Introduction: Buddhist Encounters with Global Market Economy and Consumer Society

The introduction is based upon three considerations: Firstly, it provides a version 2.0 of our article “Buddhism, Business and Economics” published in Michael Jerryson’s The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Buddhism (2017). Secondly, with the intent to give an overview of the research field of Buddhist economy, it discusses contemporary issues that both trouble and enthuse protagonists in the various Buddhist fields. Thirdly, the chapter aims to encourage other scholars to take up the field by pointing out new avenues for cross-disciplinary research into the complex relationship between Buddhism and economics.