Dark Motives: A Show-stopper?

During a recent trip to India, I saw a quote from Srila Prabhupada that is meant for leaders. “If he is planning something that “I shall be leader,” I shall be doing something, that is not Vaishnavism.” Though it is a quote targeting those aiming to be spiritual, as Vishnavism denotes the philosophy that is centred around pleasing Lord Vishnu, the Supreme, it is very relevant for anyone. When we set out to do something, to lead something, what is our motivation? Is it out of our love of the topic, activity etc., or is it in pursuit of our own self-aggrandisement. There are countless people trying to become big entrepreneurs, to find an invention no one has thought of, and become the next big thing. Why? What is our why? If our Why is indeed self-centred, even to the point it can become reckless and unethical, should we continue to follow the pursuit? The Vedic stories have a few examples that shed an interesting light on motive.

We should only act if our motive is pure?

This is the first hypothesis, and it goes along the lines of, if our motive is impure, then we are not doing something with the right intention, which should be to help others, be self-less, and not feed out own ego. This will then not lead to the right results, and will cause problems. We saw that with the great demon Hiranyakashipu, where he had a motive to kill Lord Vishnu. He went in pursuit of powers “to lead”, and vanquish anything that stood in front of him. Lord Brahma cautioned him by refusing the boon of immortality saying that this is not attainable by mortals by such means. Ignorant and uncaring about the ethical premise of his motive, Hiranyukashipu continued, and saw a nasty and bloody end with his body being torn into by Lord Narasimha. Hiranyakashipu was an outlier; an extremely powerful personality, with a motive endued with self-aggrandisement. There are plenty of people with this combination even today in what is quite a ruthless society and system. Does that mean the right thing for them to do is stop in their tracks? How can one purify their intention?

What if our motive is slightly impure?

If we believe that at spirit in our true essence in the right environment and with the right people around us we are all capable of exhibiting pure feelings and motives, then what stops us? A misunderstanding of who we really are, false ego, contaminated ambition, pride, envy, greed, etc stop us. So does that mean we should cease to act unless and until we get those sorted out? According to the Bhagavād Gita, no; it is through our introspective action that we find a means to purify our intent and motive, which is the ultimate goal. Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra was asked to purify his motive, and fight, by Krishna. He was not asked to go away and purify his motive, and until he had purified it, do not act. He was asked to do the two simultaneously. They go hand in hand. We purify our motive by introspective action. If we do not act, we will not be engaging our particular individual tendencies. This in turn will result in frustration. Arjuna was aware that his duty was to kill the Kauravas, however it was just some weakness of mind and a misunderstanding of his spiritual identity which got in the way, temporarily. His motive was slightly off, it wasn’t hugely off. It needed some assistance in re-orienting. If our motive is however hugely off i.e. child abusers entering a teaching system, then certainly we should abstain. Hiranyakashipu’s motivation was hugely off, and therefore he should have disengaged for the betterment of everyone. Ravana who kidnapped Sita, Lord Rama’s wife, his motivation was hugely off. Therefore he was told to disengage. But on the whole, if our motivation needs some tweaks, we should introspect and act, and not wait until it is pure.

“Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Kṛṣṇa and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting.” 

Krishna to Arjuna, Chapter 8, Verse 7, Bhagavād Gita

War, what is it good for?

Spillover

When Motown singer Edwin Starr in 1969 sang the words “War” with the proceeding words being “What is it good for? Absolutely nothing,” there was a huge mounting protest against the Vietnam War and US involvement. The US felt that the communist system threatened the well-being of the world and dominance of democracies and the so-called “free world”, and that this should be rectified. The extent to which they were willing to go to was the loss of innocent life in a far distant land. The sequence was, i) differences, ii) fierce disagreement, iii) threats, and finally, iv) killing. Differences & fierce disagreement are to do with the mental platform. The latter two become the verbal and then physical platforms. If there is not de-escalation a any stage, killing will be the final stage. Generations will then be born with those memories, and they will scar the future. So in one sense, the consequences for escalation sends echoes into the future, for better or worst. When those you harm are disconnected with the cause of disagreement, you know that the measures taken have exceed the trigger. Punishment is not focused on the cause, but ends up overspilling to those not involved, who may be entirely indifferent to the cause of disagreement, or even more ironically even on the same ideological page as the aggressor.

