China Daily is reporting that Buddhist monks in Shanghai are enrolling in MBA courses to learn how to better manage their temples. Just another example of the ineluctable power of capitalism to “break down all Chinese walls,” as a long-dead German political economist once said. Perhaps it is necessary for the monks to figure out how better to survive in a competitive global economy. But the obvious problem here is how much their acceptance of modern business practices undermines their adherence to Buddhist precepts, some of which run contrary to a capitalist mindset. Can they just adopt the good elements of capitalism that might help them improve the efficiency of their temple activities; or will they inevitably have to accept a transformation of their religious practice, embracing the profit motive and individual interest over the life of the sangha? Just as Deng Xiaoping’s compromise with capitalism brought more social-cultural change than he bargained for, the Shanghai Buddhists could be opening themselves to irreligious outcomes.
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