capitalism & buddhism, thich nhat hanh In an August 26 post, I noted 5 recent comments from Thich Nhat Hanh on the occasion of his visit to the UK. One of the quotes refers to “the disease of capitalism” (Thay’s words), and I thought perhaps some would object. No one did. One, did, however, find that phrase particularly felicitous. Seedoubleyou writes:

Thay’s messages are fantastic, particularly in relation to the poison of capitalism. I remain hopeful that his words stretch beyond Buddhist circles and to the ears that need to hear.

In the Guardian today, the question is posed:

Is capitalism a spiritual failure? Is there anything to be thankful for in the way our economy has developed? And can religion offer a refuge from its excesses?

The snippet includes a reference to Thay’s condemnation of capitalism as a “disease,” and asks its readership whether this is in fact true. I’ll be reading the answers, of course, and will look forward to getting enlightened about this here, too. Happy Labor Day!

Thank you for subscribing to Tricycle! As a nonprofit, to keep Buddhist teachings and practices widely available.

This article is only for Subscribers!

Subscribe now to read this article and get immediate access to everything else.

Subscribe Now

Already a subscriber? .