Could Buddhism Help Your Business?

[Big Uncle]

This is rather interesting new area that the Buddha's teachings had seeped into. People are gradually realizing how effective his teachings are in coping with everyday issues and this had branched off to commerce/business and perhaps, career. The Buddha's teachings have many aspects that advocate mindfulness, realizing the interdependent relationships between beings or in the business world, colleagues, customers and so forth.

Even in the aspect of understanding the mind, we come face-to-face with human destructive emotions that can breakdown business -relationships. Universally accepted qualities of generosity, morality, perseverance and so forth are very much helpful in the business world. The good thing about Buddhism, it doesn't just tell you that these virtues must be acquired but also show you how to acquire them. That's the beauty and efficacy of the Buddha's legacy.

[Klein]

I have a few Chinese friends that would visit places like Wu Tai Shan for their studies... so if Buddhism can help in your studies, why can't it help in other aspects of life like Business as well?

However I also know some Businessmen in China that not only depend on Buddhism, but more on Taoist deities to help them with their business. I'm not sure if that practice is accepted in the context of Buddhism nor do I know if it is effective, but the fact that they keep going back to the Taoist temple means it must be quite effective isn't it?

Anyway, I suppose if your business is something that does not cause suffering to beings and benefits others, then I guess praying to Dharma Protectors would be great as Dharma Protectors are here to protect not only our Dharma practice but also to help us in our samsaric life so that we have the correct environmental conditions to practice the Dharma.

With regards to going to Taoist temples to improve one's business, it is different from Buddhism. People going to Taoist temples pray to the deities there to ask them for help and, in some cases, divination. They pray to beings that are not enlightened. They depend on the deities to help their business

In Buddhism, we are taught to practise the teachings. In other words, we are taught to rely on ourselves if we want a change in our results; in this case, it would our business.

Dharma protectors will help us create suitable conditions to practise our dharma practice. This doesn't necessarily mean that they will help our business because if being successful in our career and having more money takes us further away from the dharma, then the dharma protector will not help our business. So, dharma protectors will do what we need and not what we want.

[diablo1974]

Buddhism can help your business. But it doesn't work alone instantly if you just sit down and pray. Taking the correct actions coupled with Dharma towards your business management and people communication skills plays a huge part in being a 'successful' businessmen. We cannot deny there are also karma involved in whatever situation and people we met that might directly or indirectly affects the things we wish to do or achieved.  But with dharma, we are able to deploy our actions by doing it correctly (understanding of karma).

[angelica]

If Buddhism can help to improve one's life, definitely Buddhsim can help on business too. Buddha has 84,000 teachings that suit anyone, any where and any time. The teachings have no expiry date.

For example the 4 Noble Truths can be applied in the company's day to day work.

1st Noble Truth : Truth of suffering. In a company, we must look into our business model and our operation procedures and recognised that there are problems in our company.

2nd Noble Truth : Truth of the cause of suffering. When applying this in a company, as the CEO or management team and employee of the company,  must find out what is the cause of the problem.

3rd Noble Truth : Cessation of the suffering. All should realised that there are ways out to get out from the problem faced.

4th Noble Truth : Ways to the cessation of suffering. Buddha has given us and guide us on the ways to end our suffering thru the Noble Eightfold path which it can also help us in solving problems faced in a company. In short the 8 fold paths are : right view, right intentions, right speech, right action, right livehood, right effort, right concentration and lastly right mindfulness.

Buddhism is an encyclopedia that will never failed us in any situation.