16th Issue (June, 2010) Global Financial Crisis and Dhamma Wong Weng Hon IntroductionObviously, global financial crisis weakens global economic growth. Every positive growth is creative advance of the world related to Dhamma or Noble or Divine Truth. The weakened economic growth reduces global Gross National Product (GNP). Reduction of GNP reduces the gross global happiness – the basic felicity of human life. The gross global happiness is the economic barometer that measures the harmony and happiness of the global villagers. Owing to the necessary interconnectedness among all global villagers irrespective of their creed, colours, races, beliefs, customs and traditions, the economic viruses affect all villagers if they catch them. Economic state mirrors the wisdom and virtue of the world – mankind. Adhamma Produces CrisisGlobal financial crisis correlates with non-concurrence with the Dhamma. Dhamma is the ultimate Truth of Absolute Unity. The discernment of the Dhamma redeems human wisdom and virtue. Wisdom and virtue rectify human moral fallabilities and vulnerabilities. The current global financial crisis is rooted in moral flaws. Immoral economic behaviousrs are rooted in greed, untrustworthness and irresponsibility due to lack of shame and fear of wrong doings. Ignorance (avijjᾱ) obstructs the smooth flow of the dynamic process becoming (bhava) of the global economy. Every person (puggala) is a systemic part of the dynamic systemic Whole of the global village. When the systemic Whole is negatively affected, other innocent systemic parts or integral members can not avert its negative influence. All systemic parts are necessarily interconnected or dependently co-arisen (paṭiccasamuppana). Otherwise, the Reality (Dhamma) of global economy does not exist. The necessarily interconnected systemic Unity of the systemic parts is the Dhamma of Anattᾱ. Anattᾱ is the Unity of Existence. The global financial industry is mutual dependence of Anattᾱ itself. The Monotheistic concept of Anattᾱ is God Essence because God is the systemic Unity of Existence (Wahdat al Wujῡd; Tawhῑd) according to the world’s renowned Sufi Ibn ‘Arabῑ. God is eternal (sanᾱtana) Dhamma applicable to All. Harmony and happiness of Mankind are contigent upon the Perfect Knowledge (Ñᾱna) of Dhamma or God as defined by Ibn ‘Arabῑ . Sufi Ibn ‘Arabῑ Islamic concept of Tawhῑd (Unity of God) is precisely expounded by him in his Sufi Thought (Source: Ibn ‘Arabῑ’s Bezels of Wisdom). Having read ‘Bezels of Wisdom’, I do not discern any esoteric distinction between Sufism and Zen Buddhism. My reading of Frithjof Schuon’s ‘Sufism : Veil and Quintessence’ corroborates my interfaith understanding. My readings of ‘Tao Te Ching’ of Taoist Scripture, ‘I-Ching’, ‘Great Learning’ and ‘Doctrine of Mean’ of Confucian Classics endorse my interfaith contemplations. The communal Truth of Wisdom of Unity in the multiplicity and the multiplicity in the Unity is explicitly as well as implicitly evident. Therefore, Gotama Buddha admonishes us to develop intuitive discernment of Insight (Vipassanᾱ) into the Dhamma (Ara.: Haqiqah) of Anattᾱ to apprehend the deontological duties of a systemic part towards the sustainable preservation of the systemic Whole. The systemic Whole is Non-self of Unity of Existence of Anattᾱ or conditional causes-conditions (hetu- paccaya-s) relationship of Dependent Co-arising (Paṭiccasamuppᾱda). Anattᾱ is the Essence of Monotheistic God. Anattᾱ is the Essence of Taoist and Confucian Essence of Tao. Anattᾱ is the Non-duality (Advaita) concept of Vedᾱnta or Upanisads of Hinduism. Anattᾱ is none other than the perennial wisdom of Emptiness (‘Sῡnyatᾱ) of dynamic process becoming of the entire Cosmos (Macrocosm). Even the human personality itself is a dynamic process becoming of the Unity of Five Aggregates (Pañcakkhandha: Form, Feelings, Perceptions, Volitions and Consciousness). Process BecomingThe creative advance of global economy is the dynamic process becoming (bhava) of the unity of contigent causes and conditions. As human beings are the pivots of the process becoming of the global economy, human beings are considered the major contigent causes and conditions of the dynamic process becoming of the global economy. The modern economists educate us that four major contigent conditions (paccaya-s) of economic production of goods and service are land, capital, labour and entreprenuership. The Unity of these four major contigent economic conditions constitute the dynamic global economy. Global economy affects felicity of mankind in terms of harmony and happiness. Dhamma should not be applied only for spiritual salvation but also for economic liberation from systemic cash-flow risks and crises. Cash-flow like the Balance Sheet is dynamic process becoming of the