BUDDHISM

At present Buddhism is one of the major world religions. The philosophy of Buddhism is based on the teachings of Lord Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (563 and 483 BC), a royal prince of Kapilvastu, India. After originating in India, Buddhism spread throughout the Central Asia, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Southeast Asia, as well as the East

Asian countries of China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Buddhism owes its origin to the socio-economic conditions prevailing in India at that point of time. The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama was a prince of the Sakya tribe. At the age of twenty nine he left the comforts of his home to seek answer to the cause of human sufferings. Gautama became the enlightened one, the Buddha, after wandering and meditation for six years. On the full moon of May, with the rising of the morning star, Siddhartha attained knowledge at Bodh Gaya. Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath, near Varanasi. To preach his religion, Buddha wandered in the North East India for about 40 odd years. His hard work bore fruit and a community or Sangha of monks and nuns developed around him. The Sangha pursued practice and propagation of Buddhism.

The fundamental principle of Buddhism is to follow the middle path. Buddhism teaches its followers to perform good and wholesome actions and to purify and train the mind. These practices are aimed at ending the suffering of cyclic existence. Buddhist emphasizes the principles of harmlessness and moderation. Buddhism does believe in the existence of supernatural beings but it does not ascribe the power for creation, salvation or judgment to them. Buddhism

believes that the supernatural beings have the power to affect only worldly events.

Buddha Leadership Lessons

Buddha had many life lessons to teach his disciples, here are some of his teachings that can relate to you as a leader:

1. Balance is key

Buddha believed in a balanced, middle way, not self-indulgent, nor self-mortifying.

I believe that as a leader, we have to be balanced and flexible in our approach as well. For example, sometimes our leadership has to be soft and democratic, sometimes assertive and autocratic, depending on the situation. A strong leader is able to employ a balance of these two in situations to bring out the best in his followers.

2. Look for answers within

Buddha believed that all our answers we are seeking in our lives can be found within us, not without.

I too strongly believe that as a leader, you have to depend on your heart, intuition and senses a lot more than external influences.

Sometimes there are no correct answers; then, you have to rely on your gut or intuition to do the right thing.

Sometimes your followers might agree, but sometimes they might not.

Nevertheless, a lot of leaders that have become successful have learnt to trust their gut when making important decisions, and it’s something that you have to learn to do so too with time.

Being Peace, by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Publisher: Parallax Press (September 9, 2005), ISBN: In order to achieve peace, we must be peace. This simple truth is the theme of this inspiring collection of lectures, given by Buddhist monk, scholar, poet and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh. If we are to change the world, he explains, we need to begin with ourselves, and awaken that eternal part of us where true peace resides - our own Buddha nature. His lucid explanations make us realise how easy this awakening can actually be... and how powerful. For, with inner peace as the guide and criterion for all our actions, we transform our way of living into one genuinely capable of bringing lasting peace into a troubled world. The book also helps us with some basic

understanding of Buddhism and meditation. The following is what I highlighted during my read of this excellent book -- I recommend it on my Top-ten List of Peace resources. My purpose in providing them is to interest you, the reader, and hope that you will obtain and read the complete work. To properly understand the highlights, you need to read the book to put them in the proper context.

Introduction

If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can blossom like a flower, and everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace.

Chapter 1. Suffering Is Not Enough

If we are not happy, if we are not peaceful, we can’t share peace and happiness with others. Life is both dreadful and wonderful. To practice meditation is to be in touch with both aspects. It is with our capacity of smiling, breathing, and being peace that we can make peace.

Chapter 2. The Three Gems

Buddhas are as.

The root word “budh” means to wake up, to know, to understand. A person who wakes up and understands is called a Buddha. In Buddhism, there are three gems: Buddha, the awakened one; Dharma, the way of understanding and loving; and Sangha, the community that lives in harmony and awareness.

… practice meditating, breathing, and smiling.

… to develop his awakening, his understanding, and his love …

Discourse on Turning the Wheel of the Dharma

Anything that can help you wake up has Buddha nature. Saddharma Pundarika Sutra

Chapter 3. Feelings and Perceptions

“Don’t waste your life.”

We are not capable of understanding each other, and that is the main source of human suffering.

… look at things deeply in order to understand their own true nature

… in order to take care of you, I have to take care of myself.

I have to deal with my anger with care, with love, with tenderness, with nonviolence.

If you cannot be compassionate to yourself, you will not be able to be compassionate to others.

We cannot destroy the energy; we can only convert it into a more constructive energy. Forgiveness is a constructive energy.

Anger is born from ignorance, and is a strong ally of ignorance.

We have to perceive our political and economic systems correctly in order to see what is going wrong.

… knowledge is regarded as an obstacle to understanding.

Guarding knowledge is not a good way to understand.

Understanding means to throw away your knowledge. You have to be able to transcend your knowledge the way people climb a ladder.

The Buddhist way of understanding is always letting go of our views and knowledge in order to transcend. This is the most important teaching.

Chapter 4. The Heart of Practice

In Buddhism there is no such thing as an individual.

We are all children of society, but we are also mothers. We have to nourish society.

… alienated people.

… I myself feel that I cannot get along with this society very well.

But my practice helps me remain in society, because I am aware that if I leave society, I will not be able to help change it. I hope that those who are practicing Buddhism succeed in keeping their feet on earth, staying in society. That is our hope for peace.

To me, a meditation centre is where you get back to yourself, you get a clearer understanding of reality, you get more strength in understanding and love, and you prepare for your reentry into society. If it’s not like that, it’s not a real meditation center. As we develop real understanding, we can reenter society and make a real contribution.

