Buddhism was originated in India

and its economic thinking differs from traditional Chinese thinking

which takes social life as the main starting point. Instead

it regards the practice of Buddhism as the premise of all economic actions. This makes the Buddhist view of wealth

commerce and finance different from traditional Chinese economic ethics

and can form an important complement to Chinese economic ethics. The original Buddhist view of economy was based on the principle of righteousness

believing that as long as the acquisition and use of wealth was proper and not greedy

it was worthy of recognition. This idea gradually influenced the Chinese as Buddhism spread

expanding the moral boundaries of Chinese economic activities. After Buddhism was introduced to China

the monastic organizations first joined force with the family economy of the Eastern Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties to form a manorial monastic economy

whose extraordinarily active commodity economy

handicrafts

finance

and philanthropy had a comprehensive and profound impact on Chinese economic ethics. After the reform of Baizang Huaihai in the Tang Dynasty

Buddhist monasteries established a new jungle system combining agriculture and Zen

which was fully integrated into the Chinese economic system

and the religious spirit expressed therein became an indispensable part of Chinese economic ethics.