Business to the Buddha

Category: Business

  • Economics concepts and equality







    I was thinking about this strange experiment. What is we conclude end of day today that, everyone is given a new currency DMV (Digital Monetary Value) 2000. Any currency anyone has in his /her account is NULL except DMV 2000 after end of day today. Any other assets whatsoever are also NULL.

    maxresdefaultThis will bring everyone on the same economic level.Socialists want that, right? Next day onwards everyone has to work in DMV equivalents only. What would happen? Would we see equal socio-economic status of the world in say 20 years? Because everyone started off afresh with same amount of currency? Would the world be same as it is today (without DMV), after 20 years? The inequality will creep-in. Socialism seems to miss something in that sense of the world? The inequality in the world is not only because of the madness human-beings are involved with, but also because of the way soft things are build. The lobbying would continue, even after the DMV, and citizen’s representatives will make laws to favor few. Education will also make an impact the inequality generated. Relationships will play another role in creating the difference. Result? We would end up with the same The Price of Inequality.

    Capitalists will disagree to the starting point of the experiment itself. However, if capitalists understand the basic flaw of socialists approach they can understand last three sentences of the previous paragraph.

    I noticed on the net that If there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism. [Tweet “Albert Einstein said – If there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs it would be #Buddhism”] Though my opinion is – one must not even accept everything in Buddhism also as  panacea. I would suggest two point if not anything else of Buddhism – 1. compassion & knowing interdependent co-arising and 2. meditation.

    The problem is the way we think, we need to change the way we think (what we think we become) [Tweet “what we think we become”]. Here is an example – Asian shares climb after dismal U.S. jobs report. This is the situation when one side of the world is in trouble the other half enjoys and makes profit. Are we going to understand the true meaning of equality? Forget meditation for some time, are we going to learn – interdependent co-arising?

    Image source – http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hdr6vSYZXGo/maxresdefault.jpg

  • Free market, corporate espionage & Government







    What is free market? A very straightforward definition of free market is – a market system where prices of goods and services are set freely by consent of sellers and consumers.

    In very simple words – I have an apartment and want to sell it – I quote (asking rate) price of USD 100,000. If a buyer or buyers are willing to buy the apartment at my asking rate that can be put as the market rate for similar kind of apartments in that given area. In the same simple language if no one comes forward to buy the apartment at USD 100,000 I may decide to reduce price to say USD 80,000. So on and so forth. The logic can work in reverse direction as well If there are more than one buyer I may increase my asking rate to sat USD 125,000.

    Demand Supply economicsThis concept of free market introduces a very interesting and important Basic Economics principle of “Demand and Supply”. If demand is more compared to supply prices may go up and vice versa.

    However, I have been asking a question to myself and have this to many educated economists or free market experts. Have you ever questioned the same logic of demand supply and free market in scenario of Mumbai reality? Have you not wondered about hoarding? How often the free market is really a free market?

    I have been searching for an apartment for last couple of months. In fact since 2008 I am hearing that Mumbai housing prices will be under pressure. In 2009-2010 when economy worldwide was struggling it was heard that the housing bubble of Mumbai will burst. Did it happen? I have my doubts. Recently, I received a call from a firm regarding buying a flat (apartment) in some areas in Mumbai. I – instead of responding to the questions – asked the caller –

    1. Tell me how many projects in Mumbai are stalled by construction companies because of lack of funds?
    2. How many projects have been almost complete but have unsold apartments?
    3. How many projects are rescheduled for possession date/month/year?
    4. How many properties are unsold?

    The caller responded with a number in lacs of sq ft. I could not hear the answer properly but that turns out to be almost (perhaps more than) 100,000 apartment in Mumbai. [Please do not quote it has a accurate statistic it was an approximation of the caller]

    Are we really talking about free market? Or is it really a created bubble of price.

    These questions roll on to the question of leaking Govt. In free market we speak about Government’s role of regulation. Have you heard of crony capitalism or the recent corporate espionage case in India. In one online news it was stated that many CEOs say that there is nothing new with corporate espionage. The article was published in Business Standard but that has been removed by the company now! Check the screenshots attached.

    I rememberr this Hindi idiom when Govt is not functioning or driven by the private businesses instead of public good.

    जब बागड़ ही बाग खाने लगे तो बगिया का क्या होगा?

    Addendum – The article is up again (as of 17th March) http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/corporate-espionage-is-not-new-to-india-inc-say-ceos-115022000432_1.html

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    Source

    1. Demand Supply Curve – Investopedia
    2. Image 2 to 5 from Business Standard Google Cache screenshot. Original article not available on the link Image 4

  • Ek Omkar Satnam







    You know what? Whatever you are thinking is not your thought! This thought is the will of God. There is no FREE-WILL.

    when I thought about the last lines of Ek Omkar Satnam Gurbani I felt helpless. The last line means – “O Nanak, it is written that you shall obey the Hukam (order) of His Command, and walk in the Way of His Will.”