Philosophical outlooks

Many like to make a comparison of the histories of India hailing them as a time of nobility, virtue and truth. Such times must also be understood contextually. The time where Vedic philosophy presided in every part of peoples lives, had many connotations. One of these is the understanding that our essence is eternal; the soul. Therefore, the material body isn’t the be all and end all. This means that our so-called death, doesn’t have as much meaning since we have millions of lives, not just this one. This is a stark contrast to understanding that is held today where most people, behave like this life is the be all end all of existence; even if there is some spiritual understanding present. Indeed Emperor Yudhisthira confirms this in his dialogue with the god Dharma. Dharma asks him, what is he most bewildering phenomenon in this world. To which Yudhisthira replies, it is the fact people whilst seeing that everyone who is born dies, still think unconsciously think and act like they will not die, being so ignorant to impending and inevitable death. So a warrior in that time, who held a firm understanding that there is life beyond this one, may not have been so reluctant to part with their life in the course of their duty in order to do something they believed in. The big question is, how big a “difference, or fierce disagreement”, could lead to conflict that could end their life? Sometimes it was insult of ones wife, other times it was envy of another individuals’ dominance, sometimes it is as simple as one who is taking more space on the road than another and not respecting rank. The Ramayana is effectively a war where millions lost lives on the basis of Sita being captured by Ravana, and Rama reclaiming her.

Innocent life

The official trigger for World War I was also an assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and Franz Ferdinand's wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, in Sarajevo, Bosnia. This eventually led to approximately 40 million deaths. The major statistic is “loss of innocent life.” Innocent life is generally regarded as non-military casualties. Military casualties are regarded as not innocent life. When a person decides to dedicate their life to a countries armed forces, they are therefore effectively opening themselves to being labeled as “non-innocent.” They might even have no vested moral, ideological interest or alignment with the country, but they just have it in their nature to engage in combat, and therefore they are labeled as non-innocent. They may be equally separate from the causes of killing from the perspective of the differences, fierce disagreement, and threats, but they end up bearing the killing. This sounds very much like the scenario of the innocent. Therefore, one could argue that even those doing the fighting are also innocent. This is indeed a huge irony and misfortune for all civilisation.

Peace in all respects

After the extent of damage in Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War 2, the grave consequences of not being able to de-escalate were clear. People do not live with the understanding that there are multiple lives, they do not find causes that their governments believe in that the public will strongly enough agree with in order to sacrifice their lives. This coupled with the more dire and extensive impact of using chemical, biological and other weapons, means the stake of escalation are far higher than they have been. Doesn’t that mean that leaders have become more tolerant since there is less severe war? Possibly so, but they are also a lot more insecure of their precious lives of enjoyment than kings and queens of the past who throw themselves in the front lines of war to defend what they believed in. Stability and prosperity should certainly be treasured, and the concept of less war than before should also be considered as fortunate. Ideological differences of one group of people who want to live lavish lifestyles over another group that want to do the same, shouldn’t be the deciding factor for millions of peoples’ lives or deaths, and it is a great thing de-escalation has improved since the days of yore. However, societal misaction and cruelty towards harmless and peaceful nature and Earth, also work in a framework of re-balancing. Therefore the historical mass wipeouts whose seeming trigger were petit disagreements in the grand scale of loss of life, may be compensated for by other forms of natural reactions. Therefore peace should be considered introspectively and holistically in our daily living, not just in avoidance of wars.

“The demoniac believe that to gratify the senses is the prime necessity of human civilization. Thus until the end of life their anxiety is immeasurable. Bound by a network of hundreds of thousands of desires and absorbed in lust and anger, they secure money by illegal means for sense gratification.”

