Buddhist Economics, A Middle Way for the Market Place

Bangkok, Thailand : Buddhadhamma Foundation, 1998. Second Edition, Fifth Impression. Softcover. Good Condition. Octavo. Binding is tight and spine fully intact Text body is clean and free from previous owner annotation, underlining and highlighting No foxing in this copy All edges neat and clean Some slight rubbing on spine edges These days Buddhist meditation techniques are well-known in the West and Buddhist insights into the human condition are, at least in academic circles, exerting a growing influence. Unfortunately the popular image of Buddhism is often an overly-austere one and many people still consider it to teach a denial or escape from worldly concerns into a private, hermetic realm of bliss. However, if we take the trouble to go to the words of the Buddha himself, we find a full and rich teaching encompassing every aspect of human life, with a great deal of practical advice on how to live with integrity, wisdom and peace in the midst of a confusing world.

Perhaps it is time for such teaching to be more widely disseminated. In this small volume, Venerable Dhammapitaka (P. A. Payutto) offers a Buddhist perspective on the subject of economics. While not seeking to present a comprehensive Buddhist economic theory, he provides many tools for reflection, ways of looking at economic questions based on a considered appreciation of the way things are, the way we are. I hope that making this work available in English may go at least a short way towards resolving what has been called the current 'impasse of economics,' and to awaken readers to the wide-reaching contemporary relevance of the timeless truths that the Buddha discovered and shared with us.