Mindful Leadership - Five Arts of Leadership For Buddhist Youth Leaders: With An Emphasis on Awareness Practice
Abbess Thích Nữ Thuần Tuệ and Tâm Thường Định
Right
Mindfulness, Sammà sati in Pali, means to think positive thoughts, to be
enlightened in that moment, and to comprehend all Dharma completely.
Mindfulness is an integral part of the Noble Eightfold Path—the eight methods
of the path to peace and liberation—within the fourth Noble Truth.
According to
Theravada Buddhist tradition, mindfulness is the heart of meditation and
conscious awareness of all phenomena that arise in the present moment. In other
words, mindfulness is to know what is currently occurring. Mindfulness is the
energy that originates from self-observation of what is going on internally and
externally. Mindfulness brings us back to the present moment since the present
is a beautiful gift that we can treasure here and now.
In accordance
with Buddhist tradition, mindfulness is essential to the development of Right
Concentration (Sammà samadhi), the method used to receive and maintain
moral conducts in life. Mindfulness has many functions. The first one is to
recognize everything that is occurring presently. The second function is
awareness of thoughts that arise in our mind. Gradually, mindfulness guides
practitioners to Right Concentration, and, ultimately, Perfect Wisdom.
Leadership, by
our definition, is to guide others in the spirit of giving without expecting
any reciprocation, and helping ourselves along with others indiscriminately.
Normally, a good leader possesses the following three traits:
1.
Have a
benevolent vision and the capability to positively inspire and influence others
in mindfulness.
2.
Advocate and
transmit that ideal vision to fellow practitioners and oneself via his/her
practice of mindfulness.
3.
Instill joy,
benefit, and peace to oneself and others at this very moment and future moments.
Mindful
leadership allows “the leader” to transcend the boundaries of time and space in
order to bring peace to everyone. This transcendence is only possible if the
leaders’ thoughts, speech and actions stem from altruism and compassion. In
this spirit, we would like to share this topic on Mindful Leadership to the
leaders of the Vietnamese Buddhist Youth Association (Gia Đình Phật Tử) in
particular and all beings as a whole.
The art of
mindful leadership consists of five main points:
1.
Deep listening and empathy
2.
Sound judgment
3.
Living in harmony with others
4.
Teaching through actions
5.
A kind heart
We will begin
with the word “Huynh Trưởng,” which means an older brother, an older
sister, or someone with experiences whose responsibility is to protect and
guide younger members (đàn em). A role model Huynh Trưởng needs to be
calm, caring, tolerant, and sound in order to fulfill their aforementioned
tasks. A Huynh Trưởng is an active member with duties and responsibilities
toward the VBYA. A Huynh Trưởng guides and nurtures younger members while
accepting and fulfilling tasks/activities to sustain and grow the VBYA local
chapter (đơn vị). Lastly, a Huynh Trưởng is an excellent citizen and contributes
constructively to society. Leadership is an art filled with dedication. Here is
a classic example:
Long ago, the
president lectured about leadership at a United States Military Academy. He
took out a bundle of rope from his pocket and placed it on a table. He
challenged students to push the rope across the table; many students attempted
this task, but they all struggled to push the rope across the table. As they
pushed, the rope would curl, twist or tangle; it was an impossible task!
After all
students conceded, the president laughed kindly and slowly rearranged the rope
back to its original position. Next, with his thumb and index finger, he pulled
the rope along the table. The remaining rope followed his hand and glided
across the table effortlessly. The president explained, “People are like a
bundle of rope. If we lead them, they will follow. But if we push them, they will
push back, creating unwanted complications.”
To be capable
leaders, we need to practice, understand, and apply teachings like the Five
Vidyas (Ngũ Minh) and Three Teaching Methods (Thân Giáo, Khẩu Giáo, Ý
Giáo). Remember, a person that does not know direction cannot navigate
another person and a person without money cannot donate money to anyone.
Likewise, a leader cannot share knowledge and skills that they are not
comfortable explaining in detail. In order to teach and guide younger members,
a leader first needs to be trained accordingly.
Generally,
everyone wants to be a good, admirable, and kind person, but flaws and bad
habits are difficult to hide. Gradually, young members will learn to not trust
a leader with glaring flaws, noticeable bad habits, and lackadaisical efforts.
A leader can try to hide his/her shortcomings; however, the truth cannot stay
hidden forever.
Practicing
mindfulness allows leaders to rapidly improve themselves. Normally, the mind
constantly wanders every day, everywhere; and therefore, mindfulness reminds
the mind to return to the present. Mindfulness brings the mind home.
