates that life and reality is subject to the law of cause and effect.
In the context of the issue of globalization, beyond the actual
interdependence among peoples that human life requires, it also means that
whatever principles, policies and actions that are promoted have their
resulting effects. When something happens in our world, it must be seen in
context of the interactions of the various parties in the situation.
Contemporary issues, whether Afghanistan, the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict, or even the sovereignty issue in Hawaii have a history of
interacting causations which must be understood to arrive at a just
solution for all. The Buddhist principle of interdependent causation means
that we cannot simply decide issues as black and white, seeking to pin
blame on one party or another. Nothing happens in a vacuum.
We Buddhists must recognize the complexity of contemporary issues and
call on our compatriots to resist simplistic and emotional responses to
events and situations. It means we must call on our leaders to consider
issues in their full context and not seek politically expedient solutions.
The Buddhist principle of non-discrimination and equality is related to
this understanding. When we recognize the complexity of causation that
produces conflicts and suffering, we must treat each party to the problem
equally and fairly. We must clarify the issues that will lead to
reconciliation and the solution to the problem. Buddhists must make clear
the superficiality of contemporary notions of globalism and
interdependence and work to rectify injustices created by this process. We
must promote equality and support the aspirations for a full life for all
people, beyond economic and political power.
Buddhist Teachings: Acquisition of Wealth and Maintaining an Unperturbed Socio-spiritual Life
Bhikkhu Nyanabodhi
nyanabodhi@gmail.com
It
has been often incriminated that Buddhism is more concerned about
spirituality more than its concern about worldly matters. Against this
criticism, over the recent centuries scholars have contributed greatly
unearthing the social dimensions of Buddha’s teachings. In this
article, we shall look into some economic principles of the
Buddhadhamma by drawing some references from the Pāli canon.
The teaching of Gotama Buddha as we know is centred upon the four noble truths (cattāri ariyasaccāni), of which the first is dukkha
(suffering or unsatisfactoriness). In spite of the high spiritual
application of the concept in other texts, in the Dhammapada verse 203,
Gotama Buddha addresses the issue of Suffering in two fundamental
aspects:
- Hunger (jigacchā) – the primary source of human suffering which needs to be coped with every day, and
- Conditioned things (saṃkhāra) - the primary source suffering to be realized as it is (yathābhūtaṃ) and overcome by the wise.
From this aforementioned primary issues of suffering, we see Buddhism stresses liberation (vimutti)
from both these two aspect of anguish or vexation in the same urgent
spirit. Elsewhere we learn from the Buddha who says ‘all living
beings are dependent upon food’ – (sabbe sattā āharaṭṭhiṭikā) which generated his idea of the Middle Path in the pursuit of a more conducive spiritual life.
In
fact, the spiritual life of Gotama Buddha itself had awakened him to
the importance of leading a life of moderation – the Middle Path. We
see that ascetic Siddhattha’s attainment of perfect Enlightenment (sammā sambodhi)
was possible only after he was disillusioned with the idea of ‘austere
practices’ and resorted to ‘middle way’. Thus, this noble discovery of
the Middle Path of the Blessed One motivated him to avert the
extremity of self-indulgence (kāmesukhallikānuyogo) and self-mortification (attakilamatānuyogo). The Middle path is to maintain the moderation in attainment of both worldly and spiritual success.
The fact that poverty is woeful (dāliddiyaṃbhikkhave dukkhaṃ lokasmiṃ)
accentuates the importance of wealth in the life of a worldly person.
Therefore, the Buddha advocates rightful means in acquiring wealth. By
‘material wealth’ (dhana), Buddhism recognises the four fundamental needs (catu paccaya): food (āhāra), cloths (vattha), shelter (geha) and medicine (bhesajja) before one undertakes the education (spiritual training) for the attainment of noble wealth (ariyadhana).
Of the four, food is distinguished as the foremost as ‘this body
survives depended upon food, without food it cannot survive’ – (ayaṃ kāyo āharaṭṭhitiko āhāraṃ paṭicca tiṭṭhati anāharo na tiṭṭhati).
Yet,
it is a pathetic sight that around the world millions of people are
very poor . Many have died due to hunger. Owing to the severity of
hunger, some were compelled even to feed on the flesh of other humans.
The Buddha evidently mentioned in the Cakkavattisīhanāda Sutta
of Dīgha-Nikāya that owing to the imbalanced distribution of wealth,
there arises poverty which in turn leads to immorality and crimes such
as thefts, falsehood, violences, hatred and cruelty and so forth. The sutta
emphasizes the state responsibility to judge the divergent individual
capacities of his citizens and distribute resources accordingly. Thus,
those with agricultural talents should be provided with seeds and
fields; those talented in business with capital; and those who can
serve in various government sectors with such opportunities. In this
way, people being busy with their duties will not develop harmful
tendencies.
Besides relying on the
economic support from King, Gotama Buddha also educated his lay
devotees on the righteous means to gain wealth. The Exalted One
elucidated how the righteous life first leads to rebirth in this
terrestrial world and eventually will lead to a happy life in the next
world (Dhammacāri sukhaṃ seti asmiṃ loke paraṃ hi ca).
In
the Dīghajānu Sutta, when the Buddha was asked by householder Dīghajānu
about the way to get happiness in this life and the life after, the
Exalted Master expounded four factors conducive to attaining happiness
in this life thus:
- Diligent acquisition(uṭṭhānasampada)
- Careful conservation(ārakkhasampada)
- Having virtuous friends(kalyānamittatā)and
- Living within your means(Samājīvikatā)
Buddhism always emphasizes right livelihood striving righteously (dhammena) and diligently (appamādena)
to be successful in material, social, or even spiritual gains. It is
mentioned in the scriptures that like a bee accumulating honey or an
ant building its anthill, a person must exercise his energy and effort
to accumulate his wealth. There is a saying in Sanskrit stressing the
effort of a man in both earning wealth and practicing a religious life.
It says that in earning wealth and in education, one must not think of
decay or death. But in his everyday life, he should think that the
death is extremely near to him (ajarāmaravat prajño/vidyamarthaṃ ca sādhayet/gŗhita iva kesesu/mŗtyunā dharmamācaret).
The way to earn wealth is precisely explicated in the Aṅguttara Nikāya thus : “for a good person wealth is or should be earned not by violent means, but by energetic striving, amassed by strength of arm, won by sweat, and received with the righteous means” – (Bhogā honti asāhasena uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatehi bhogehi bāhābalaparicitehi sedāvakkhittehi dhammikehi dhammaladdhehi).
The golden rule governing right livelihood or Buddhist economics is
thus : to do jobs that harm neither oneself nor another person or other
beings (morally or even materially). Thus, five kinds of businesses are
declared by Gotama Buddha as not righteous:
- The trade of weapons (sattha vānijja)
- The trade of poison (visa vānijja)
- The trade of alcohol and dangerous drugs (majja vānijja)
- The trade of flesh and (maṃsa vānijja)
- The trade of people (satta vānijja).
This
reminds us of the social obligations that must be cogitated by
manufacturers and tradespersons; not only by seeking self centric ends
but by truly serving the society. According to Buddhism, cheating is an
unskilful action that should be abandoned. It has been often
misapprehended that succeeding in business without cheating is
impossible. But one should also think that he himself does not like to
be cheated. There is a muscular saying of George Washington; ‘Honesty
is the best policy’ which is one of the five basic ethical principles (pañcasīla) of Buddhism and which should attentively be applied in the business matters.
Buddhism
also highlights the careful observation and protection of wealth
acquired by the individual with his hard work. It recommends that a
person should take a good care of his wealth, not allowing it to be
eroded away by unjust taxation, theft, natural disaster or undeserving
successors. Furthermore, when saving up one’s wealth, one should not
allow such doing to bring oneself into conflict with those around him.
The reason why Buddhism advises one to protect one’s wealth is that
in case of emergency such as repairing the consequences of fire,
flood, excess taxation, and so forth, he can make use of his wealth and
overcome the difficulties in life. Of course the best way to conserve
one’s wealth is by way of acquiring transcendental wealth or merit. In
such a form, it is beyond the touch of any evil force. Furthermore, it
will be appreciated with the passing of the years, thus saving in the
form of transcendental wealth is really the most skilful way of
conserving one’s wealth.
