If with an impure mind, a person speaks or acts, suffering follows them like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox…if with a pure mind, a person speaks or acts, happiness follows them like their never-departed shadow (Dhammapad, 1-2)
The last article delved into the relevance of four noble truths and Businesses. This article will look into another significant learnings of Buddha- The Noble Eightfold Path and will try to link it with contemporary business practices to promote ethical operations.
The Eightfold Path (Aryaa Atthangika Magga) is a fundamental doctrine in Buddhism that provides a comprehensive and practical guide for ethical conduct, mental discipline, and spiritual development.
This path is divided into three interdependent components:
moral discipline (Silakkhanda),
concentration (Samadhikkhanda), and
wisdom (Pannakkhanda).
Each component comprises specific elements that collectively guide individuals towards a life of ethical integrity, mental clarity, and profound understanding.
By following the Eightfold Path, individuals can address the root causes of suffering, cultivate compassion, and ultimately attain enlightenment.
This article explores the profound significance of the Eightfold Path, its intrinsic connection to the Four Noble Truths, and its relevance in contemporary society, particularly in the realms of business and economics.
Moral Discipline (Silakkhanda)
The first component of the Eightfold Path emphasizes the cultivation of ethical conduct and moral discipline.
It comprises three elements: right speech, right action, and right livelihood.
Right speech encourages truthful, kind, and beneficial speech, abstaining from lies, harsh language, slander, and idle chatter. This principle is rooted in the understanding that speech has the power to create or alleviate suffering, and it is crucial to cultivate mindful and compassionate communication.
According to Buddha, lying can change the societal dimension for the worse. We can only live peacefully and happily in a society when there is mutual trust among each other. Lying increases suspicion and therefore fuels social chaos.
In the realm of business, false speech is unfortunately common, particularly in dealings with consumers or investors. Companies may manipulate their financial numbers to attract more investment or provide inaccurate information to the public to boost product sales.
Lies, Buddha asserts, tend to propagate and create a vicious cycle where subsequent lies are needed to cover up the initial falsehood.
An illustrative example is the case of Equifax, a major U.S. credit bureau that suffered a data breach in 2017. Hackers accessed the personal data of 143 million customers, including social security numbers, account numbers, addresses, and driver’s licenses.
Equifax deliberately misled customers by providing incorrect information, leading to another data breach where consumers were not informed. Consequently, Equifax had to pay a substantial settlement of at least $575 million to regulatory authorities.
In this case, both Equifax and the hackers engaged in wrongful livelihood. Equifax withheld accurate information and provided misinformation to consumers, while the hackers pursued their livelihood through illicit means. This underscores the importance of upholding right speech and ethical conduct, as advocated by Buddhist principles, to foster trust, societal well-being, and mutual respect.
Right action involves refraining from harmful actions such as killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, while promoting non-violence, respect for life, and ethical behavior.
This principle extends beyond individual actions to encompass societal and environmental considerations, encouraging a holistic approach to ethical living.
The Buddhist principle of abstaining from taking a life encompasses all living beings with a mind and consciousness, regardless of whether they are humans or animals. Killing, whether of humans or animals, is considered wrong by Buddha.
The motivation for killing humans is often rooted in negative emotions such as hatred, jealousy, greed, or delusion. On the other hand, killing animals may stem from a desire for meat or ignorance about the sentience and the right to life of animals.
Abstaining from taking what is not given entails refraining from appropriating something that doesn't rightfully belong to you or hasn't been willingly provided.
This prohibition encompasses actions such as stealing, robbery, and, in the realm of business, engaging in fraudulent practices or deception.
Corporate fraud is a common manifestation of this principle in business, involving companies providing falsified accounts and misrepresenting their sales figures. This deceptive behavior serves to gain advantages in taxes and governmental benefits, illicitly exploiting the system.
Additionally, businesses might resort to deceptive tactics when dealing with customers. For example, businesses could manipulate weights, offering inaccurate measures with the aim of misleading customers.
Such conduct contradicts the ethical guideline of refraining from taking what is not given and undermines the honesty of business dealings.
If businesses and everyday transactions were guided by Buddhist principles, individuals and companies would not experience feelings of being deceived or exploited.
Right livelihood advocates for engaging in occupations and livelihoods that are ethical, non-exploitative, and beneficial to society. This principle challenges individuals to critically examine their professions and ensure that their work does not contribute to harm or suffering.
First, it reflects on earrings done through legal ways, which should be peaceful and without any tricks because if it is illegal or is gained through violence then of course it is harmful to some people.
Secondly, Buddha in Anguttara Nikaya specifically mentions five occupations that should be avoided: trading weapons and arms, dealing with living beings (prostitution, killing animals or slave trade), intoxicants, butchers, and meat production.
People might say that work is work, you have to do what you have to do to earn a living, or this is just a part of my work. However, Buddha is very clear, he mentions that work is an integral part of one’s life and therefore ethical considerations are a must to be considered. Buddhist sutra focuses on “miccha ajivam pahaya” meaning giving up the wrong livelihood.
Right livelihood will be discussed in detail in coming articles.