Mindfulness grants the practitioner the ability to be in true contact with the
people and situations at hand. Intangible - mindfulness cannot exist in the form
of thoughts but can be perceived by keen hearts.
Below are details
associated with the Art of Mindfulness.
I.
DEEP LISTENING AND EMPATHY
1. Be
Silent
Please listen to
the whole sentence. Please do not respond immediately. Please do not jump to
conclusions. Please be empathetic to others’ difficulties.
I like to share
this short Zen anecdote titled “Say and Listen” from Zen Master Gettan (Nguyệt
Am). The Zen Master frequently reminded his students that “When you use
your mouth to speak, your ears are not listening. When you use your ears to
listen, your mouth is not speaking. Please contemplate this notion.”
2. Be
empathetic
Life often has
two facets: an obvious facet and a more subtle one. Here is another example:
Not too long ago
in Vietnam, a neighbor complained to his elderly friend:
“The neighboring house just bought a karaoke
machine. My God! The little girl sang like a moaning cow. And the son… He
roared like a tiger. I have headaches listening to them. “
The elder friend
calmly replied, “I feel the same way. But those kids are not out drinking
alcohol, stealing from villagers, or harming the village. Those actions are
more troublesome; therefore, we must be more tolerant for the village’s
safety.”
Below is another
example:
It was afternoon
and kids were asleep in the nursery. John was thirsty and went to Miss Roberts’.
He whispered, “May I have some water?”
Half-asleep, Miss
Roberts awoke grumpily and unpleasantly answered, “Allowed.”
“Miss Roberts,
may I have some water?” John asked again. This time his voice was a bit
louder.
Annoyed that John
was asking again, she responded with a loud, “Allowed.”
“Miss Roberts,
may I have some water?” John asked the same question for the third time.
This time his voice was very loud.
“Allowed.”
Miss Roberts yelled her answer.
“MISS ROBERTS!
MAY I HAVE SOME WATER?” John scream with all his might, waking up all the
sleeping children. Angered, Miss Roberts lost her temper and yelled, “John!
Are you messing with me?”
Scared and
confused, John answered, puzzled, “No, Miss Roberts. You told me to say
aloud!”
What happened in
this comical short story? Why did John misunderstand Miss Roberts’ words? When
Miss Roberts answered with “allowed,” John misheard and thought Miss
Roberts said “aloud.” This is an example of homophones; words that sound
similar but have different meanings. To distinguish between homophones, we use
context, but John has yet to learn about homophones and reacted
inappropriately. Miss Roberts overlooked the situation and wrongly assumed John
was playing a game.
In general, a
leader needs to remember:
·
Do not control others.
·
Do not expect others to see your viewpoints.
·
Do not depend on others for happiness.
President Abraham
Lincoln famously said, “I destroy my greatest enemies when I make them my
friends.” Similarly, a leader needs to focus on the positive aspects his
team possesses rather than the weaknesses within the team.
3. Sharing
is leadership
Please use this
story about changing people’s lives as an example:
In the year 1921,
Lewis Lawes served as warden for the Sing Sing Correctional Facility, a prison
known for its harsh conditions. Twenty years later, upon his retirement, this
prison had transformed into a humane site. When asked about these remarkable
transformations, Lawes credited his wife, Kathryn, for instilling these
changes.
Even before her
first visit to the Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Kathryn heard many rumors
about this dreadful place and its prisoners. Her first visit to the prison was
during its first basketball game held between prisoners. Kathryn sat and
watched with her children among prisoners. She felt neither fear nor
repulsiveness. She believed these prisoners would treat her well since she and
her husband treated them well.
When she saw a
blind man that was convicted with murder, she held his hands and tenderly asked
whether he knew Braille. He did not. She taught him how to read. Upon meeting
prisoners that were mute and deaf, she learned and taught sign language to
them. From 1921 to 1937, prisoners within the Sing Sing Correctional Facility
viewed Kathryn as a living saint, an angel.
When Kathryn died
from a car accident, Lewis Lawes took leave to oversee his wife’s funeral. The
vice-warden saw how these so-called cruel prisoners gathered in front of the
main gate; their faces were filled with tears. He knew how much they loved and
appreciated Kathryn. Thus, he allowed them to leave the facility without any
supervision from guards as long as they returned by nighttime. All prisoners
walked over a kilometer of distance to attend Kathryn’s funeral and returned to
Sing Sing on time as promised.
4. Avoid jumping to conclusions
The act of
judging a person is actually the mind trying to manifest itself. To better
ourselves, we should stop judging others.
a.