Along with the
economic activities or even day to day life, an individual should also
keep companionship with virtuous friends having faith (saddhā), self-discipline (sīla), self-sacrifice (cāga) and wisdom (paññā).
The Buddha teaches that worldly wealth may be exhausted in a moment,
but the value of training other people to be virtuous never knows an
end. In many of the sutta-s such as Maṅgala sutta, Sigālovāda sutta
etc., the Buddha gave a detailed account on how the behaviour of a
friend should actually be. And he also advises us to associate with
the wise and virtuous friends and to avoid associating with the
unskilful and bad ones (asevanā ca bālānaṃ panditānaṃ ca sevanā).
And finally, we are advised to live within our means (samajīvikatā).
One should live a life not being a luxury-seeker and also not being too
spendthrift either. There is a very simple yet extremely significant
statement which in a nutshell contains the essential features of the
Buddhist economics. The statement runs thus: – an individual should
divide his wealth in four portions, of these the first portion will be
used for his own expense, a half of the total wealth i.e. the second
and the third portions should be used in reinvestments. And the best
approach to the investment as mentioned in Buddhism is – development of
skills, training experience, fulfilling the basic needs of others and
so on. And with regard to the hospitality there is a mention of five bali-s (offerings or treatments) namely;treating relatives[ñāti bali], guests[atithi bali], the government[rāja bali], departed relatives[peta bali], and samanas and brāhmanas [devatā bali]. And the last portion should be kept for the future needs such as – floods, calamities and drought and so on.
Thus, while one is practicing the above mentioned four qualities, one develops four more spiritual qualities namely saddhā (faith), sīla (morality or virtue), cāga (generosity), and paññā (wisdom). Having these qualities developed, one then obtains four kinds of happiness namely:
- One becomes happy thinking that he acquires his wealth in a righteous way (atthi sukha)
- He becomes happy in using the wealth earned in the blameless way (bhoga sukha)
- He becomes happy being able to say ‘I have no debts’ which is the bliss of debtlessness (anaṇa sukha), and
- Finally, he enjoys the bliss of blamelessness (anavajja sukha).
The
Buddha praised the fourth type of happiness because this person does
not do any unskilful action either through his body or speech or mind.
And hence he is freed from harming others in any way; therefore he
leads a blameless life.
The economic theory
in Buddhism is rather a holistic one. Buddhism begins primarily talking
with individual economy and then it goes on to social economy and then
to state economy. With the development of wealth, an individual is
expected to be developed in the dharma. He does everything for the
benefit and wellbeing of the both oneself and others as the Buddhist
saying goes; “May all livings be well and happy” – (sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā).
An individual trained in such a way is related to the family; a family
to a group, a group to a state or a nation; and a state to other
states. In such a state even the animals, birds, fish as well as trees
and plants are protected. Thus happiness prevails in such a country.
Therefore,
Buddhism appreciates such economic activities which do not exploit
others; do not increase additional wants depriving the basic needs; do
not fall within the five areas of trade and do not use material
resources without maintaining the ecological balance. Buddhism always
stresses on right livelihood . Right livelihood means that a man
should not just accumulate wealth for the sake of enjoying life,
rather taking the economic activities as a mean to achieve the end and
which is to be known as the socio-spiritual life. In respect of this
way of livelihood, a modern economist, Glen Alexandrian, says that
ethical consideration should be given a prominent place in production
and distribution of wealth. Therefore, it should be said that Buddhism
does not see any fault in the wealth itself. Its emphasis is mostly
the ethical acquisition and usage of the wealth. It recommends that in
the acquisition of wealth, one must not exercise greed, stinginess,
grasping, attachment, and hoarding. In other words, the economic
activities should not be done with competition or contest, but with
co-operation and zeal. In so doing one, would then be able to lead an
unperturbed socio-spiritual life.
Editor’s Note:
Most of the important early Buddhist Economics promulgated by Gotama
Buddha is incorporated in this essay. We can learn Buddhadhamma as well
as Buddhist Way of participating in economic activities. Earning and
utility of economic wealth is a conditioned phenomenon. Non-violation
of Buddhist principle of Dependent Co-arising is the Principle. The
wisdom of Anattā integrates the phenomenon with the Principle
harmoniously. Live in Anattā and you are perfectly protected in any
sphere of activity including economic activities. To live in Anattā :
Annihilate your self-identity in the Totality of any collective work.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/09/15/stories/2008091551160800.htm
Give Buddhist economics a try
Consuming our way to happiness is a dominant theme in modern
economics. But it is not true that high living standards necessarily
mean high levels of consumption. Our economic and moral lives need to
be intertwined.
If three shirts meet your needs,
why does happiness come only when you buy the fourth that you are
admiring on the store shelves?
C. Gopinath
Recent reports suggest that the US Congress (i.e., parliament) is
thinking of another stimulus Bill. That means putting money into the
pockets of people so they will spend it and give a boost to the
economy. The results of the previous stimulus Bill have not been very
encouraging.
The government handed out cheques of about Rs 29,000 each to
eligible families and asked them to go and spend it. Studies show that
about 70 per cent of that handout was saved, and the economy continues
to slip further into a rut with inflation, and higher unemployment
figures expected in the months to come.
Consuming our way to happiness is a dominant theme in modern
economics. It is a prime motivating force in utility maximisation, and
trade theorists claim there are ‘gains’ from free trade because there
are more goods and services available for consumption. The business
world, in general, and the marketers, in particular, have also built
their very existence around increasing consumption.
Regeneration rate down
The US government also strongly subscribes to this ideology, as seen
from their efforts to stimulate consumption. After the terrorist attack
in New York in September 2001, the US president George Bush, as part of
his speech calming the nerves of citizens, encouraged them to go to the
malls. To him, that represented leading a normal life.
The result of all this encouragement to spend and consume is that
the planet is getting quite a bit weary. With 5 per cent of the world’s
population, the US burns about 25 per cent of the world’s energy. It
also produces about 30 per cent of the world’s waste. The World Watch
Institute has calculated that if just the two countries, China and
India, who are trying to raise the living standards of their people by
building more malls, consumed as much per capita as the US, by the year
2030, those two countries alone would need the resources of one
additional planet.
An organisation called the Global Footprint Network has calculated
that the human demand on the environment, through consumption and waste
generation, exceeds the regenerative capabilities of the planet by 23
per cent. In economic terms, this means that we are drawing down the
capital, and this cannot go on forever. Not a pleasant thought.
Only ideas, no solutions
The problem with much of the public debate about global warming and
sustainable everything is that they are full of ideas that are only
solutions at the margin. Increasing mileage of the automobiles by
another 10 per cent becomes a goal, switching off the extra lights in
the office is a much touted cause, and bulky reports proudly claim that
they are printed on recycled paper. These efforts are all like
re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Cosmetic, but does not
solve the underlying problem. Nobody is dealing with the fundamental
problem that plagues our life, and our economic theories, namely
consumption.
So I went back to read E. F. Schumacher’s essay on ‘Buddhist Economics’ (included in his book, Small is Beautiful,
1973) just to calm my nerves. His point is that “since consumption is
merely a means to human well-being, the aim should be to obtain the
maximum of well-being with the minimum of consumption.” I can hear the
sceptics jumping up and saying, “If everyone wears ochre robes and begs
for their food, who will be around to drop it in the bowl?”
That is not what is being recommended. The Buddhist approach would
be to say that you buy the number of shirts that you need, and no more.
If three shirts meet your needs, why does happiness come only when you
buy that fourth that you are presently admiring in the store shelves?
That is the Middle Way.
Extending the idea to fuel use, rather than only look at the cost
per unit for the fuels being consumed, Schumacher argues that we need
to treat non-renewable fuel with the utmost care and use only the
absolute minimum necessary to lead our lives. Thus, there is no formula
or index to decide our consumption, but every decision needs to be
carefully thought through. We have to re-examine the very philosophy of
our life.
I can hear people say that religion has no place in business. (To
digress, have we not already made a religion out of the market?)
