Buddha and Minimum Income

There has been recent conversations about minimum income. A guaranteed monthly income was given to residents of Dauphin, Manitoba as a four year trial in the 1970's. Read THIS ARTICLE about that.

I've been reading a great book by Wwalpola Rahula titled "What the Buddha Taught" (1959) in which he writes:
"the Buddha suggests that in order to eradicate crime, the economic condition of the people should be improved: grain and other facilities for agriculture should be provided for farmers and cultivators; capital should be provided for traders and those engaged in business; adequate wages should be paid to those who are employed. When people are thus provided for with opportunities for earning a sufficient income, they will be contented, will have no fear or anxiety, and consequently the country will be peaceful and free from crime." (p.82)

He continues by exploring Buddha's teachings about right livelihood at the individual level in some detail. I find this interesting from my recent studies as counselling, psychology, and neuroscience make sense of the adverse effects of stress, anxiety, and inequality on collective and individual well-being. And the crazy thing is, we don't have to live the ways that we do!