Source: Freedom and Flourishing
by Winton Bates
“Even after my visit to the Ajanta caves, I did not fully understand why merchants supported Buddhism in ancient India. I reasoned that the occupation of being a merchant would make a person disinclined to accept a religious doctrine which denies their own existence. Idle people may ponder their own existence, but merchants would be expected to be too busy pursuing their occupation. So, wouldn’t Buddhism’s ‘no self’ doctrine be unpalatable to merchants?” (04/27/26)
https://www.freedomandflourishing.com/2026/04/why-were-merchants-attracted-to.html