Religion has already been influencing several businesses, albeit
marginally. Kosher foods among the Jews and halal meat among the
Muslims are areas where practices of faith have determined the products
and lifestyles. It is also happening with financial instruments. Since
Islam shuns the payment or receipt of interest, and prohibits gambling,
many banks have sprung up to cater to people who live their lives on
those principles.
The Economist estimates that financial instruments
based on Islamic principles are growing at about 10-15 per cent per
annum. Several indices have also been developed to track organisations
working on these principles.
Dharmic investments
A recent entrant into this field is that of dharmic
investments. The Dow Jones Dharma index, which is to be launched in the
near future, will identify companies listed in the world’s stock
markets that are not doing things that violate the concept of Dharma.
This is being defined as those products that lead to prosperity in the
world and the cessation of pain and misery. (Don’t even bother checking
if breweries stocks have a place here.) Such efforts show that there is
a growing interest in the interstices of religion and business and
economics. Getting back to our discussion of consumption, the time is
probably ripe to question whether we should let it rule our lives. But
the essential issue of dealing with consumption has to come from
personal choice and reflection.
Some societies in Europe have already made choices whereby they
forego greater consumption for leisure. Thus, it is not true that high
living standards necessarily means high levels of consumption. Look at
countries such as Japan or the Netherlands who are among the richer
countries of the world but consume at just abut half the US rate, per
capita.
The underlying theme of Buddhist economics is that our economic and
moral lives need to be intertwined. We will probably come to the same
conclusion if we substitute any mainstream religion’s underlying
principles for Buddhism in the arguments made above. But the difficult
part is in practising those principles beyond merely buying products
that tout those principles.
The problem with consumption is that it plays a role that goes
beyond satisfying one’s desires. It also has a demonstration effect.
Consumption is a symbol of one’s success and standing in life.
Increasing incomes lead not just to more consumption from those who
previously did not consume but also from those who already have
satisfied that need but feel it necessary to show society that they can
afford the more expensive car or the bigger diamond.
We need to be able to develop an alternative justification for our
lives beyond consumption and if Buddhism or any other moral philosophy
can provide it, let us give it a chance. And our economists need to get
working on revising their theories. Mother Earth will thank us.
(The author is professor of international business and strategic management at Suffolk University, Boston, US. blfeedback@thehindu.co.in)
More Stories on :
Economics |
Economy |
American Periscope
Social accounting for sufficiency: Buddhist principles and practices, and their application in Thailand
Abstract:
Social
and environmental accounting research manifests varying levels of
awareness of critical global problems and the need to develop
alternative approaches to dealing with economy and society. This paper
explores Buddhist thought and, specifically, Buddhist economics as a
means to informing this debate. We draw on and expand Schumacher’s
ideas about ‘Buddhist economics’, first articulated in the 1960s. Our
analysis centres on Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold
Path and associated Buddhist teachings. The examination includes
assumptions, means and ends of Buddhist approaches to economics; these
are compared and contrasted with conventional economics.
To
consider how thought and practice may be bridged, we examine a
practical application of Buddhism’s Middle Way, in the form of
Thailand’s current work with ‘Sufficiency Economy’.
Throughout
the paper, we explore the implications for the development of social
accounting, looking for mutual interactions between Buddhism and social
accounting thought and practice.
http://www.wisdompubs.org/Pages/display.lasso?-KeyValue=32995&-Token.Action=ℑ=1
 |
|
“It is urgent that such models [as this book offers] be put into effect.”—the Dalai Lama |
Business and the Buddha
Doing Well by Doing Good
Lloyd Field, Ph.D., Author
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Foreword_|_Master Hsing Yun, Foreword
When it comes to business, everyone wants to do well. But can we do
good at the same time? Lloyd Field (and, indeed the Dalai Lama, who
provides the foreword here) says, unequivocally, Yes. Field’s Business and the Buddha
lays out the guidelines for putting ideas about individual and
corporate social responsibility into practice without sacrificing the
bottom line.
No longer can business—big or small—afford to focus solely on profit.
Real assessment of a business’s worth must take into account its
consideration of our shared human values, and the realities of our
shared planet. That doesn’t mean a business can’t or shouldn’t compete;
it means that investing in efforts to build a better society can be, on
many levels, an asset.
Drawing in a substantial and sophisticated way on traditional Buddhist
teachings, Lloyd Field shows how decision-makers and entrepreneurs can
achieve new levels of happiness and security both inside and outside
the company, and take a power-position as a force for positive global
change.
| Praise & Reviews “An exceptionally well-written book, and one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read in many years. It gets to the heart of many issues that trouble me about the business world, and how our societies have managed the free enterprise system. The author, Lloyd Field, uses the lessons of Gautama Siddhartha, the Buddha, to critique and recommend changes to business and free enterprise to increase its humanity and concern for the welfare of the planet and its inhabitants. Its focus is on three groups of guiding principles: wisdom, ethical conduct, and compassion. Who could argue that we have enough of any of these in the business world?”—John Caddell, founder and principal of the Caddell Insight Group, on his blog, Shoptalk “Lloyd Field’s inspired book reminded me of the value of ‘karmic “Field offers an inspiring perspective on Buddhist principles “This book invites senior corporate leaders to apply Buddhist “Can profit-driven, free-market enterprise be reconciled with “It is an urgent priority that such models [as the one Lloyd “When Lloyd speaks, I listen.”—Cheryl Leis, Ph.D., International Ethics Advisory, Boeing Corp. “I cannot express to you how much we all appreciate Lloyd’s “Business and the Buddha shows us the way to apply the “Lloyd Field wrote Business and the Buddha because he believes “The challenge in all interpersonal relations, corporate or “I can think of no better person to act as a confidante and |
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Lloyd Field, Ph.D., Author
|
Business and the Buddha
Doing Well by Doing Good
Lloyd Field, Ph.D., Author
List Price:$ 16.95
Our Price: $13.56 (20%off)
Pages: 232 pp
Size: 6 x 9 inches
Binding: Paper
ISBN: 0-86171-544-6
Status: Available
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The way of home life – Ethics
People should show
filial obedience to their parents. If one does not show filial obedience, how
can one be a human being? In addition to frequently emphasizing and explaining filial
piety – “The kindness of a loving father is as great as a mountain; the
kindness of a merciful mother is as deep as the sea – the Buddhist Suttas go a
step further in wanting us to “ see all people as Buddhas, and think of all
sentient beings as parents”. The idea that “Every man is like my father; every
woman, like my mother “ expands the scope of the family to include all sentient
beings.
Ordinary people such
as ourselves are not able to see all sentient beings as our father, our mother,
or even as Buddhas. On household relationships such as between parents and
children, husband and wife, relatives, employers and employees, and even
between master and disciple the Long Discourses of the Buddha states.
MEDIA
SOKA GAKKAI INTERNATIONAL-USA Beliefs and Practices
Nichiren Buddhism, as taught by Soka Gakkai International-USA, puts
profound 2,500-year-old teachings into a simple practice for modern
American men and women. The goal of this practice is human revolution,
a process of inner transformation that leads its adherents to develop
their character, to cultivate compassion, courage and wisdom and to act
for the betterment of society.
Nichiren was a Buddhist teacher who lived in 13th century Japan.
He studied the works of Shakyamuni, the historical founder of Buddhism,
and came to believe that the Lotus Sutra was the greatest of them,
containing the truth to which Shakyamuni had been awakened.
Unlike other branches of Buddhism, Nichiren Buddhism asserts that
every person inherently possesses supreme enlightenment and can
manifest that life state in this existence. It is possible to channel
one’s desires in a positive direction and connect to life’s innate
purity and strength, transforming the sufferings of birth and death
into a life of joy and fulfillment.
Soka Gakkai practitioners believe the Lotus Sutra’s title
encapsulates the universal truth to which Shakyamuni was enlightened.
Because this Mystic Law encompasses all laws and teachings within
itself, through meditative chanting of “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,” a person
gains the benefit of all virtuous practices.By chanting and exerting
themselves in both faith and practice, people can perceive and manifest
the Buddha nature in their own lives.
Along with chanting twice daily, Soka Gakkai practice involves
members coming together for Buddhist prayer, study, sharing experiences
and discussing ways Buddhism can be applied to the challenges of daily
living. Meetings may be for women’s or men’s groups, for young people
or for the whole community in monthly World Peace Prayer meetings.
