crisis

[Aswini]

Hi Jundo,

Are there any zen writings about a credit crisis and total lack of confidence in the money market.

I know Japan had a debt and property bubble in the late 80s and a spiralling debt-asset (mortgages) crisis thereafter too.

I guess sh!t happens and accepting it would be the best mentality.

Metha/Gassho.

A

[Jundo]

Re: crisis

Hi Jundo,

Are there any zen writings about a credit crisis and total lack of confidence in the money market.

Interesting question!!!! I knew this would come up!

Well, in a sense, we might say that all of Buddhism is about that!

The Buddha taught that all things are change, that nothing is permanent (and although life's stock will go up, it will also go down). Buddha-broker taught that our investments in life will often be disappointing if we are attached to them (whether it is our retirement account or the flowers in our garden filled with weeds), not going in the direction we wish if we place demands upon life. He was not talking merely about anything as limited as finance, of course, but all of life. Life is a bubble, not only the real estate market!

However, the Buddha also taught that we can be liberated amid the changes if we allow each one, embracing the ups and downs, not demanding that life move according to our standards and expectations. If we just flow along with the roller coaster ride of life's changing market .... up down up down ... well, that bumpy ride is our life! This is the heart of the Four Noble Truths of Investing (... in the universe, not just Wall Street. Investing, without being overly invested. All things in moderation in this portfolio!)

http://treeleafzen.blogspot.com/2008/09 ... -four.html

I do not know about "trusting in the money market", but we must trust in life to take us where it will ... for it surely will do that!

We make our best guess about how life will turn, get the best data, make our choices, have some hopes and desires, plans and wishes, likes and dislikes for how trends will go ... all while, simultaneously, hand in hand, dropping all choices, hopes, desires, plans and wishes, likes and dislikes. All at once without the least conflict. This is, me might say, finding stillness amid the chaos.

We might buy "futures", but must not fail to savor the "nows". We purchase some life insurance for our family, all while dropping all thought of "life" and "death". A sure return!

So, no, Buddha did not give any particular investment advice ... mutual funds vs. gold. In fact, he advised being free of most material goods besides the rags on your back.

And, if we all have our begging bowls, we can all fall back on that.

Gassho, Jundo

[Bansho]

Re: crisis

Hi guys,

So, no, Buddha did not give any particular investment advice ... mutual funds vs. gold. In fact, he advised being free of most material goods besides the rags on your back.

Yes, that's correct. However the Buddha wasn't completely blind to the fact that his lay followers did have to do something to earn a living (i.e. Right Livelihood). Mostly such issues are formulated in a negative sense, i.e. not pursuing this or that profession, however there are other examples scattered about the Pali Canon as well which are formulated in a more positive sense. Often they are used as an analogy between worldly and spiritual frames of context, as is the case in the following Sutta, where 'debtlessness' is compared with 'blamelessness'.

AN 4.62, Anana Sutta - Debtless
Then Anathapindika the householder went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there the Blessed One said to him: "There are these four kinds of bliss that can be attained in the proper season, on the proper occasions, by a householder partaking of sensuality. Which four? The bliss of having, the bliss of [making use of] wealth, the bliss of debtlessness, the bliss of blamelessness.

"And what is the bliss of having? There is the case where the son of a good family has wealth earned through his efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of his arm, and piled up through the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained. When he thinks, 'I have wealth earned through my efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of my arm, and piled up through the sweat of my brow, righteous wealth righteously gained,' he experiences bliss, he experiences joy. This is called the bliss of having.

"And what is the bliss of [making use of] wealth? There is the case where the son of a good family, using the wealth earned through his efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of his arm, and piled up through the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained, partakes of his wealth and makes merit. When he thinks, 'Using the wealth earned through my efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of my arm, and piled up through the sweat of my brow, righteous wealth righteously gained, I partake of wealth and make merit,' he experiences bliss, he experiences joy. This is called the bliss of [making use of] wealth.

"And what is the bliss of debtlessness? There is the case where the son of a good family owes no debt, great or small, to anyone at all. When he thinks, 'I owe no debt, great or small, to anyone at all,' he experiences bliss, he experiences joy. This is called the bliss of debtlessness.

"And what is the bliss of blamelessness? There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones is endowed with blameless bodily kamma, blameless verbal kamma, blameless mental kamma. When he thinks, 'I am endowed with blameless bodily kamma, blameless verbal kamma, blameless mental kamma,' he experiences bliss, he experiences joy. This is called the bliss of blamelessness.

"These are the four kinds of bliss that can be attained in the proper season, on the proper occasions, by a householder partaking of sensuality."

Knowing the bliss of debtlessness,
& recollecting the bliss of having,
enjoying the bliss of wealth, the mortal
then sees clearly with discernment.
Seeing clearly — the wise one —
he knows both sides:
that these are not worth one sixteenth-sixteenth
of the bliss of blamelessness.

-- Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html

Gassho
Ken

[Aswini]

Re: crisis

Thanks guys, I will reflect on what is written.

7% damn!!!!!

[John]

Re: crisis

Received this in an email and thought it quite witty

Following the problems in the sub-prime lending market in America and the run on HBOS in the UK, uncertainty has now hit Japan.

In the last 7 hours Origami Bank has folded, Sumo Bank has gone belly up and Bonsai Bank announced plans to cut some of its branches.

Yesterday, it was announced that Karaoke Bank is up for sale and will likely go for a song, while today shares in Kamikaze Bank were suspended after they nose-dived.

Samurai Bank is soldiering on following sharp cutbacks, Ninja Bank is reported to have taken a hit, but they remain in the black.

Furthermore, 500 staff at Karate Bank got the chop and analysts report that there is something fishy going on at Sushi Bank where it is feared that staff may get a raw deal.

[Shohei]

Re: crisis

:roll: :lol: ^^^

[Longdog]

Re: crisis

:lol:

[Shugen]

Re: crisis