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The 3rd World Conference on Buddhism and Science (WCBS) Buddhist Economic Prescription for Sustainable Development Kumar Mukesh, Gaya College Abstract The Buddha's teachings give us more than just ethical guidelines for a virtuous life. His teachings offer a grand insight into the nature of reality. Given the twofold meaning of the term Dhamma, it follows that an economics inspired by the Dhamma would be both attuned to the grand sphere of causes and conditions and, at the same time, guided by the specific ethical teachings based on natural reality. In other words, Buddhist economists would not only consider the ethical values of economic activity, but also strive to understand reality and direct economic activity to be in harmony with "the way things are." To be ethically sound, economic activity must take place in a way that is not harmful to the individual, society or the natural environment. In other words, economic activity should not cause problems for oneself, agitation in society or degeneration of the ecosystem, but rather enhance well-being in these three spheres. While modern economic thinking rejects any subjective values like ethics, the influence of ethics in economic matters is all too obvious. If a community is unsafe -- if there are thieves, the threat of violence, and the roads are unsafe to travel -- then it is obvious that businesses will not invest there, tourists will not want to go there, and the economy will suffer. On the other hand, if the citizens are law-abiding, well-disciplined and conscientiously help to keep their community safe and clean, businesses will have a much better chance of success and the municipal authorities will not have to spend so much on civic maintenance and security. In place of the basic Western economics such as profit-maximization, cultivating desire, introducing markets, instrumental use of the world and self-interest based ethics, the Buddhist Economics proposes the principles of minimize suffering, simplifying desires, non-violence, genuine care and generosity. It is not a system but a 1 strategy, which can be applied in any economic setting. The Buddhist Economics provides a rational, ethical, and ecological value background, which promotes happiness, peace and permanence. Thus, an economics inspired by Buddhism would strive to see and accept the truth of all things. It would cast a wider, more comprehensive eye on the question of ethics. Once ethics has been accepted as a legitimate subject for consideration, ethical questions then become factors to be studied within the whole causal process. But if no account is taken of ethical considerations, economics will be incapable of developing any understanding of the whole causal process, of which ethics forms an integral part. While the importance of the relationship between Development and the Environment is obvious, our understanding of how these twin dynamics interact remains weak. The purpose of this study is to explore the environmental roots and contexts of development and to see how the global peace and prosperity is ensured by the Buddhist ideals. The present paper explores the aspects and possibilities of application of the Buddhist economic thoughts in the present materialistic Global order. A modest attempt has been made to inject ''sustainability'' goals into an otherwise value-neutral social science. It seeks to suggest that moral behavior, ethics, and consideration of the larger good, should not be tacked on or sidelined in economic analysis, but integrated. Economics cannot be separated from Dhamma, because all the activities we associate with economics emerge from the Dhamma. Economics is just one part of a vast interconnected whole, subject to the same natural laws by which all things function. Dhamma describes the workings of this whole, the basic truth of all things, including economics. If economics is ignorant of the Dhamma -- of the complex and dynamic process of causes-and-effects that constitutes reality -- then it will be hard pressed to solve problems, much less produce the benefits to which it aims. Yet this is precisely the trouble with modern economic thinking. Lacking any holistic, comprehensive insight and limited by the narrowness of their specialized view, economists single out one isolated portion of the stream of conditions and fail to consider results beyond that point. By contrast, an economics inspired by Dhamma would be concerned with how economic activities influence the entire process of causes and conditions. While modern economics confines its regard to events within its specialized sphere, Buddhist economics would investigate how a given economic activity affects the three interconnected spheres of human existence: the individual, society, and nature or the environment. The present paper explores the aspects and possibilities of application of the Buddhist economic thoughts in the present materialistic Global order. A modest attempt has been made to inject ‘sustainability’ goals into an otherwise value-neutral social science. It seeks to suggest that moral behavior, ethics, and consideration of the larger good, should not be tacked on or sidelined in economic analysis, but integrated. Buddhism tirelessly advocates the virtues of non-greed, non-hatred and nondelusion in all human pursuits. Greed breeds sorrow and unhealthy consequences. Contentment (santutthi) is a much praised virtue in Buddhism. 