Meetings typically are held in individual homes and Soka Gakkai
community centers or cultural centers.
Soka Gakkai International-USA stresses that a person’s greatest
satisfaction comes from working for the happiness of others. The
Charter of Soka Gakkai International states: “We believe that Nichiren
Daishonin’s Buddhism, a humanistic philosophy of infinite respect for
the sanctity of life and all-encompassing compassion, enables
individuals to cultivate and bring forth their inherent wisdom and,
nurturing the creativity of the human spirit, to surmount the
difficulties and crises facing humankind and realize a society of
peaceful and prosperous coexistence.”
Soka Gakkai International-USA members are striving to manifest those
qualities. Their everyday practice of Buddhism helps them achieve
maximum happiness and peacefulness while being fully engaged with the
world and all its challenges.
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=6,6784,0,0,1,0
Buddhism online: A global spiritual force
“The Internet gives us many
opportunities to promote Buddhist values, understandings and insights
on a global scale” - Ven. Pannyavaro
Colombo, Sri Lanka — When the Information
Superhighway i.e. Internet, was launched in the mid 1990s Buddhist
communities worldwide vigorously took up the challenge. With Buddhism
becoming one of the fastest growing religions in the West, they
converted Buddhist literature into the electronic format with a great
deal of enthusiasm.
Today
Buddhist websites are proliferating covering almost every known school
of Buddhism ranging from Theravada to Mahayana to Tantric.
Making known the contribution that Buddhist mental culture can offer
to fill the spiritual vacuum that has come with modernization and
consumerism is a vital need today. Meditation techniques, for example,
can be clearly explained and illustrated on the Net, with an online
teacher guiding the student. A core Buddhist understanding is
interconnectivity and global interdependence both of which are
characteristics of the Internet.
The appreciation of this universal truth leads us to empathize with all suffering life.
Although Buddhism does not seek to win over or convert
non-Buddhists, it certainly has a sense of its own mission in spreading
the message of the Dhamma. In the past the Buddha’s Teachings spread
slowly, not only due to the limitations of ancient communications, but
because it needed to make a local adaptation to each new culture it
encountered - to accommodate itself to the indigenous religions and
philosophies.
Buddha’s teachings does not depend on whether it can accommodate itself
to a particular culture or religion but the appeal of its core
insights. In fact the cultural accretion has to be differentiated from
the fundamental understandings before it can be seen to resonate with
universal truths.
Ven. Pannyavaro and Buddha Net (www.buddhanet.net)
Realising the Internet’s potential in disseminating the Dhamma
worldwide, the German Dharmaduta Society, Colombo, invited the
Australian Buddhist monk Ven. Pannyavaro, Founder and Web Master of the
Sydney-based Buddha Net (www.buddhanet.net)
- a non-sectarian Buddhist information network, to visit Sri Lanka in
year 2001 and deliver a public lecture and conduct a workshop on the
theme ‘ Buddhism on the Internet’. The main purpose of the exercise was
to impart skills to Sri Lankans to establish websites on Buddhism
related themes, and make Buddhist literature particularly the writings
of eminent Buddhist scholars of international renown such as Professor
G. P. Malalasekera, Dr. K.N. Jayatilaka, Ven. Walpola Rahula, Ven.
Narada, Dr. A. P. De Soysa, and Dr. Ananda Guruge accessible to the
foreign public via the internet.
The Buddha Net website includes an on-line Buddhist magazine –
BuddhaZine, - an on-line instructional meditation section: ‘Insight
Meditation On-line’ and a section on Buddhist studies. This website
attracts the highest number of ‘page hits’ for a Buddhist website (over
400,000) per day.
Addressing the GDS-sponsored meeting at the Mahaweli Centre
Auditorium in Colombo, Sri Lanka on the 7th of July 2001 to commemorate
the second death anniversary of the Society’s Founder Asoka Weeraratna
(later Ven. Mitirigala Dhammanisanthi Thero), Ven. Pannyavaro said,
“The challenge that Buddhism faces today is not with the Dharma itself,
the Buddha’s teaching - as the timeless message embedded in the Four
Noble Truths maintains its validity - but how to present this ancient
teaching as a meaningful alternative to people who have been shaped by
the values of the consumer society.”
He was speaking on the topic ‘E-Learning Buddhism on the Internet.’
Ven. Pannyavaro further observed:
“Because a teaching is ancient that doesn’t mean that it cannot
sit comfortably with the new technology. If the Buddha were alive
today, he would surely be at ease in the digital world. There is a new
generation growing up with the Internet’s technologies, who regard it
as the natural place to find information, for online learning and for
spiritual and emotional support. Can we hope that it will be a place
that one goes to have a meaningful experience of the Buddha’s Dharma as
well - it’s the future! “
The Venerable monk also noted the difficulties some groups in
society face in even getting access to computers and the Internet.
“This especially applies to the economically disadvantaged Buddhist
countries in the Theravada tradition, Cambodia, Myanmar and here in Sri
Lanka. Online technology is unequally distributed because access to and
use of computers and the Internet mirror the socio - economic divide
between rich and poor individuals and nations. Another factor is that
the English language dominates cyberspace so students and others with
little or no understanding of English are often denied access to online
learning. Although this is changing as the Net is becoming more
multi-lingual.”
Ven. Pannyavaro also conducted a workshop sponsored by the GDS and
the University of Colombo focused on the theme ‘ Promoting Buddhism via
the Internet’, at the University’s Computer Centre in July 2001. Thirty
young invitees selected on the basis of their computer literacy
participated in the workshop to learn how to create Buddhist websites.
The then head of the Centre, the well known late Professor V.K.
Samaranayake and S.T, Nandasara ( Lecturer ) were among those who
participated at the workshop.
Among the other participants were Ven. Mettavihari, Olcott
Gunasekera, and Yukie Sirimanne, a Sri Lankan pioneer in this area. She
is the Web Administrator of the Theravada Buddhist website - Beyond the
Net. (The well-known Singaporean firm, B.P. De Silva Holdings Company -
founded by Sri Lankan-born B.P. De Silva in 1872 – sponsored ‘Beyond
the Net’ for seven years before the Damrivi Foundation, based in Kotte,
Sri Lanka took over its management).
Buddhist Channel (www.buddhistchannel.tv )
Today, the most popular website covering Buddhist news, events and personalities is the Buddhist Channel (www.buddhistchannel.tv
) which was officially launched on October 25, 2004. It is based in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The BC is actually a “re-branding” exercise
which commenced from the demise of the old “Buddhist News Network”
(BNN), which began operations in May 8, 2001. Using the latest web
technologies on content publication, the BC remains the world’s
foremost dedicated Buddhist news website, providing daily updates and
in-depth coverage.
To augment the BC’s premier position as a Buddhist news site, five
prominent Buddhist individuals were appointed as members of its
“International Advisory Panel (IAP)”. Each of the panelists - coming
from several countries and with expertise in various disciplines -
played a critical role in establishing the Buddhist Channel as a truly
global, web based media platform
The five appointed BC advisers are Anurut Vongvanij (Thailand),
Benny Liow (Malaysia), Gary Gach (United States), Oon Yeoh (Malaysia)
and Senaka Weeraratna (Sri Lanka). Their appointments were made in
their individual capacity, but the selection was based upon their vast
contribution to Buddhist development in their own areas of expertise.
The IAP goes back to the time (May 2001) when the old Buddhist News
Network (BNN) first originated. This happened when the Taliban first
threatened to blow up the 2000-year-old Bamiyan Buddhas of Afghanistan.
According to Buddhist Channel’s founder, Lim Kooi Fong he was immensely
frustrated of not having a platform to disseminate that important piece
of news, as traditional media tend to downplay such items. He had
turned to many organizations, pleading them to take action when he
first received the shocking news.
“Yet they (media) had just shrugged it off and even asked me if
the news were legitimate, as it was not yet reported on mainstream
newspapers.”
