I think that is farfetched.
I see at least a couple articles a year about secular yoga classes in recreation centers or schools being cancelled because a Christian group felt threatened.
Mandatory meditation in the workplace?
Instant lawsuit.
There is substantiation of meditational techniques from Japan that claim to be able to instruct Buddhist (samurai) practitioners how to kill with just a shout of ākatsu!ā. Then to bring their enemies back to life with the same shout. Only to kill them again. Iām sure the Buddha would have approved.
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In a corporate environment, when your boss encourages anything or indicates a preference, it is quickly seen as mandatory.
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Of course the Buddha himself did not engage in worldly work nor did he encourage his monastic disciples to do so. He gave different kinds of advice for different people, depending on their circumstanceā¦
In the suttas, we see the Buddha holding up Citta the householder and Hathaka of Alavi as models for lay disciplesā¦I am pretty sure that both individuals were reasonably wealthy and successful in their work, although the more important point is that they were generous, ethical, kind, and knowledgable about Dhamma (not just book knowledge - they were Noble disciples with spiritual attainments).
To me, the Buddhaās teachings appear much more nuanced and subtle than a few verses might seem to indicate. In general, I think it fair to conclude the Buddha was not overly concerned with worldly thingsā¦renunciation is wonderful, and the monastic path in particular has the potential to offer a beautiful escape from the rat race. However, for people who are more or less stuck in lay life, Iām not sure I see anything wrong with using mindfulness and concentration to become more effective in the world. The essential thing is to be guided and restrained by a strong sense of ethics (non-harm, non-exploitation, 5 precepts, right livelihood etcā¦), be generous rather than greedy, and to keep your eyes on the prize (Nibbana).
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Well, I guess I think that the Buddhaās attitude about people who were stuck in worldly life was to help them do what they could to become less stuck.
Productivity and efficiency are the utilitarian obsessions of modern Homo Economicus, who has instrumentalized all of human existence.
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Buddhism does not have an ownership claim on meditation.
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Why are some people here fixated on other peopleās meditation. Seems a bit weird to me. Focus on your own meditation instead.
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I am really surprised that many of you here would like to withhold meditation from certain groups of people. Do we take away the opportunity for someone to discover and come to the Dhamma through meditation?
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When do we start the Meditation Inquisition? Or did it already start without my knowledge?
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Iām not worried.
Nobody has said anything about āwithholding meditation.ā
Here are some Tupperware Warriors enjoying a balloon toss.
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Right but you are speaking as someone who is presumably highly educated and has been relatively successful? Forgive the speculation, but perhaps even a workaholic and/or perfectionist? Many people fit into this category, but not allā¦the Buddha obviously understood this. I think there are times when a stronger work ethic and commitment to productivity might be genuinely beneficial for an individual to cultivate in themselvesā¦I tend to agree that corporate greed and industrial obsession with efficient, mechanized processes can and does result in suffering, though.
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I believe you are the first person to mention the absence of ethics as a point of contention. Others are simply mocking the business sponsored meditation classes because businesses are sponsoring them for their employees.
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Buddhist do not have the monopoly on meditation.
Buddhist have the monopoly only on Samma Samadhi.
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Nobody ever expects the Meditation Inquisition!!!
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That is what comes of torturing the EBTs to confess that the Buddha supports my favorite social/political prejudice.
Earlier in this thread I objected to the title of this thread. But if that title is considered acceptable then in a similar spirit and reasoning (such as it is) this thread title should also be well within bounds:
Buddhist Torturers find the Meditation Inquisition Useful for Deceiving Sentient Beings
ā¦
At that, there are atheists who accuse:
- Buddhists Find Meditation Useful for Subjugating the Working Class
The opiates of the masses and all that.
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This is actually the theme of my planned cyberpunk novel! Iāve wanted to write it for years, but little things like translating the suttas got in the way!
The idea is that in the future, all computers are controlled by the mind. So in order to get you to use their computers better, and become better consumers, the companies are always reading your mind and telling you to meditate. But of course, in ways that serve their bottom line. Youāve got to be mindful enough, but not too mindful. But their dastardly plans unravel when someone gets too good at the whole meditation thing and slips from their view ā¦
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I once had an idea that it would be great to have a dystopian novel in which renunciation is outlawed. The structure of the novel would be mostly confrontations (in a gray building, where else ? 
) between an ascetic who has been captured from the jungle and a state functionary tasked with Re-Education. Lots of atmosphere, points are won and lost on both sides, both of them become unsettled with biting arguments shaking up their cherished views, regain composure and so onā¦
Never came up with a detailed plot-line, but a cross between Kafka and Zamyatin would be fine, I think.
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If itās turned into a movie, can we have John Kabbat-Zinn as they ascetic? 
Never heard of him before.
But from his Wikipedia page, I wish my karmic assignment was as pleasant as āpondering on lifeās purposeā.
New Jatakas: Volume 1
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Yeah, that could be cool. Sounds serious, though: I was thinking of something less arty, more popcorn. Iāve done so much serious writing, Iād love to do something fun!
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