Ven. Ajahn tells Lankan business community to use kindness for leadership and innovation

• Says a company that prioritises importance of family to have time together puts kindness into practice as part of their office policies
• Such a company will increase financial dividends for itself because staff will improve efficiency and commitment
• Enlightens business leaders creating an atmosphere of kindness in workplace can lead to peace of mind which in turn leads to innovation
• Tells CEOs they are not the most important but it is the person in front of them; laments how arrogance of those in high positions creates very serious negative impact

By Surya Vishwa 

The power of kind-fulness should never be underestimated and could solve many of the problems faced within the sphere of the business world, world renowned Buddhist meditation teacher and author Ven. Ajahn Brahm told Sri Lankan business leaders in a Business Forum held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) on Saturday.

Aimed at senior professionals and business leaders, the event, organised by the Ajahn Brahm Society of Sri Lanka (ABSSL) in collaboration with the corporate community, focused on leadership, where Ven. Brahm pointed out how he emphasises on mindfulness co-existing with kind-fulness. 

Ven. Ajahn Brahmavamso, who shortened his name to Ajahn Brahm, is popular in Sri Lanka for his practical manner of explaining Buddhist teachings so that they are applicable to all of society and understood pragmatically irrespective of religious backgrounds. He is the Head Abbot of the Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, Perth, Australia, and was a pupil of the famous Thai Forest Tradition monk Ven. Ajahn Chah, considered the best Theravada meditation teacher in the last century. 

Asked by a business leader to explain how the respected monk had managed in his own life to control anger, Ven. Brahm promptly uses the word ‘kind-fulness’ stating that the kindness one shows oneself should be reflected in the kindness one shows another, and that this evolves into a natural pattern of leadership. He explained that when the two kindnesses extended to others and oneself is equal that it transcends ego.

He further went on to explain how kindness and humour could redeem any situation, including those caused by linguistic barriers, narrating how in the early days of being a trainee monk in the Theravada Thai Forest Monastic Tradition under Ven. Ajahn Chah, due to mispronouncing the Thai word for soap, he asked his teacher for pineapple, which has a similar inflection.

“I asked for Sabhor and not Sabhoor and he asked why on earth I wanted a pineapple. I said to wash myself with. Later, he must have told people that the British are very advanced and use pineapple instead of soap to bathe!”

“When he got to know what happened, Ven. Ajahn Chah did not get angry with me for not mastering Thai pronunciation properly. There is humour in many circumstances if one introspects deeply and with kindness, which should begin with oneself,” Ven. Brahm said to senior CEOs and industry leaders. He elaborated how the Buddhist concept of Muditha means taking joy in the success of others, and how this should be a key quality put to practical use in offices. 

With his unique style interspersing laughter and simplicity in narration and storytelling, he showed his audience how kindness transcends boundaries, having the same impact whether it is in the home-front or business setting.

Recounting a story he had used in his other sermons and retreats globally, of how a child craving for attention from a busy father wanted to know how much he earned in office for an hour – wanting to ‘pay’ him that money from his pocket money savings so that the father could spend an hour with his son – Ven. Brahm went on to state how an international company saw increased worker input and profit after it banned overtime

“A company that prioritises the importance of a family to have time together puts kindness into practice as part of their office policies. Such a company will increase financial dividends for itself because the staff will improve their efficiency and commitment, repaying the kindness that enables them to be with their loved ones more,” explained Ven. Brahm. He drew parallels with how a kindness based environment that is created within an office space enhances mental health within the workplace and transforms work into a happy act and not a chore one must tolerate for a monthly salary.

Narrating his experience at Google and Facebook where he has delivered lectures, Ven. Brahm stated how the office of Google provides e-bikes to visitors and employees at their corporate territories. 

“Companies do this because they want to make the workplace more fun for their staff as they know that when the staff is happy, more work gets done,” he said. 

Known to use narratives that resonate across cultures, Ven. Brahm explained to business leaders how an atmosphere of kindness in the workplace can lead to peace of mind, which in turn leads to innovation. 

“Why hasn’t Sri Lanka produced any Nobel Laureates?” the renowned spiritual teacher queried with a smile. “Sri Lanka should think of more innovation. This country is so beautiful and has so much to offer. It should look at producing a Nobel Laureate,” Ven. Brahm urged.

Asked to comment on his views on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the impact on the business world, his explanation was that technology cannot replace human contact and impact.

“My talks are all over the internet; you could have easily accessed them and there was no need for me to get here and engage with you the way we are doing now. Would it be the same if our face to face interaction was absent and there was instead only an online talk you were listening here to?” Ven. Brahm asked the Lankan business leaders, who responded in unison that it would not be the same. 

“This is what it means when we compare the human connection with technological based alternatives,” he explained. 

Addressing the issue of hierarchy-based importance that companies bestow on individuals such as CEOs, Ven. Brahm asked the Sri Lankan business leaders who the most important person was. 

“How many of you thought the most important person was yourself?” he asked, as a few hands went up. 

“The most important person is the one in front of you, where, irrespective of their social position, you give them your undivided attention,” he stated. “It does not matter what task the person does in an office. If he is the cleaner and he is in front of you talking to you, or wanting to talk to you, at that moment, he should be the most important person to you.”

He then admitted how arrogance of those in high positions creates a very serious negative impact.

“Consider the times someone who may have been beneath yourself in professional stature tried to speak to you and you brushed them off. As a student, this happened to me at university with senior professors and I remember feeling very crushed,’ Ven. Brahm stated.

Asked by a business leader from the Islamic faith to comment on interfaith, Ven. Brahm replied that he chose his name so that it represents all religions (B for Buddhist, R for Roman Catholic, A for Anglican, H for Hindu, and M for Muslim.

He then went on to comment that it is when there is an orchestra that the music is the sweetest; stating that it is when all religions in a society function in harmony that there is the best music of co-existence, which enriches the country in diverse ways. He also pointed out that his book ‘Opening the Door to Your Heart’ was published in Uzbekistan, a country in Central Asia.

“I never knew there were Buddhists in Uzbekistan but the book is read there,” he stated.

The event concluded with the attendees understanding that leading by instilling fear should be replaced with Buddhist principles of management if workplace productivity is to be increased. 

Pic by Shehan Gunasekera