BUSINESS SPIRITUALITY

2

Didn't the parable of the "Poor Widow's Mite" teach religion nothing? It wasn't the fact of the rich vs the poor in conflict, but the distribution of wealth in society and creating a means to assist society into one where all have something to contribute no matter how little it may seem at the beginning to that of wealth creation.  That is where business companies come to the fore in making this happen in society.

From personal experience I thought I'd add this true story.  I was making my way to Oxford Street, London.  When I came through the tube station there was a busker well-groomed playing a flute made of silver, he played a classical song on it a beautiful sound that echoed through the underground, so I thought on my way back I'll give a tip into his hat.  On my return journey I passed an unkept man and his dog sitting on the pavement by an expensive shop.  He was also playing a flute but on a wooden one with just a few holes.  The sound was equally beautiful and his own piece of music that I stopped in my tracks at his quality of sound.  I tipped him instead and patted his dog's head and complimented him on his music and flute to which he replied "God Bless you Lady", I smiled gently and said "No, my friend it's you that has just blessed me".  I had to walk some of the way home for I had given him part of my journey's fare.

Nothing wrong with power, success, fame or money, it depends on how and what you use it for.  Most business companies (collectively sometimes), business people and entertainment people give more back into society than most organised religious group.

And also, I might add most organised religious institutions seek and sometimes has in place itself either equally/unequally those values and four concepts themselves (power, success, fame or money) in their own organisation and management structures, as even a priest and his family gets a salary and pension. I am sure if after such services of his employment he would like to retire in comfort and peacefully without the worry of where the next meal is coming from.

In the story of the Mahabharata(5) there is the chapter called "Hundred Questions" which in business is just as relevant and how it is conducted everyday:

"...without giving him time to think, the questions came sometimes four at a time in one breath. Their range was unlimited and they jumped from one topic to another.

"what is important for those who sow? What is important for those who seek prosperity?" Before Yudhistira could complete his sentence with "Rain", he also had to be answering the next question with "Offspring...".
"Faster than the wind?" "Mind".
"What is a true person? By birth or study or conduct?"
"Not by birth, but by knowledge and right conduct. A person born in society, even if he has mastered the knowledge, must be rated low if their heart is impure ".
"Who is really happy?"
"One who has scanty means but is free from debt, he is truly a happy man".
"What is the Path?"
"The path is what the great ones have trod. When one looks for it, one will not find it by study of scriptures or arguments, which are contradictory and conflicting."

There is more than one level of business societies. As I personally think that Yudhistira should have been given the chance to ask questions of his own, like any business meeting conducted to find solutions to further growth in managing a company.  

Work is subjective as any business person knows there is a responsibility of choosing a path due to the realisation that there are many riding and counting upon him and his chosen business path to tread upon and another and another, so forth and so forth and so forth.

In any company when organising its management, employees, in giving shareholders value for their investment to consumer satisfaction, in my opinion this is not to do with the impurity/purity of the mind, body nor the heart but of conduct, the study of one's deeds, works in life and how a person accomplishes this task is a choice they make everyday and every hour they live and work in society that brings about business spirituality.

For the Business Adventure is just the beginning...their motion picture is to continue.

REFERENCE SOURCES:

(1) A Dictionary of Creation Myths by David and Margaret Leeming page 61 and page 269.

(2) Gods of Management by Charles Handy, published by Arrow Books.

(3) Quotable Star Trek by Jill Sherwin.

(4) Sunday Business Newspaper, Foreign: United States section, page 23, 4th June 2000.

(5) Mahabharata by R. K. Narayan page 90-91, published by Mandarin Books.

 

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