Contemplative praxis and the political economy of capitalism
June 17, 2026 Charles T. Lee
The chapter proposes a conception of contemplative resistance within capitalism that avoids positioning contemplative practices as either purely for or against the system. It critiques Humanistic Buddhism for lacking structural power analysis and anti-capitalist Buddhism for relying on binary opposition. Instead, it advocates an endogenous, nondualistic approach that allows practitioners to hold space for ambivalent political possibilities, navigating capitalism while negotiating alienation and docile bodies. Drawing on the author's academic experience, it illustrates this practice within neoliberal higher education.