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verses 11-12

Sporting our Scars

Unique Scars

Some years ago, whilst training Muay Thai, I landed a kick prematurely and I though the opponent was further than he actually was. As a result my first toe hit his body quicker than the ball of my foot which should be the body part making contact. It cracked and broke. Many years on, it still crackles. As anyone who practises sports, and even those who don’t, will know, some injuries lead to our body never “being the same again.” We learn to continue, to grow, and those things become part of us. It is the same with our experiences for better or worse. If each human being was given a unique reference every time they had an experience, and they became the combination of all their experiences, we would be ridiculously unique. We are shaped to be super unique with all our scars and imperfections, combining to make us who we are. In one sense, we alone are in our driving seat. Sometimes our car is on clear stretches of motorway, with clear blue skies, and sometimes it is in muddy terrains and we are going at excessive speeds with mud splattered all over our windscreens. The wipers aren’t working well, and we have to make do with the minimal visibility we have. Sometimes we get stuck in the mud, and have to get ourselves out. Sometimes we will be on dynamic courses, taking beautiful turns, sliding around, taking corners, and enjoying our ride. Everyone is at a different stage on their own routes. Some will never experience the same or similar terrains as someone else. Some will have the experience of one terrain to use in another. Some will not. Some will have different experiences to bring. 

Obsession with Possession

When you give a 6-month old child something, their first tendency will be to put it into their mouth. Their view of the world is sometimes that things are interesting, and then they want to put it into their mouth. We are all looking for things we can relate to. This ability to relate comes from false identities we assign every time we do something. For example, if we see someone has an interest in something we do, then we feel more comfortable around them. If the 6-month old baby example was to scale to this, it would be akin to the baby saying to another baby “Oh, very nice, I have also put that toy in my mouth!” The extent to which we identify with those things we “taste” i.e. football teams, places, people, and for that matter anything - this will shape our mental conditioning. This is exactly why therapists look for triggers. What made you feel like this? Then they look to either re-direct memory to alternative thoughts, or to initially remove one from objects that trigger negative thoughts. We unconsciously make many associations, and all of these will shape the experience we have on the next leg of our car journey. 

Beauty & The Sage 

In the Mahabharata, there is a beautiful and insightful story of the grandson of one of the great original 7 sages, Kashyapa. Kashyapa has a son called Vibhandaka. Vibhandaka had a son who was a very strict and devout sage called Rishyasringa. Rishyasringa was indeed the sage that gave the father of Lord Rama, King Dasaratha a potion which led to his wife’s giving birth to Lord Rama and His brothers. Rishyasringa was so devout and strict that the nearby King knew that if this sage resided in his locality, the gods would be more inclined to look favourably upon his kingdom. Part of Rishyasringas strictness and ability to attract the good wishes of the gods was that since birth he had instantly taken to meditation in isolation. He had never been exposed to the opposite sex, and as a result he was innocently unaware of any male-female dynamics, which in turn led to his increased single-pointed focus on his meditation. The king being aware of this, and wanting to lure the sage to his locality thought he could entice him using a woman to attract him to his kingdom. He sent a beautiful girl who was willing to do the task, to lure him. Rishyasringa was alone in his ashram when she arrived, and he greeted her with respect and offered to wash her feet as a gesture of respect to a guest who had journeyed through the mountains to meet. He was still unaware what a female was. She respectfully declined her feet to be washed saying she was not worthy of this, but instead asked if he would embrace her. Not knowing her motivation, he agreed, and it wasn’t very long before they were physically close, and enjoying their time with each other. She then suddenly left, intentionally. He didn’t know what has happened, he had been swept off his feet, and his mind went into turmoil. When his father arrived, he asked what was wrong with him since he looked so morose and downtrodden. He explained to his father how a man came to his place, and he had never seen a man as beautiful. He said he has to find this man and see him again. He described the physical features, and his father then understood the situation and explained it to him. Eventually the sage married another lady, however remained a devout sage. The story illustrates the nature of certain natural attachments that exist in this world. This is an extreme example, however the nature of attachment is that we tend to personalise things. In this story, the beautiful lady existed before the sage knew her, she existed after he met her, and in one sense they had nothing to do with each other. However, he completely personalised the experience at the time, and this “personalisation” gave rise to attachment that caused his severe disappointment. 

We can learn much from nature. Nature is impartial, it just acts as it does. Depending on how we choose to view it - whether we wish to claim it is ours, or to admire its beauty neutrally, this will determine our understanding and emotions linked with nature. Nature is in one sense the ultimate backstop we have. Nature is extremely pervasive, extremely powerful, and extremely patient. Nature has its own sense of time, it isn’t rushed by anyone, it just is, and acts according to its constitutional properties. If we apply a vision which is characterised by this objectivity, removal of self-claim, and appreciative neutrality to situations and experiences in this world, it is likely we will learn more and deepen our real understanding of things.

