Where are the entrepreneurs?

In response to the insight that Kwek has gained from his interview with Angita, I think that whether it is 1 year or 2 years Dhamma Circle, it doesn’t really matter. The main issue that I can pick out from the discussion is that:

1.1. How to reduce the workload of the Directors and the members who are organizing it? And the meaning of work that need to be addressed each year, basically, the big M word, Motivation.

2. 2. The second issue, which I personally and consistently have been bringing up over my 3 years in NUSBS, possibly due to my engineering background, is the big N issue, Number.

So now we have M and N, M for Motivation and N for Number.

Let me extend the concept of M and N a little bit…

NUSBS will turn 30 years next year and seems that things have not been improving much since the time when the number of Buddhists is dwindling over the years and converted to other religions or free-thinker in Singapore. Buddhists are seen as old-fashioned and people who always do chanting non-stop and 3 steps one bow to get good academic results.

The following idea that I am presenting could be provocative and offensive, therefore I would like to apologize first and I will try to be as polite as possible. For the past 4-5 years, the key personnel of NUSBS is actually the Dharma Director. I believe that the people who are altruistic, good heart, good practice and the conservatives belong to the M group. While the people who always think of new things and ideas and working towards modernization belong to the N group. Certainly, there are those who are belong to the both groups but they are the minority. However, the sad thing is that we have always been coming to the stage where the M is always in the opposite with the N.

As long as the M is always more dominant than the N in the society, the number of members will reach a steady state or in fact from history, it actually decreases. Well, M group will challenge this idea by saying that number is not important and what matters most is the heart and the motivation, that’s why they belong to the M group and that’s why the current NUSBS will remain as NUSBS for the next 5-10 years to come.

What I’m proposing is that the N people should be trained and developed as well. We are always talking about developing Dharma friends and facilitators. Those training will only develop mainly the M group and not the N group. Certainly, developing “Dharma friends” program could include development of the N people as well. And the most important thing to be able to qualify as N personnel, is the ability to present, sell and market. Ask any of the Gates or the Jobs out there, if you cannot sell, you will never succeed. You may have the best technology in the market, but if you cannot sell, it will just go down to the drain, quickly.

In summary, an electron discovered by scientist will remain as electron. An engineer makes it into a super computer so that I can type and post my thoughts here. But without the entrepreneurial minded people who brings this technology in the stores and bring down the cost, I would probably just view it as a luxury item belong to the upper class. The Buddha is the scientist, the Sangha is the engineer, where are the entrepreneurs then?

Thank you,

Kosiyo

Some post-exam updates

Hi ghouls of the dharmarountable! 法圆桌的恶鬼果然阴魂不散！

I'd be meeting up with some of the key personnel of the 29th MC and some past seniors for a chat. For starters last week I met up with Kenny and today I met up with Angita.

Summary of meeting with Angita (of course certain information will not be broadcasted here):

My purpose was to find out on an informal basis her reflections （感想） comparing her pre-MC and post-MC mentalities and her suggestions for the near future. Her insights actually hit the nail quite on the head, at least in my opinion.

1. While as a participant in year 1, she and yuven very much look forward to weekly Dharma Circles as a form of gathering/meaningful 'entertainment'. They would always set aside Fridays for DC and would even ask each other what are the topics this week, etc. Not only was it a time to relieve stress, there was also something to be learnt, to be gained.

However, upon becoming MC, DCs and all BS activities suddenly become viewed as work. Because now the paradigm is from that of an organiser, (a) there are no surprises - she knows what's going to happen next, in contrast to eager anticipation as a participant; (b) she sees all the imperfections, screw-ups, mismanagement of time, etc, which she finds spoils her whole experience as compared to as a participant, where everything seemed 'perfect'.

2. Before being in the MC, she was not quite aware of the actual workload that was behind the running of those activities that she had been having fun in. The very first day of taking over already overwhelmed her. From then on burnt out followed pretty quickly.

The above 2 are the main points. Succession, committee dynamics and her own working relationship with the DD will not be discussed here.

Some comments that she mentioned for future DCs.

- we agreed that the frequency of talks versus discussion group style has become overly frequent. We agreed that the quantity of 4 DCs before term break and 4 DCs after term break for a total of 8 per semester, 16 per academic year is ideal. We agreed on a ratio of 3 Discussions to 1 Talk for each set of 4 DCs. Discussion can involve participants and is less heavy.

- 'movie'-screening should become a permanent feature of DCs. Frequency suggested is once per semester. 'Movies' need not be actually movies - documentaries or even short Dharma Talks can be used, as long as they are followed with discussion. The purpose is to add some audio-visual variety to the presentation method of DCs: not always a real speaker in front.

