The Corporate Buddha – Strategies for Composure, Confidence and Control; Randiv Mehra; Bloomsbury; Pp 308; Rs 299 |
In the book, the author states how, using the Buddha’s meditation technique of vipassana, individuals can learn to deal with negative emotions and create positive emotions such as calmness, peace and well-being as well.
The teachings of Buddha are followed by 500-600 million people around the world. Though the teachings emerged in North Eastern Bharat, they became more popular in other East Asian countries. Many would agree that Buddha’s teachings are extensive and profound but few know that they also follow logical and scientific principles. Till now, there were few books that explained the teachings in a structured and systematic manner there were and even less books that appealed to the corporate sector. The Corporate Buddha is one such book. The author, Randiv Mehra has over 20 years’ experience in training, consulting, certifications and helping the corporate sector achieve productive and quality improvements. For some time however, the author decided to leave his regular work and step aside to study and research Buddha’s teachings. His purpose was to see whether the teachings could help him and therefore help others. It took the author almost a decade to research, investigate and discover the teachings in a way that could appeal not only the individuals but organisations also.
In the book, the author describes how the corporate world creates worry, tension, stress and a whole lot of other negative emotions such as insecurity and uncertainty. The author states how using Buddha’s meditation technique of vipassana, individuals can not only learn to deal with negative emotions but create positive emotions such as calmness, peace and well-being as well. The book lists a five point process to relax and de-stress the mind on the basis of one’s breath. Such positive states not only create health benefits but also lead to the development of Emotional Intelligence. Such practices are also being followed by leading Fortune 500 companies of which the author gives examples. Vipassana meditation as described, becomes the first strategy to be followed.
For the second strategy, the author tells us a great deal about karma. Karma is created by thoughts, speech and actions (mind and body). The author tells us about five ways in which negative karma is created and how on the basis of such negative, unwise and unwholesome karma, we create problems for ourselves such as sickness, accidents, enemies, financial loss and other misfortunes. To avoid miseries in this life and the next, the author tells of five ways to reduce our negative karma. For the third strategy, the author tells us that just as our karma can be bad and lead us to misfortune, our karma can also be wise, wholesome and beneficial and lead us to goodness and betterment. The author tells about five ways to create positive and wholesome karma.
The three strategies not only help at the personal but also the organisational level. At the personal level they help readers deal with emotional ups and downs. They correct and they heal. They help to avoid potential crises, pitfalls and breakdowns. They lead to composure, confidence and control. At the organisation level, staff and employees who are calmer, peaceful, more aware, emotionally intelligent, create less negative karma and instead create more positive karma. They, therefore do more and contribute more towards the organisation’s productivity, creativity and innovation goals. The Corporate Buddha thus provides a new perspective and represents an entirely new way of looking at The Buddha’s teachings. The book is an eye-opener for one and all. K Aayushi
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