    Check some distorted meaning based video from the movie Rang De Basanti and read a better English translation of the Gurubani here.

    When I tried comprehending the meaning of Gurubani, I felt as if I am egoist. I questioned myself – then what am I doing? Why am I doing it? And why should anyone even have ambition or goals or anything? Is everything is what THE God wants me to think do and act? What is my CHOICE then? What if the thought and CHOICE is also implanted by HIM? Who am I? Am I a dead weight that should just flow with the river of life?

    Things get complicated when such questions come in mind. The mind doesn’t want to accept its “non-existence” and heart says that is right, who are you? [check the hearts reasoning universe and Two men in a room – Ego] Why do you go on and on, where do you want to go, where will you reach – remember it is a treadmill you are running to stay wherever you are. More your mind runs faster you will have to run. Just leave it to His WILL.

    Are you a swimmer? If you can not swim and kind of drown, the more you try to save yourself more you get into trouble. That is how the FREE WILL and HIS Will business seem to work. The harder your try miserably you fail.

    Today when I learnt the meaning of Ek Omkar Satnam, it made me realize that I am just “an insignificant nothing”, but the mind doesn’t accept it.

  • Inconvenience of established practices







    One of my friends was grumbling about his office. He told me that their company is bringing a new dress-code policy. According to the policy everyone has to wear formal outfit in office at least from Monday to Thursday irrespective of the role a person is in. He told me – “I dont feel comfortable in formal pants, for past so many years I wear jeans and sports shoe. In fact, when I wear leather shoe I have trouble in walking.”

    After this conversation I started noticing, many older people – kind of retired – wear formal cloths but prefer wearing sports shoe. They dont go to offices. They general going for a walk or say in the market in formal cloths & sports shoe.

    I am from the old school, I prefer wearing sports shoe on casual wear, but if I am in formal outfit I need leather shoe. When I saw older people wear formal outfit and sports shoe, I wondered, really? Com’on! I thought my friend who was grumbling about his office’s dress-code policy is done – he is an old man now 😉 I told him so.

    I realized that sports shoe are more comfortable for walking over leather shoe. I noticed the difference when I started jogging in the morning and then going to office – of course I wear formal shoe for office. Sports shoes are better. Perhaps thats the reason these old folks wear sports shoe on their formal attire. So, I asked myself, why do I wear leather shoe when I am far comfortable in sports shoe? Reason is for more than 15 years I have been wearing typical formal attire and now if I wear formal cloths but sports shoe, I feel completely out of place and extremely uncomfortable (in my mind and not in activity of walking).

    The problem is with our established, Traditionsassumption based belief that formal cloths goes well with formal shoe (leather shoe). This is the case with many of our beliefs, social practices and rituals. We are forced to do somethings which we do not feel comfortable doing. Some beliefs or practices are considered “normal” even if people are uncomfortable doing them. If someone is not comfortable doing those things and does not follow the established practices, that person – unfortunately – is considered as “abnormal”. As is the problem with my friend in his office.

    Let us take the same example of wearing formal shoe on formal cloths, in particular the office setup. Disruptor are those who question these practices. They tend to something new. How far people should accept inconvenient established practices in the name of following the norm? This going out of established Norms is a trouble for the society. Society by and large tries to create an order. But, since the Big Bang entropy of the world is only increasing. More on entropy some time in the future.

    My friend – poor guy – getting hassled for wearing formals because that is being “normal”, better and more “office type”! Wonder if his work will count in his appraisal 😉

    Image source – http://tuanmalam.blogspot.in/2009_05_01_archive.html

    This is a scheduled and thus auto published blog, author is currently having limited access to the internet.

  • landslide







    When Alan Greenspan said in 2008 – “I really didn’t get it until very late.” It was as if someone was digging under his feet and Mr AG did not know. May be Mr AG really did not know, because he was keeping his eyes and ears closed. May be he was so inebriated in the wheel of growth that not just Mr AG but any banker was not willing to feel the “overheating economy”, hear or see that someone was digging deeper – under their feet.

    These words overheating and digging remind me of environment and when I received the above video* from someone on Whatsapp I could relate this video to one and only thing – economy.

    When I was watching this video, I was having strange feelings in my mind that the economy is going to do in down turn once again in 2015-16. “Everything just works as perfectly as it can…until it stops working!” That seems to be the case yet again for the economy.