Concentration (Samadhikkhanda)
The second component of the Eightfold Path focuses on the development of mental discipline and concentration.
It consists of three elements: right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
Right effort involves cultivating a persistent and diligent effort to abandon unwholesome mental states and develop wholesome ones, fostering positive qualities and overcoming negative tendencies.
This principle encourages individuals to actively engage in their personal growth and spiritual development.
Right concentration refers to the development of a focused and unified state of mind, achieved through various meditation practices, enabling deep insight and spiritual awakening. This principle emphasizes the importance of mental discipline and the cultivation of inner peace and clarity.
Right mindfulness encourages the practice of present-moment awareness and non-judgmental observation of one's thoughts, emotions, and sensations. By cultivating mindfulness, individuals can develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their interconnectedness with the world around them.
Mindfulness, defined as the presence of mind, attentiveness, and awareness, is crucial. Despite the common belief that our minds naturally reside in the present, Buddha suggests that this is not the case.
Training the mind to be present and applying the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path when necessary is essential. It signifies the construction of the mind.
Before Buddha was enlightened, he saw clearly that there are two types of thoughts. The helpful one and the less helpful one. The unhelpful thoughts are governed by ill will, greed, lust, jealousy, doubts, confusion, or cruelty.
“As I abided diligent, ardent, and resolute, a thought of ill will arose in me. And I understood this leads to my own affliction, to the affliction of others, and to the affliction of both. It obstructs wisdom, causes difficulties, and leads away from Nibbana. When I consider thus, it subsided in me, whenever a thought of cruelty or ill-will arose in me, I abandoned it, removed it, get away with it” (Majjhima Nikaya.19: 4-5)
In an economic context, understanding the objectives and working toward them with full consciousness and mental dedication is vital. This entails avoiding being swayed by greed and tanha, which can distort efforts.
While businesses may encounter losses and setbacks, it is essential not to diminish our efforts or resort to unlawful and illegal means to overcome challenges. Achieving this requires the right mindset and the application of correct efforts.
Wisdom (Pannakkhanda)
The third component of the Eightfold Path emphasizes the cultivation of wisdom and profound understanding.
It comprises two elements: right view and right intention.
Right view involves developing a correct understanding of the Four Noble Truths, the nature of reality, and the interconnectedness of all phenomena.
This principle encourages individuals to challenge their preconceived notions and embrace a more profound and nuanced perspective on life.
Right intention encourages the cultivation of wholesome intentions, such as intentions of goodwill, non-violence, and renunciation, which serve as the foundation for ethical conduct and spiritual growth.
This principle highlights the importance of aligning one's thoughts and motivations with ethical and compassionate value.
These three are then parallelly governed by wrong intentions: The intention governed by desire, the intention governed by ill will, and the intention governed by harmfulness. The right intention can liberate oneself from things that are causing dissatisfaction.
With the right intention, we can turn the precept around how we measure economic value or growth for ourselves and our company.
Buddha’s teachings are quite divergent from how the way the world works. But is it bad?
Well, the current work works on unrealistic desires, the system forces us to find happiness in objects that have only materialistic values and link that with fulfilment.
Whereas Buddha tells us very differently. He wants us to focus on eliminating such desires by abandoning them completely as it is morally evil and for the long term not beneficial.
This clearly does not mean leaving everything and living in the forest, not enjoying your life, or being aimless.
It means we should eliminate cravings (tanha) or desire (raga) since it is the origin of dukkha and focus on being self-sufficient considering being in abiding by ethics and not hurting others.
By rigorously practicing samma sankappa we can refrain from chasing unrealistic desires, like buying or chasing behind the latest things in the market or working only to get rich or earn money.
Relevance in Contemporary Business world
While the Eightfold Path may initially appear to be a spiritual or ancient concept, its principles hold profound relevance in contemporary society, particularly in the realms of business and economics.
The principles of right speech, right action, and right livelihood offer valuable guidance for ethical business practices. Companies and individuals are encouraged to engage in truthful and transparent communication, refrain from harmful or exploitative actions, and pursue livelihoods that contribute positively to society.
This approach challenges the prevailing mindset of prioritizing profit over ethical considerations and encourages a more holistic and sustainable approach to business.
The principles of right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration emphasize the importance of mental discipline, focus, and present-moment awareness in achieving success and fulfillment.
In a fast-paced and often overwhelming business environment, these principles can help individuals and organizations cultivate a sense of clarity, purpose, and mindful decision-making.
Furthermore, the principles of right view and right intention encourage a shift in perspective, challenging the conventional notions of success and happiness that are often tied to material possessions and wealth accumulation.
Instead, these principles encourage individuals and businesses to align their goals and intentions with ethical values, compassion, and a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all phenomena.
Embracing the Eightfold Path, businesses and individuals can foster a more ethical, sustainable, and fulfilling approach to economic activities.
This path encourages a move away from the pursuit of unrealistic desires and the accumulation of wealth at the expense of ethical considerations. Instead, it promotes a mindset of self-sufficiency, ethical conduct, and a genuine concern for the well-being of others and the environment.