Buddhist Economics

The Buddhist perspective towards Needs and Wants.

(Assignment 01)

Lecturer: Ms. Iromi Ariyaratne

Name: Ven. N.B.S. Magar

Student Number: SIBA-BABL-10-63
4th year, 7th semester
Date: 7th July 2013
Sri Lanka Interna onal Buddhist Academy

Here in this world we can find everything for our NEEDS but not for our GREED and fewer
the NEEDS greater HAPPINESS.
-Mahatma Gandhi
According to the Aggaa Sutta of Dghanikya, the Buddha clearly expounded regarding
the cause of Needs and Wants. It went like that ancient people had very a few needs and wants
and they were happy with what they could receive. At the beginning, people who came to this
world from Abhassara Brahma World had very easy life. The plants bore fruits in the same day
after people plucked grains from them in the morning. Those grains also were very soft and sweet.
They did not have husks and could be eaten instantly.
But those beings increased more and more craving and begun to collect more and more
grains. Eventually natural facilities disappeared. And their life became harder and harder. They
had to cultivate and eat. The need of a ruler also arose, as properties were not shared evenly.
The beings that mentioned in the Aggaa Sutta also were one family with equality in the
beginning but later as their desire improved sexual difference was visible. Then some males with
curiosity looked at the opposite sex for long that they began to hug and had sex openly. Others
looked down this action questioning them how could commit such immoral actions towards the
members of the same group. Anyway this was the beginning of a family and they found shelter for
the first time to enjoy their mundane pleasures. Killing, stealing, telling lies, corruptions and other
problems and difficulties arise in the society because of strong craving, desires and poverty. As a
result, people cannot gain happiness and peace.
There are four main basic things which we need in our life to process our living hood like:
foods, clothes, shelter and medicine. Without them no one can survive on this earth. We are all
social animal, because of that we human beings rely on society for our basic needs. Society doesnt
stay as same as before for a long time, it changes time to time according to the situation. And along
with society humans and their needs also changes. In the Vinaya Pitaka, the enlightened one has
instructed monk to depend on those requisites and use them very mindfully for a goal of ending
all suffering. Those four also are the common property of the monks. They have to share with other
monks without any discrimination. They have to satisfy themselves with what they receive from
devotees.

In addition to the basic human needs which are known as food, shelter, cloth and medicine,
water, happiness and education are also indispensable for human beings in their day-to-day lives
because they are depending on these needs. But we have to be careful using this needs because in
no times needs changes into wanting cause of tanha (Defilement). In daily life, they are trying to
obtain these necessary needs in various ways and means using various natural resources. Human
needs are necessary for everyone to survive. That is why; we have to try to fulfil basic needs.
From a Buddhist perspective, development is a holistic process which should be directed
to meeting the material, social and spiritual needs of human beings. A feasible plan of development
should also recognize that human society exists in essential dependence on the broader
environment, and developments should not be pursued in ways which threaten the sustaining
capabilities of the ecosystem. The current dominant economic model based on unregulated market
economics and rampant consumerism has proved to be inadequate for meeting the above
objectives. To the contrary, this model has led to massive human suffering, the degradation of
society, and the unrelenting exploitation of nature. The model has also encouraged narrow fixation
on short term economic gains for a privileged few at the expense of the long-term welfare of
humanity as a whole.
Again Greek Philosopher Socrates also said that happiness could be achieved only by
limiting the needs of man. We must understand and put this in our day-to-day life of activities.
That is why, in order to fulfil and gain and produce our basic needs, we must slay our greed,
craving and passion and try to cultivate and develop contentment, understanding instead.
The clarion call of the Buddha, who pre-empted by over 2600 years the present day
consumerist society, which exploits the unquenchable greed of human beings, was that
"Contentment is the Greatest Wealth"
(santutthi paramam danam).
Strive and earn as much as possible by righteous means, protect what has been earned,
fulfil one's duties with others and be economically productive by shunning wasteful expenditure,
follow a balanced and contented lifestyle, and cultivate good friendship are the Buddha's words of
wisdom.

Bibliography
Prof. J.W. Wickramasinghe, Introduction to Buddhist Theory of Development Economics (People
Friendly Economic Development), Dharmavijaya Foundation 380/7 Bauddhaloka Mawatha
Colombo 07, Sri Lanka, 2 Jan 2000.
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/frugalliving101/qt/Wants_vs_Needs.htm, 8:42 am, 7-21-2013.
http://www.mcwdn.org/ECONOMICS/NeedWant.html, 8:42 am, 7-21-2013.

Notes
Digha Nikaya, Aggaa Sutta
Vinaya Pitaka