Our mind is like a river, with many thoughts and feelings flowing along. From time to time, it is helpful to recite a gatha, a short verse, to remind us what is going on.

Chapter 5. Working For Peace

The first practice is Face-to-Face Sitting.

The two conflicting monks are present, and they know that everyhone in the community expects them to make peace.

The second practice is Remembrance.

… trying to mend the things of the past.

The third principle is Non-stubbornness.

The outcome is not important. The fact that each monk is doing his best to show his willingness for reconciliation and understanding is most important.

You do your best, and that is enough.

The fourth practice is Covering Mud with Straw.

… the mud is the dispute, and the straw is the loving kindness.

The fifth stage is Voluntary Confession. Each monk reveals his own shortcomings, without waiting for others to say them.

The sixth and seventh practices are Decision by Consensus and Accepting the Verdict. It is agreed in advance that the two monks will accept whatever verdict is pronounced by the whole assembly, or they will have to leave the community.

Chapter 6. Interbeing

When combined with the Western way of doing things, the Buddhist principle of seeing and acting nondualistically will totally change our way of life.

Buddhist is not one. The teaching of Buddhism is many.

Buddhism, in order to be Buddhism, must be suitable, appropriate to the psychology and culture of the society that it serves.

… to be in touch with oneself.

… in order to find out the source of wisdom, understanding, and compassion in each of us. Being in touch with oneself is the meaning of meditation, to be aware of what is going on in your body, in your feelings, in your mind.

… “interbeing” … “mutual” and “to be”.

The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of the Order. According to the teachings of the Buddha, the mind is the root of everything else.

Mindfulness Trainings

The First Mindfulness Training: Openness

Aware of the suffering created by fanaticism and intolerance. Human life is more precious than any ideology or doctrine. One of the most basic teachings of the Buddha is that life is precious. Peace can only be achieved when we are free from fanaticism. The more you practice this mindfulness training, the deeper you will go into reality and understanding the teaching of the Buddha.

The Second Mindfulness Training: Non-attachment to Views

Aware of suffering created by attachment to views and wrong perceptions, I am determined to avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. I will learn and practise non-attachment from views in order to be open to others’ insights and experiences. I am aware that the knowledge I presently possess is not changeless, absolute truth. Truth is found in life and I will observe life within and around me in every moment, ready to learn throughout my life.

A scientist with an open mind, who can question the present knowledge of science, will have more of a chance of discovering a higher truth. … The way of nonattachment from views is the basic teaching of Buddhism concerning understanding.

The Third Mindfulness Training: Freedom of Thought

Aware of the suffering brought about when I impose my views on others, I am committed not to force others, even my children, by any means whatsoever – such as authority, threat, money, propaganda or indoctrination – to adopt my views. I will respect the right of others to be different and to choose what to believe and how to decide. I will, however, help others renounce fanaticism and narrowness through compassionate dialogue.

… spirit of free inquiry.

The Fourth Mindfulness Training: Awareness of Suffering

Aware that looking deeply at the nature of suffering can help me develop compassion and find ways out of suffering, I am determined not to avoid or close my eyes before suffering. I am committed to

finding ways, including personal contact, images and sounds, to be with those who suffer, so I can understand their situation deeply and help them transform their suffering into compassion, peace and joy.

… If we don’t encounter pain, ills, we won’t look for the causes of pain and ills to find a remedy, a way out of the situation. … But much of the suffering in the West is unnecessary and can vanish when we see the real suffering of other people.

The Fifth Mindfulness Training: Simple, Healthy Living

Aware that true happiness is rooted in peace, solidity, freedom and compassion, and not in wealth or fame, I am determined not to take as the aim of my life fame, profit, wealth or sensual pleasure, nor to accumulate wealth while millions are hungry and dying. I am committed to living simply and sharing my time, energy and material resources with those in real need. I will practise mindful consuming, not using alcohol, drugs or any other products that bring toxins into my own and the collective body and consciousness.

… The human mind is always searching for possessions, and never feels fulfilled. Bodhisattvas move in the opposite direction and follow the principle of self-sufficiency. They live a simple life in order to practice the way, and consider the realization of perfect understanding as their only career.

The Sixth Mindfulness Training: Dealing with Anger

Aware that anger blocks communication and creates suffering, I am determined to take care of the energy of anger when it arises and to recognise and transform the seeds of anger that lie deep in my

consciousness. When anger comes up, I am determined not to do or say anything, but to practise mindful breathing or mindful walking and acknowledge, embrace and look deeply into my anger. I will learn to look with the eyes of compassion on those I think are the cause of my anger.

… Learn to look at other beings with the eyes of compassion. …

The Seventh Mindfulness Training: Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment

Aware that life is available only in the present moment and that it is possible to live happily in the here and now, I am committed to training myself to live deeply each moment of daily life. I will try not to lose myself in dispersion or be carried away by regrets about the past, worries about the future, or craving, anger or jealousy in the present. I will practise mindful breathing to come back to what is happening in the present moment. I am determined to learn the art of mindful living by touching the wondrous, refreshing and healing elements that are inside and around me, and by nourishing seeds of joy, peace, love and understanding in myself, thus facilitating the work of transformation and healing in my consciousness.

… to live in awareness. …

The Eighth Mindfulness Training: Community and Communication

Aware that lack of communication always brings separation and suffering, I am committed to training myself in the practice of

compassionate listening and loving speech. I will learn to listen deeply without judging or reacting and refrain from uttering words that can create discord or cause the community to break. I will make every effort to keep communications open and to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.

