Jelden Par

This book Elucidating the Sustainable Political Economy of Buddhist Nations elucidates the sustainable political economy framework for Buddhist nations. A political economy framework for Buddhism has never been written, not even by Shakyamuni Buddha nor Je Tsongkhapa. This is because there is a deep conceptual issue which may be stated as the Buddhism and politics perceived as water and oil, that is, non-mixable components. This book provides the first rigorous theory on the sustainable political economy for Buddhist nations.

In the empirical analysis, this book focuses on the Dharma King governance in Tibet before the mid-20th century and the Maitreya revolutionaries in China who dreamed frequently of seizing ultimate political power. It explains how the western political economic revolutions arrived in Asia and ended up at the door of Tibet. This book describes how the theocratic rule of Tibet by Buddhist monks or the Dalai Lama’s religious and political rule failed the Tibetan society tragically, persecuted Tibetan people through serfdom, and gave away the Tibetan nation.

The elucidation of the sustainable political economy framework for Buddhist nations is based on the most recent political science as well as the history of Buddhist thoughts. The latter is provided with a thorough review of the Buddhist scriptures: Pali, Tibetan, Chinese. The former is provided with the exposition of the twelve responsibility areas of the modern government. This framework is interpreted for the stages of the path to enlightenment (Lamrim) for an individual.

Why is this needed at this point in time? History tells us that Buddhists have sometimes ventured to taking ultimate political power, often devastating the concerned Buddhist communities. Further, there is widespread confusion among today’s Buddhists about politics, governance, democracy, and economics. The review of the histories of Buddhist nations reveals that a Buddhist politics and governance framework is exceedingly important for the common people thereof. Further, an intellectual framework for such a political economy is even more urgently needed for the Buddhist philosophers and yogis. It offers a novel interpretation of the principles of governance, politics, economy, and democracy from the perfection of wisdom expounded by Je Lama.