This essay delineates a distinction between two fields of inquiry: Buddhist economics and the economics of Buddhism. The distinction is made on the basis that the former is a prescriptive and ethical project and the latter is a descriptive and academic one. In other words, Buddhist economics suggests how Buddhists should behave economically, and the economics of Buddhism examines how…
Author: Richard K. Payne
REVIEW: What Happened after Mañjuśrī Migrated to China?, edited by Chen, Kuan, and Fo
What Happened after Mañjuśrī Migrated to China?: The Sinification of the Mañjuśrī Faith and the Globalization of the Wutai Cult. Edited by Jinhua Chen, Guang Kuan, and Hu Fo. New York: Routledge, 2022. 316 pages. $170.00 (hardcover). Comprehensive index. Notes and bibliography follow each chapter. ISBN 9781032073491. When we write phrases like “the history of Buddhism,” what in the world…
Review: Esoteric Theravada
Kate Crosby’s new work makes available the results of years of very important research into the tradition of esoteric meditation in Southeast Asia. Crosby recovers what had been the most widespread form of Buddhist meditation in Southeast Asia prior to the modern period. In her introduction, Crosby explains that she uses the phrase the “old meditation” (borān kammaṭṭhāna) because the kind of meditation practice that she is examining existed prior to those promoted during the “revival period” that began in the nineteenth century, such as vipassanā or insight.
Review: Ethical Principles and Economic Transformation
Ethical Principles and Economic Transformation: A Buddhist Approach. Edited by László Zsolnai. London & New York: Springer, 2011. vii + 213 pages. Includes general bibliography, “about the authors,” and index. $159.99 (hardcover and softcover), $119.00 (eBook). ISBN 97848193103. Richard K. Payne Institute of Buddhist Studies This is a collection of ten essays: an introduction and conclusion by the editor, and…