"Peace attendeth in all respects." 

Narada Muni responding to the gods regarding his welfare, Mahabharata, Section LIV, Nalopakhyana Parva, Vana Parva

Concealing Brilliance

 The Baby Leaf

The ongoing debate over destiny over effort is always an intriguing one; to what extent can we shape outcomes, personalities, events, and on the other hand to what extent are these innate, pre-programmed, with minimal room to maneuver. As the information age continues to deepen, learning sources continue to increase, which can be useful. It can also be dangerous as the sources of information can be flawed. Nature however, is a timeless and perfect teacher, it is self-evident reflects an unquestionable sense reality. In the juncture between winter and spring natures spectacles can be so beautiful. Trees whose leaves had fallen, whose bark had become dark and tainted, unbelievably begin to show signs of life.  One tree around 30 feet high, towering and with some glimpses of green at the top, however nothing lower down, exhibiting a very dry crusty bark in its trunk stood out. In between the puzzle-like lockings of bark, a fresh green leaf around 2 inches long struck in huge contrast to the faded darkish tone brown. The leaf was part of a twig, which was fairly robust and there were other small leaves about to sprout also. In an unlikely position, the leaf was beginning to blossom to an eye-catching level.

Revelations of Time

Back in the office, in the lead up to the forthcoming Indian elections, a number of Banks are hosting sharing sessions with officials to give an idea of forecast, outlooks and insights on expectations and impacts. Receiving a request, I made the relevant connections back with the Consul-General in Hong Kong on the topic and connected with our India heads. Within no time, contacts were shared to the extent of “here’s the details, feel free to reach out.” We had a task, we wanted to get it done, and we went about it. It was refreshing. It is Asia, it’s growing and there is ample opportunity for those who want to take it. Market saturation is an interesting stage in the cycle. In places where there are too few spaces, and too many takers, a culture of protectionism, lack of confidence in ability, and greed can lead to people not sharing openly, owning relationships due to the risk of being exploited by others. The case to share and not to share can be argued quite easily. Either way, it isn’t optimal, because the situation is not of abundance but saturation. The saving grace is, brilliance will find a way to shine. In the story of Genghis Khan, whose Mongolian Empire was famous or infamous for having conquered in the Asian subcontinent more than any group until his, the beginnings are very telling of this principle. As a small child, in an environment where invasions and consolidation of villages, towns, and countries were a commonplace, Khan’s family was killed in front of his eyes. In one depiction of the scene, there is an ancient Chinese quote which describes how one should not take advantage with a baby tiger for when they grow older, nothing will be able to stand in its way. The extent of Genghis Khan’s vengeance was unprecedented, he could not be held back with anything that generation and a few more, could come up with. Similarly we see leaders who have experienced bad treatment, they have emerged through many tussles and turn to be victorious in what their nature and ambition led to them doing over time. In this way, time and consistency in outlook will prove over time the extent to which our resolve is fixed.

Brilliance Can’t Hide

In the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic, there is a description of the Pandava brothers who were heirs to the throne. They were ousted by their cousin brothers the Kauravas from the kingdom on a number of occasions, due to ambition to sit on the throne. Dressed not in royal clothing, but in simple cloth with matted hair in locks, the Pandava brothers were enroute to a royal ceremony, and tried to stop by the banks of the River Ganges, the celestial being who was bathing there stopped them saying that they are not royalty, nor celestial, and therefore had not right to share the waters with him and his consorts. Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers refuted and said the waters didn’t belong to the celestial and therefore he will bath in them. The celestial quickly became angered and picking up his weapon charged at Arjuna. Arjuna quickly dispatched of him in an embarrassing fashion. Later in the same journey, a King approached the large-framed brothers and said whilst they are trying to disguise themselves, it is self-evident that they are extremely powerful and of an entirely different constitution to even the average Kings in the area. The Pandavas worked tirelessly, continued to refine their skills, meeting new teachers and acquiring more celestial weapons. They did not rely on their destiny and natural constitution alone. But it did play a part. Growth requires effort, the same way the leaf from the bark required nutrients, and resilience in order to grow, however it’s growth was inevitable. If we pay attention, there is certainly in our journeys understanding this perpetual interwoven relationship and reconciliation of effort and destiny in this world. Ultimately, reality, including brilliance of mediocrity will not be able to hide for long.

