Not to get into script analysis, but then what did you mean by "It's a religion. What more can one say?" Seriously.
I'm interested in why so many leftists seem so anxious to excise the slightest suggestion of allegiance (even temporary) with religious or spiritual people. I get their sourness with American protestantism, but that, combined with a crude "opiate of the masses" thing, and a vague "scientism" (doubly strange for a heterodox economist) leaves them . . . where in the scope of things--especially their own struggles?
With respect to Buddhism, especially as received in America, if you drew up a short list of buddhist economic principles, I would be willing to bet they would look pretty similar to the ones espoused by, say, Robin Hahnel and Michel Albert.
Christian