Business to the Buddha

Tag: I have a dream

  • Cast(e)ing doubts – Color of skin







    This blog is in the series of blogs on – against – the caste system of India. Though this blog is on a Western Social Challenge. I wish some day we would value people on their

    Capabilities and not Caste
    Action and not Ancestry
    Character and not on Color of skin

    That we all connected there is no two (non-duality) no big vs small no higher vs lower. So let us first understand what is one of the challenges before we reach there.

    —

    We first bought National Panasonic Cassette recorder and player in 1991. I was 11 years that time, I started listening to songs specially – Mukesh, Lata and Michael Jackson. Being a Hindi medium 6th grade student English was literally a foreign language to me. But, who heard MJ for lyrics the music was enough. When I came to know about Michael Jackson’s plastic surgery I came to know about the racial issues out side of India. Well, I was young so never thought about racial discrimination. In 2007 I watched “To kill a mocking bird” and heard speech “I have a dream” of Martin Luther King Jr. That time I realized how deep rooted the problem of discrimination was. Than in 2008 Obama won, seemed as if there is a hopeful positive movement, how much? I cannot comment on that, I have never been to the US.

    Recently, I watched a movie Invictous. This movie is based on true incidents in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was elected as President of SA. SA organized rugby world cup in 1995. The idea was to bring black and white people of SA together – through the language of sport. Those who are from countries where Cricket is played might remember that in 1992 South African team again joined international cricket. Reason – in 1970s ICC removed SA cricket team due to racial discrimination “Apartheid“.

    One of my friends later told me about Muhammad Ali, that Ali was a born Christan but changed his religion. Well, I rarely enjoyed watching boxing so was mostly unaware about the greatness of Muhammad Ali, anyways. When I heard about he changing religion I went one step beyond. I felt that we humans would remain like that. Currently we are fighting on supremacy of religion. Each religion has different sub-sects Muslims has Shiya and Sunni etc, Christans have Catholic and Protestants etc, Buddhists have Hinyan and Mahayan etc. Jains has Digambar and Shwetambars. Hindus? Well we have many sects and many caste based devision. In future we would fight on supremacy of the sub-sects (currently too that happens Syria, Iraq, Caste system in India etc) What we need as humans is increasing our consciousness we all are born equal – as humans. We need to respect each other as humans. Next if you need to value someone more and other less. Value him or her on

    Capabilities and not Caste
    Action and not Ancestry
    Character and not on Color of skin

    And of course other qualities rather than somethings on which a baby may not have control e.g. color of skin and caste of birth etc.

  • I have a dream!







    Related blog – Why this title?
    Have you read the book – “I have a dream” by Rashmi Bansal? One of my friends gave me this book and said – ‘it might change your life, read it.’ It is on social entrepreneurship. I am reading the book nowadays, and found ‘author’s note’ very interesting, I am putting the note here.

    QUOTE
    There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who think, and those who feel. The ‘thinkers’ see a child begging on the street and say to themselves ‘that’s not my problem.’ Those who feel, however, will give that child something, if not a coin, at least a moment of compassion. Thinkers believe the world is a neat place, with boundaries. ‘My house’, ‘My family’, ‘My community’, ‘My welfare’ that’s where there the boundary ends.

    But those who feel see the entire world as One. Beggar and bourgeois, sinner and saint. We are all interconnected in ways we cannot understand. And Hence, in serving another, we are only serving ourselves.

    For too long now we – the ‘middle class’ of India – have chosen to be thinkers. We have deadened our hearts and our minds to the poor, the hungry and the homeless and the hopeless. Because that problem is really not ‘ours’.

    And the small minority who feels, it’s doing the best it can. But it is never enough! I see now, a new breed of people. Thinking-feeling individuals who look a problem in the eye and declare war. These people think like entrepreneurs but feels and work for the cause of society. And hence, they are ‘social entrepreneurs’. These are people like you and me, not Mother Teresa. They are using the principles of business, to create a better world. A world where profit does not equal greed. Where people come together for a greater common cause. A world where ‘I’ does not mean crushing ‘them’. Because the bank balance you have here on earth will remain, when you depart. Your Karma you carry forward.

    So no matter what your problem in life is, spare a moment for someone else.

    Spread love, laughter and goodwill.

    The more you give, the more you will get back.
    UNQUOTE

    I see a connection between teachings of the Buddha, these entrepreneurs and what Rashmi is saying – i) greater common cause ii) a world where profit is not equal to greed iii) we are all interconnected and iv) we are ONE world.

    I too have a dream – to see all of us – business men/women – as compassionate and thinking in the lines we – as a single world. This for sure would ensure peace, harmony and economically stable world.