| Can business and spiritual growth go hand in hand and | | | | The practice of developing an objective view of our |
| both develop simultaneously? Emphatically yes. Sufism | | | | self in how our mind functions, how it is effected by |
| and the Tantric paths are two examples of having a | | | | the events of the day, identifying with its surroundings |
| family and work or business in harmony with ones | | | | and changing from moment to moment will develop |
| spiritual growth. The past Sheik of the Jerrahi order in | | | | the inner life. How that translates into business success |
| Istanbul owned a candy store, and the Sheik before | | | | is in its effects on the interactive level. Not being hastily |
| him owned a bookstore, both had families. My students | | | | reactive by being present each moment are spiritual |
| personal business success is solely due to having a | | | | teachings that clearly will make a significant difference |
| strong spiritual basis for their life and applying those | | | | in business as well as our personal life. |
| principles in the cultivation of their character. | | | | Successful business is not in what you do or sell, but in |
| Spiritual teachings, regardless of the path, have a | | | | how you do it and who it is that you have made your |
| foundation of spiritual progress based on strong morals | | | | self to be. The quality of your character will determine |
| and the conduct of the student. Confucius and Lao | | | | the long-term success you achieve. |
| Tzu taught paths of moral conduct more than religion. | | | | The qualities developed through spiritual practices |
| Honesty and integrity have long been the essence of | | | | properly applied will prevent emotional reactions to |
| a long-term successful business career. Now, as the | | | | stressful situations, which causes us to speak or act |
| world leans towards dishonestly in business, high moral | | | | harshly, often rubbing someone the wrong way, |
| qualities are seen as inharmonious to success. The | | | | causing a chain of negative repercussions. The loss of |
| truth is quite the opposite. If one possessed these | | | | a client or good employee, or a relationship that broke |
| qualities in addition to an aware mind developed | | | | up over a fight that started because one or both |
| through meditation and other spiritual practices, one | | | | people let some simple words build into harsher and |
| becomes a rare commodity and that rarity makes one | | | | nasty comments, is a common event. If we had |
| all the more valuable than the rest. | | | | greater awareness of the true value of words and |
| Ones spiritual progress is directly related to the | | | | events, an objective view rather than a personal one |
| condition of ones mind and character. The business | | | | based on our mental formations and memories, |
| world is an excellent testing and training ground to | | | | conflicts will end. |
| develop equanimity. When that balance of life is | | | | Practical application of spiritual practices is about |
| attained, spiritual growth happens naturally on its own. | | | | seeing the reality of our being without long and |
| Of course, a workaholic is not on a balanced path, our | | | | complicated systems. Ignorance is the cause of our |
| daily life must include food for the soul. When I was in | | | | troubles and ignorance of our being is the most |
| Japan, the head monk at a Zen Monastery said in a | | | | destructive ignorance of all. |
| public talk; "Some of us are meant to be monks, some | | | | Conversation is the main means of human interaction. |
| businessmen, others doctors or cleaning streets or | | | | This is the determining factor of the results of our |
| whatever task they are good at. Do what you are | | | | activities and desires. If relationships are good, results |
| good at, meditate 30 minutes a day, and everyday, | | | | are good, and if they are confrontational, results are |
| make someone smile." | | | | less than optimal. Through the path of self-cultivation |
| People often complain that they are honest and | | | | and awareness, we can learn how our moods and |
| cannot succeed financially because they get cheated | | | | reactions are stimulated by our verbal interactions. |
| and suffer continuous losses. For this reason, they | | | | Once there is sufficient understanding through the |
| justify their dishonest actions or lack of integrity. Many | | | | practices and proving to oneself the reality of how the |
| people cheat in business, and that makes the honest | | | | mind is manipulated by its own imagination of what the |
| ones more sought out. Developing a reputation of | | | | conversation was about, we could significantly reduce |
| reliability and integrity are the best selling points in a | | | | our anger and conflicts. In this world, nothing is stagnant, |
| world where competition is plentiful. Most products can | | | | it either grows or dissolves. |
| be purchased from a variety of companies, so why | | | | Eastern teachings are based on elimination rather than |
| would a client go to one rather than the other? | | | | accumulation. This is to say that the path to success |
| Because they know who they can trust to stand | | | | and inner growth is not in learning and acquiring new |
| behind the sale or service. Word of mouth will bring the | | | | techniques, but in eliminating the causes of our |
| increase in clients. In a job situation, these qualities will | | | | disharmony. If we eliminate disharmony from our life, |
| insure the promotion and bonuses given to the rarest | | | | we do not need to create harmony, it appears |
| and most difficult commodity that an employer needs, | | | | naturally by default. The natural state of the universe is |
| good staff. It takes time to establish a reputation, so do | | | | harmony; it is we with our subjective opinions, which |
| not expect the world to treat you differently on the | | | | create disharmony. The sky is clear until a cloud is |
| first day you wake up inspired to change. | | | | created. If no clouds exist, only sun and clarity are |
| Caveat Emptor is Latin for Buyer Beware. This was | | | | present. Mysticism is about seeing the reality of our |
| written long before Christ walked the earth. Dishonest | | | | being without long and complicated systems. Ignorance |
| people always existed, and always will exist. Because | | | | is the only sin, and ignorance of our being is the most |
| of this, one must not be foolishly blind and trusting in | | | | destructive sin of all. |
| business but as a wise old Sufi said: "God does nothing | | | | There is nothing esoteric or mystical about the process |
| without a good reason. If He gave us a logical mind, | | | | of developing these qualities. The exercises are very |
| use it." | | | | simple and take little or no time out of ones day yet will |
