Jain Spirit 2003 12 No 17

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 35

In another instance (a story recited to me) at a lecture on Jainism, a member of the audience, who was engaged in the furniture business, asked the speaker about how to deal with tree felling, an activity that formed a core part of his business. Recognising the business as a vital one, the speaker suggested replanting trees to replace those felled - as a means of trying to give back and minimising the overall impact. Thus even if we are in businesses that may not be completely purist from a Jain perspective, we can at least attempt to minimise the adverse effects that we may have.
Truth and honesty are also invaluable virtues of Jainism, which apply to the corporate context. It is important to be honest with employees, customers, banks, etc. An optician told me recently a story about a patient who had come to her with distorted glasses. He wondered if she could 'sort them out for him. She admitted to me that for just a second she had thought "should I sell him a new pair instead?" But then she did the best she could with the existing pair and sent away a happy patient. Looking back on the incident she explained that had she sold him a new pair, she would have found it difficult to come to terms with her dishonesty. She felt that she would have put her professionalism at stake, something she had worked for so hard from the time of her university days.
The case of Enron, the US energy company, that hit the news as the nation's largest ever bankruptcy in December 2001, provides a good illustration of deception and fraud. The management at this company had undertaken a whole series of activities for personal growth and satisfaction. When these activities failed to deliver any meaningful financial outcomes for the investors, the management hid the truth from those who had entrusted them with large sums of their money. The company manipulated the way in which it presented its financial performance to investors, making them seemingly rich when the firm had actually failed to make any real profits.
The Enron example links us to the next virtue quite nicely, that of generosity. Management at Enron practised the corresponding vice: greed. They had undertaken numerous illegal and immoral activities in pursuit of higher bonuses, promotions and family benefits all for themselves. Management failed to consider the hurt that it had brought to so many. We saw the situation of investors above. An employee suddenly found himself out of a job when he pointed out that the travel agent the company was using (the boss's sister's) was far too expensive and costing the firm almost twice as much than elsewhere.
On a more positive note, management of a supermarket where I used to shop, provided their employees with a meal on
PHOTO: DINODIA
Straight Talk
a daily basis. Furthermore, it had plans to provide them. with accommodation as well. Operating in a less developed country, this supermarket went a step further in its generosity. Attitudes such as these are not only uplifting from a spiritual point of view, but also result in higher productivity and loyalty from the staff and ultimately better financial gains. Of course, generosity need not only be determined in financial terms. Recently a colleague learnt that his father, who lived overseas, had been taken ill. This colleague needed to travel back home, so he went to see the head of department. He was immediately granted compassionate leave and requested to resolve his family issues first and only then to return to work.
Businesses will thrive if governed by ethics
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Finally, a note about forgiveness. I had left this to the last, as it is not my strong point. I often find myself in the position where I should forgive, but am unwilling to let go. Sometimes wrong things happen. They may be genuine mistakes or they may be the result of neglect. While I appreciate the need to raise the issue with those concerned (so that it does not happen again), it is also important to forgive.
Overall, I think we need to think of businesses in terms of financial rewards as well as opportunities for spiritual development. In his teaching Mahavir advocated work as the opportunity to serve society, through which we could in turn develop spiritually. When pursuing our self-interest, we need to think in material as well as in spiritual terms. Finally, if we can think of our business environment as one in which we have a duty of care to those around us, then we can be 'straight'..
Dr. Alpa Dhanani is a Lecturer at the Cardiff Business School, United Kingdom.
December 2003 February 2004 Jain Spirit 33