… The first seven trainings deal with mind, then two with speech, and five with body. … In order to help reconcile a conflict, we have to be in touch with both sides. We must transcend the conflict; if we are still in the conflict, it is difficult to reconcile. … The world needs people like this for the work of reconciliation, people with the capacity of understanding and compassion.

The Ninth Mindfulness Training: Truthful and Loving Speech

Aware that words can create suffering or happiness, I am committed to learning to speak truthfully and constructively, using only words that inspire hope and confidence. I am determined not to say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people, nor to utter words that might cause division or hatred. I will not spread news that I do not know to be certain nor criticise or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will do my best to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten my safety.

… The words we speak can create love, trust, and happiness around us, or create a hell. … speak constructively. …

The Tenth Mindfulness Training: Protecting the Sangha

Aware that the essence and aim of a Sangha is the practise of understanding and compassion, I am determined not to use the

Buddhist community for personal gain or profit or transform our community into a political instrument. A spiritual community should, however, take a clear stand against oppression and injustice and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts.

The Eleventh Mindfulness Training: Right Livelihood

Aware that great violence and injustice have been done to the environment and society, I am committed not to live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. I will do my best to select a livelihood that helps realize my ideal of understanding and compassion. Aware of global economic, political and social realities, I will behave responsibly as a consumer and as a citizen, not investing in companies that deprive others of their chance to live.

… finding ways to realize a collective right livelihood. … The problem is whether we are determined to go in the direction of compassion or not. If we are, then can we reduce the suffering to a minimum? If I lose my direction, I have to look for the North Star, and I go to the north. That does not mean I expect to arrive at the North Star. I just want to go in that direction.

The Twelfth Mindfulness Training: Reverence for Life

Aware that much suffering is caused by war and conflict, I am determined to cultivate non-violence, understanding and compassion in my daily life, to promote peace education, mindful mediation and reconciliation, within families, communities, nations and in the world. I am determined not to kill and not to let others

kill. I will diligently practice deep looking with my Sangha to discover better ways to protect life and prevent war.

… Preventing war is much better than protesting against the war. Protesting the war is too late.

The Thirteenth Mindfulness Training: Generosity

Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing and oppression, I am committed to cultivating loving kindness and learning ways to work for the well-being of people, animals, plants and minerals. I will practice generosity by sharing my time, energy and material resources with those who are in need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but will try to prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other beings.

… we can be close to oppressed people and help them protect their right to life and defend themselves against oppression and exploitation. Letting people profit from human suffering or the suffering of other beings is something we cannot do. As a community we must try to prevent this. How to work for justice in our own city is a problem we have to consider. The bodhisattvas’ vow – to help all sentient beings – are immense. …

The Fourteenth Mindfulness Training: Right Conduct

For lay members: Aware that sexual relations motivated by craving cannot dissipate the feeling of loneliness, but will create more

suffering, frustration and isolation, I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without mutual understanding, love and a long-term commitment. In sexual relations, I must be aware of future suffering that may be caused. I know that to preserve the happiness of myself and others, I must respect the rights and commitments of myself and others. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to protect couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct. I will treat my body with respect and preserve my vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of my bodhisattva ideal. I will be fully aware of the responsibility for bringing new lives in the world, and will meditate on the world into which we are bringing new beings.

… urges us to be aware of what we are doing. … Breath energy is the kind of energy you spend when you talk too much and breathe to little. Spirit energy is energy that you spend when you worry too much and do not sleep well. … Buddhist monks observed celibacy, not because of moral admonition, but to conserve energy. Someone on a long fast knows how important it is to preserve these three sources of energy.

We should take good care of ourselves.

If you wish to have children, please do something for the world you will bring them into. That will make you someone who works for peace, in one way or another.

Chapter 7. Meditation in Daily Life

Concentration … is the first practice of meditation. This is insight meditation. First we are aware of the problem, focusing all our attention on the problem, and then we look deeply into it in order to understand its real nature …

The more we understand, the easier it is for us to have compassion and love. Understanding is the source of love.

When you grow a tree, if it does not grow well, you don’t blame the tree. You look into the reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the tree, yet we blame our son. If we know how to take care of him, he will grow well, like a tree. Blaming has no effect at all. Never blame, never try to persuade using reason and arguments. They never lead to any positive effect. That is my experience. No argument, no reasoning, no blame, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change.

… the first step of meditation is stopping, stopping the dispersion, concentrating on one subject. The best subject, the most available subject, is your breathing.

Stopping and seeing are very close. … Stop and look, that’s meditation … Insight means you have a vision, and insight into reality.

Sit there, stop, be yourself first, and begin from there. That is the meaning of meditation.

“Let peace begin with me.” That’s correct. And let me begin with peace. That is also correct.

Satipatthana Sutta: the Buddha’s basic Dharma talk concerning meditation

… to meditate is to be aware of what is going on in your body, in your feelings, in your mind, and in the objects of your mind, which are the world. If you are aware of what is going on, then you can see problems as they unfold, and you can help prevent many of them. When things explode, it is too late.

… the gatha: “Today, on the table there are good things that Mommy just cooked. There I see Papa, there I see my brother, there I see my sister, it is so good to be together and eat together like this, while there are many who are hungry. I feel very thankful.”

This is the best education for peace.

There are three things I can recommend to you: arranging to have a breathing room in your home, a room for meditation; practicing breathing, sitting, for a few minutes every morning at home with your children; and going out for a slow walking meditation with your children before going to sleep, just ten minutes is enough. These things are very important. They can change our civilization.

FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT BUDDHISM: Four Noble Truths Of Buddhism

Life is suffering;

Suffering is due to attachment;

Attachment can be overcome

There is a path for accomplishing this.

The Four Noble Truths

1 Life means suffering.

To live means to suffer, because the human nature is not perfect and neither is the world we live in. During our lifetime, we inevitably have to endure physical suffering such as pain, sickness, injury, tiredness, old age, and eventually death; and we have to endure psychological suffering like sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression. Although there are different degrees of suffering and there are also positive experiences in life that we perceive as the opposite of suffering, such as ease, comfort and happiness, life in its totality is imperfect and incomplete, because our world is subject to impermanence. This means we are never able to keep permanently what we strive for, and just as happy moments pass by, we ourselves and our loved ones will pass away one day, too.

2. The origin of suffering is attachment.

The origin of suffering is attachment to transient things and the ignorance thereof. Transient things do not only include the physical objects that surround us, but also ideas, and -in a greater sense- all objects of our perception. Ignorance is the lack of understanding of how our mind is attached to impermanent things. The reasons for suffering are desire, passion, ardor, pursue of wealth and prestige, striving for fame and popularity, or in short: craving and clinging. Because the objects of our attachment are transient, their loss is inevitable, thus suffering will necessarily follow. Objects of attachment also include the idea of a "self" which is a delusion, because there is no abiding self. What we call "self" is just an imagined entity, and we are merely a part of the ceaseless becoming of the universe.

3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.

The cessation of suffering can be attained through nirodha. Nirodha means the unmaking of sensual craving and conceptual attachment. The third noble truth expresses the idea that suffering can be ended by attaining dispassion. Nirodha extinguishes all forms of clinging and attachment. This means that suffering can be overcome through human activity, simply by removing the cause of suffering. Attaining and perfecting dispassion is a process of many levels that ultimately results in the state of Nirvana. Nirvana means freedom from all worries, troubles, complexes, fabrications and ideas. Nirvana is not comprehensible for those who have not attained it.

4. The path to the cessation of suffering.

There is a path to the end of suffering - a gradual path of self-improvement, which is described more detailed in the Eightfold Path. It is the middle way between the two extremes of excessive self-indulgence (hedonism) and excessive self-mortification (asceticism); and it leads to the end of the cycle of rebirth. The latter quality discerns it from other paths which are merely "wandering on the wheel of becoming", because these do not have a final object. The path to the end of suffering can extend over many lifetimes, throughout which every individual rebirth is subject to karmic conditioning. Craving, ignorance, delusions, and its effects will disappear gradually, as progress is made on the path.

The Noble Eightfold Path:

The Noble Eightfold Path describes the way to the end of suffering, as it was laid out by Siddhartha Gautama. It is a practical guideline to ethical and mental development with the goal of freeing the individual from attachments and delusions; and it finally leads to understanding the truth about all things. Together with the Four Noble Truths it constitutes the gist of Buddhism. Great emphasis is put on the practical aspect, because it is only through practice that one can attain a higher level of existence and finally reach Nirvana. The eight aspects of the path are not to be understood as a sequence of single steps, instead they are highly interdependent principles that have to be seen in relationship with each other.

1. Right View

Right view is the beginning and the end of the path, it simply means to see and to understand things as they really are and to realize the Four Noble Truth. As such, right view is the cognitive aspect of wisdom. It means to see things through, to grasp the impermanent and imperfect nature of worldly objects and ideas, and to understand the law of karma and karmic conditioning. Right view is not necessarily an intellectual capacity, just as wisdom is not just a matter of intelligence. Instead, right view is attained, sustained, and enhanced through all capacities of mind. It begins with the intuitive insight that all beings are subject to suffering and it ends with complete understanding of the true nature of all things. Since our view of the world forms our thoughts and our actions, right view yields right thoughts and right actions.

2. Right Intention

While right view refers to the cognitive aspect of wisdom, right intention refers to the volitional aspect, i.e. the kind of mental

energy that controls our actions. Right intention can be described best as commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement. Buddha distinguishes three types of right intentions: 1. the intention of renunciation, which means resistance to the pull of desire, 2. the intention of good will, meaning resistance to feelings of anger and aversion, and 3. the intention of harmlessness, meaning not to think or act cruelly, violently, or aggressively, and to develop compassion.

3. Right Speech

Right speech is the first principle of ethical conduct in the eightfold path. Ethical conduct is viewed as a guideline to moral discipline, which supports the other principles of the path. This aspect is not self-sufficient, however, essential, because mental purification can only be achieved through the cultivation of ethical conduct. The importance of speech in the context of Buddhist ethics is obvious: words can break or save lives, make enemies or friends, start war or create peace. Buddha explained right speech as follows: 1. to abstain from false speech, especially not to tell deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully, 2. to abstain from slanderous speech and not to use words maliciously against others, 3. to abstain from harsh words that offend or hurt others, and 4. to abstain from idle chatter that lacks purpose or depth. Positively phrased, this means to tell the truth, to speak friendly, warm, and gently and to talk only when necessary.

4. Right Action

The second ethical principle, right action, involves the body as natural means of expression, as it refers to deeds that involve bodily actions. Unwholesome actions lead to unsound states of mind, while wholesome actions lead to sound states of mind. Again, the principle

is explained in terms of abstinence: right action means 1. to abstain from harming sentient beings, especially to abstain from taking life (including suicide) and doing harm intentionally or delinquently, 2. to abstain from taking what is not given, which includes stealing, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty, and 3. to abstain from sexual misconduct. Positively formulated, right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest, to respect the belongings of others, and to keep sexual relationships harmless to others. Further details regarding the concrete meaning of right action can be found in the Precepts.

