Buddhism and business : merit, material wealth, and morality in the global market economy

Although Buddhism is known for emphasizing the importance of detachment from materiality and money, in the last few decades Buddhists have become increasingly ensconced in the global market economy. The contributors to this volume address how Buddhists have become active participants in market dynamics in a global age, and how Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike engage Buddhism economically. Whether adopting market logics to promote the Buddha's teachings, serving as a source of semantics and technologies to maximize company profits, or reacting against the marketing and branding of the religion, Buddhists in the twenty-first century are marked by a heightened engagement with capitalism. Eight case studies present new research on contemporary Buddhist economic dynamics with an emphasis on not only the economic dimensions of religion, but also the religious dimensions of economic relations. In a wide range of geographic settings from Asia to Europe and beyond, the studies examine institutional as well as individual actions and responses to Buddhist economic relations. The research in this volume illustrates Buddhism's positioning in various ways-as a religion, spirituality, and non-religion; an identification, tradition, and culture; a source of values and morals; a world-view and way of life; a philosophy and science; even an economy, brand, and commodity. The work explores Buddhism's flexible and shifting qualities within the context of capitalism, and consumer society's reshaping of its portrayal and promotion in contemporary societies worldwide. "The objective of the book is to present novel insights into contemporary relations between Buddhism and economy. As an interdisciplinary project, it approaches the study of Buddhism and economy from various perspectives and locations. It provides new empirical research and pushes forward analytical discussions, including: the impact of capitalism and neoliberalism on Buddhist economic relations; the negotiations of morality and value within Buddhist-economic exchanges; how Buddhist networks have risen and spread through global market exchanges and relations; the complex and contentious transformations and ensuing challenges such issues pose to exchange relations and the resulting shifting value regimes. The main argument presented in this book is that Buddhists are necessarily embedded in the global market economy and have various strategies for working within the consumer society and the new spirit of capitalism. Thus, rather than offering normative economic models based upon ideals labelled as Buddhist, the nine chapters constituting this volume turn to how Buddhists and non-Buddhists engage Buddhism within the global market economy"-- Provided by publisher Merit, Material Wealth, and Morality in the Global Market Economy Half-title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 6 Preface 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction: Buddhist Encounters with the Global Market Economy and Consumer Society 12 The Lama’s Shoes: Tibetan Perspectives on Monastic Wealth and Virtue 33 A Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Modernism: Religious Marketplace, Constellative Networking, and Urbanism 51 Prosperous Temple Buddhism and NRM Prosperity Buddhism 70 The Soka Gakkai Economy: Measuring Cycles of Exchange That PowerJapan’s Largest Buddhist Lay Organization 87 The Mindful Gardener and the Good Employee: Mindfulness Practices and Affective Laborin Danish Workplaces 104 Branding and/as Religion: The Case of Buddhist-Related Images,Semantics, and Designs 122 Marketing the Buddha and Its Blasphemy 139 Economies of Religion, Buddhism and Economy, Buddhist Economics: Challenges and Perspectives 156 Works Cited 172 Contributors 192 Index 196 Blank Page 1