Stimulus & An Unexpected Response

Stimulus & An Unexpected Response

The Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty was a national hero for his success as both a statesman and military leader. But despite his fame, power, and wealth, he considered himself a humble and devout Buddhist. Often he visited his favorite Zen master to study under him, and they seemed to get along very well. The fact that he was prime minister apparently had no effect on their relationship, which seemed to be simply one of a revered master and respectful student.

One day, during his usual visit, the Prime Minister asked the master, "Your Reverence, what is egotism according to Buddhism?" The master's face turned red, and in a very condescending and insulting tone of voice, he shot back, "What kind of stupid question is that!?"

This unexpected response so shocked the Prime Minister that he became sullen and angry.

The Zen master then smiled and said,  "THIS, Your Excellency, is egotism."

Enjoy

© 2014 MU-Peter Shimon

The Arrogance of Authority

or "See this badge?!"

The Arrogance of Authority Any acceptance of authority is the very denial of truth. Krishnamurti

No Man Has Any Natural Authority Over His Fellow Men

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

A DEA officer stopped at a ranch in Texas, and talked with an old rancher. He told the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs." The rancher said, "Okay, but don't go in that field over there.....", as he pointed out a distant location.

Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using his intelligence:

he is just using his memory.

Leonardo da Vinci

The DEA officer verbally exploded, saying, "Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me!" Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removed his badge and proudly displayed it to the rancher. "See this badge?! This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish.... on ANY land!! No questions asked or answers given!! Have I made myself clear...... do you understand???"

Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of the truth.

Albert Einstein

The rancher nodded politely, apologized, and went about his chores.

I was bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led,

and bearding every authority which stood in their way.

Thomas Jefferson

A short time later, the old rancher heard loud screams, looked up and saw the DEA officer running for his life, being chased by the rancher's enormous Santa Gertrudis bull......

The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority.

Kenneth Blanchard

With every step the bull was gaining ground on the officer, and it seemed likely that the officer would be gruesomely gored before he reached safety. The man was clearly terrified.

My desire to devolve authority has nothing to do with a wish to shirk responsibility.

Dalai Lama

The rancher threw down his tools, ran to the fence and yelled at the top of his lungs.....

Ultimate authority resides with the people.

James Madison

"Your badge........ show him your BADGE!!"

Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence. Leonardo da Vinci It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority. Benjamin Franklin

"The trouble with quotes from the internet is you never know if they are genuine."

Mahatma Gandhi

Enjoy

© 2013 MU-Peter Shimon

The Quiet Gardener

or Universal Responsibility

Business Lessons From A Quiet Gardener This post is an excerpt from the speech by William Rosenzweig On the occasion of his receiving the Oslo Business For Peace Award in 2010 A gardener sees the world as a system of interdependent parts - where healthy, sustaining relationships are essential to the vitality of the whole. "A real gardener is not a person who cultivates flowers, but a person who cultivates the soil." In business this has translated for me into the importance of developing agreements and partnerships where vision and values, purpose and intent are explicitly articulated, considered and aligned among all stakeholders of an enterprise -  customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and the broader community and natural environment.

The garden has taught me about patience and persistence and the ethical principles of generosity and reciprocity. It has illuminated the importance of appreciating the cycles of life and decay. For the gardener, composting is a transformative act -  whereby last season's clippings (or failures) can become next year's source of vigor.

I've learned that it's not just what you plant, but how you plant it that brings long - term rewards in life, work and the garden. Gardeners know that once strong roots are established, growth is often exponential rather than linear.

Also gardening, like business, is inherently a local activity, set within an ever - changing and unpredictable global climate. Showing up in person, shovel - and humility in hand is essential.

Gardeners, like entrepreneurs are obsessed with latent potential - and can be known to be  pathologically optimistic. We can vividly imagine the bloom and the scent of the rose even in deepest of winter. As the American naturalist Henry David Thoreau once wrote: "I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders."

In essence, the gardener's work is a life of care.  We cultivate abundance from scarce resources.  We nurture, encourage, fertilize - and prune when necessary - while being respectful of the true and wild nature of all things. We know that creating enduring value requires vision, passion, hard work and the spirit of others.

I am just coming to understand this work of business gardening - and investing in keeping people healthy - as an act of universal responsibility. His Holiness Dalai Lama reminds me: "Each of us must learn to work not just for one self, one's own family or one's nation, but for the benefit of all humankind. Universal responsibility is the key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace.

The Man Who Planted Trees Story by Jean Giono, Film by Frederick Back

Enjoy

© 2012 MU-Peter Shimon

You may also like to see: My Hut in Spring / Evolutionary Economics / One Starfish / The Jar of Life