5. Right Livelihood

Right livelihood means that one should earn one's living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally and peacefully. The Buddha mentions four specific activities that harm other beings and that one should avoid for this reason: 1. dealing in weapons, 2. dealing in living beings (including raising animals for slaughter as well as slave trade and prostitution), 3. working in meat production and butchery, and 4. selling intoxicants and poisons, such as alcohol and drugs. Furthermore any other occupation that would violate the principles of right speech and right action should be avoided.

6. Right Effort

Right effort can be seen as a prerequisite for the other principles of the path. Without effort, which is in itself an act of will, nothing can be achieved, whereas misguided effort distracts the mind from its task, and confusion will be the consequence. Mental energy is the force behind right effort; it can occur in either wholesome or unwholesome states. The same type of energy that fuels desire, envy, aggression, and violence can on the other side fuel self-

discipline, honesty, benevolence, and kindness. Right effort is detailed in four types of endeavors that rank in ascending order of perfection: 1. to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states, 2. to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen, 3. to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen, and 4. to maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen.

7. Right Mindfulness

Right mindfulness is the controlled and perfected faculty of cognition. It is the mental ability to see things as they are, with clear consciousness. Usually, the cognitive process begins with an impression induced by perception, or by a thought, but then it does not stay with the mere impression. Instead, we almost always conceptualize sense impressions and thoughts immediately. We interpret them and set them in relation to other thoughts and experiences, which naturally go beyond the facticity of the original impression. The mind then posits concepts, joins concepts into constructs, and weaves those constructs into complex interpretative schemes. All this happens only half consciously, and as a result we often see things obscured. Right mindfulness is anchored in clear perception and it penetrates impressions without getting carried away. Right mindfulness enables us to be aware of the process of conceptualization in a way that we actively observe and control the way our thoughts go. Buddha accounted for this as the four foundations of mindfulness: 1. contemplation of the body, 2. contemplation of feeling (repulsive, attractive, or neutral), 3. contemplation of the state of mind, and 4. contemplation of the phenomena.

8. Right Concentration

The eighth principle of the path, right concentration, refers to the development of a mental force that occurs in natural consciousness, although at a relatively low level of intensity, namely concentration. Concentration in this context is described as one-pointedness of mind, meaning a state where all mental faculties are unified and directed onto one particular object. Right concentration for the purpose of the eightfold path means wholesome concentration, i.e. concentration on wholesome thoughts and actions. The Buddhist method of choice to develop right concentration is through the practice of meditation. The meditating mind focuses on a selected object. It first directs itself onto it, then sustains concentration, and finally intensifies concentration step by step. Through this practice it becomes natural to apply elevated levels concentration also in everyday situations.

INDIANISM

Indianism refers to the leaders of india and the world who have contributed for the

betterment of the world by using their morals and lessons which they have learnt

and experienced throughout their professional and personal lives.They have also

taken into consideration the teachings of various holy books and saints of olden era

and have reached this destination today.

LEADERSHIP

SHLOK FOR LEADERSHIP.

IN CHAPTER 5 TEXT 21 OF BHAGAVAD GITA SAYS:-

Yad Yad acarati srestnas

Tad Tad evetaro janah

Sa yat pramanam kurute

Lokas tad anuvartate

Meaning:-

"Whatever action a greate man performs common man follows and whatever

standard he sets, exemplary acts all the world pursues"

Written thousand of years ago the bhagavad Gita enlightens us on leadership and

managerial techniques leading to a balanced state of affairs providing guidance to

resolve conflicts, poor productivity, absence of motivation and so on- common

plagues in enterprises across the globe. A leader should have the qualities like

• A good vision

• Exemplary character

• Conflicts & self Worth

• Comfortable With uncertainy, Ambiguity & Change

• Committed to Excellence

• Self-awereness

• Be continuous Learner

• Humility

• Fair & Just

• Creativity & Innovation

• Compassion

• Courage

An examination of KRISHNA'S leadership in mahabharata shows that Krishna

as a charismatic leader was able to potentially adapt and shift situational

contingencies, and that this led to successful outcome. The possibility that such

adaptability can be developed by charismatic leader in organisation would have

implication for applicaton for organisational survivability and prosperity and

should be explored by scholars in the future.

In Indian ethos, the four values are:-

Indian ethos teaches one the art of motivating oneself and others from within.

The four values or goals accepted in Indian philosophy are universal and

comprehensive in nature. Hinduism recognizes four legitimate and basic desire,

as given in the "AGNI PURANA":-

1. DHARMA

2. ARTHA

3. KARMA

4. MOKSHA

Lord krishna says most important thing in Bhagavad Gita is the "right

attitude to work".

"Ntyatam kuru karmatwami karma jyayahya karmanah

sareera yatraipicha tena prasiddhyeda karmanah"

Krishna says that karma has to be done with an attitude of "YAGNA". Here

the YAGNA is used in the meaning of devotion, workship and sacrifice. If

the work is done with such- an attitude, it become a yagna.

Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to do his work with yoganishta- dedication and

with a feeling of samarpan.

