13. Ethics of Commerce.
Buddhism at the outset
arose in cities and especially won the support
of kings
and merchants. In ancient India, for example, it spread
along
the trade routes.
A hundred years after the demise of the Buddha a
controversy occurred on ten
topics, and the whole
Buddhist order was divided into two groups. One
topic
at issue was whether monks could accept money as
a gift by
laymen. Conservative monks did not permit
such gifts, but liberal monks
did. The first attitude has
been practiced by Southern Buddhists; the
second by
a sect called the
“Mahāsaṅghika,” and in later
days
by the Mahāyāna. Early in the Christian era
some
temples in India became very rich, being endowed with
huge areas
of land, and with funds which were donated
by lay believers. The temples
used the funds to develop
small industries, and with the gains from these,
and
the rents from their lands, support was derived for the
monks.
In Southern Buddhism monks were not permitted
to engage in commercial
activities. They were forbid-
den to cultivate
land or to be involved in profit-making.
They were not allowed even to keep
any coins; they
lived only on alms. In China most monks lived in the
same way, but in Zen monasteries monks came to
engage in raising food and
in all sorts of manual labor
to maintain themselves. The spirit of labor
and service
was encouraged. This way of life was introduced into
Japan. In Japan today priests are not prohibited from
engaging in
commercial activities.
The Buddha also admonished laymen not to waste
money on extravagant and
passionate pleasures. Liquor
and gambling were forbidden; frequenting the
streets,
visiting fairs, idleness, and associating with evil com-
panions were discouraged. Consequently
Buddhists in
Southern Asia even today do not drink liquor. In China
lay Buddhists drink, but monks do not. In Japan and
Nepal most Buddhists do
not prohibit drinking.
On the other hand, the virtue of diligence has been
encouraged. By diligence
and thrift one may accumu-
late riches.
To him amassing wealth, like a roving bee
Gathering its honey (and hurting naught),
Riches mount up as an ant-heap growing high.
When the good layman has so amassed wealth
Able is he to benefit his clan.
In four portions let him divide this wealth.
One portion let him spend and taste the fruit.
To conduct his business let him take two (portions).
And the fourth portion let him reserve and hoard;
So there will be wherewithall in times of need
(
Sigālovādasutta 26,
trans. C. A. F. and T. W. Rhys Davids,
slightly amended in
collation with the Pāli).
Buddhism never denounced the accumulation of
wealth; however,
riches should be accumulated only
by lawful means, and all people should
benefit from
it. Throughout all the Buddhist world there has been
no
thought of forbidding interest on loans. A reasonable
interest rate has
been regarded as permissible.
In China some monks engaged in philanthropic ac-
tivities; they formed groups of Buddhists to lend money
to
people in need. In Japan some monks, in a similar
philanthropic spirit,
constructed rest-houses and hos-
pitals,
roads, ponds, bridges, and harbors.
In Indian Buddhism all vocations were permitted
except selling slaves,
weapons, and liquor. This ban on
weapons and liquor was not observed in
Japan.