    There are other reasons to believe that we are going to have a tough time. Though I do not want to be a doomsayer or conspiracy theorist, but here are few things – Developed world wages freeze analysis (The Economist), ISIS is likely to help economy sustain (wars have helped bring economy back on track), Upcoming elections in the USA, France unhappy and rise of EU opponent leader there. Though when it comes to EU, I wish it remains an integrated unit, that is a start for unifying the world in the lines of – interdependent co-arising.

    Watch that video once again – remember Economy goes down like this. Have we ever questioned the actual reasons for these things? Dig deeper! This digging deeper to make some extra pound creates the problem. Economy crumbles like this when we do not nurture it the way we – as a collective group – fail to maintain the hill which just crumbled in the video. As capitalists too – we are individually smart collectively dumb.

    *The origin of this video is unknown to the author – video shared by Dr Mala Kapadia.

  • Random Act of Kindness







    I have started watching a SitCom – Dharma and Greg. In one episode Dharma (a strangely spiritual women), does Random Act of Kindness. She gets into trouble as a Policeman fines her. Well, I shall write on the serial sometime later. I thought to take up this point of “Random Act of Kindness” in this blog. I have written on Can money buy Happiness? earlier, however here is another take. Though, upto an extent yes Money can buy you happiness, yet beyond that threshold “value of money” does not add any “value” to one’s happiness – point of diminishing returns.

    Related blog – Just do it… ok try it

    I received this video from my brother on WhatsApp. I am sharing this video here, do watch, if you like do share as well. After watching this video you may say why do such thing? People will be “tempted to find such person” on daily basis! Just watch the video and feel free to share it, like it and write your opinion on the comments box below.

    If you want to check this video in Youtube

    It is my birthday today – 26th Sept. So instead of waiting till weekend (starting tomorrow), I thought that let me share this blog on my Birthday. Will you share some Random Act of Kindness with anyone? May be today? Not necessarily me [jokes apart].  Anyone who is in need.

  • Aarti Amma







    Domestic helpAarti is in her mid 50’s if not in early 60’s. She came and settled in Mumbai when she was in her 20’s, with 3 kids and a couple of cloths that is it! She worked as a domestic help, her husband did different jobs. They taught their kids lived struggling with the ups and downs of the city. This struggle for them was “life” a survival stint.

    When I think about spiritual solutions to many problems, I have not thought about life from their level. At that level of existence survival itself is a blessing. Survival is the whole objective of life. When I am writing it I feel, the place is changed but we are still living in a jungle where animals are struggling for survival! The reasons are different though.

    So, our protagonist survived in city. Of course, one of the kids spoiled himself but other two are graduates. The best thing about this struggle is – one owns a house at the extreme end of the suburban city. Well, where is the house is not a question, one must be proud of the growth in 30 years from few cloths & nothing much to two graduates & a house in Mumbai – commendable!

    This is what I like about capitalism (no not entirety of capitalism!) – work hard and reap the rewards. I like the concept of financial freedom. Aarti and her family is still trying to get in the zone of financial freedom (even many of us).

    Aarti Amma has taught many lessons – one of them is hard work and other is managing relations. Both need a consistent practice, I am on it.

    Image for representational purpose, source Shunya’s notes

    Related blogs

    When will we stop?

    When will we stop?

    Dichotomy on happiness…

    Dichotomy on happiness…

  • Conditioned mind







    In our last meeting Professor Mankad suggested to try some Chinese, we went to a Chinese restaurant at Dadar bang opposite Shiv Sena Bhavan. I agreed, as for me this restaurant was new, earlier when I lived in Dadar the restaurant was named Chandragupt, not specialty Chinese restaurant. A very good service and good food as well. During the lunch we spoke on different topics and my earlier posts have some as the blogs on the same discussions.

    While discussing and before leaving the restaurant, Prof Mankad did a simple experiment on me. He took a piece of paper and wrote “All in the the family”. He asked me just read it. I read it “All in the family”, he asked me read it again. I read it again and again for good about 5-6 times for next 30 seconds – “All in the family”. All the time when I read that I was asking if the words I am reading are right, in terms of legibility! Reference check image

    ReadingIn the image if you notice the first THE is not clear. So, I had various reasons to ask questions about words and spellings. So, I was digging the hole at the wrong place. Prof Mankad was enjoying it. So after a while I said there are two THE in this sentence, one on line 2 and other on line 3, “I noticed it but thought it was by mistake”. He smiled little more. I also made little more observations. This all went on interestingly, the waiter kept on watching us.