1 The man leading a simple life with few wants easily satisfied is upheld and appreciated as an exemplary character. 2 Buddhism advocates a gentle non-aggressive attitude towards nature. Buddhism offers man a simple moderate lifestyle eschewing both extremes of selfdeprivation and self-indulgence. Satisfaction of basic human necessities, reduction of wants to the minimum, frugality, and contentment are its important characteristics. Each man has to order his life on normal principles, exercise self-control in the enjoyment of the senses, discharge his duties in his various social roles, and conduct himself with wisdom and self-awareness in all activities. It is only when each man adopts a simple moderate lifestyle that mankind as a whole will stop polluting the environment. This seems to be the only way of overcoming the present eco-crisis and the problem of alienation. With such a lifestyle, man will adopt a non-exploitative, non-aggressive, gentle attitude towards nature. He can then live in harmony with nature, utilizing its resources for the satisfaction of his basic needs. The Buddhist admonition is to utilize nature in the same way as a bee collects pollen from the flower, neither polluting its beauty nor depleting its fragrance. Just as the bee manufactures honey out of pollen, so man should be able to find happiness and fulfillment in life without harming the natural world where he lives. Buddhism is a dynamic principle moving towards the generation of Complete Social Harmony in life as a whole. For this it does not believe in dogmatic behavior and in elaborate systems of rites, rules, or prayers. It rather advocates the ethics of life. It puts man and his thought processes at the forefront and urges the humans to follow a practical and rational way of life based on morality (Sila), concentration (Samadhi), and wisdom (Panna) and culminating in liberating insight. The wisdom is usually developed by the method of critical reflections in whose practice the value of other species in the universe becomes quite imminent before the mind. Buddhism locates humans as important components of the universe who should recognize and respect various aspects of nature and make serious endeavours to build a coherent approach towards proper utilization of then natural resources. Humanity is organically linked with the nature and the nature is directly affected by the positive or negative traits of our personality. From the point of view of the Buddha's teaching, environmental pollution is but the external manifestation of man's internal moral pollution, which has assumed alarming proportions and reached a crisis. A number of Suttas in the Pali Canon such as the Agga~n~na3, Cakkavattisiihanaada4 and some in the A"nguttaranikaaya5 express that when moral degeneration becomes rampant in society, it causes adverse changes in the human body and in our environment. The legend in the Agga~n~na Sutta states that moral degeneration causes the loss of beauty in the human personality and depletion of natural food resources in the external world. These adverse repercussions are proportionate to the extent of moral-degradation. Buddha always wished to preserve the entire fabric of the world which can be a reality only when we would be able to behave in a disciplined manner i.e. with self-control, sincerity and patience in utilizing the natural resources. Today in order to provide transient pleasure (often mistaken for happiness) we are recklessly abusing and undermining our relationship with the nature. The only concern that seems gripping the world over is the race to establish an economic or political dominance to exploit the developing or the underdeveloped corners of the world. This tendency is drifting us towards catastrophe and destruction of the whole world. Every act of misusing, abusing or encroaching upon the nature will have the telling blow on humanity which cannot exist if the ecological balance is disrupted. Unprecedented rain, flood, famine, cyclone etc have already been ravaging the life on earth. The problem of global warming, lack of fresh air and water, soil infertility etc is the other serious concern added to our blues. In such a situation as this we are left with no choice but to look for the Enlightened Vision. Buddhism believes that moral consciousness/the human mind, the human body, the external world consisting of fauna and flora, and society are intricately interconnected through an all-embracing network of cause and effect, to make one whole psychologically sensitive and responsive ecosystem. It is this fact that the Buddha succinctly summarizes it as: ‘Cittena niyyati loko cittena parikissati Cittassa ekadhammassa sabbeva vasam anvaguu ti’ i.e. ‘The world is led by the