Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi Writes “Of Budgets, Values and Visions” for Truthout

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi continues to branch out from his wonderful op-eds at Tricycle‘s blog, with another outstanding, eloquent post for Truthout — this one entitled “Of Budgets, Values and Visions”. Here’s a snippet — the opening:

The release of the Congressional Progressive Caucus budget last week brings up once again the familiar maxim that a budget is, or should be, a moral document. I believe, however, that this statement, although true, does not convey adequately the most salient significance of a budget. I would contend that budgets not only shed light on our schemes of moral values, but also, at a still more fundamental level, bring to manifestation our guiding visions, our deepest views about the meaning of human life and the type of society we should strive to create. Moral values frame choices and guide policy decisions, but these values in turn spring from panoramic perspectives that determine the allocation of resources and shape our social and economic institutions. One major way they do so is by their influence on government budgets. Behind the debates about spending priorities and pie-chart divisions lie conflicting world views, which function as the unspoken basis for decisions with far-reaching consequences.

Whenever Bhante write anything, it’s an event. Make sure you read the rest here.