He says that

Yogasthah kuru karmani sangam tyakiwa Dhananjayah

siddhya siddhayo ssamo bhootwa samatwam yogamuchyate

He mentioned three important principal for deriving right type of job

satisfaction here. i.e Doing work as yoga, equal treatment of success and

failure and achieving equality towards opposites

Lord krishna employees three more expression while exhurting Arjuna to do

his duty;

1. Aghavam - SMARTNESS

2. Samarthyam - COMPETENCE

3. Kritanischayam - DETERMINATION

These are applicable to any worker or manager, have to work with

smarthness, competence and determination. Working with such a spirit One

should also develop and be prepared to treat happiness and difficulties, profit

and loss, success and failure as same

In 2-38 He says

"Sukhadukha same krutwa tabhalabhau jayajayan

Tato yuddhaya yufyaswa naivam papamavap syast".

In real life situations generally there will not be absolute sukha, labha, or

java which are permanent or even on long term basis therefore a manager

should be prepared to accept the opposite also with equal pleasure and

should not allow difficulties, losses and failure to demotivate him.

Corporate Governance:-

"Ramayana has tought us that we need to obey our Elder. At the same

time has the act of Bharata in Ramayana taught us to act independently

even if it is your mother and father who have asked you defy morals. It

teaches us that we need to oppose evil acts even if t hey brings us benefits

in shorter period but disgraces us in long run".

"Dharmo rakshati rakshitaha"

'If a person rules according to dharma, that dharma itself will protect him'

MEANING

Principal of Dharma is the principal of doing the right things, the principal

of justice. Each person in a company has his own Dharma and he has to live

up to his dharma. It ids better to die rather than give up one's dharma. The

BRIHADARANYA UPANISHAD points out the basic principal that the

responsibility of the king to protect dharma. This is because it is participate

in the decision making and management of the company.

"Swadharme nidhanam shreya para dharmo bhayapah"

Meaning

If everybody practices the concept of dharma in a company, then that in

itself brings a "sense of self descipline". In company where there is self

desciplin, automatically there will be peace and prosperity and

implementation of good corporate governance will be possible.

unfortunately this is an ideal situation and does not exist. There are people in

the who are corrupt and they have to be punished if we want maintain good

corporate governance.

The concept of Dharama Sankata is well known in our Hindu religion.

"Narova Kunjarova"(human and elephant) was a situation where Yudhistra

in Mahabharata lied. For sake of gettin short term benifit, resorting to lies or

straying from the straight and narrow path ultimately leads to a long term

failure. Therefore even at the cost of sacrificing short term benefits, it is

better for an enterprise to adopt healthy practices.

"Karma kar phal ki chinta mat kar"

Nishkam Karma

In Gita, Lord Krishna proposes that one should work without attachment to

result. At the same time he caution that one should not develop attachment

for inaction. Nishkam karma provides an ideal platform for development of

an effective and creative work culture in Organisation, including armed

forces. This will elevate all individuals in an organisation, irrespective to his

positin in hierachy to the next. However, there are no secure happiness

fulfillment both in this world and the next. However, there are no short cuts

or insant techniques to create a work culture based on Nishkam Karma.

Setting self example by high standard of of conduct and performance of duty

at various levels is the begining point Transparency and trust are the two key

elements of this work environment credibility of high order should permeate

all levels of Organisation.

What is of first important is not the religious or non-religious character of

the work done, but the inner attitude in which it is done.

"Action without desire is possible, action without attachment is possible, and

action without ego is possible".

"Bahujana sukhaya bahujana hitayacha"

"The welfare of the many and the happiness of the many'

Meaning

Kautilya says in his Arthashastra: "In the happiness of his subject lies the

king's happiness, in their welfare his welfare. He shall not consider as good

only that which pleased him but treat as beneficial to him whatever pleased

his subject" Likewise implying corporate governance the owner or manager

of the company should not only focuses on achieving his personal objectives

but see to it that every individual related to the company is happy and

satisfied cause his true happiness.

TRUSTEESHIP

"Trusteeship is a Gandhian concept"

It implies that:-

• all assets be held and used in trust for the benefits of the community

• distribution to be equitable, not equal

• owner, manager, worker, subordinates titles be removed

• there be continous participation

The gandhian principal of trusteeship expresses the inherent responsibilities

of a business enterprise to its consumer, worker, share holder and the

community; and the mutual responsibilities of these to one another. Making

you do whatever you do, for the good of other or even of all.

The concept is that the manager of an enterprise is like a trustee of property,

whose main concern has to be that the property be so provide maximum

advatage to the beneficiaries of the trust and not the trustee. This thought is

also validated by the given to the enterprise by society, in preference to

demand for them.

Cooperatives in the area of housing, sugar manufacture, milk production,

banking and credit,etc are the founded on principal akin to trusteeship. They

provide plenty of instances of attempts at sell aggrandizement and

exploitation. At the potential level, those entrusted with responsibiliyty

through process of democracy, are expected to do but not necessary act as

trustees in the interest of the larger community. Trusteeship is a gandhian

concept based on non-violence and Indian philosophy. It is not a matter of

structure or of physical distribution of wealth. It has found favor in U.K and

Germany, but still have few adherents. It is based on the concept that

something in possession of wealth is not the owner of the same but from the

wealth must go to the community and not be appropriated by the one in

possesion

1) SWAMI VIVEKANAND

India can be proud that she had many outstanding saints in this land, and Swami Vivekananda was one of the finest ones who carried the message to the whole world.

Today, the burning need is to follow the teachings of these MEN and see that we follow the advice to these masters in our life so that we can actually benefit and progress. CHOOSE any ONE teaching and follow it with single minded devotion and you see the change immediately.

