Writings on the topic of Buddhism and economics seem to be characterized by two very different attitudes towards economic life. The first, drawing from historical Buddhist teachings in primarily pre-industrial contexts, takes a largely positive view of commerce. The second, in which a modern influence is considerably more apparent, is suspicious of economics at a "systemic" level, and takes an antagonistic stance towards contemporary corporations and markets. This essay argues that the latter view is based on an unhelpful assimilation of a modern Western belief - the belief that economic systems are non-relational - and proposes a richer understanding.