Protestantism has its work-ethic. Buddhism has something less?
Interesting bit from Philip Short's "Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare" (at p.295), explaining how the Khmer Rouge (and all proceeding rulers) had difficulty getting the peasantry to produce:
"But that was only part of the truth. Even Khieu Samphan estimated that on average Khmer peasants worked only six months of the year, and sometimes much less. Theravada Buddhism has never placed much value on the acquistion and consumption of wealth. ... a Khmer businessman seeking a regular supply of palm suger for sweetmeat manufacture, encounted exactly the same problem. Once the peasant farmers he employed had earned enough for the year, they stopped work, and neither blandishments, nor the promise of more money could make them start again. 'From their point of view it was logical,' he acknowledged. 'Once they had paid their family's expenses - seed for the next planting; fertiliser; clothes; offerings to the monks; school fees for the children - what would they spend it on? There was nothing more they wanted.'
To some, that may be indolence; to others, it is wisdom. But in either case it flies in the face of the way the modern world runs."
That was 30 years ago. Wonder if the reality of globalization and creeping materialism has changed all that?
Interesting bit from Philip Short's "Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare" (at p.295), explaining how the Khmer Rouge (and all proceeding rulers) had difficulty getting the peasantry to produce:
"But that was only part of the truth. Even Khieu Samphan estimated that on average Khmer peasants worked only six months of the year, and sometimes much less. Theravada Buddhism has never placed much value on the acquistion and consumption of wealth. ... a Khmer businessman seeking a regular supply of palm suger for sweetmeat manufacture, encounted exactly the same problem. Once the peasant farmers he employed had earned enough for the year, they stopped work, and neither blandishments, nor the promise of more money could make them start again. 'From their point of view it was logical,' he acknowledged. 'Once they had paid their family's expenses - seed for the next planting; fertiliser; clothes; offerings to the monks; school fees for the children - what would they spend it on? There was nothing more they wanted.'
To some, that may be indolence; to others, it is wisdom. But in either case it flies in the face of the way the modern world runs."
That was 30 years ago. Wonder if the reality of globalization and creeping materialism has changed all that?
posted by Rory at 10:56 AM
1 Comments:
I think the global economy has changed that.
Just look at the rise of consumer culture among the growing middle class in China. Further, South Korea's economy has real problems related to consumer debt that grew out of the enthusiastic (over)use of credit cards during the mid- to late- 1990's.
I try to use my Buddhist practice as a salve to protect me from the consumeristic wanting that is so prevalent in U.S. society.
Namaste.
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