Dhamma. Secularity and spirituality are inseparable as phenomena and Noumena/ Principle are reciprocally and complementarily connected. Currently, the world is being imperilled and distressed because the secular state of modern polity divorces secularity from spirituality. The current financial crisis and the eco-crisis of global warming and climate change are early warming systems of the future potential systemic global catastrophes on our planet earth. Toxic human behaviours due to ignorance of Dhamma are systemic risks that have led to present global systemic crises. The unchecked global crises may be developed into future systemic catastrophes. The current global turmoil is teaching moment for us to avert being plunged into the deep pit of hells of future systemic catastrophes which are irreversible. The systemic risks and crises are still reversible through paradigm shift from pure secular wisdom to the spiritual wisdom of the Middle path of bipolar Truth of interpenetration between the conventional truth (samvrti satya; yang) of phenomenal world and the ultimate Truth of Principle (Paramᾱrtha Satya; Yin) of eternal Dhamma. Phenomena- Principle BalanceThe economists consider the entreprenuership as the foremost contigent condition of Unity of economic production. Unity of economic production is the physical concept of Anattᾱ unalienable from from spiritual concept of Anattᾱ. Consequently, an entrepreneur is awarded with the highest remuneration. According to Buddhist Dhamma (Buddhist Philosophy), all the aforementioned four contigent conditions of Unity of Production are equally important as they are all necessarily interconnected in the Unity of economic production of goods and service. The absence of any one of these contigent conditions of production will not yield production. Positive economic production is the Unity of Anattᾱ in the material sense. Anattᾱ is applicable in both mental and physical phenomena (nᾱma-rῡpa-dhamma-s). Buddhist Dhamma emphasizes that only the human wisdom and ethics in establishing a balanced relationship between the multiplicity of the empirical phenomena of business and the Principle of the Absolute Truth of harmonious Unity underlying the multiplicity can guarantee a sustainable global economic development. Succinctly put, while Man is pursuing actively economic development, Man must remember the existence of the Dhamma that governs and regulates the entire cosmos. The Dhamma is the eternal process Truth (Sanᾱtana Dharma) of Anattᾱ. From Buddhist perspective, the eternal Dharma is dynamic process becoming of the dynamic unity of contigent causes and conditions. When the economic growth is wholesomely conditioned by its contigent conditions, its economic process becoming is wholesome and stable. When it is toxicly conditioned, its economic process becoming develops systemic risks. The unmonitored or unrectified systemic risks will develop into systemic crisis. Crisis is negation of harmony and happiness. The secular Total Quality Management (TQM) should be ungraded to monitor the moral or spiritual aspects of human capital by spiritual oversight mechanism of the employers and employees themselves. Cause of ProblemThe neglect of this Absolute Reality of the Dhamma is the cause of current global economic crisis of economic weakening. Global economic crisis and decay affect many innocent investors, businessmen, business leaders, politicians, and the ordinary consumers. It mirrors the disharmony and instability of economic system. It mirrors the suffering of many global citizens affected either directly or indirectly. The toxic conditions leading to the global economic crisis caused by some irresponsible, untrustworthy or greedy members of the global family affect many other innocent members in the entire global village. We are necessarily connected to one another because are all rooted in the Absolute Unity of Buddha-nature existing immanently in all human beings and non-human beings. Buddha-nature is the Dhamma of Anattᾱ. For the Non-Buddhists who are Monotheists, the Buddha-nature is synonymous with God-head or Brahman or Tao. The phenomenal multiplicity - Unity Principle relationship is governed and regulated by the same Absolute Reality of interconnectedness of holistic existence generally known as Dhamma. The Absolute Unity is dissimilarly designated as God, Tao, Buddha or Brahman in dissimilar religions. Different paraphrasings convey the same Absolute Truth or Dhamma. Whoever concurs with the Dhamma is deontologically harmonious and happy. Whoever opposes the Dhamma brings about deontological disharmony and unhappiness to the world. The current global financial crisis of economic recession mirrors deontological disharmony and unhappiness of mankind for not concurring with the Dhamma. The