Balancing Business With Buddha

The wise and moral man
Shines like a fire on a hilltop
Who does not hurt the flower.
Such a man makes his pile
As an anthill, gradually
Grown wealthy, he thus
And firmly binds his friends
To himself.
--Singaalovaada Sutra

"Buddhist principles can help cut inventory and reduce supply chain costs." That advice was recently published in an information-technology trade magazine. And while the Buddha might not have had surplus equipment in mind when he advised his followers to reduce their attachments, it is a sign of just how far Buddhist teachings are reaching into the mainstream--even into the dog-eat-dog world of business.

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A dozen books on Buddhism and business currently occupy bookstore shelves, a steady stream of conferences are being held on the topic, and an army of consultants has stormed the corporate trenches spreading the doctrine of mindfulness in the boardroom. The message: The Buddha never said profit was a dirty word.

"If I'm trying to be a compassionate Buddhist, how do I run the human resources department of my company? What is compassion when I have to fire someone?"

"Right livelihood [not doing work that causes harm to self or others] is a tenet of Buddhist practice, but that doesn't mean we should all be social workers," says Chuck Slotkin, a New York investment banker. "Being a Buddhist is not taking a poverty vow, but it's also not being an avaricious a--h--e and stabbing people in the back."

Mindfulness is the key element of Buddhism that many practitioners say they bring to their business lives. But it isn't always easy. "I hear many business people say, 'If I'm trying to be a compassionate Buddhist, how do I run the human resources department of my company? What is compassion when I have to fire someone?'" reports Andy Ferguson, an investment adviser who is organizing a Buddhism and business conference next year that will be attended by the Dalai Lama.

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