UNIVERSAL TEACHINGS OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

SEE GOD IN ALL This is the gist of all worship - to be pure and to do good to others. He who sees Siva in the poor, in the weak, and in the diseased, really worships Siva, and if he sees Siva only in the image, his worship is but preliminary. He who has served and helped one poor man seeing Siva in him, without thinking of his cast, creed, or race, or anything, with him Siva is more pleased than with the man who sees Him only in temples.

GOD IS WITHIN YOU It is impossible to find God outside of ourselves. Our own souls contribute all of the divinity that is outside of us. We are the greatest temple. The objectification is only a faint imitation of what we see within ourselves.

PERSEVERE IN YOUR SEARCH FOR GOD To succeed, you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will. "I will drink the ocean," says the persevering soul, "at my will mountains will crumble up." Have that sort of energy, that sort of will, work hard, and you will reach the goal.

TRUST COMPLETELY IN GOD Stand up for God; let the world go.

LOVE OF GOD IS ESSENTIAL Giving up all other thoughts, with the whole mind day and night worship God. Thus being worshipped day and night, He reveals himself and makes His worshippers feel His presence.

HIS SAYINGS

1. Love Is The Law Of Life: All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying. Therefore, love for love's sake, because it is law of life, just as you breathe to live. 2. It's Your Outlook That Matters: It is our own mental attitude, which makes the world what it is for us. Our thoughts make things

beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds. Learn to see things in the proper light. 3. Life is Beautiful: First, believe in this world - that there is meaning behind everything. Everything in the world is good, is holy and beautiful. If you see something evil, think that you do not understand it in the right light. Throw the burden on yourselves! 4. It's The Way You Feel: Feel like Christ and you will be a Christ; feel like Buddha and you will be a Buddha. It is feeling that is the life, the strength, the vitality, without which no amount of intellectual activity can reach God. 5. Set Yourself Free: The moment I have realised God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him - that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free. 6. Don't Play The Blame Game: Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way. 7. Help Others: If money helps a man to do good to others, it is of some value; but if not, it is simply a mass of evil, and the sooner it is got rid of, the better. 8. Uphold Your Ideals: Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth. 9. Listen To Your Soul: You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.

10. Be Yourself: The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves! 11. Nothing Is Impossible: Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin - to say that you are weak, or others are weak. 12. You Have The Power: All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark. 13. Learn Everyday: The goal of mankind is knowledge... now this knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside: it is all inside. What we say a man 'knows', should, in strict psychological language, be what he 'discovers' or 'unveils'; what man 'learns' is really what he discovers by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge. 14. Be Truthful: Everything can be sacrificed for truth, but truth cannot be sacrificed for anything. 15. Think Different: All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything. 16. You are bound to be beaten by waves if you stay on surface, go deeper and you would know the difference.

2) RATAN TATA

A SLOW STARTER Early business failures in the Tata Group's electronics and mill interests did not mark Ratan out for a starring role. Indeed, when he succeeded his uncle, J.R.D. Tata, as chairman in 1991, few expected the group to survive the challenges of liberalization. By trimming the group's 300 "fiefdoms" and removing managers who didn't share his "global not local" vision, Tata reinvented the company.

It is often said that Tata's heart is in the motor industry. Famously media shy, Tata was propelled into the spotlight in 2008 with his bold takeover of prestige British brands Jaguar and Rover, a move that was branded as "reverse colonialism". In 1998 he launched the Indica, the first totally Indian car. With typically unwavering belief in his project to create a people's car, Tata proved skeptic wrong in 2008 with the launch of the "one lakh" ($2,150) car, the Tata Nano.

Under Tata's leadership, the group has set a standard for corporate responsibility. As well as providing housing, education and medical care to employees, the company ploughs over two thirds of profits into trusts that finance good causes. Unusually in India, the company is known to be incorruptible.

LEADERSHIP STYLE Audacious, degnified and philanthropic. One of Tata's first principles in business is to be bold but to "do no harm".

Demand for greater transparency and accountability Performance appraisal of Board Members and Management Succession Planning Concept of social welfare Ethics in the way business is carried out. Companies have

certain social responsibilities to fulfill an existence of the companies without doin so would b difficult and meaningless.

CORE VALUES WHICH DERIVE THE TATA GROUP

INTEGRITY- TATA believes in conducting their business fairly, with honesty and transparency.

UNDERSTANDING- Must be caring , show respect, compassion and humanity for the colleagues and customers around the world and always work for the benefits of country.

EXCELLENCE- Must constantly strive to achieve the highest possible standard in our day to day work and in the quality of the goods and service we provide

UNITY-Must work cohesively with our colleagues across the group with our customers and partners around the world, building strong relationships based on tolerance , understanding and mutual co-operation

RESPONSIBILTY- Must continue to be responsible, sensitive to the countries communities and environments in which we work, always ensuring that what comes from people goes back to people many times over

BUSINESS LESSONS: PUTTING SOMETHING BACK Tata believes passionately in using his company's growth for the betterment of his employee's lives and the community at large. He believes the company's long-term position and influence depend on this approach, and that shareholders will prosper in such a regime.

Avoid all corrupt activities even when times are difficult and temptation is high.

Obey your instincts when they tell you that what you are being offered is too good to be true.

Make sure your company listens to the community around it and contributes to its well-being.

KEY STRENGTH The ability to think globally. Tata has transformed a lumbering, bureaucratic, Empire-rea conglomerate into a dynamic world player.

BEST DECISION

Deciding that Tata Group should make its own cars. Critics said it was vanity project, but Tata Motors is now India's second biggest car maker.

