China, Buddhism & Mammon

[plwk]

The standing guy represents the state authorities cashing in on Buddhism...

A battle between Buddha and Mammon is shaping up in China...

Some insights here & here

[dharmagoat]

Who's the fat guy?

[Indrajala]

A few generations ago Taixu (1890-1947) was advocating that Buddhist institutions could become financially independent and not reliant on traditional forms of income (various rituals for laity, donations, farm rents, etc...) by establishing profitable though morally acceptable business ventures that would be operated by reliable and honest lay members, not the monastics.

I gather this was in response to industrialization and new commercial enterprises in China based on western models.

[Nemo]

Mammon has won in both of those cases. In few years the "Buddhism" they teach will be unrecognizable.

Did any of these monks say maybe we don't have to be bigger and make more profits? That is not why you became monks. It was not a path to success that you measure by how many Yuan are in your begging bowl. Capitalism is a revolutionary force that devours everything if you haven't noticed. Ironic that the Chinese don't understand Communism at all.

[Indrajala]

Mammon has won in both of those cases. In few years the "Buddhism" they teach will be unrecognizable.

Did any of these monks say maybe we don't have to be bigger and make more profits? That is not why you became monks. It was not a path to success that you measure by how many Yuan are in your begging bowl. Capitalism is a revolutionary force that devours everything if you haven't noticed.

The Shaolin franchise will perhaps emerge with action figures, t-shirts and exclusive MMORPGs.

In many ways Buddhism has already been commodified.

[catmoon]

Mammon has won in both of those cases. In few years the "Buddhism" they teach will be unrecognizable.

Did any of these monks say maybe we don't have to be bigger and make more profits? That is not why you became monks. It was not a path to success that you measure by how many Yuan are in your begging bowl. Capitalism is a revolutionary force that devours everything if you haven't noticed.

The Shaolin franchise will perhaps emerge with action figures, t-shirts and exclusive MMORPGs.

In many ways Buddhism has already been commodified.

Yup. The other I ran into a bottle of this:



Lucky Buddha Beer is here.

[dharmagoat]

Lucky Buddha Beer is here.

No silly, that's Hotei beer.

Buddha beer is the one with the skinny Indian on the bottle.

While the West confuses images of Hotei with those of the Buddha, it is only the name of the Buddha that can be exploited.

[tomamundsen]

Lucky Buddha Beer is here.

No silly, that's Hotei beer.

Buddha beer is the one with the skinny Indian on the bottle.

While the West confuses images of Hotei with those of the Buddha, it is only the name of the Buddha that can be exploited.

Actually, they use this image to represent Maitreya. It's only westerners that know a couple things about Buddhism that find objection with this.

[catmoon]

Lucky Buddha Beer is here.

No silly, that's Hotei beer.

Buddha beer is the one with the skinny Indian on the bottle.

While the West confuses images of Hotei with those of the Buddha, it is only the name of the Buddha that can be exploited.

No thats actually the name of the beer - Lucky Buddha. Tho why a Buddha would need luck sorta beats me.

[dharmagoat]

Actually, they use this image to represent Maitreya. It's only westerners that know a couple things about Buddhism that find objection with this.

It turns out that the couple of things I know about Buddhism don't include the fact that Hotei is a representation of Maitreya. So Hotei as Maitreya is a buddha, but not the Buddha, and is therefore a "lucky buddha" after all.

No thats actually the name of the beer - Lucky Buddha. Tho why a Buddha would need luck sorta beats me.

And here was I thinking that you were using an adjective in place of an adverb, just like the young folk do a lot these days. Deary me, where's me specs...

I would say he lucked out if he never wanted his image used to sell beer. If that were so, then it is false advertising.

[tomamundsen]

Lucky Buddha Beer is here.

No silly, that's Hotei beer.

Buddha beer is the one with the skinny Indian on the bottle.

While the West confuses images of Hotei with those of the Buddha, it is only the name of the Buddha that can be exploited.

No thats actually the name of the beer - Lucky Buddha. Tho why a Buddha would need luck sorta beats me.

Because a lot of Buddhism in China is "farmer Buddhism" and all people want is his good luck.