Business to the Buddha

Tag: contentment

  • Not so trickling down!







    How would you define prosperity of a society?

    imf_sealThis is a question many have been asking for so many years. The answers to this question lies in not finding the average income of the society – the metric used globally is – income per capita. This very simplified measure is like saying – what Professor Moradian told us in class of operations management – putting one hand in boiling water (100 degrees) and other in freezing water (0 degrees) and saying I am at an average of 50 degrees and kinda ok! We see a widespread income inequality across the globe.

    The definition of prosperous society should be defined by meeting basic needs of the people of the country. Communication and Internet is one thing which has become a part of basic necessities now a days. Human development index the other measure. For a couple of years when I am writing about business and its relation with spirituality (my interest being the Eastern philosophies – teachings of the Buddha and Hinduism) I see a measure is contentment as well is a measure – What more you need?

    I was reading a recent news – Trickle down economics is wrong, says IMF of IMF research. This seems to be an interesting conclusion. We have been running behind capitalism during 1980’s now we are running on the other side in 2010’s. The research says – Trickle down economics reduces the GDP.

    What is Trickle down economy? Ronald Regan – President of US of A – coined this economics by providing special benefits to rich. The assumption of this theory is – if rich are provided tax benefits (reduced taxes) they would eventually invest in economy and growth will occur. In last 3 decades we have seen the impact of that economy.

    According to the said IMF report –

    A 1% increase in the income share of the bottom quintile results in a 0.38% increase in GDP. Meanwhile, a 1% increase in the income share of the top 20% results in a 0.08% decrease in GDP growth.

    There are a couple of take-aways –

    • Trickle down does not work, it does not mean tilt towards the socialist approach.
    • There has to be a balanced approach – as stated earlier – the Middle path
    • And yes – how would you measure prosperity? Well, by checking how content is each individual. That comes from within not outside. Remember the measure of contentment should not be like putting one hand in freezing water and other in boiling.

    Research document link – https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/sdn/2015/sdn1513.pdf

  • Money worth earning







    Recently, I met my Engineering College Professor Dr Anand Swaroop Saxena (in picture). He was my Engineering degree Major project guide, actually a guide in many ways. We were discussing something and he shared the following  lines (in Hindi these are called Doha).

    गो धन, गज धन, काज धन, सबे रतन धन ख़ान|
    जब आवे संतोष धन, ये सब धुरी समान||

    Go dhan, gaj dhan, kaaj dhan sabe ratan dhan khan
    Jab aave santosh dhan ye sab dhuri saman.

    Meaning:

    It is true that owning cattle, jewels or kingdoms is mine of wealth
    But when you own wealth of contentment (satisfaction) those mines (cattle, jewels etc) of wealth become worthless (like dust)

    Note – In old days cattle used to be a measure of wealth of a person, therefore go (cow) and gaj (elephant) in this doha.

    I thought about it and added two points –

    1. This does not mean we should block our owns progress in the name of contentment.

    2. Point 1 makes everyone think – when should we stop? Because if someone should not block his/her progress, that slowly converts into greed and running behind many things (at time unnecessary things).

    I thought that one should always try to utilize one’s capability to the hundred percent in doing whatever one is doing. This thought let me to Famous shloka of Geeta

    कर्मणयेवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
    मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि।

    Meaning: “You’ve a right to perform your prescribed action, but you’re not entitled to the fruits of your action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results your activities, and never be associated to not doing your duty.”

    And I felt contentment (satisfaction) is in becoming content (satisfied) and not in running behind anything, not even the desire to become content (satisfied with anything).

    Related blogs –

    When will we stop?

    Swasthay – dwelling in oneself

    What more you need?

    Source of Geeta shloka meaning – Deeds, not words, should speak