Lim says that if a Buddhist media and a corresponding IAP had
existed then, it would have been possible to engage an expert panel of
archaeologists to lobby governments and their respective associations
to take concrete steps. Nevertheless, the destruction of the ancient
monoliths gave birth to new millennium icons, such as the BNN and now
the BC. Lim firmly believes that with these facilities in place,
Buddhists will be better prepared to face any danger or confront any
eventualities, as he says in his own words. “Buddhism fits very nicely
into the gloves of globalization”.
Lim Kooi Fong is a well known Dharma preacher in Malaysia and has
been involved in Buddhist related activities since 1985. Apart from
giving talks, he also conducts Sutta Study lessons and has published
children story books based on the Jataka tales.
He currently manages an Internet Development company based in
Petaling Jaya, a suburb located near the Malaysian capital, Kuala
Lumpur. He has a team that helps him to develop web based technologies
which sustain the Buddhist Channel and to also edit and moderate
articles before they are published. All efforts to sustain the site are
made voluntarily, and the Buddhist Channel remains very much a not for
profit endeavour.
The Buddhist Channel is now virtually a household name among
computer literate Buddhists with an interest in the rapid growth of
Buddhism world wide.
Buddhist News and Comment (BNC - Buddhist-News@yahoogroups.com)
Senaka Weeraratna who is the Honorary Secretary of the German
Dharmaduta Society was instrumental in founding the Yahoo E-mail
discussion group, ‘Buddhist News and Comment’ popularly known as BNC (Buddhist-News@yahoogroups.com)
on March 20, 2002. In setting up the BNC, he was assisted by a young
computer savy student Kaveenga Wijesekera who founded the Dhamma and
Young Adults (DAYA) Group, which also functions as a Yahoo Email
discussion group. Wijesekera is now based in Australia.
The BNC provided for the first time an internet based forum to a
large number of Sri Lankan born-Buddhists - both in Sri Lanka and
abroad – to discuss subjects of mutual interest ranging from Buddhist
philosophy, Sri Lanka’s history and national and cultural issues, and
threats to the Buddhist community from non-Buddhist proselytizers.
The BNC forum attracted among others Daya Hewapathirana (Canada),
Dr. Chandrasiri Wijewickrema also known as Chand Wije( Texas, USA),
Professor Sunil Wimalawansa (USA), Dr. Victor Gunasekera, Ranjith
Soysa, H.L.D. Mahindapala (former Editor, Observer) ( Australia),
Ajantha Premaratne ( Dubai), Wimal Ediriweera (UK), Anura
Senevratne(UK), Bodhi Dhanapala, Channa Lokuliyana (UK), Ananda
Wijesinghe (Canada), Ananda Jayasinghe, Anoma Akmeemana (USA), Mahinda
Gunasekera (Canada), Asoka Weerasinghe (Canada), Mohn Senaratne (
Canada),Mohan Samaranayake, Kamal Rajapaksa (UK) Douglas Wickremaratne
(UK), L. Jayasooriya and Ramani Wickremaratne. Several foreign-born
Buddhists too were drawn to the discussions in this forum.
The following are some of the other leading Buddhist Websites:
Dhamma Journal (http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/dhamajnl.htm)
‘The Dhamma Journal’ published by the Burmese Buddhists and most likely
sponsored by the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Myanmar. The main
attraction of this Journal is that the content comprises a select
collection of articles written over the last 70 years by leading
Burmese and western scholars on a variety of topics as seen from a
Theravada perspective. The contributors include U Nu (former Prime
Minister of Burma), the internationally renowned monk U Thittala, Ven.
Dr. Revata Dharma, Mahasi Sayadaw and Francis Story (also known as
Anagarika Sugathananda).
Buddhapia (http://www.buddhapia.com/eng/index.html)
This
is one of the largest websites on Buddhism in Korea. It provides
detailed information on Korean Buddhism, Temples, Dharma Talks of
Korean Meditation Masters, Research and Books, Buddhist Holidays.
Vietnamese Buddhism (http://giacngo.vn/chude/vesak2008/)
The
Vietnamese Official Buddhist Website (in Vietnamese) provides colourful
pictures of this years Vesak celebration throughout Vietnam including
the holding of the UN Day of Vesak in Hanoi.
Himalayan Art: Features over 1500 artworks from
Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, India, China and Mongolia. Firstly, the Website
exhibits images of art from museum, university and private collections
around the world. Secondly, the Website catalogs all Himalayan art
objects that are known through past or present collections or
publications.
Women Active in Buddhism: The Web’s first
comprehensive collection of links and resources on contemporary
Buddhist women. Female teachers, activists, scholars, nuns, and yoginis
(practitioners) may be found on these pages, as well as teachings and
special events, projects, organisations, bibliographic and contact
information.
Access to Insight is another popular Theravada
Buddhist website providing access to a huge collection of translated
texts from the Tripitaka as well as contemporary materials published by
the Buddhist Publication Society and many teachers from the Thai Forest
Tradition.
With the internet’s potential to reach millions, it is likely that
computer technology will be a driving force behind one of the world’s
oldest religions for generations to come. Buddhism on the Internet will
become a powerful communication tool. If Sri Lanka wishes to re-assert
its claims as a source of Buddhist scholarship on the rapidly expanding
Internet, then the writings of Sri Lankan Buddhist scholars must be
published on the Internet.
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/07/17/fea12.asp
Buddhism online:
A global spiritual force
“The Internet gives us many opportunities to promote Buddhist
values, understandings and insights on a global scale”
- Ven. Pannyavaro.
When the Information Superhighway i.e. Internet, was launched in the
mid 1990s Buddhist communities worldwide vigorously took up the
challenge. With Buddhism becoming one of the fastest growing religions
in the West, they converted Buddhist literature into the electronic
format with a great deal of enthusiasm.
Buddhist websites
Today Buddhist websites are proliferating covering almost every known
school of Buddhism ranging from Theravada to Mahayana to Tantric.
Making known the contribution that Buddhist mental culture can offer
to fill the spiritual vacuum that has come with modernisation and
consumerism is a vital need today.
Meditation techniques, for example, can be clearly explained and
illustrated on the Net, with an online teacher guiding the student. A
core Buddhist understanding is interconnectivity and global
interdependence both of which are characteristics of the Internet.
The appreciation of this universal truth leads us to empathise with
all suffering life.
Although Buddhism does not seek to win over or convert non-Buddhists,
it certainly has a sense of its own mission in spreading the message of
the Dhamma. In the past the Buddha’s Teachings spread slowly, not only
due to the limitations of ancient communications, but because it needed
to make a local adaptation to each new culture it encountered - to
accommodate itself to the indigenous religions and philosophies.
The difference between then and now is that the acceptance of the
Buddha’s teachings does not depend on whether it can accommodate itself
to a particular culture or religion but the appeal of its core insights.
In fact the cultural accretion has to be differentiated from the
fundamental understandings before it can be seen to resonate with
universal truths.
Buddha Net
Ven. Pannyavaro and Buddha Net (www.buddhanet.net) Realising the
Internet’s potential in disseminating the Dhamma worldwide, the German
Dharmaduta Society, Colombo, invited the Australian Buddhist monk Ven.
Pannyavaro, Founder and Web Master of the Sydney-based Buddha Net (www.buddhanet.net)
- a non-sectarian Buddhist information network, to visit Sri Lanka in
year 2001 and deliver a public lecture and conduct a workshop on the
theme ‘ Buddhism on the Internet’.
The main purpose of the exercise was to impart skills to Sri Lankans
to establish websites on Buddhism related themes, and make Buddhist
literature particularly the writings of eminent Buddhist scholars of
international renown such as Professor G. P. Malalasekera, Dr. K.N.
Jayatilaka, Ven. Walpola Rahula, Ven. Narada, Dr. A. P. De Soysa, and
Dr. Ananda Guruge accessible to the foreign public via the internet.
Insight Meditation On-line
The Buddha Net website includes an on-line Buddhist magazine -
BuddhaZine, - an on-line instructional meditation section: ‘Insight
Meditation On-line’ and a section on Buddhist studies. This website
attracts the highest number of ‘page hits’ for a Buddhist website (over
400,000) per day.