"Whether it be night, day or twilight, who can bar others from the ocean, the sides of the Himalayas, and this river? O ranger of the skies, whether the stomach be empty or full, whether it is night or day, there is no special time for anybody to come to the Ganges. As regards ourselves, endued with might, we care not when we disturb thee." Arjuna to the celestial Angaraparna, Chaitraratha Parva, Mahabharata

Vice in Virtue

The Flawed Genius

Vladimir Putin recently met Khabib Nurmagamedov and his father after Khabib retained the lightweight UFC in order to congratulate him on his victory against Conor McGregor. He also joked to his father that he should go easy on Khabib with punishment for the brawl that ensued after the title fight. His father said to the President, Khabib was also a lot to handle when he was younger also. The President interestingly replied that maybe if he hadn’t been too much to handle, then he may not be world champion. The term “flawed genius” somewhat resonates with this. In mixed martial arts, to subject oneself to such intensity and risk takes some level of what many would call ‘craziness.’ And indeed to excel at it at the level Khabib has, it takes some doing. Mike Tyson it could be argued was the most fearsome boxer of all time. He literally wiped out his opponents, in often times brutal fashion. His challenges in how he handled his anger and other issues were very visible. But, from a boxing perspective, during his prime and reign no one came close. Jon Jones, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion had a very interesting rise in the sport. He entered it with an intention to support his girlfriend and their newly born children. He always had confidence in his street-fighting ability, and had picked up a few martial arts also. He took to the sport like a phenomenon. The usual process is to have a few entry level fights, eventually qualifying oneself for a title-shot, and many potential hurdles at each stage. Jon Jones had an exceptionally explosive and unpredictable fight style being well versed in the striking arts as well as Greco-Roman wrestling. Most mixed martial arts fighters have a gameplan or strategy tailored to their inherent physical strengths, perhaps including some violent intention to kill the fight off. Jon Jones had a creative ability to execute his violent intentions, with very few who could stop him. In 2008 he first fought in the UFC, and in 2011 and 8 fights later he won the UFC Light Heavyweight Title beating the holder Mauricio Rua after 3 rounds with referee stoppage in a technical knockout with punches and knees. Since then he defended his title for 10 fights. Only one fighter in his entire career has been able to take him down, and was the one which until this day gave him his hardest fight, Alexander Gustaffson. Jon Jones on all levels is clearly a different beast. Now, outside of mixed martial arts, he has been convicted of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and also a hit and run on a pregnant woman. He has also been charged with using performance enhancing drugs. Always his achievements have been accompanied with other kinds of extreme behavior. Every time after such an incident, he has owned up and said he owes it to himself and others to improve, however we have seen recurrences. In my opinion, Jon Jones is the most exciting fighter to watch, and pound for pound greatest fighter in the UFC. He has an incredibly multi-faceted artillery, which he uses to great effect, however there is something to be said about the mental makeup of such a personality. There is duality.

Vice in Virtue

Listening to a seminar by one of my favourite speakers and teachers Govinda Das, he was breaking down the mental makeup of some of the warriors of ancient Vedic history. Talking about dharma, which has no translation in a non-Vedic language, he said dharma is not love, it is not loyalty, it is not courage, it is not honesty, but it is part of a narrative, with all factors considered holistically; it is the why. There is a very fine balance to be broken if certain high energy activities are to be engaged in. Warriors in that day needed to hunt for two main reasons; one was to inhibit population growth of animals, and the other was to keep afresh their ability to take life. If a warrior doesn’t know the feeling of taking life, they may feel uncomfortable in fighting in a war, which is their role. The descriptions from the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic, are quite vivid. One warrior Bhima, who was essentially noble, swore to tear open his enemies’ chest and drink his blood. When breaking down the mindset of why someone might commit such act, heed must be given to their mental makeup. The warrior class, is an extreme class and the level of their commitments, anger, and passion is increasingly difficult to understand as time goes by and lifestyles, values and norms fundamentally change. When we hear of great scandals of greatly successful people, they can be shocking, but if we look to understand the mental makeup of such personalities, a lot more makes sense. The problem is, we tend to want to see only the dimensions that suit us, and not holistically. Social media is helping make more clear the different sides to individuals, however it still doesn’t represent the mental makeup completely. Each person has a set of fundamentals that forms their mental makeup, and being aware of our natural inclinations and tendencies will help us in our self-discovery. Arjuna, the great warrior when wanting to flee the battlefield out of resistance to fighting his family, asked Krishna why he should fight. After describing that a warriors duty is to fight for their cause, especially if it was a righteous one. Arjuna then asked Krishna, how do you know what my nature is? Who knows what ones nature is? Krishna then replied, no one knows what your nature is, and further, if anyone tries to tell you what your nature is, then they have an agenda! It may be a good agenda or a bad agenda, but you should know they have an agenda. So, understanding our tendencies whether it’s in work life, family life, our diet or fitness, is something that is our responsibility and something that can help us on our paths to self-discovery.