mind; it is dragged hither and thither by the mind. The mind is one reality under the power of which everything goes’.6 If we loosely translate the phrase cittena niyyati loko as ‘the world operates through human ideas,’ we can see at a practical level how the face of the earth has been changed with advancing human ideas/knowledge during the course of history. At the dawn of civilization when man was hunting and gathering food, nature remained almost undisturbed. During the age of settled agricultural life, irrigation schemes were developed and the face of nature was modified to a certain extent. The industrial revolution brought about further changes with excessive exploitation of natural resources and mass production. According to a discourse in the Anguttara Nikaya, when profligate lust, wanton greed, and wrong values grip the heart of man and immorality becomes widespread in society, timely rain does not fall. When timely rain does not fall crops get adversely affected with various kinds of pests and plant diseases. Through lack of nourishing food the human mortality rate rises.7 Thus several suttas from the Pali canon show that early Buddhism believes there to be a close relationship between human morality and the natural environment. This idea has been systematized in the theory of the five natural laws (pañca niyamadhamma) in the later commentaries.8 According to this theory, in the cosmos there are five natural laws or forces at work, namely utuniyama (lit."seasonlaw"), bijaniyama (lit."seed-law"), cittaniyama, kammaniyama, and dhammaniyama. They can be translated as physical laws, biological laws, psychological laws, moral laws, and causal laws, respectively. While the first four laws operate within their respective spheres, the last-mentioned law of causality operates within each of them as well as among them. One of the most profound lessons of the Buddha's teachings is the truth that internal, subjective values are directly linked to the dynamic of external objective reality. This subtle realization is at the heart of all ethical questions. Unfortunately, most people are only vaguely aware of how their internal values condition external reality. According to the Buddhist view, however, ethics forms a bridge between internal and external realities. In accordance with the law of causes and conditions, ethics act as "subjective" causes for "objective" conditions. This should be obvious when we consider that, in essence, ethical questions always ask, "Do my thoughts, words and deeds help or harm myself and those around me?" In practice, we rely on ethics to regulate the unwholesome desires of our subjective reality: anger, greed, hatred. The quality of our thoughts, though internal, constantly conditions the way we speak and act. Though subjective, our ethics determine the kind of impact our life makes on the external, objective world. In contrast, economics is focused only on material development. Values, which are the domain of the mind, are outside its scope. At the heart of economic theory and practice is the assumption that happiness is an experience that can be achieved from matter and in dependence of material resources. The state of mind is not relevant. From a Buddhist viewpoint, the contribution of economics and material development is nothing more than providing an external condition allowing people to devote time and energy to embark on the more rewarding path of spiritual development. ‘The idea of competition, natural selection and the survival of the fittest, which purports to explain the natural and automatic process of evolution and development, still dominates the minds of educated people today’9. Unfortunately, as it stands, economics is grossly out of touch with the whole stream of causes and conditions that constitute reality. Economics, and indeed all the social sciences, are, after all, based on man-made or artificial truths. For example, according to natural laws, the action of digging the earth results in a hole. This is a fixed cause and effect relationship based on natural laws. However, the digging which results in a wage is a conventional truth based on a social agreement. Without the social agreement, the action of digging does not result in a wage. While economists scrutinize one isolated segment of the cause and effect process, the universe manifests itself in an inconceivably vast array of causes and conditions, actions and reactions. Focused as they are on the linear progression of the economic events that concern them, economists forget that nature unfolds in all directions. In nature, actions and results are not confined to isolated spheres. One action gives rise to results, which in turn becomes a cause for further results. Each result conditions further results. In this way, action and reaction are intertwined to form the vibrant fabric of causes and conditions that we perceive as reality. To understand reality, it is necessary to understand this process. E.P. Schumacher, writing on ‘Buddhist Economics,’ 10 stated that since ‘'Right Livelihood' is one of the requirements of the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path . . . there must be such a thing as Buddhist Economics.’ He held, for example, that ‘the Buddhist point of view takes the function of work to be at least threefold: to give a man a chance to utilise and develop his faculties; to enable him to overcome his egocentredness by joining with other people in a common task; and to bring forth the goods and services needed for a becoming existence.’ It is especially noteworthy that in the pursuit of Right Livelihood what is enjoined is the practice of blameless and honourable occupation. Forms of employment involving trade in armaments (sattha vanijja), slaves (satta vanijja), intoxicants and narcotics (majje vanijja) and poisons (visa vanijja) are to be avoided. If achievement of full employment is one basis for accomplishing global economic justice, ‘the very start of Buddhist economic planning would be planning for full employment . . . for everyone who needs an 'outside' job. It would not be the maximization of employment, nor the maximization of production. . . . While the materialist is mainly interested in goods, the Buddhist is mainly interested in liberation’ and the path is to be traversed along the "middle way" eschewing the extremes of material comfort-seeking and mortification of the human body. Schumacher further held that the ‘marvel of the Buddhist way of life is the utter rationality of the pattern of amazingly small means leading to extraordinarily satisfactory results.’ More than expenditure for the advancement of human welfare, it is the waste on armaments that has contributed greatly to the debt and inflation problems that plague the world today and doubtless will become increasingly intolerable in the future. This is aggravated by the ecological deficits that will further endanger the prospect of human survival. It needs to be emphasized that the ‘social philosophy of the Buddha is grounded on the basic concept of the fundamental oneness and unity of humankind. Buddhist social ethics therefore has a universal appeal which gaily transcends all geographic, ethnic and temporal barriers. . . . The fundamental teachings of the Buddha, with their universal and timeless appeal and validity constitute the structure of Buddhist culture. . . . The Buddha has emphasized the inseparable connection between ethics and politics and the desirability of conducting public life in a manner consistent with moral values.’ Today's situation does substantiate to a considerable extent the analysis of the causality of suffering in society as propounded in the Chakkavatti Sihanada Suttanta, already referred to. The realisation should dawn upon us before it is too late that the proper development of society requires that ‘economic socialism must necessarily harmonise itself with political democracy, so that both could together provide the freedoms and liberties for the realisation of the ultimate aims of individual betterment and perfection.’ Buddhist economics and politics together, consistently applied and in conjunction with Buddhist ethics, can help uplift human society from its present predicament. Managers of all sorts of social enterprise (nonprofit, public, commercial, coop, whatever) often find themselves stuck between the laws of economics and the goals of social good. Economic theory explores the mechanics of value creation and value transfer among individuals and throughout social systems. As such, it certainly should inform our strategies and tactics in advancing our organization's work. But economics often sets aside the ‘values’ that bring us to our jobs each day -- truth, beauty, fulfillment of personal potential, social justice, human expression, and human dignity. If economists were to stop evading the issue of moral values, they would be in a better position to influence the world in a fundamental way and to provide solutions to the problems of humanity and the world at large. Ideally, economics should play a part in providing mankind with opportunities for real individual and social growth rather than simply being a tool for catering to selfish needs and feeding contention in society, and, on a broader scale, creating imbalance and insecurity within the whole global structure with its innumerable ecosystems. Buddhism does not reject matter and wealth as inherently evil, but considers them useful. First, material wealth prevents us from poverty and, second, it allows us to practice generosity; which causes 'merit' and a more happy society. Buddha himself made it very clear: real happiness does not come from acquiring or consuming material things. Happiness is essentially a state of mind, and mind is distinct from matter. Thus, Buddhism considers the path of mental or spiritual development superior to that of material development. What really matters is to psychologically detach oneself from matter, and strive for liberation and enlightenment, which is considered the ultimate state of happiness and fulfillment. This is achieved by the cultivation of values within one's mind, such as insight, compassion, tolerance and detachment. Only this will bring true happiness, both for the individual and society.11 In so-called modern economic system ethical considerations are not merely irrelevant, they are seen as an actual hindrance. Economists may assert that economics only concerns itself with demand, not its ethical quality, but in fact ethical considerations do affect demand.12 But Amartya Sen defines economic development in terms of freedom of basic necessities such as education and healthcare. He observed that as long as the contemporary world denies elementary freedoms to the majority of the world population, planning for economic development is of no use. In doing so, he has restored an ethical dimension to the discussion of development. According to him, ...