Addressing the GDS-sponsored meeting at the Mahaweli Centre
Auditorium in Colombo, Sri Lanka on the 7th of July 2001 to commemorate
the second death anniversary of the Society’s Founder Asoka Weeraratna
(later Ven. Mitirigala Dhammanisanthi Thero), Ven. Pannyavaro said, “The
challenge that Buddhism faces today is not with the Dharma itself, the
Buddha’s teaching - as the timeless message embedded in the Four Noble
Truths maintains its validity - but how to present this ancient teaching
as a meaningful alternative to people who have been shaped by the values
of the consumer society.”
He was speaking on the topic ‘E-Learning Buddhism on the Internet.’
Ven. Pannyavaro further observed:
“Because a teaching is ancient that doesn’t mean that it cannot sit
comfortably with the new technology. If the Buddha were alive today, he
would surely be at ease in the digital world.
There is a new generation growing up with the Internet’s
technologies, who regard it as the natural place to find information,
for online learning and for spiritual and emotional support. Can we hope
that it will be a place that one goes to have a meaningful experience of
the Buddha’s Dharma as well - it’s the future! “
Difficulties
The Venerable monk also noted the difficulties some groups in society
face in even getting access to computers and the Internet.
“This especially applies to the economically disadvantaged Buddhist
countries in the Theravada tradition, Cambodia, Myanmar and here in Sri
Lanka. Online technology is unequally distributed because access to and
use of computers and the Internet mirror the socio - economic divide
between rich and poor individuals and nations.
Another factor is that the English language dominates cyberspace so
students and others with little or no understanding of English are often
denied access to online learning. Although this is changing as the Net
is becoming more multi-lingual.”
Ven. Pannyavaro also conducted a workshop sponsored by the GDS and
the University of Colombo focused on the theme ‘ Promoting Buddhism via
the Internet’, at the University’s Computer Centre in July 2001.
Thirty young invitees selected on the basis of their computer
literacy participated in the workshop to learn how to create Buddhist
websites. The then head of the Centre, the well known late Professor V.K.
Samaranayake and S.T, Nandasara (Lecturer) were among those who
participated at the workshop.
Web Administration
Among the other participants were Ven. Mettavihari, Olcott Gunasekera,
and Yukie Sirimanne, a Sri Lankan pioneer in this area. She is the Web
Administrator of the Theravada Buddhist website - Beyond the Net. (The
well-known Singaporean firm, B.P. De Silva Holdings Company - founded by
Sri Lankan-born B.P. De Silva in 1872 - sponsored ‘Beyond the Net’ for
seven years before the Damrivi Foundation, based in Kotte, Sri Lanka
took over its management).
Buddhist Channel
Today, the most popular website covering Buddhist news, events and
personalities is the Buddhist Channel(www.buddhistchannel.tv ) which was
officially launched on October 25, 2004. It is based in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
The BC is actually a “re-branding” exercise which commenced from the
demise of the old “Buddhist News Network” (BNN), which began operations
in May 8, 2001. Using the latest web technologies on content
publication, the BC remains the world’s foremost dedicated Buddhist news
website, providing daily updates and in-depth coverage.
To augment the BC’s premier position as a Buddhist news site, five
prominent Buddhist individuals were appointed as members of its
“International Advisory Panel (IAP)”.
Each of the panelists - coming from several countries and with
expertise in various disciplines - played a critical role in
establishing the Buddhist Channel as a truly global, web based media
platform.
The five appointed BC advisers are Anurut Vongvanij (Thailand), Benny
Liow (Malaysia), Gary Gach (United States), Oon Yeoh (Malaysia) and
Senaka Weeraratna (Sri Lanka). Their appointments were made in their
individual capacity, but the selection was based upon their vast
contribution to Buddhist development in their own areas of expertise.
The IAP goes back to the time (May 2001) when the old Buddhist News
Network
(BNN) first originated. This happened when the Taliban first
threatened to blow up the 2000-year-old Bamiyan Buddhas of Afghanistan.
According to Buddhist Channel’s founder, Lim Kooi Fong he was
immensely frustrated of not having a platform to disseminate that
important piece of news, as traditional media tend to downplay such
items. He had turned to many organisations, pleading them to take action
when he first received the shocking news.
“Yet they (media) had just shrugged it off and even asked me if the
news were legitimate, as it was not yet reported on mainstream
newspapers.”
Lim says that if a Buddhist media and a corresponding IAP had existed
then, it would have been possible to engage an expert panel of
archaeologists to lobby governments and their respective associations to
take concrete steps.
To be continued
Please Visit:http://chinatibet.people.com.cn/96063/96092/6625448.html
Participants hailed the importance of dialogues in the development of
the Buddhism as the Second World Buddhist Forum wrapped up its first
part on Sunday in Wuxi City of east China’s Jiangsu Province.
The jointly-held forum, which will continue in Taipei on Tuesday, is
installed with eight sub-forums in Wuxi where more than 1,700
participants from nearly 50 countries and regions can have dialogues on
a series of topics, such as Buddhism and Education, Buddhism and
Science and Buddhism and International Exchanges.
“In today’s
world, having dialogues is crucial to the development of Buddhism,”
said Master Hsing Yun, founder of the Taiwan-based Fo Guang Shan
Monastery, who is present at the forum with a theme of “a harmonious
world, a synergy of conditions.”
Chinese government has
clarified that building a harmonious world requires an active role
played by various civilizations and religions.
“Such an
attitude of the government has provided room for dialogues and
development of the religions,” said Professor Wang Yukai with China’s
National School of Administration.
“An effective dialogue is
not necessarily about seeking consensus amid differences,” said Lou
Yulie, head of the Institution for Religion Studies of Beijing
University and also a renowned Buddhism expert. “It is about finding
out differences while maintaining the distinctiveness and showing
respects to each other.”
The Buddhism, imported to the
country 2,000 years ago, is no stranger to dialogues with the
home-grown Taoism and Confucianism.
“The dialogues among the
three religions in China have been carried out with the guidance of
principles such as ‘agree to disagree’ and ‘examine oneself before
accusing others’,” said Professor Dong Qun, a Buddhism expert with the
South East University in the eastern Jiangsu Province.
At the
Second World Buddhism Forum, many Buddhists and experts have reached
consensus that only through dialogues can the Buddhism find its own
position in today’s world and play its due role.
“Differences
may exist between the Buddhism in the west and the Buddhism in the
east, ” said Frank Ulm, a German Buddhist. “But that’s why we are here
for– to find out the difference and have dialogues.”
Ulm said
he felt that the Chinese Buddhists at the forum are always ready to
listen and are pleased to find out differences.
“Only by finding out differences and then thinking about them can we better develop our own sect of Buddhism,” he added.
“The Buddhism is inclusive, rather than exclusive,” said Master Omaple
Sobhita Thero, a Sri Lanka monk at the forum “The inclusiveness, which
enables dialogues, is the very advantage of the Buddhism.”
More Westerners have become interested in the Buddhism which was born
in the Orient, said Master Hui Feng, born in New Zealand and now a monk
in Hong Kong. “The Chinese Buddhists should be ready to have more
dialogues.”
The
model of a pagoda being built in the Famen Temple is shown at a press
conference in Wuxi, east China’s Jiangsu Province, on March 29, 2009.
The Famen Temple in China’s northwestern Shaanxi Province will finish
building a pagoda in May to house a special relic, a fragment of
Buddha’s finger bone, and a grand ceremony would be held in May to mark
the enshrinement of the sarira, or remains, according to the press
conference.(Xinhua/Han Yuqing)
The
performance of “Song of Auspiciousness” is staged at the Buddhist
Palace in Lingshan Mountain in Wuxi, east China’s Jiangsu Province, on
March 29, 2009, marking the end of the first phase of the Second World
Buddhist Forum (WBF). The second phase of the forum will take place in
Taipei from March 31 to April 1. (Xinhua/Han Yuqing)
The
performance of “Song of Auspiciousness” is staged at the Buddhist
Palace in Lingshan Mountain in Wuxi, east China’s Jiangsu Province, on
March 29, 2009, marking the end of the first phase of the Second World
Buddhist Forum (WBF). The second phase of the forum will take place in
Taipei from March 31 to April 1. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)
The
performance of “Song of Auspiciousness” is staged at the Buddhist
Palace in Lingshan Mountain in Wuxi, east China’s Jiangsu Province, on
March 29, 2009, marking the end of the first phase of the Second World
Buddhist Forum (WBF). The second phase of the forum will take place in
Taipei from March 31 to April 1. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)
A
delegate looks at a porcelain exhibition on Chinese Buddhism during the
Second World Buddhist Forum (WBF) in Wuxi, east China’s Jiangsu
Province, on March 29, 2009. The Second World Buddhist Forum opened at
Lingshan Mountain Saturday with more than 1,700 Buddhist monks and
scholars from about 50 countries and regions gathering to discuss how
Buddhism can contribute to building a harmonious world. (Xinhua/Wu
Xiaoling)
Source:Xinhua
| Related Channel News |
| · Religion |
FREE ONLINE TRAINING ON PRECEPTS AND TRADE-20
The way of home life – Ethics
There are instances
that illustrate the mutual benefits of teaching and learning between master and
student where both become persons of exemplary virtue. There is the example of
Venerable Daozhen , who steadfastly followed the orders of his disciple who served as abbot. He poured tea and
prepared fruit for guests, enjoying the bitter as if it were sweet. If we could
learn from the spirit of Daozhen and his willingness to reverse roles, we might
be able to eliminate many of today’s problems associated with generational
gaps.