- the latest 'mind series' of DCs may have seen heavy topics, but my response was that it may have been the choice of speakers and method of presentation that made it seem heavy (i.e. it would have been less heavy if it were discussion style). However, it is agreed that a series of 4 related DCs such as the latest 'mind series' is a good package, in terms of marketing and content. There would be continuity that regulars can look forward to.

- old ghost that resurfaced: the need for any 'syllabus' in the topics of Dharma Circles versus the repetition of topics. I described to her the original plan formulated at the end of the 27th, executed in the 28th (to a limited extent), and not passed down to the 29th: 16-20 'technical' topics to be cycled through 2 years.

- non-'technical' topics may seem quite broad, but hence is their viability to be repeated each year. Suggestion is to highlight one aspect of the broad topic this year, and highlight another part the next year.

Her suggested next 4 DCs:
- Transforming into an Undergrad student
- Buddhadharma for University LIfe
- What is Buddhism? (Broad topic, this time introducing Buddhism in a nutshell as modern living)
- Present moment (Buddhism's best selling product in the urbanised, globalised, modernised world: mindfulness)

Prior to my meeting with her, a short discussion with Puay Kim was to design a whole year's worth of DC topics and speakers to hand over on a platter to the DD, who will make changes as they deem fit. The purpose was to release the DD and DDD to concentrate on developing the DFs and the Dharma subcomm. But upon discussion with Angita apparently it may even be advantageous to design 2 year's worth of DC topics (as per suggested at the end of the 27th).

I would update on Kenny another time. Kenny happens to be in the 24th MC, same as Gordon. I would make arrangements to meet up with Siling for a chat too.

A Walk to Wat Ananda

Today is a special day. After i woke up from my sleep, suddenly, arose an urge to attend Sunday Service. Wat Ananda came to my mind. After making myself a fragrant coffee and eating one "Sunshine" blueberry bread, i made my way to the temple.
The feeling is mixed. I did not understand why. It was a long time since i last chanted or listened to a Dhamma Talk. Throughout the session, i did not pay much attention to the activities, but observed my emotions rising and falling. The mind is overwhelmed. After a period of time, the mind started to become calm. I remembered this feeling, a stream of peacefulness ran all over your body. An inner voice shouted: "Wow..."
Lastly, the melody of Metta chant really did the magic. For me, it had been so long since i listened to Metta chant, fabulous, totally made me immersed in it and totally calm down. However, it was short lived, i hoped it can be longer. Until now, i realized the power of togetherness in a group. The magnetic feel is wonderful. It was certainly hard to achieve in a room with myself sitting alone.
After the whole session, i took three Dhamma books written by Ven K. Rathanara from Sri Langkaramaya Temple (today's speaker). I had one of the best Hainan Chicken Rice recorded in my dictionary near the temple and decided to finish the books and returned back. The hot weather drove me crazy. In the end, i went back to the temple and read under the Bodhi Tree. The shade made me feel cool and it was so nice to read under it on this special Sunday morning.
Finally, i finished reading the books: (1) Healthy thoughts (for children, sourced from Sri Langka children's book); (2) The Art of Giving; (3) How to maintain a healthy relationship.
A great activity for clearing all the negative emotions that had been accummulated for so long. Most importantly, it was so relaxing and i had fun doing it.
Shiok...

Inner Voice Deep Inside Our Heart

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up
against a parked car shouting, 'What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?'

The young boy was apologetic. 'Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do,' He pleaded. 'I threw the brick because no one else would stop...' With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. 'It's my brother, 'he said. 'He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up.'

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, 'Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me.'

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. 'Thank you and may gods bless you,' the grateful child told the stranger. Too
shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy! push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: 'Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!' Inner voice whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.

Great story to share with you all...

One day all the employees reached the office and they saw a big advice on the door on which it was written:

'Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away.

We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym'.

In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their colleagues, but after a while they started getting curious to know who was that man who hindered the growth of his colleagues and the company itself.

The excitement in the gym was such that security agents were ordered to control the crowd within the room.

The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up.

Everyone thought: 'Who is this guy who was hindering my progress?

Well, at least he died!'.

One by one the thrilled employees got closer to the coffin, and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part
of their soul.

There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself.

There was also a sign next to the mirror that said:

'There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU.

You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success.

You are the only person who can help yourself.

Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realise that you are the only one responsible for your life.

'The most important relationship you can have, is the one you have with yourself'

Examine yourself, watch yourself. Don't be afraid of difficulties, impossibilities and losses: be a winner, build yourself and your reality.

The world is like a mirror: it gives back to anyone the reflection of the thoughts in which one has strongly believed.

The world and your reality are like mirrors laying in a coffin, which show to any individual the death of his divine capability to imagine and create his happiness and his success.

It's the way YOU face Life that makes the difference

Have a nice day!