The Needless Smiles

It’s been muggy weather in Hong Kong lately, with a number of typhoons passing the region causing air pressure to fluctuate and bring some severe rain. Whilst Hong Kong does a great job of covering most outdoor paths through either rooftops from shops and buildings that come out onto the pedestrianised parts of the road which helps cover people, there are inevitably some stretches of pavement which will be open. In torrential rain, many will wait until it slows before exposing themselves to such stretches of rain. With the sheer numbers of people in the busy areas, it’s rare to bump into people who aren’t in a relatively “busy” or “rummaging” state of mind in such a moment. Yesterday I was in such a spot, and from a few meters away, caught a glimpse of a man who was working in an industrial job cutting sheets of steel with heavy duty machines. I had just finished training, had a big wet bag on my back, but was feeling calm and refreshed (unlike what I felt like before the class!). The man was sitting back keeping dry from the rain, but surrounded by people in the pigeon-like panic caused by rain. When our eyes met, there was a calmer connection, and slowly but surely it ended with a smile that carried with it benevolence and good will. After many exchanges in a busy morning, I can comfortably say that in that moment, more qualitative meaning and value was expressed than the entire day. We speak different languages, have entirely different things we do in lives, our heritage and culture is totally different. There may not be much we have in common at all. Such a moment made me feel a glimpse of humanity that we have for all others when we are in a state of mind of simplicity, where we are not only considering ourselves and engrossed in personal or even collective selfish ambition. When we have something to gain, or something to loose in an interaction, it is spoiled. This is linked to expectation. It is exactly the reason why people often like to travel. People you meet on travels, you do not expect to meet. Therefore  when we see goodness unexpectedly, it is extremely refreshing. The closer we “become” to people through expectation, this may not be healthy. It is also exactly the reason why we need to take time out from work; it (hopefully) brings about more appreciation for those you work with after we take a break. Being in each others’ faces, doesn’t tend to. The man in the steel factory didn’t expect to see me, I didn’t expect to see him. And we didn’t expect to reciprocate each others’ mutual benevolence; and so they were all the more refreshing.

 

 

Rather than read about someone who was an amazing person or character, or even watch videos of such people, it is always experiencing yourself which is most powerful. When I was completing my dissertation at University, I was attending seminars and speaking was the head architect at Microsoft. His technical grasp was something incomprehensible to everyone listening. Also on the panel was the Chief Technology Officer at Cap Gemini, Andy, who was a slightly older gentleman, perhaps in his 50’s, who had worked in some incredible roles in the past. He was very inspiring and full of knowledge, insights and outlooks. I approached him after his address, as an MSc student who was inspired and in all-honesty looking for someone like him to provide some input in my thesis. It was an area I was very passionate about; how behaviour is regulated through the architecture of the environment. The same theories are transferable for individuals and corporates. I explained to him some of the research I was doing, and almost immediately I had his attention. He asked me to come to his office in the same week. He spent a few hours with me passionately scribing on a huge whiteboard his thoughts and where this could be used. I vividly remember walking back to Oxford Street station feeling very energised and directionally aligned with something I believed in. The following month as my research matured, I had a Partner from the place I would go on to work also endorse my research which ended up coming in the top five percentile in the LSEs research that year. Andy did not need to listen to me, he did not need to meet me, and he certainly did not need to inspire me in the way he did. I did not expect it, and it was indeed one of the most memorable experiences in my earlier life.

