Buddhist Economics

Contemplative Science and Management

The Business Ethics Center of Corvinus University of Budapest and the European SPES Institute – Leuven organized an international transdisciplinary workshop on Contemplative Science & Management in May 19-21, 2017 in Budapest, Hungary. Collaborative partners included Mind & Life Europe and the Hungary-Bhutan Friendship Society. The conference invited scholars and practitioners devoted to exploring and presenting new developments in contemplative inquiry related to Buddhist Economics, Well-Being, Social Transformation, Mindful Organizations, and Ecological Worldview in the… Read More »Contemplative Science and Management

Mindful and Compassionate Energy Use

In his contribution to the “Faith, Energy and Society” workshop at St Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge on March 3, 2017 Laszlo Zsolnai emphasized the importance of mindfulness and compassion in energy use. He stated that both direct and indirect energy consumption should be drastically reduced. To achieve this community-based, sufficiency oriented, decentralized energy production and distribution systems are needed. Mindful and Compassionate Energy Use

Is Consumer Capitalism Outdated?

Walter Moss published an article “Is Consumer Capitalism Outdated?” in Los Angeles based LA Progressive which analyses and connects Occupy Wall Street, Spirituality in Business, E.F. Schumacher’s human scale economics, Steve Jobs’ legacy and Laszlo Zsolnai’s work on Buddhist Economics. He argues that perhaps the best we can do in our present period of malaise is to seek the truth and wisely attempt to bring our lives and societies more in keeping with it.

Business for the Greater Good: GNH Rating for Enterprises

A paper on “Business for the Greater Good: GNH Rating for Enterprises” by Laszlo Zsolnai and Zoltan Valcsicsak was presented at the 7th International Conference on Gross National Happiness in November 7-9, 2017 in Thimpu, Bhutan. The authors argued that Gross National Happiness (GNH) provides an alternative framework that can help enterprises to develop broader, more inclusive business models that aim to serve the greater good of society. The four pillars of GNH may be… Read More »Business for the Greater Good: GNH Rating for Enterprises

Buddhism and Economic Development

Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Buddhism and Economic Development.’ , in Teaching Buddhism, eds. Todd Lewis, and Gary DeAngelis, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2016. Buddhist Economics is not the same as Economics of Buddhism. The former is a modern discourse that utilizes elements of Buddhist thought to construct an alternative model of the economy and the latter is a study of how Buddhists organize their econimic life in real-world social settings, past or present. Buddhist Economics is essentially a normative enterprise… Read More »Buddhism and Economic Development

Buddhist Economics Video

This presentation explores the principles of Buddhist economics and shows why „less is more” and „small is beautiful” in our ecologically and socially degrading world.

On Buddhist Economics in Montreal

Canadian business journalist Peter Hadekel published an interview with Laszlo Zsolnai about the relevance of Buddhist economics for Western economies on March 7, 2013 in Montreal Gazette. The main message is that Buddhism can be both helpful and inspiring in taking the consciousness of businesses and customers to another level.

Buddhist Values in Business and its Potential for Europe

The Buddhist Economics Research Platform, the Loden Foundation, Bhutan and the Hungarian Bhutan Friendship Society in partnership with the European SPES Forum and the European Buddhist Union organized an international workshop ‘Buddhist Values in Business and its Potential for Europe’ on 24-25 November 2012, in Brussels (Belgium). Partly inspired by Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness, the workshop was designed for people from the business or academic sectors interested or involved in Buddhist Business/Economics as well as for entrepreneurs, university students and leaders of Buddhist organizations.… Read More »Buddhist Values in Business and its Potential for Europe

Socially Engaged Buddhism

On 18-19 June 2011 the European Buddhist Union organized an informal networking workshop at the Naropa Institute in Cadzand, the Netherlands. Socially engaged Buddhist networks from the United States, Asia and Europe were represented. The purpose of the brainstorming weekend was to share ideas on how Buddhism can contribute to a better world, to evaluate the links between Buddhist practice and social engagement, to encourage communication and support among existing Buddhist initiatives worldwide. Laszlo Zsolnai participated in the… Read More »Socially Engaged Buddhism

Sustainable Growth or Right Livelihood?

The Faraday Institute for Science and Spirituality of the University of Cambridge organized an international conference entitled “Sustainability in Crisis” in September 26-28, 2011 in Cambridge. Laszlo Zsolnai has been invited to present a view of Buddhist economics on sustainability. In his presentation “Sustainable Growth or Right Livelihood” he argued that not sustainable growth but sustainable livelihood should be the main goal for economic policies. Sustainable livelihood implies the de-growth of the material side of the… Read More »Sustainable Growth or Right Livelihood?