[Buddha-l] Marx and Buddhism

[Joy Vriens]

Chris wrote:
> Thank you for this, Richard. Would you be so kind as to point to exactly 
> what writings of BB lead you to this conviction?

The very interesting book "Une herméneutique bouddhique contemporaine de 
Thaïlande: Buddhadasa Bhikku" by Louis Gabaude has some chapters on this 
topic. Louis Gabaude writes that fundamentally, BB rejects communism for 
the same reason as a liberal democracy, because in both systems 
material, physical and carnal happiness, remain the first and unique 
objective, in spite of their different mechanisms. But in quantity he 
has more often condemned "liberal" materialism to his audience, who, 
beings themselves victims of this system, could understand how the 
consumer society flatters passions, destroys the natural environment and 
erases the cultural heritage. etc etc. (p435).

Joy