ASEAN and World Peace Building from a Buddhist Economic Perspective

Although people nowadays are wealthier and live more comfortably than fifty years ago, they do not feel happier. This claim is supported by many recent economic studies on happiness that show that technological and scientific progress does not lead to happiness. This is because many think that they can only live peacefully and happily if they fulfill their desires. But happiness, particularly in ASEAN countries, does not correlate with economic affluence, race, nationality, or even political ideology. This article attempts to build a right-understanding concerning peace and happiness among the diversity of religions and cultures in the ASEAN and world communities, through the perspective of Buddhist economics