Please use this short story as an example. One day, the father brought home a
beautiful bird inside a cage; he hung the cage on a tree in the garden. The
mother also brought home a cute cat, which could roam freely. A few days later,
the father returned home and did not see his prized bird; meanwhile, the cat
was sunbathing in the garden. The father blamed the cat for eating his precious
bird while the mother fervently defended her cat. They quarreled non-stop.
Angered, the father left the house for work while the mother went back to her
parent’s house, carrying the youngest child. Later that night, the neighbor
brought over the lost bird, which flew out of his opened cage, but no one was
home except for the servants.
b.
This famous story called “Nhan Hồi and the rice pot” is another
beautiful example. During the Eastern Zhou time period of Ancient China’s history,
Confucius led a pilgrimage from Lo, his homeland, to Qi, a thriving city-state.
Among his many distinguished students, Nhan Hồi (Yan Hui) and Tử Lộ (Min
Sun) were the most recognized and favorite ones. At that time, wars between
neighboring city-states were frequent and long-lasting. People struggled for survival;
starvation and misery were common everywhere. Confucius and his students also
suffered the same fate. On their journey, they starved for many days; their
meals consisted simply of vegetables and porridge. Despite these rigorous and
extreme conditions, all students followed their teacher’s journey with
determination. Fortunately, upon reaching Qi, a merchant recognized Confucius
and donated rice to the group. Confucius entrusted Tử Lộ to his remaining
students in search for vegetables in the forest. Meanwhile, Nhan Hồi was
designated the task of cooking rice. Nhan Hồi was given this crucial and
important task since he was a virtuous person, for whom Confucius had trust and
high expectations.
Nhan Hồi began
cooking the rice as the group led by Tử Lộ left to find vegetables. Meanwhile,
facing the kitchen, Confucius was reading old doctrines. Suddenly, Confucius
heard a loud noise emerging from the kitchen. He looked toward the kitchen to
see Nhan Hồi opening the rice pot’s lid, stirring the cooked rice with
chopsticks. Once finished, glancing around, Nhan Hồi slowly ate the rice.
Confucius
witnessed all of Nhan Hồi’s actions and sighed to the Heaven in disappointment,
“Oh! My best student! He ate before his teacher and friends… What a scoundrel!
How could all my expectations suddenly disappear into thin air…”
A moment later,
Tử Lộ returned with vegetables, which Nhan Hồi steamed in boiling water. In
misery, Confucius continued to remain in silence. When the vegetables were
cooked, Nhan Hồi and Tử Lộ prepared the table for dinner. Once everything was
ready, all students gathered to invite Confucius for dinner. Looking at his
students, Confucius said, “My students. The journey from Lo to Qi was long and
tiresome. I am pleased that you remain pure at heart, continue to love and
protect each other, and follow my teachings despite harsh and starving
conditions. Today, our first day in Qi, we are blessed with a warm meal. This
first meal in Qi reminds me of my homeland, Lo. I remember my parents. I want
to offer a bowl of rice to my parents. May I?”
All students
except Nhan Hồi folded their hands and answered, “Yes!”
Confucius
continued, “I want to ensure that this rice is pure first.”
Confused, his
students glanced around for an answer. At that moment, Nhan Hồi folded his
hands and answered, “My dear teacher, this rice is not pure.”
Confucius asked,
“Why?”
Nhan Hồi
answered, “When I opened the lid to check whether the rice had evenly cooked, a
gust of wind blew by causing soot and dusts to fall into the rice. I tried to
stop these debris from soiling the rice but I could not block them all. I immediately
removed the soiled rice and was about to discard them, but then I thought: We
have a lot of people, but we are short on rice. If I discard these soiled rice,
we will be short a serving portion of rice, and everyone will eat less.
Therefore, I dared to eat the soiled rice beforehand. I dedicate these clean
rice to you, my teacher, and my friends.
“Dear teacher! I
have already eaten my portion of rice for today. Please excuse me from eating
rice this meal. I will just eat vegetables. And lastly, we should not offer
rice that has been eaten as a worship.”
After hearing
Nhan Hồi’s response, Confucius looked up to the Heaven and exclaimed, “Alas!
There are things in this world that you clearly see but still cannot comprehend
the truth. I almost became a fool!”
II.
SOUND JUDGMENT
A leader needs to
be a role model and an embodiment for wisdom in order to safely guide and
benefit followers. When our mind resides in mindfulness, our mind is not lost
in thoughts and is in true contact with the present situation. This mental
state allows us to find the best solution to any given problem.
Consider this
short story. A group of merchants traveled under the hot sun without an adequate
supply of water. Upon entering a new village, the group saw a huge tree full of
ripe, juicy fruits. The group yelled in excitement and began climbing the tree.