Everything exists
because of the coming together of causes and conditions. The accumulation of
causes and conditions leads to existence, and with the extinguishing of causes
and condition, things pass away. Even if relationship is as close as that of
parents and children, when the conditions end, separation is inevitable.
Therefore people should always cherish their time together and help each other.
“When one’s compassionate mother is at home, it is as if one posses wealth.;
and when she is away, it is as if one is impoverished. When the compassionate mother
is alive, it is like sunrise and when she passes away, it is like sunset”. The
most blessed circumstance in this world is while one’s parents are both alive.
Therefore, children should always care for their parents while they are still
living.
VR1
MEDIA
Kindly visit:
for
Buddhist Scriptures in Multiple Languageshttp://www.fodian.net/world/
http://www.sgi-usa.org/
For
http://thechinabusinessnetwork.com/Law/Legal-and-Business-Advice-For-Investing-in-China.html
Michael J. Meagher, Managing Director of East Asia Law and
Government Strategies draws on his 20 years of experience in China and
shares his advice for foreign companies who want a better understanding
of how to navigate China’s legal and business environment.
This China business podcast was brought to you by The China Business Show and wsRadio.com.
About Michael J. Meagher
Michael J. Meagher is the Managing
Director of East Asia Law and Government Strategies and a licensed
lawyer. Mr. Meagher has over 20 years experience representing clients
domestically as well as overseas in the areas of financing, merger
& acquisition, development, redevelopment, and operation of a wide
range of businesses and facilities, including factories, power plants,
telecommunications infrastructure facilities, software development,
consulting operations, financial services and investment as well as
real estate development and remediation.
Mr. Meagher has
significant experience representing Chinese clients in their overseas
operations on legal as well as business strategy issues, including
acquisitions, joint ventures, reverse mergers, IPO’s, venture capital
fund creation and investment, as well as structuring investment from
overseas investors. Mr. Meagher also has experience advising Chinese
clients on market entrance strategies and U.S. governmental relations.
He is fluent in Mandarin and Spanish.
Mr. Meagher’s projects
include the formation of venture capital funds, portfolio investment,
international project development investment, reverse mergers, IPO’s,
real estate, and other forms of direct and indirect foreign investment.
Mr. Meagher works with companies to establish, monitor and enforce
their intellectual property rights in China, the U.S. and other
countries. Mr. Meagher is also experienced with the requirements of
Chinese law as it relates to overseas investment, repatriation of
profits and investments, tax policy and environmental regulation.
Memberships
- Boston Bar Association
- Chairman
of the Board of Directors, Massachusetts Alliance for International
Business, the international trade arm of the Associated Industries of
Massachusetts - Board of Directors, Greater China Business Council of New England
Publications
- “Chinese ‘reverse Merger Mania – Is There a Better Way” Harvard China Review (scheduled for publication)
- “Chinese Law for Lao Wai” Boston Bar Journal
- “New Practice Alert: China,” Focus January 1, 2006
- “China’s Intellectual Property System,” White Paper March 2004
Speaking Engagements
- “Growth Investment in Chinese Companies”, Massachusetts Institute of Technology China Talent and Technology Forum 2007
- “Private Equity Investment in Chinese Companies” Strategic Research Institute, New York City, October 2006
- “China’s New Investment Rules” Strategic Research Institute, New York City, October 2005
- Panelist, “China’s Next Phase”, Harvard China Review’s Ninth Annual Program, March 25 and 26, 2005
- Panelist, Structuring Chinese Venture Capital Funds and Chinese Portfolio Investments, October 11, 2005
- Panelist,
New England-Latin American Business Council’s “The China Factor:The
Winners and Losers from Increased Latin America-China Trade and
Investment,” March 24, 2005 - Panel Moderator, “The Asian Model
of Corporate Governance,” Asia Business Conference, Harvard Business
and Harvard Law School, February 18-19, 2005 - Speaker,
U.S./China trade opportunities, Great Hall of the People (Chinese
capitol building), Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China, January 10, 2005
(delivered in Mandarin) - Speaker, Quebec/New England Transborder Forum, St. Albans, VT, October 25, 2004
- Speaker,
“The Critical Issues Related to Entrepreneurs,” Sino-American
Pharmaceutical Professionals Association New England Regions (SAPA-NE)
entrepreneurship/career day symposium, MIT, April 24, 2004 - Roundtable
Discussion Leader, Business/Law Section, Massachusetts Education and
the Global Economy Leadership Conference, JFK Library, December 5, 2003 - Host,
New England Latin American Business Council (in collaboration with
iNetwork128), “An Emerging Trade Triangle: Linking Latin Trade with
Asia throughout the U.S. Free Trade Agreements” October 29, 2003
DOING BUSINESS IN KOREA: The Korean Market
http://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/eng/document.jsp?did=89960&cid=517&oid=242Following the devastation of the 1950-53 Korean War, Korea was one
of the world’s poorest countries, with a gross domestic product (GDP)
of less than USD 100 per year and an agrarian-based economy. In fifty
years, the country has transformed itself into a dynamic and advanced
economy, now the world’s 13th largest. Today, Korea boasts a GDP of more than USD 20,000 per capita, an educated population, and a large middle class.
There are a number of reasons that explain this rapid economic
growth. Key among these is economy’s reliance on strong government
intervention favouring certain industries in the years following the
Korean War. Although initial economic and export growth was fuelled by
sectors such as garments and shoe manufacturing, by the 1970s heavy
industries such as steel, shipbuilding and automotive production had
become key drivers of the Korean economy. These sectors remain key to
the export-dependant economy today, along with information technology
(including semiconductors, consumer electronics, and technology
development), which rose in prominence during the 1990s. As with other
developed economies, the service sector continues to increase in
importance.
Further, heavy government intervention in the economy during the
second half of the 20th century favoured not only specific industries,
but also specific companies. This explains the prevalence of the
chaebol – or conglomerates – in the Korean economy. These firms –
including giants such as Hyundai, Samsung and LG – are involved in many
different business areas, and continue to have a significant impact on
the country’s economy.
While these sectors and conglomerates continue to form the backbone
of the Korean economy, Korea presents opportunities for Canadian
companies of all kinds. Agriculture and agri-food, fisheries, education
and mining and minerals are some of the other areas that have been
particularly advantageous to Korean firms. That said, the large and
varied needs of the country’s economy – combined with a large consumer
class - present opportunities for many types of firms.
Given the importance of international trade to the country’s
economic well-being, Korea continues to look forward, and has pursued
an active free-trade agenda in recent years, concluding negotiations
with more than 15 different partners. Free-trade negotiations between Canada and Korea are on-going.
The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service
The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service at the Embassy of Canada in
Seoul is here to help your company realise its full international
market potential. We provide our Canadian clients with the following
services:
- Assessment of Market Potential, including up-to-date market intelligence and advice on improving your market strategy;
- Identification of Qualified Contacts, including potential buyers, agents and foreign regulatory authorities;
- Resolution of Problems,
including advice on market access challenges or other problems
including customs clearance and shipping, unfair business treatment,
and overdue accounts receivable.
