Overview

This book argues that Buddhism has spread due to globalized capitalism, and explores how capitalism is also impacting Buddhists and Buddhism today. Edited by two leading scholars in Buddhist studies, the book examines how capitalism and neo-liberalism have shaped global perceptions of Buddhism, as well as specific local practices and attitudes. It examines the institutional practices that sustained the spread of Buddhism for two and a half millennia, and the adaptation of Buddhist institutions in contemporary, global economic systems—particularly in Europe and the United States over the last century and half. These innovative essays on the interfaces between Buddhism and capitalism will prompt readers to rethink the connection between Buddhism and secular society. Case studies include digital capitalism, tourism, and monasticism, and are drawn from the USA, Tibet, China, Japan, and Thailand.

Full Product Details

Author:   Richard K. Payne ,  Professor Fabio Rambelli
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Bloomsbury Academic
ISBN:  

9781350228320

ISBN 10:   135022832
Pages:   280
Publication Date:   03 November 2022
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations List of Contributors Acknowledgments Introduction: The Economic Study of Buddhism, Richard K. Payne (Institute of Buddhist Studies, Berkeley, USA) and Fabio Rambelli (University of California, Santa Barbara, USA) Part I: Historical Perspective 1. Monastic Capitalism? The inclusiveness of Tibetan monastic Institutions, William K. Dewey (independent scholar) Part II: Contemporary Studies 2. Selling Buddhism by Branding Mindfulness and Reiki as Valuable, Secular Services: Three Interacting Economic Models, by Candy Brown (Indiana University, USA) 3. Consciousness Raising, False Consciousness, and Freud: Buddhist Traditions in Contemporary Mental Health Economies in the United States, Ira Helderman (Vanderbilt University, USA) 4. Buddhist Technoscapes: Interrogating “Skillful Means” in East Asian Monasteries, by Courtney Bruntz (Doane University, Nebraska) 5. Perceiving Authenticity: Online Tourism Reviews of Buddhist Tourist Destinations, Kendall Marchman (University of Georgia, USA) 6. Ethics in Small business capitalism of Women Kuan Im followers in Thailand, Mark Speece (Mahidol University, Thailand) and Jitnisa Roenjun (busines owner in Bangkok, Thailand) 7. Economics of Buddhist ‘Connectionwork’: Analyzing the spread and expansion of Buddhism in the global market economy, Elizabeth Williams-Oerberg (University of Copenhagen, Denmark) 8. Gross National Happiness: Capitalism under Buddhism in the Kingdom of Bhutan, Barbra Clayton (Mount Alison University, Canada) and Della Duncan (California Institute of Integral Studies, USA) Part III: Theoretical Reflections 9. Drawing Blood: At the Intersection of Knowledge Economies and Buddhist Economies, by Scott Mitchell (Institute of Buddhist Studies, Berkeley, USA) 10. A Part of or Apart from Globalization? The Ambivalent Relationship between Buddhism and Modern Capitalism, Lionel Obadia (University of Lyon, France) 11. Prolegomena to a Buddhist(ic) Critique of Capitalism, James Mark Shields (Bucknell University, USA) Bibliography Index

Reviews

By deftly revealing the complicated imbrications of various Buddhist traditions with different economic systems, this outstanding collection of essays not only fosters a radical re-interpretation of the Dharma's relation to capitalism, but it also provides valuable insights into today's necessary re-evaluation of the entangled relationship between religion(s) and the neoliberal order. * Johan Elverskog, Dedman Family Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies, Southern Methodist University, USA * Richard K. Payne and Fabio Rambelli have produced an extraordinary edited volume that explores the influence of capitalism on Buddhist institutions as well as economic actors. This book is unique in how it draws connections between colonialism, neoliberalism, and global capitalism. This has profound implications for debunking stereotypes of Buddhism as world denying, but also for reflecting on the state of Buddhist studies today. * Michael J. Walsh, Professor and Chair of Religion, Vassar College, USA * This volume debunks the common misconception that Buddhists and Buddhist institutions are unconcerned with the material world. In reality, as the contributors-who are the foremost experts on this topic-show, Buddhists debate and regulate exactly how to engage with the economy and material possessions, including money, property, loans, and investments. * Kin Cheung, Associate Professor of East and South Asian Religions, Moravian University, USA *

Author Information

Richard K. Payne is the Yehan Numata Professor of Japanese Buddhist Studies at Institute of Buddhist Studies, Berkeley, USA, and a member of the Graduate Theological Union’s Core Doctoral Faculty. He is author of Language in the Buddhist Tantra of Japan: Indic Roots of Mantra (Bloomsbury, 2018). Fabio Rambelli is Professor of Japanese Religions and ISF Endowed Chair in Shinto Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is co-editor of The Bloomsbury Handbook of Japanese Religions (Bloomsbury, 2021), Defining Shugendo (Bloomsbury, 2020) Spirits and Animism in Contemporary Japan (Bloomsbury, 2019), The Sea and the Sacred in Japan (Bloomsbury, 2018), and author of A Buddhist Theory of Semiotics (Bloomsbury, 2013).

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