An Empowering Merit-based Buddhist Economy – the Asoke Model in Thailand

1. An Empowering Merit-based Buddhist Economy – the Asoke Model in Thailand Bong C. L. World Buddhist fellowship, 22-25 December, 2011, Taiwan

2. Introduction • Wars and conflicts in Middle East; Famines in Africa, etc • Floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunami…

3. Introduction • One financial crisis after another hits one country or region after another, Japan, South Korea of East Asia, ASEAN, USA, Greece, Italy, Spain of Europe, on and on. • The world does not seem to be a safe place – economically or environmentally.

4. Introduction – Any Solutions • Any solutions in sight? Try Asoke Model • founded by Venerable Bodhiraksa more than thirty years ago. • 9 well-established major centres + many smaller communities spread throughout Thailand.

5. Asoke Community & Practices • rapid yet sustainable growth as a socio-economically successful independent and upright community • serves humanity, nurtures and replenishes rather than selfishly exploits man, resources and nature as seen in traditional economy • based on their advocacy and practice of a return to Buddhist way of life, the purpose and goal of which is spiritual liberation, not in pursuit of sense desires.

6. Asoke Harmony and World Chaos Asoke community • Buddhist way of life • spiritual liberation as the purpose and goal of life, • not pursuit and gratification of sense desires. How much of the world I spinning now • Pursuit/goal of life - mindless accumulation of material wealth, in the process man • destroys the environment, • loses the meaning and direction of life so that a society of social ills prevails and dominates, • greed and aversion feed on more greed & aversion, delusions are so blinding

7. Deluded Living, Chaotic World • Countries invaded, numerous lives lost and more put in misery; nature and environment destroyed just because some deluding and greedy groups of people want control of certain resources. • financial crisis hitting one country after another, one region after another. • Obviously there is something fundamentally wrong that drives this world and its economy - endless and mindless pursuit and accumulation of material wealth without giving back is not only unsustainable but destructive to mind and body.

8. Spiritual cultivation and liberation from Saṁsāra – Meaning and Goal of Life Asoke Model of merit-based economy

9. Asoke Model – Merit-Based Economy Special niche market for ‘right products’

10. The Community – Structure Monks, nuns and 5 – 8 precepts householders with the monastics forming the core Community formed to support right living for the pursuit of spiritual goal of liberation from saṁsāra.

11. The Community – Life Style simple, relatively austere lifestyle that trains in • Reducing greed, aversion and delusion; • denounces consumerism and wastages of resources; • Promotes Buddhist values eg generosity, diligence and self-reliance, • Cultivates Brahmavihara

12. Common welfare • goodwill The Community - Harmony • Fairness and justice • friendliness • transparency • Motivation & productivity

13. Spiritual Pursuit & Prosperity of Life • Spiritual liberation-primary objective & goal of life and living • Simplicity of life style - self-reliant, diligent, frugal, resourceful • High productivity – spiritually & materially • Accumulate merits to support spiritual life • Denounces wasteful consumerism that fuels conventional economy that is exploitative and wasteful

14. Spiritual Pursuit & Prosperity of Life In rejecting consumerism  • cultivate wisdom of non-greed, non-aversion; cultivating generosity, Brahmavihara • Curbing sense pursuits; • Cut out wastages on unnecessary materials eg cosmetics, fashion wears, etc • Conserve energy & resources  more wealth (by-product of spiritual pursuit) generated for the community

15. Productive & Green Life Style • Independence, self-reliance and sufficiency through ‘use what we produce; produce what we use’ • Grow their own foods – rice mushroom, herbs, vegetables, etc

16. Productive & Green Life Style • Conserve food and green renewable resources for present and future generations’ needs for foods, timber & fuel eg forests of timber and groves of bamboo of different needs for housing, fuel & foods; herbal gardens • Life style friendly to human and other sentient beings and environment

17. Productive & Green Life Style • Life style friendly to human and other sentient beings and environment

18. Sharing Resources; Empowering People • Share resources – organic fertilizers; raw materials eg rice bran, rice husks at cost • Transfer locally developed technology for free – designs and fabrication of farm machineries; reconditioning soils destroyed by unsustainable agriculture practices; weaving; training, formulae and designs given freely

19. Sharing Resources; Empowering People • Train and empower people with the skills to make right living

20. Training Human Resources • Future generations: set up and operate their own schools to train children and youths in right living according to Buddhist teachings; giving them living skills; building up their potential

21. Training Human Resources • Training courses – weaving; traditional skills like healing massage techniques; herbal shampoo; detoxification etc

22. Sharing Abundance • Abundance of produce is shared or distributed at or below cost and at clearly labelled profit margin

23. Sharing Abundance • Operate their own superstore to serve their own and outside communities – provide space for local products; products sold at lowest prices possible • Service provided not for material profit but for supporting right living or spiritual life.

24. Niche Market for ‘Right products’ • Special niche markes for ‘right products’ is now growing – demands for organic foods; for products produced with wholesome spirits

25. Niche Market for ‘Right products’ • Merit-based economy thus created is expanding as people naturally support wholesomeness  The Asoke model proves that an economy that runs on merits and wholesomeness is viable and sustainable, and seems capable of limitless growth.

26. Conventional Business Practices • Monetary-oriented and profit-based economic thoughts and practices • Profits and more profit in terms of dollars at every point of transaction, with little regards for serving humanity if any, more likely severe exploitation of human potential and natural resources to the detriments of all – medical bills multiply, people and environment are more sick than healthy • Market and economy run unsustainably on greed and delusion!!!!

27. Aoke Merit-based Economy • Spiritual goal, spiritual wealth (merits and right living) • Prosperity, right products, right life • An ever-expanding niche market built and run on wholesomeness of producers and consumers  Instrumental in generating and expanding the field of wholesomeness  pureland of market economy?!?

28. Time for Paradigm Shift

29. Many thanksto all who bring us all together here for a learning experience