The Trade Commissioner Service’s network of Regional Offices in Canada helps firms that are new to exporting to Prepare for International Markets. Such firms should contact the regional office responsible for their Canadian province or territory.
For more information or to request one of our services, please contact a member of our team. Clients requiring services such logistical or business support or in-depth technical or legal advice should contact a qualified third-party service provider.
The provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Québec maintain trade and investment offices in Seoul.
Market Entry
There are a number of different market-entry strategies
that can be used to achieve success for your company in the Korean
market. The right strategy will depend on a number of different
factors, including your products, target customers and capacity to
expand internationally.
Canadian firms that choose to establish their own operations in the
Korean market should keep in mind various guidelines related to in-market office establishment. Information for Canadian citizens interested in establishing a new business in Korea – without existing Canadian operations – is also available.
No matter which type of market-entry strategy is chosen, an
individual visit to meet potential agents, partners or customers can be
extremely helpful for companies new to the Korean market. The visit
will enable you to meet, assess and select potential agents, gain a
better understanding of the market, and demonstrate your firm’s
commitment to your Korean contacts. The development of personal
relationships can be key to your business success in Korea; visits to
the market help to establish and maintain these relationships.
Business Etiquette
Developing an understanding of Korean culture and its influence on
business practices is essential to your firm’s success in Korea. While
polite Canadian manners will almost always be recognised as courteous
behaviour, efforts to learn about Korean customs and language will be
well received, and will assist you in building stronger business
relationships. As in other Asian markets, these relationships often
underpin business success. Learning more about Korean business etiquette will prove useful when preparing to enter this market.
Visit Information
As traffic can be heavy in Korean metropolitan areas, particularly
in Seoul, business travellers should attempt to stay in the same
general area as the bulk of their appointments, and ensure that they
schedule enough time between business meetings. A list of hotels is also available.
Canadian business travellers should also avoid visits to Korea
during major holidays, particularly when planning to meet with new
customers, suppliers or partners, as meetings can be difficult to
schedule and transportation arrangements can be particularly difficult
to confirm during these periods.
Holidays
The following is a list of Korean holidays, which should be
consulted prior to scheduling travel to this market. Note that some of
these holidays are based on the Lunar Calendar, and thus dates change
from year-to-year. Communication with Korean customers and partners can
be expected to take longer during these holiday periods.
|
HOLIDAY |
DATE |
|---|---|
|
New Year’s Day |
January 1 |
|
Lunar New Year (3 days) |
Late January-Early February |
|
Independence Movement Day |
March 1 |
|
Labour Day |
May 1 |
|
Children’s Day |
May 5 |
|
Buddha’s Birthday |
Late April-Early May |
|
Memorial Day |
June 6 |
|
Constitution Day |
June 17 |
|
Liberation Day |
August 15 |
|
Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) |
Late September-Early October |
|
National Foundation Day |
October 3 |
|
Christmas Day |
December 25 |
The Embassy of Canada in Seoul maintains its own list of office closures,
which includes some Korean and some Canadian holidays. Note that the
Embassy of Canada will remain open during some Korean holidays, while
Korean offices will remain open during some Canadian holidays.
Assistance
For any other advice or assistance on doing business in Korea, do not hesitate to contact a member of our team.
ForEconomic Teachings of the
Buddha - By Bhikkhu Bodhi
http://www.beyondthenet.net/misc/society.htm
Certain modern schools of thought like Marxism regard the
economic domain as the primary determinant of social existence and dismiss everything else
as mere superstructure, a secondary overlay resting on the material substratum.
Contrary to this view, the Buddha recognizes that there are
many interdependent spheres of human activity. These cannot be subjected to any simplistic
reduction, but must be seen as interrelated and mutually efficacious. The Buddha took note
of the importance of economics in human life and he held that for people to be capable of
personal and spiritual progress, the economic foundation has to be secure.
In many sutta’s the Buddha has pointed out that
poverty can lead to the decline of moral values - to stealing, lying, murder, etc., and
eventually to complete social chaos. He teaches not only that economics largely determines
man’s moral condition, but also that the government has a responsibility to correct
any extreme economic injustice. He advises the king to look after the economic well being
of his subjects. He says that the king has to give seed to the farmers for their crops and
feed for their cattle, capital to the merchants and businessman to conduct their business,
and jobs to the civil servants, etc.
Generosity
Buddhism promotes economic well being in society by its
stress on the virtue of generosity. The Buddha teaches all his disciples, whether monks or
laymen, to practice giving, to be generous and bountiful. The wealthy in particular have
an obligation to give to the poor, to help and assist the poor.
The things that can be given have been minutely classified
as follows:
The basic requirements are:
- Food
- Clothing
- Dwelling places
- Medicine
Secondary objects:
- Vehicles
- Books
- Utensils, lights, seats etc.
The Buddha especially praises, the giving of food. He says
that if people knew the benefits of giving food, they would not sit down to a single meal
without sharing it with someone if there is an opportunity for them to do so. He says one
who gives food gives the following five things and in return receives these five as its
karmic result.
He gives :
- Life (long life )
- Beauty (good complexion)
- Happiness
- Strength (physical health)
- Intelligence (mind is able to function properly)
Specific advice to laymen
The Buddha gave the following advice to a group of lay
people as conducive to their happiness here and now.
(a) Energy and diligence
You have to be energetic and diligent in performing your job whether it is farming, a
trade, business or a profession.
(b) Security
You have to protect your wealth.
(c) Good friendship
Associate with true friends, with wise and virtuous people who will help you and protect
you, and guide you in Dhamma.
(d) Balanced livelihood
You should not be too bountiful, spending more than your means allow, and you should not
be niggardly, clinging to your wealth. Avoid these extremes and spend in proportion to
your income.
Then he gave them advice for their long term benefit: as
(a) faith and confidence in spiritual values, (b) generosity, (c) moral discipline and (d)
wisdom.
Right Livelihood
The Buddha laid down four standards of right livelihood to which a lay follower should
conform.
- He should acquire wealth only by legal means.
- He should acquire it without violence.
- He should acquire it honestly.
- He should require it in ways which do not harm others.
Use of one’s wealth
The Buddha says that having acquired wealth by the proper means one should spend it for
five purposes.
- To provide for one’s own household, one’s
relatives and children.
- To make gifts to friends, to entertain them, to
give them presents.
- To protect and repair one’s property and dwelling.
- To pay taxes and make obeisance to the deities.
- To offer alms and requisites to the monks and brahmins.
Kate Moss converting to Buddhism?
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London, May 18 : Supermodel Kate Moss is showing an increasing
interest in Buddhism and has started meditating to maintain her calm.
and has started meditating,’ femalefirst.co.uk quoted a source as saying.
‘Kate
wants to de-stress and is enjoying taking time out to meditate and
learn about Buddhism. She finds it calming,’ the source added.
Moss, 35, is also keen on her friends sharing her new interest but has not got the response she hoped for.
‘She
lights sandalwood incense sticks in front of the statue and makes her
friends do the same. The problem is that everyone just sits choking on
the fumes,’ the source said.
1% increase in VAT not to impact essential item prices
Lucknow , June 2 The Uttar Pradesh government
today said increasing the value added tax rate by one percentage point
in various slabs will not have any impact on prices of essential
commodities, including foodgrain.” Reports suggesting
that prices of foodgrain like wheat, rice and pulses and other items
like coal and iron have gone up after imposition of AT are baseless and
misleading. No additional tax had been imposed on these (essential)
items,” Commercial Tax Commissioner Anil Sant said in a statement. The 1 per cent AT had been imposed on certain commodities on which 12.5 per cent VAT was already being charged, he said. He said there were number of items on which entry tax of 2-5 per cent was being charged in the state.”As a result of entry tax traders were failing to compete with others states like Delhi. Keeping in view the impact on trade in the state the government decided to withdraw entry tax on these items,”he said. Items on
which entry tax was being charged included clinker, imported wood,
machinery and machinery parts of over Rs 10 lakh, aluminimum and its
products, cables, laptop, computer system and television, marble stone
and tiles, refrigerator and air conditioning plants, he said. The commissioner said withdrawal of entry tax had reduced prices of these commodities.