current debt crisis of Greece, financial crises in the West and that of Japan are teaching moments for all nations. Deontological EthicsIn the Sigῑlaka Sutta (DN31), Gotama Buddha admonishes us to maintain harmonious relationship between the employers and the employees through the exercise of deontological ethics. The employers ought to exercise benevolent care for the welfare of their employees. Likewise, the employees ought to reciprocate with diligence, trustworthiness and loyalty towards their employers. Deontological harmony and happiness correlate with economic productivity. In the Maggasamyutta (SN45), Gotama Buddha preaches that right knowledge (sammᾱ-ñᾱna) of the Noble Eight Fold Path is the forerunner in the entry upon the wholesome states of Noble Eight Fold Path. The Noble Eight Fold Path consists of Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Actions, Right Livelihood, Right Efforts, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. Knowing what are the Rights, the Dharma Farers are aware of the shame and fear of wrong doings. The shame and fear ensue from the inner conscience of Dhamma. Thus, the Dhamma practioners would pursue Right Livelihood of economic activities invigorated with deontological ethics. Harmony is the seed of Dhamma; Happiness is the fruit of Dhamma. Right View is the Map of Dhamma. Right Thought is right direction of the Dhamma faring through economic activities. When economic development is supported with Right View and Right Thought of Dhamma, the wholesome states of Right Speech, Right Actions and Right Livelihood will conscientiously be exercised in human economic activities free from systemic risks of greed untrustworthiness and irresponsibility. Right Efforts drive away indolence, carelessness and heedlessness. Right Mindfulness expirpates the self-centric ego so that public interest outwits individual selfish interest. Right Concentration is perfection of wisdom and virtue. When the Noble Eight Fold Path is thus consummated, it is natural that economic development is not only invigorated with accomplishment, satisfaction and concrescence but also it is sustainable. Harmony preserves sustainable development. Sustainable development maintains security, peace and happiness. Dhamma and felicity of human life are symbiotic. ConclusionIn the Sigᾱlaka Sutta (D.N31) Gotama Buddha recommends a set of six directions of deontological ethics of harmonious reciprocal relationships to create harmony and happiness in a family, community, society, nation and world. These six directions are deontological harmonious interrelationships between husband and wife, between teachers and pupils, between parents and children, between friends and colleagues, between employers and employees and between gurus and disciples. All these harmonious deontological relationships will contribute to the Absolute Reality of Oneness of Being. Oneness of Being is the ultimate Truth of Anattᾱ or ‘Sῡnyatᾱ that is the Saddhamma. In Anattᾱ, harmony and happiness flourish in economic accomplishment, satisfaction and concrescence. In fact, Anattᾱ pervades everywhere in the multiplicity. Spirituality and secularity are not mutually exclusive. They compliment each other. In order to heal the economic illness, mankind must heal itself. Economic development must resonate with Buddha-nature of Anattᾱ. The attributes of Buddha-nature are generosity (dᾱna), lovingkindness (mettᾱ), compassion (karunᾱ), appreciative joy (muditᾱ), equanimity (upekkhᾱ) and mutual care and respect. Buddhism, like any world’s great religions, advocates ethical and spiritual worldview of Anattᾱ or ‘Sῡnyatᾱ. Such insubstantial worldview resonates with the universal spiritual worldview of Process Reality of perennial or organic wisdom. The perennial wisdom is thus: The Many is in the One; the One is in the many; the one and the many are Non-duality. The Mahᾱyᾱna Buddhist Gnostics put it thus : Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is Form. Form does not differ from Emptiness and Emptiness does not differ from Form. The Form is the Many and The One is Emptiness. Islamic Sufi Gnostic describes that right vision of Shahᾱdah leads to Ihsᾱn. Shahᾱdah is perfection of wisdom of World-God relationship. The phenomenal world is the multiplicity; the noumenal God is the Unity. Ihsᾱn is perfection of virtue developed from the wisdom of Shahᾱdah. Man can be saved from Hell fires with Saddhamma ; Man too can be saved from economic Hell with Saddhamma. All world’s great religious scriptures contain Saddhamma. Living in permanent harmony and happiness in this terrestrial world is the meaning of salvation of Pure Land or the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. References:
   
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