‘Along with the working of markets, a variety of social institutions contribute to the process of development precisely through their effects on enhancing and sustaining individual freedoms. The formation of values and social ethics are also part of the process of development that needs attention…’13 Development is more than growth, or quantitative change. It has been defined as, ‘the modification of the biosphere and the application of human, financial, living and non-living resources to satisfy human needs and improve the quality of human life’. Generally it is rated on the basis of technological progress and the nature of power as well as amenities being entertained by the people. However, technological progress has also caused ecological problems like disturbance in the natural setting of the environment, interruption in the natural drainage system, soil erosion, landslides and loss of natural sources of water. The state of environment is a major worldwide concern today and its protection has now become the main objective of development. The objective of technology is not to disturb nature but to enrich the environment and make it a better place to live in through the efforts of sustainable development. The Sustainable Development debate is based on the assumption that societies need to manage three types of capital (economic, social, and natural), which may be non-substitutable and whose consumption might be irreversible. Natural capital can not necessarily be substituted by economic capital. While it is possible that we can find ways to replace some natural resources, it is much more unlikely that they will ever be able to replace eco-system services, such as the protection provided by the ozone layer, or the climate stabilizing function of the Amazonian forest. Sustainable development implies economic growth together with the protection of environmental quality, each reinforcing the other. In fact natural capital, social capital, and economic capital are often complementarities and, there is an impending need to maintain a delicate balance between the human need to improve lifestyles and feeling of well-being as well as preserving natural resources and ecosystems, on which we and future generations depend. From the Buddhist perspective both the anthropocentric elements and the belief in progress are basic wrong views. In Buddhism the concept of inter-relatedness is essential. If we seriously consider this, human beings cannot be the ‘centre of the universe.’ We are just one among many species and our well-being depends on the well-being of other species and the natural environment. The belief in progress moves us away from the ‘present moment.’ The causes and conditions of staying in the ‘present moment’ or the ‘moment of reality" are, for Buddhism, of prime importance in the art of coping with suffering. Under the’progress’ ethos we are led to expect that things will be better in the future at the cost of the present reality. This belief in progress is a kind of myth as it promises something that will never be completely fulfilled—indeed the striving to fulfil this myth is an aspect of the tanhaa. ‘It is clear, therefore, that Buddhist economics must be very different from the economics of modern materialism, since the Buddhist sees the essence of civilisation not in a multiplication of wants but in the purification of human character. Character, at the same time, is formed primarily by a man's work. And work, properly conducted in conditions of human dignity and freedom, blesses those who do it and equally their products.’14 To be ethically sound, economic activity must take place in a way that is not harmful to the individual, society or the natural environment. In other words, economic activity should not cause problems for oneself, agitation in society or degeneration of the ecosystem, but rather enhance well-being in these three spheres. While modern economic thinking rejects any subjective values like ethics, the influence of ethics in economic matters is all too obvious. If a community is unsafe -- if there are thieves, the threat of violence, and the roads are unsafe to travel -- then it is obvious that businesses will not invest there, tourists will not want to go there, and the economy will suffer. On the other hand, if the citizens are law-abiding, well-disciplined and conscientiously help to keep their community safe and clean, businesses will have a much better chance of success and the municipal authorities will not have to spend so much on civic maintenance and security. 