| Through cultivating an objective view of every | | | | make big changes, which develop our spiritual and |
| situation, moment-by-moment, one can deal with | | | | work lives. |
| integrity and not be subject to loss, at least as often. A | | | | There are many parts to the human being, but for this |
| great discouragement in maintaining these standards | | | | article we will look at two. One part is always louder |
| for our self is in seeing others cheating and profiting. | | | | than another in its demands of its desires and dislikes. |
| Being honest and reliable are the qualities a spiritual | | | | For this article, I will just refer to the soul that wants to |
| person wants to have, but one cannot expect | | | | evolve, or do whatever souls want to do, and the |
| everyone else to posses the same qualities. Using | | | | personality, which is usually much louder and controlling |
| wisdom, we can maintain our quality and not be taken | | | | over our actions. The personality is that which takes |
| advantage of. That wisdom is in an objective view of | | | | things personally and gets upset at something |
| all situations rather than seeing it solely from how it | | | | someone said. The soul, being eternal, doesn't really |
| affects you. Maintain the awareness that actions | | | | care what anyone thinks of the body's hair or clothing, |
| today return results, they may return days or years | | | | since those things have nothing to do with its true |
| later, but they will return eventually. Patience and | | | | existence. |
| persistence are vital. | | | | When one can see the emptiness of words to affect |
| It would be very nice not to have to work or to | | | | us on their own, one is free from the majority of mood |
| choose exactly what you do in life to make a living. | | | | changes. Words only have value that we give them. A |
| For some that has been attained, but for others who | | | | confrontational conversation is like putting a knife on |
| find that dreaming and meditating is not changing their | | | | the table, you have to pick it up and stick it in your own |
| worldly situation, there is a means of living with all our | | | | stomach, and no one can do that to you. Developing |
| normal human constraints and still attaining a level of | | | | an objective view of a conversation that is having a |
| inner harmony within the chaos. | | | | negative effect on you is the key to eliminating anger |
| Acceptance of the events is common advice; yet | | | | from your life. |
| how rare it is to fully accept our circumstances. We | | | | This practice has its base and beginning with |
| may feel stupid or incompetent because we lost or | | | | contemplating the true power of words. I can say that I |
| were cheated. The problem is not in lack of skill, but in | | | | will hit you with a stick, but until I actually do, and often |
| arrogance. How arrogant it is to think that we are the | | | | without any words, I have not hurt you. Your |
| smartest one around and should not have made any | | | | imagination of being hit, or your subjective opinion of |
| errors. There will always be someone smarter. As a | | | | what I am thinking when I said that is what hurts you |
| spiritual seeker, or practical mystic, we use the | | | | immediately. Your own thoughts are the source of |
| business world with all its dishonesty to train our | | | | your pain. Contemplate this and when you see it as |
| awareness and develop humility. Long past are the | | | | true, then the next step will have greater value. |
| days when we sharpened our wits by trying not to be | | | | When you are having a conversation and you are |
| eaten by a dinosaur each day while trying to catch our | | | | starting to get upset, find a spot in your body that you |
| food, now it is our work that gobbles up our life and | | | | may be feeling some discomfort. Put your mind there |
| energy. | | | | for a moment then put your mind in another part of |
| Meditation is to train the mind, and is not the challenge | | | | your body. The same idea of biting your finger when |
| of business and maintaining equanimity in all situations | | | | your foot hurts. Notice how your emotion is changing. |
| also and excellent training? If you are upset at | | | | Knowing that words are empty of their own, but that |
| circumstances, first you have the opportunity to see | | | | you have picked up the knife and stuck it into your |
| clearly that you are attached to the results, and | | | | own body, now finding where you have stabbed |
| secondly, that arrogance is up front in your | | | | yourself, you remove the knife by moving your mind. |
| consciousness. Now look it in the eyes and grab the | | | | Negative emotions quickly dissipate. |
| opportunity to conquer it. Being a hermit or monk does | | | | People often speak of imagining your dream, focus |
| not offer the chance for growth that the business | | | | and you will succeed. Often that does not work |
| world does. You cannot fight a hidden menace. The | | | | because the most important ingredient is ones |
| roots of our negative characteristics will not be found | | | | motivation, the reason we want to achieve the goal. |
| until the plant sprouts above ground. As a human, we | | | | We can have all the most beautiful goals and desires |
| are all with some aspects that inhibit us from being the | | | | for good, and do everything we think that we can do |
| perfection of our soul. Here we have a chance to | | | | to achieve it but often we just do not achieve the level |
| polish the stone, cleanse the heart, and see clearly | | | | we seek. What is the motivation, the reason behind all |
| through the veil that hides the true reality. | | | | acts? The Sufis say that it are not what you do but |
| Of course, before taking any of this to heart, one must | | | | what you intended to do that counts. This is where the |
| question oneself as to ones reasons for living and | | | | magic ingredient to success in all our hopes and |
| doing business. Is the purpose to have as much money | | | | dreams and focusing lies, is that reason which has to |
| as possible, or is it to have a pure heart, and still take | | | | be clear and clarified. Often in the clarification of the |
| care of providing very comfortably. Buddhist teaching | | | | reason and motivations we can discover if what we |
| says to do the task at hand with the sole thought of | | | | think we desire is really what we desire, and this can |
| doing the best job that one can do for the sake of | | | | resolve many conflicts in our life by discovering and |
| doing the best one can do. I have found that in living | | | | bringing to light if what we think we desire is truly what |
| this way, the financial gain among other benefits was | | | | we desire or is that just a programmed desire or is |
| very large. | | | | there something yet beyond that. |