3) BILL GATES A floppy, Geeky Appearance and a commitment to large-scale philanthropy may give the impression that Gates is the easygoing type, but you don't become the richest man on earth by being gentle. A confrontational manager and an aggressive business operator, Gates broke the mould of the computer nerd. His ability to play business hardball ensured that his company cashed in from the very beginning of the IT boom, and his demanding managerial presence has kept Microsoft at the heart of the computing world ever since.

BIOGRAPHY:

Born in Seattle in 1955. Gates wrote his first program, a version of noughts and crosses, on a school computer. He enrolled at Harvard in 1973, but left to concentrate on his software business.

COLLEGE DROP-OUT: After selling a computer program to his school at the age of 17, Gates continued developing software during a brief stint at Harvard. Dropping out of college to concentrate on his IT start-up business, he began creating software for a variety of systems, writing code himself, reviewing every single piece of code the company produced, and keeping an eye out for growth opportunities. When he was offered an agreement to provide the operating system for IBM's new PC in 1980, he saw his big chance.

AGGRESSION AND DRIVE: Gate's deal with IBM demonstrated his acute business acumen and his taste for tough dealing. As well as providing the operating system for IBM's ubiquitous PCs, Gates insisted that Microsoft retain the copyright to the system, in the hope that he would be able to license it to order hardware manufactures. This contractual

masterstroke spawned an entire industry of PCs that all depended on MS-DOS and put Microsoft at the centre of the computing revolution. That one move provided the basis for Microsoft's phenomenal growth.

"Success is a lousy teacher" - Bill Gates

Gates insisted on the creation of new products to consolidate the company's position, and his aggressive management style continued to drive the business forward. He appointed equally tough partners, such as Steve Ballmer, but also generated a motivating corporate spirit that kept the best people coming to Microsoft. He was even harder on the competition, doing whatever it look to defend Microsoft's dominance. Since 2006, Gates has devoted an increasing proportion of his time to the charitable Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

LEADERSHIP STYLE: Confrontational, direct and abrasive. Gates became renowned for his demanding approach. He also ensured that Microsoft was a meritocracy, that it was product-centred and that it looked after its people.

BUSINESS LESSONS BECOMING DOMINANT Gates's determination is legendary. Most senior managers know that they may have to choose between being well liked and less successful or well respected and capable of developing companies with dominant positions.

Be prepared to take any steps that will improve your market domination- including litigation.

Accept that your true aim is to be as near to a monopoly as you can and the law allows.

When you've established a dominant position, pull out all the stops to defend it. keep pushing or your dominance will crumble.

KEY STRENGTH: Looking for improvement, always and everywhere.

BEST DECISION: Insisting on keeping the copyright to MS-DOS in the 1980 deal with IBM. This was the key to Microsoft's success.

4) STEVE JOBS

BIOGRAPHY: Born in 1955 in San Francisco, Steve Jobs is the adopted son of Paul and Clara Jobs. His biological parents were Joanne Carole Schieble and Abdulfattah Jandali, the latter a graduate student from Syria who became a political science professor. Jobs failed to graduate from his literature, poetry and physics course at Oregon's Reed College.

HIRING AND FIRING UP: One of the keys to jobs enduring success has been his skill in hiring the best team and firing them up. As a young Apple chairman Steve Jobs boldly stole the then-president of PepsiCo, John Sculley, to be his cheif executive. Yet Jobs autocratic style has also caused him problems. Fed up with his unwillingness to be a team player, in 1985 the other Apple directors kicked him out. Aged 30, Jobs was out of a job.

AN i FOR THE FUTURE: Using the proceeds from the sale of his Apple stocks, Jobs soon broadened the scope of his business interests with an adroit acquisition, purchasing the computer graphics division of Lucasfilms

(later Pixar) which gave him a key future foothold in entertainment concept. He returned to lead an ailing Apple in 1997.

In the next decade the company's share price rose 36-fold, thanks largely to the success of the iPod and iTunes. From the iPhone to MacBook Air, Apple products ooze desirability and continue to define geek chic. Colleagues describe Jobs as brilliant and a great motivator, but he pushes his team to their limits, and some employees have quit shortly after finishing a product.

"Steve understands desire" - Alan Kay, GUI poineer and former fellow, Apple Advanced

Technology Group

Steve Jobs vision and relentless eye for detail have given Apple the kind of brand power other CEOs dream of. He has an unerring ability to create instantly desirable, "must have" products. He starts by asking his team "what do we want?" rather than "what can we produce?". Hardware and software are then invented to produce the dream. Products that fail to excite Steve Jobs himself are dropped or started again from scratch. Apple's strategy focuses on very few products, but these few have become irresistible bestsellers.

LEADERSHIP STYLE:

Visionary, creative and entrepreneurial. Some say an autocratic micro-manager. He can be charming and engaging, but some have complained

about his indelicate language.

BUSINESS LESSONS: ROUTINIZING CHARISMA Steve Jobs drive, passion and creative imagination permeate the work environment at Apple, and allow him to devolve work in his team. His biographer Leander Kahney has called this phenomenon the "routinization" of charisma. Think of it as branding the team with your own values.

Brand yourself within - and outside of - the company, and articulate your value to others.

Do what you love, and integrate your passions with your job tasks.

Identify supporters and create a network of relationships that support your personal brand.

KEY STRENGTH: He has an instinctive understanding not only of where technology is going but also what makes people want to buy it.

BEST DECISION: Developing both the software and hardware elements in the iPod and iTunes combination.

LESSONS FROM STEVE JOBS:

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an

environment where excellence is expected. The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you

haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.

CONCLUSION