Suddenly, the leader stopped everyone:
“My friends.
You should not eat these fruits. If these fruits were indeed edible, villagers
and other travelers would have eaten them already. Since these fruits have not
been eaten, these fruits are poisonous.”
Listening to the
leader’s sound judgment, the group continued forward.
Another group of
merchants arrived at the exact same location shortly. Everyone in the group
quickly devoured these fruits. As expected, these fruits contained toxins, and
the whole group was poisoned. In this instance, the leader lacked the needed
wisdom to guide and protect his group to safety.
The Buddha taught
us:
1.
Address the
problem promptly and facilitate discussion. Be aware that unhappy people do not
like to be lectured. Remember the story regarding Gotami and her dead child.
The Buddha did not lecture Gotami but instructed her to seek a family that had not
experienced death. Gotami eventually realized the truth regarding death.
2.
State the
facts. Avoid explanations and accusations based on self-analysis or
self-speculation. Avoid exaggerations and elaborations.
3.
Use neutral
words that are not biased.
4.
Speak with an
intention of benefitting the audience. Focus on positive aspects within the
situation. Avoid criticisms that lead to arguments.
5.
Speak from
compassion, not from anger.
Furthermore, The Buddha also emphasized:
“Sariputta, although you have followed these five methods of dialogue, there
are people that still will not change. This is due to pre-conceived notions (sở
tri chướng) within them.”
III.
LIVING IN HARMONY WITH OTHERS
1. Recognize our ego
Mindfulness and
ego cannot and will not coexist. Ego intrinsically causes confrontation and
disagreement since ego has the tendency to want to be correct, to be the best,
to be the alpha, to be number one. Everyone has this ego. Whenever our ego
feels superior, we react boastfully; whenever our ego feels inferior, we react
aggressively. To protect and strengthen itself, each individual ego clashes
with other egos, creating conflicts. Sadly, we fail to recognize that we are
inadvertently hurting others as we satisfy our ego.
To live in
harmony, our ego needs to be lowered and we must be more accepting. We should
live with this motto: respect our superiors, love our inferiors, and
tolerate our equals.
2. Right and wrong
Never be one-hundred
percent certain that you are correct, for being correct leads to arguments and
conflicts. Our definition of correct only applies to ourselves; as a result,
others probably have different viewpoints and will not accept our point-of-views.
Being less certain causes less controversy, conflict, and anger from happening.
If we respect the
viewpoints of others and acknowledge others’ logics, we can live and work in
harmony for eternity.
Venerable Zen
Master Thích Thanh Từ once said, “We often have a tendency to believe our
thoughts are absolute truth. Thus, our thoughts and others’ thoughts clash,
leading to arguments, anger, and violence.”
Venerable Thích
Thanh Từ reflected, “When I was living in the mountain, I saw rain clouds
approaching my direction from afar. I wholeheartedly believed that rain was
coming, so I quickly moved everything inside. However, the wind would change
the clouds direction, leading to no rain. Therefore, our thoughts are never one-hundred
percent correct. We tend to think we are correct; our assumption gives rise to
conflict and disagreement.”
In the Sutra, the
Buddha taught, “One who respects the truth would say ‘This is my thought’ and
would stop talking. If one says my thought is correct, one is no longer
respecting the truth. Adding the word ‘right’ creates controversy.”
3. Be
calm and happy
Never view
anything as absolute importance. Be optimistic and have a positive outlook. Acknowledge
praiseworthy characteristics and behaviors within the people we are interacting
with or the present situation. Cherish what we presently have. Do not expect
everything to go according to our expectations. If we live according to
principles mentioned above, our mind will be at peace. Our personal practice
will generate positive energy that benefits the collective community.
IV.
TEACHING THROUGH ACTIONS
In the article “Thân
Giáo: Có thể là một giải pháp cho tất cả”, I emphasize that Buddhism is
based on the principles of compassion and wisdom, cultivated through personal
practice. Teaching through actions is a valuable and practical lesson that the
Buddha taught since we can easily apply this practice to daily life in multiple
instances. The evolution in international peace can be traced to the Buddha’s
teachings. Nowaday, Buddhism remains a solution to most modern problems within
society. As the author, I raise the following seven points:
1.
Establish a humane mindset
2.
Comprehend cause and effect with karma
3.
Improve our surroundings
4.
Practice mutual respect and mutual benefit
5.
Be there to assist others
6.
Remember strength in numbers
7.