15 In place of the basic Western economics such as profit-maximization, cultivating desire, introducing markets, instrumental use of the world and self-interest based ethics, the Buddhist Economics proposes the principles of minimize suffering, simplifying desires, non-violence, genuine care and generosity. It is not a system but a strategy, which can be applied in any economic setting. The Buddhist Economics provides a rational, ethical, and ecological value background, which promotes happiness, peace and permanence. The prescription is the practice of the Noble Eight-fold Path which can make the mind pure and guide a person to think in a rational way. Buddha was the One who never asked to follow him out of regard.16 He vehemently encourages us to apply our own proper understanding to analyse a thought.17 Only then a man would be able to work for his salvation by diligence.18 As a man alone is responsible for his deeds, and he is alone in his pursuit for freedom,19 the reason will help him to concentrate on the ideas that have been tested in the spirit of rationalism. Let us come back to the Buddha's statement: cittena niyyati loko i.e. the world operates through the human mind. So long as the human mind is motivated by morally wholesome intentions, man can lead a comparatively happy life and nature would be manageably hospitable. When the motivational roots are evil, man experiences misery as is maintained by the first two verses in the Dhammapada. Now it appears that evil is so widespread that even nature has been adversely affected, rendering it more inhospitable. The environmental crisis has to be treated as the result of a moral crisis. Man has to cultivate a morally wholesome attitude and lifestyle for a change for the better and this has to be accepted as a survival imperative. Economics inspired by Buddhism would strive to see and accept the truth of all things. It would cast a wider, more comprehensive eye on the question of ethics. Once ethics has been accepted as a legitimate subject for consideration, ethical questions then become factors to be studied within the whole causal process. But if no account is taken of ethical considerations, economics will be incapable of developing any understanding of the whole causal process, of which ethics forms an integral part. Buddha, thus, presents a unique moral world order to respect all in the universe i.e. to respect the equilibrium – social, economic, political and environmental. Human beings, nature and the universe are but one complex integral whole in which every component is crucial and all are interdependent. It is our bounden duty to ensure a balanced relationship amongst all its components. “Being an integral part of then nature, trees and animals can live without man, but man cannot live without them”. In fact the sermons of the Lord Buddha to human beings to understand the interconnections pervading the entire fabric of the world to forbid indulgence in destruction are essential to maintain the beauty and bounties of nature. The constructive messages for the healthy preservation of the human ecology can help us to lead a happy, prosperous, and blissful life. Notes and References: 1 . Dhammapada. v. 204. . Anguttara Nikaya. IV, 2, 220, 229. 3 . Dighanikaya. III. 80. 4 . Dighanikaya III 58. 5 . A"nguttaranikaaya, I. 160; II. 75. 6 . Sa"myutta-nikaaya, I. 39 7 . Anguttara Nikaya. I, 160. 8 . Atthasalini, 854. 9 . Payutto, P.A., Buddhist Economics; op. cit. 10 . Schumacher, E.F., Small is Beautiful; op. cit. 11 . The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, the Art of Happines, Coronet Books, UK, 1998 12 . Payutto, P.A., Buddhist Economics, op. cit.. 13 . Sen, Amatya, Development as Freedom, Alfred Knopf, New York, 1999. 14 . Schumacher, E.F., Small is Beautiful op.cit. 15 . Schumacher, E.F., Small is Beautiful op.cit.; Payutto, P.A., Buddhist Economics, op. cit. 16 . Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Mayawati Memorial Edition, Calcutta, 1962-65, Vol. V, p.309. 17 . Tattvasangrah Verse No. 3587, Dwarikadas Shastri, Varanasi, 1958, p.1115. He said, “…do not believe in what you have heard says the great Buddha, do not believe in doctrine because they have been handed down to you through generations, do not believe in anything because it was followed blindly by many, do not believe because some old sage makes a statement, do not believe in truth to which you have become attached by habit, do not believe merely on the authority of your teacher and elders, give a deliberation and analyse, and when the results agrees with reason and conduces to the good of one and all accept it and live up to it.” 18 . Herman Odenberg, (Tr.) by William Hoey, Buddha: His Life, His Doctrine, His Order, William and Norgate, London and Edinburgh, 1882,p.72. 19 . G. D. Bond, Meditation on Death and Symbolism of Initiatory Death, International Encyclopaedia of 2 Buddhism, Vol.27, p.2666. *******