[Buddha-l] Poll on Buddho-capitalism

[Margaret Gouin]

On Mon, May 14, 2007 7:07 pm, Richard Hayes wrote:
> I am pretty familiar with the major and minor Buddhist precepts and have
> spent
> a fair amount of my life reflecting on how best to observe them. (I have
> also
> spent a fair amount of my life failing to observe them, but that is not
> for
> want of understanding them.) With that preamble, I have to say I cannot
> see
> how capitalism conflicts with any Buddhist principles.
> ==============
I would like to thank Richard for his elegant clarification of
'capitalism'. Within the terms of his clarification, I agree that
capitalism does not conflict with Buddhist principles. The idea of 'right
livelihood' does not require the absence of a market economy. If by
'capitalism' is actually meant the rampant over-the-top consumerism of
some 'developed' economies, then I would agree that *that* would conflict
with Buddhist principles.

-- 
Margaret Gouin
PhD Candidate
Centre for Buddhist Studies
Department of Theology and Religious Studies
University of Bristol (UK)