This is part of Louisa Schein's class, "Anthropology of China." The talk is open to the public. Everybody is welcome. It is generously co-sponsored by Rutgers Global. The location is Biological Science Building room 205 on Douglass Campus.

Abstract

Was the Buddha a businessman? Did seventh century Buddhists introduce capitalism into China? Why are there strong reactions to Buddhist Mountain Tourism Companies launching IPOs? This talk will examine the listings in the Shenzhen and Shanghai Stock Markets against the historical backdrop of Chinese Buddhist fundraising practices in order to argue for a more complex understanding of how Buddhists use capital—financial, social, and karmic.

Bio

Kin Cheung is Associate Professor of East and South Asian Religions at Moravian University. He researches Contemporary Buddhism, including Buddhist-based meditation's effects on the brain and senses of self, the practical implications of Buddhist ethics, the relationship between Buddhism and mindfulness, "secular Buddhists," and the involvement of Buddhist institutions in China’s stock market. He has published in The Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Religion, State and Society, The Journal of Buddhist Ethics, Miracles: An Exercise in Comparative Philosophy of Religion, Teaching About Asia in a Time of Pandemic, Buddhism and Medicine: An Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Sources, and Handbook of Ethical Foundations of Mindfulness.