Be a Buddhist practitioner
In general, a
leader needs to earn others’ trust and cooperate with others in the spirit of
compassion and altruism. This is only possible when a leader possesses both
respect and affection toward others. A reliable leader is someone younger
members can depend on and learn from in multiple situations.
·
One should acts as one teaches others
·
Only with oneself through thoroughly tamed
should one tame others
·
To tame oneself is, indeed, difficult.
·
-Excerpted from Verse 159 of the Dhammapada
Our actions
reflect the degree of our personal practices, which are based on precepts,
perseverance, and diligence. With compassion and vows to benefit others, the
Buddha attained enlightenment to guide and save people from suffering.
1. Practice mindfulness
Be conscious of
your actions. Unite the mind and body. For example:
a.
While walking, be aware of which foot you are moving.
Be aware of each movement you make within the day.
b.
Mindfulness can prevent mental illness like Alzheimer’s
disease. Remember forgetfulness and unawareness hinder the accomplishment of
goals.
2. Practice awareness
a.
Be aware of the 6 senses. Know the present clearly and
uninterruptedly.
b.
Realize when our mind drifts toward self-attachment and
unkind thoughts.
c.
Live in the present.
Relax body and mind.
3. Wisdom and compassion are the two doors that
lead to liberation.
4. Lead
ourselves
In order to lead,
a leader must have high self-esteem and peoples’ trust. People trust and listen
to a leader because that leader is caring and devoted not because that leader
possesses power.
5. Flagrance diffuses from the flower
Cultivate
spiritual energy through personal practices. Share that cultivated energy with
the collective.
6. Results do not fall from the sky.
Genius cultivates
good habits that are accumulated from previous lives or decades of intense hard
work and dedication.
V. A
KIND HEART
A good leader
consistently reflects on whether understanding, love, and unity are more
important than being right.
Years ago, a
Hindu follower undertook a pilgrimage toward a holy temple within the Himalayan
mountains. The road was long, steep, and windy; the condition was hot and
oxygen level was low due to the elevation. Despite carrying little to no
supply, he hiked vexingly while breathing heavily. Oftentimes, he stopped to
rest while wishing his destination would appear before him. Suddenly he saw a
young girl about 10-years-old walking toward him. Gasping for breath and
sweating profusely, she was piggybacking a small child with all her might.
The Hindu
follower approached the young girl and sympathetically spoke, “My dear
child. You must be as tired as me. You carry a heavy load!”
The girl
corrected, “What you carry is weight. What I carry is my brother, not weight.”
The follower’s
load feels heavy because he does not possess love. Love provides us with the
strength to face adversities with ease. Life is meaningful when we live with
true love and aim toward clear ideals.
Love requires
sacrifice. Without love, a sacrifice will definitely feel like a burden. This
world will become more beautiful if everyone shares responsibilities and
obligations that benefit the collective, including family, community, and
religion.
Everyone lives a
meaningful life while shouldering a very gentle burden together and sharing
fraternal love as we aspire toward that common, lofty goal.
From these short
vignettes, I summarize the main points in the following poem:
Mindful
Leadership
·
Deep listening and sympathy
·
Calm in all instances
·
Harmony from accordance
·
Sound and wise decisions
·
No anger, ignorance, flattery
·
Hone the Four Assistant Methods (Tứ Nhiếp Pháp)
·
Maintain a pure mind
·
Define Mindful Leadership
CONCLUSION
Nowadays,
technology and science continue to advance at a rate that far exceeds that of
spiritual development. Whether we are monastics or lay followers, leaders or
young members of the VBYA organization, male or female, young or old, members
or not members of VBYA—as Buddhists, we need to practice and apply Buddhism
with solemnity to transform ourselves and surroundings. We need to mend our
flaws and bad habits to gradually better ourselves. In addition, we need to
fulfill our duties and obligations whenever and wherever possible with fervor.
Accepting our roles, duties, and responsibilities as a VBYA leader with utmost
genuineness, we practice mindfulness to radiate the energy of compassion and
wisdom. These spiritual energies will nourish and strengthen our younger
members. That is the essence of mindful leadership. Dear friends, let’s
commence our journey.
Translated by
Quang Tran, Edited by Phe Bach
*Bài này đã được trình bày cho Trại Huấn Luyện A Dục Lộc Uyển của Miền Liễu Quán, năm 2016. Bài này có thể là bài học chính thức cho trại Huấn Luyện từ đây trong tổ chức GĐPT.
Pleaser read the Vietnamese version here / Hãy đọc: Lãnh Đạo Trong Chánh Niệm – 5 Nghệ Thuật Lãnh Đạo Cho Hàng Huynh Trưởng