    So, Prof Mankad concluded, Pravin, you saw what you wanted to see, not what exactly is there. This is the problem with many of us, we are conditioned according to our choices and opinions. We need to be open to possibilities. Last week when I wrote on served by biases the idea was same, to highlight this problem of conditionality. Just to conclude with example (reference Times Now debate – that I overheard) – yesterday night heard Indian Rail fares will be increased. Until last year when UPA Govt raised fare 1st time in 10 years, BJP questioned and called names to UPA. Now, when BJP is increasing fare, BJP was supporting it with various reasons & even Twiple (on twitter they are called Bhakts by some people) supporting BJP started supporting the act! Isn’t it surprising! I know there would be instances when people will say – ok! this Govt is not as corrupt as the UPA was, we can live with it! The only reason for that will be – because it is the Party which I support, has done the scams. This is the way we think and act based on conditioned mind.

    The same happens with innovation efforts in the company, people are so biased and conditioned that they ignore simple things (as repeated THE). For such cases organizations need external consultants for advisory.

  • Served by biases







    Though the technology has made things / opinions / news available and discoverable, however this has resulted in information overload as well. This information overload has made us divide, restructure and focus on what we (as an individual) want to read, know and learn. Look at the image, for example from The Indian Express news site. There are many such examples, where we are served by biased news (in India many people call it paid media). Recently, Network18 group was acquired by Reliance group.

    What you want to readThis content customization or focus (in marketing called as targeting) of each one of us is actually alienating us from many realities. Reason for that is – we either do not know what actually happened but are bombarded by the other side with their perspective. In that case responsibility lies with us to know or try to understand what is actually happened. Thanks to the customization and therefore negative information we have already received from our “sources” we do not know what is right and if something is serious. I have been occasionally termed biased when I tried to provide different perspectives. Tough time! one has to live through it.

    Take an example of environmental damages. If you followed environmental cause related opinion makers you could know something wrong is happening, but if you are just following weather reports – you would say everything is ok! this year this typhoon, tsunami, hurricane, earthquake happened. Why? Well, have we asked these questions? Can we identify or try to search for the reasons for such changes in environment? Monsoon in India is delayed this year, can we ascertain reasons; and if we can avoid the reasons.

    We make our economics / political / national / Environmental opinions based on such biases. Take an example of economics. Capitalists’ project their system is right, socialists (communists) projects wrongs in the capitalists approach and vice versa. Is there a possibility when we think and design something which tries to bring good from different systems? Think, open your mind and look at the bigger picture. Should not we ask ourselves – are we served unbiased information or we are seeing what powerful people want to show us.

    Disclaimer – The author has no intentions to tarnish image of Indian Express/Network18. It was the easiest available screenshot for providing author’s perspective.

  • Faith







    “Gamblers are the biggest believers!” Prof Mankad told this to me. He asked “who do you think are the biggest believers? They have faith, next time… if not this time one more time, next time fortune will be mine. They believe that one next time; they have faith.”

    When I heard this, I promised Professor Mankad that I’ll learn the games played in gambling. This is seemingly contrary to what we have heard – gambling is not a good thing! On the other hand gamblers can be the biggest believers in the world! I wonder if there is a God he must be sitting in some casino and helping someone make fortune! Isn’t it?

    I had been thinking of writing a blog on our that small piece of chat, and I received this small story – modified a bit.

    FaithBar

    There was a town; often visited by many traders and nearby villagers during the weeks for all sorts of trade. In that town there was a church, but no bars. A person saw an opportunity seeing many visitor in town but bar. Hoping that after a tiring day people would come and just chill in the bar; so quenching thrust with booze was huge business case! However, this person could find a place only opposite the lone church of the town! He started his business there.

    Church

    People from all walks of life visited his bar, not only after a tiring day in the market but also after their prayers and other casual visits to the Church. Earlier only Church used to a common meeting place for town dwellers as well as for villagers from far and wide. Now the bar had taken over. The church was a serious matter and bars were for fun and frolic. Even for heart broken people it was a place to forget the pains. The heart broken had route as – message to Gods in the church with emotional stories, after the painful saga go to the Bar for comforting oneself. The church authorities were pained with this challenge from a competitor just under the nose. They prayed daily against the bar. As fate could have it, the prayers were heard sooner rather than later – the bar was struck by lightning and caught fire.

    Bar owner sued the church for the cause, as an action by their prayer. The church authorities denied all responsibility!

    So, the judge commented – “…its difficult to decide the case because here we have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer and an entire church that doesn’t believe in it.!!!”

    At times you find somethings at the most unexpected place!

    Disclaimer & sources – The author does not intend to hurt any sentiments, and does not question the authority of the churches [he has his STRONG opinions though]. The author does not want to claim any Intellectual Property Rights – Copyright – to the story [even though he has modified the story].

    Images [used for purpose of representation only] source

    Church – http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/St._Andrew%27s_Forane_Church_of_Arthunkal.jpg

    Bar – http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/NfRrEUz62Lw/hqdefault.jpg