Transcript Asoke Merit-Based Economy

An Empowering Merit-based
Buddhist Economy –
the Asoke Model in Thailand
Bong C. L.
World Buddhist fellowship, 22-25 December, 2011, Taiwan
Introduction
Wars and conflicts in Middle East; Famines
in Africa, etc
 Floods, hurricanes, earthquakes,
tsunami…

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.
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.

Asoke Community & Practices
rapid yet sustainable growth as a socioeconomically 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.

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
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.

Spiritual cultivation and liberation
from Saṁsāra – Meaning and Goal
of Life
ASOKE MODEL OF MERIT-BASED
ECONOMY
Asoke Model – Merit-Based Economy
Right
livelihood
Spiritual
Goal of
Liberation
from
Saṁsāra
Merits
Special
niche
market for
‘right
products’
abundance
Generosity
Sharing
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.
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
Share
wealth
equally
Kind
thoughts
&
intention
Motivation &
productivity
Virtue /
precepts
family,
company,
private or
public
institutions,
government
Amiable
speech
goodwill
Shared
right view
friendliness
Fairness and
justice
The Community - Harmony
Common
welfare
amiable
deeds
transparency
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

Spiritual Pursuit & Prosperity of Life
In rejecting consumerism 
 cultivate wisdom of non-greed, nonaversion; 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
Productive & Green Life Style
Independence, selfreliance and
sufficiency through
‘use what we
produce; produce
what we use’
 Grow their own
foods – rice
mushroom, herbs,
vegetables, etc

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

Productive & Green Life Style

Life style friendly to
human and other
sentient beings and
environment
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

Sharing Resources; Empowering People

Train and empower people with the skills
to make right living
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
Training Human Resources

Training courses – weaving; traditional
skills like healing massage techniques;
herbal shampoo; detoxification etc
Sharing Abundance

Abundance of produce is shared or
distributed at or below cost and at clearly
labelled profit margin
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.

Niche Market for ‘Right products’

Special niche markes for ‘right products’ is
now growing – demands for organic foods;
for products produced with wholesome
spirits
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.

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!!!!
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?!?

Time for Paradigm Shift
Merit-based
market or
economy
Ethics
Spiritual life
Spiritual & Material
prosperity for all
Pureland?
Conventional
market or
economy
Little ethics
Poverty of spiritual life
Questionable
‘prosperity’ for few at
the expense of
majority – wasteland?
Which should one prefer and
advocate
Many thanks
to all who bring
us all together
here for a
learning
experience