Well it’s not really what I was talking about, but it’s good information. Thx Joseph.
Ah yes, having re-read your comment I think I see what you mean, does the mindfulness movement “sooth” people into an acceptance of capitalism, is that it, roughly?
In a way Schopen is even more critical, implying that Buddhism is a mercantile movement from it’s very beginning, “in it’s bones” as it where.
Do you have any links to Zizeks thoughts on Mindfullness etc, I would be curious to see them.
Metta.
You are indeed right, worth exploring for those who haven’t.
Buddhism is quite frankly the perfect supplement to neoliberal capitalism
Hi Joseph,
Ah … er… that was a few years ago now, and like I said, Žižek to me was someone to be known and then ruled out. I would have to look around in my stuff and it is still mostly boxed away, and I am busy with loads of stuff.
But since you mention “soothing” here’s a link.
And
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Bhante Sujato’s response to these sort of claims:
Sadhu Bhante! 
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Thread split from
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Oh no, not capitalism again. I digress 
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The initial use of the term “capitalism” in its modern sense is attributed to Louis Blanc in 1850 (“What I call ‘capitalism’ that is to say the appropriation of capital by some to the exclusion of others”) and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon in 1861 (“Economic and social regime in which capital, the source of income, does not generally belong to those who make it work through their labor”) Karl Marx frequently referred to the “capital” and to the “capitalist mode of production” in Das Kapital (1867). Marx did however not use the form capitalism, but instead used capital, capitalist and capitalist mode of production, which appear frequently. In the English language, the term “capitalism” first appears, according to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), in 1854, in the novel The Newcomes by novelist William Makepeace Thackeray, where the word meant “having ownership of capital”. Also according to the OED, Carl Adolph Douai, a German American socialist and abolitionist, used the term “private capitalism” in 1863.
Wikipedia
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Capitalist? 
AN7.7
Then Ugga the government minister went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing! Migāra of Rohaṇa is so rich, so very wealthy.”“But Ugga, how rich is he?”
“He has a hundred thousand gold coins, not to mention the silver!”
“Well, Ugga, that is wealth, I can’t deny it. But fire, water, rulers, thieves, and unloved heirs all take a share of that wealth. There are these seven kinds of wealth that they can’t take a share of. What seven? The wealth of faith, ethical conduct, conscience, prudence, learning, generosity, and wisdom.
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Hopefully we can keep separate in our minds Buddhism, the commodification of Buddhism, and whatever Zizek is on about these days.
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This makes me wonder why capitalism didn’t develop in Buddhist countries but did in Islamic countries and later in Christian countries in Europe though?
Like, why does high capitalism need Buddhism when it is thriving in many places with very little Buddhism?
Apropos commodification of Buddhism:
I don’t think the ZenBooth™ is part of the eightfold path lol
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I didn’t post this as a topic. And I clearly expressed that I didn’t want it to become one.
I am not proposing this as a “thought problem” for ya’ll to consider here.
I was just passing on some things following a request. Cazdyn’s book isn’t designed for non-specialists in critical theory.
Hi @Meggers,
Just to be clear, I have split the topic because it is interesting in its own respect (with 7 posts, already, when the topic was separated) and because it is different from the original thread that it was posted in, about Jack Kornfield. In this way, the two discussions may proceed more clearly.
Of course, everyone is free to contribute to each discussion as much or as little as they feel (within reason and rules).
Any questions, please let me know.
With Metta,
Ric
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Hi Ric,
Thanks for doing that. I totally gotcha. I’m just not interested in people stressing at me, because the material is complex, controversial (obviously) and/or think I am representing my opinion, what have you, with the posting.
Megan
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I would say that this is because capitalism, as we know it, developed from Graeco Roman politics! The political philosophy to dominator cultures such as Rome and Greece was that the world was made for man to rule and conquer. Capitalism is just the economic model of a political philosophy which revolves around Oppression, Submission, Domination.
It never developed in historically Buddhist countries because the Buddha Dhamma developed in an entirely different political sphere. Not to say Indian kingdoms and other regions didn’t also have problems politically, but they were much different than what had been developed.
Capitalism doesn’t need Buddhism-but it wants it. For the same reason Rome wanted Christianity, and made the symbol of the church the cross. A constant subtle reminder of Rome’s power and authority. The general idea is to distort it into something beneficial to itself, thus taking out any power it had as a dual power structure which is a threat to it’s core philosophy of Kyriarchy.
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I don’t think there is anything inherent to Capitalism that makes it incompatible with the Dhamma, or with being a Buddhist. As for McMindfulness, well Buddhism doesn’t have a monopoly on sati. Even when the Buddha was alive other ascetics were teaching and practicing forms of mindfulness.
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I would disagree with your position on capitalism, personally speaking. Primarily because capitalism is an economic system which does not accord to the Buddha Dhamma’s iteration of economics developed by buddhists.
I would also say that the problem with McMindfulness is not an issue of different traditions having Sati-the problem is that McMindfulness is purposefully distorted mindfulness by intention designed not to help the individual grow. If anything, it’s set up so as to send the individual consistently two steps back.
It would be all well and good if there was sati just being taught to the public, but the issue is that what McMindfulness proprietors proclaim to give is set up to cause failure to the individual in order to keep it’s market value high.
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Hi. I attempted to point out how the term ‘capitalism’ seemed to arise as part of the European Industrial Revolution, which was characterized by an unethical unfair exploitation of labor & largely equates to what is now called ‘neoliberalism’. Wiki says:
Neoliberalism , or neo-liberalism ,[1] is a term used to signify the political reappearance of 19th-century ideas associated with [free-market](Free market - Wikipedia) capitalism.[2]: 7 [3] A prominent factor in the rise of conservative and libertarian organizations, political parties, and think tanks, and predominantly advocated by them,[4][5] it is generally associated with policies of economic liberalization, including privatization, deregulation, globalization, free trade, monetarism, austerity, and reductions in government spending in order to increase the role of the private sector in the economy and society
Neoliberalism capitalism seems unable to conform with Buddhist principles, as detailed in DN 31 & DN 26. In other words, the Western Keynesian approach seemed closer to Buddhist principles:
Keynesian economics, as part of the neoclassical synthesis, served as the standard macroeconomic model in the developed nations during the later part of the Great Depression, World War II, and the post-war economic expansion (1945–1973).
My impression is White Western Capitalists represent one extreme; and White Western Marxists represent another extreme; where as The Buddha taught dhamma in the middle. 
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My personal opinion is that much of the Buddha’s attitude to rulers, government, the caste system, the roles and responsibilities of employers/employees, generosity, personal responsibility, freedom of association etc. fit in best with Libertarianism. However, its not easy to pigeonhole such a multifaceted Teaching as the Buddha’s! 
Libertarianism (from French: libertaire , “libertarian”; from Latin: libertas , “freedom”) is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value.[1][2] Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state’s encroachment on and violations of individual liberties; emphasizing pluralism, cosmopolitanism, cooperation, civil and political rights, bodily autonomy, free association, free trade, freedom of expression, freedom of choice, freedom of movement, individualism and voluntary association.[2][3] Libertarians are often skeptical of or opposed to authority, state power, warfare, militarism and nationalism, but some libertarians diverge on the scope of their opposition to existing economic and political systems. Various schools of Libertarian thought offer a range of views regarding the legitimate functions of state and private power, often calling for the restriction or dissolution of coercive social institutions. Different categorizations have been used to distinguish various forms of Libertarianism.[2][4][5] Scholars distinguish libertarian views on the nature of property and capital, usually along left–right or socialist–capitalist lines.[6] Libertarians of various schools were influenced by liberal ideas.[7]
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