 

 

Around 13 years later, in Hong Kong standing in the lobby of the regulators office with a group of representatives from the biggest banks in the world, debriefing from our meeting where we discussed proposals for changes in the market structures that shape finance globally, it is appreciation for those who inspired so many years ago that comes to mind. Those unexpected people I continue to meet who teach through their example, benevolence and good will in powerful ways always gives promise. Hard work becomes beautiful over time. Ex Navy SEAL and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt Jocko Willink put it well in his book saying that discipline equals freedom. Without hard work and discipline, those who have integrity, will not feel freedom. There are of course many who will want to escape from discipline and hard work, because it’s easier not to do something than do something in the beginning. But longer term, once one builds a taste, it is easier to do it than not to do it. I read a quote today from a jiu jitsu black belt saying he hates jiu jitsu, but will never quit. Whilst on an extreme end of the scale, and am sure he must not hate every single moment of it all the time, he is making a statement he would not change it. We often call this a “love-hate” relationship, and can be the basis of so many things that are ultimately of immense value to us in our lives from working out to, familial relationships, to our jobs. In conclusion, it is important we take time out to appreciate small things in life, the benevolence of those certain people around us and who have inspired us causelessly, whilst at the same time applying ourselves with discipline and rigour in what we are doing.

 

Matters of Flesh & Spirit

 I recently spent a week back in Europe; and as usual, when back in an environment where I was raised, it provokes much realization about direction, life and the world. Since it’s been warm and bright very early in Hong Kong, I had found myself getting up earlier and going for a walk along with some meditation by the mountains. This kind of reflection time allows one to get away from the hustle, even though most of the day may be full of it. It will let us get away from the hustle if we really try to let ourselves get away. If we don’t want to get away, we can stay in hustle wherever we might be. The hustle, and everything, is ultimately in our mind. That’s where we let it affect us. Following from the early starts in Hong Kong, I found myself within very little time doing the same in London. Getting up and getting the bus in the dawn, with the sun breaking through was enlivening. It felt like the only thing to do. I recently came across a quote by Kobe Bryant. He said “I can’t relate to lazy people. We don’t speak the same language. I don’t understand you. I don’t want to understand you.” There is certainly something to be said for being active, whether it be physically and/or mentally. Being at peace is also an activity; it takes a level of alertness and awareness. Peace is not the same as being lazy. To be mentally free is also active, it is certainly not passive. Passive means to be controlled, active means to take control. Active also should not be mistaken to be some kind of alpha-male, oppressive mentality; it means to be alert and engaged.

On getting up early, I would get the bus and walk to the Temple, the same Temple I would go to when I was at university. Temples can be institutions in many senses. The spiritual dynamic vs the religious dynamic is constantly one that such an institution has to grapple with. Institution is defined by people, positions, rigidity, and rules – these things relate to the “flesh.” Spirituality is defined by thoughtfulness, meditative growth, inner peace; these are things of the “spirit.” As I walked in to the room where there was a form of mantra meditation happening, where mantras are chanted for about two hours, I noticed of around 15 people in the room, I didn’t know a single one. When I was younger, everything evolved around people; who introduced you to it, who is who, etc. Years later, I didn’t see any of the old faces. On my last day I saw the first person I ever met at that temple and he was still exactly the same; extremely peaceful and content. It made me think about the importance of deeply understanding why we do something, rather than the externals which includes the more institutional side of whatever it might be, whether it’s going to the Temple, or studying something. Of course a deep appreciation of who is teaching you is important, but the defining factor really is why you are doing it. This matters, and in the long term it will matter even more. Old people will leave and new people will come, it’s the nature of everything; the more we are attached to the institutional side, the more superficial our commitments will be. The more spiritually we are grounded in what we are doing and why, the more reason and satisfaction we will find in what we are doing.

The problem with youth, and the benefit of youth are that we are naïve and often unable to attribute cause and effect. We listen to everything, we absorb everything, but are often unable to connect effectively what is happening. I guess this is what “experience” means. I noticed in my jiu jitsu training from an early stage that there were a significant number of more senior belts who were really very nice people. They were friendly, humble and generally very nice. I remember thinking they are far better people than I am because of how nice their character is, and how helpful they are. After getting to know them more for a longer amount of time, I can confirm they are genuinely nice people. On reflection, it’s been a very valuable lesson that if we believe that the people who are advanced in our respective fields are genuinely nice people, and better than us in character, then it is worth continuing on that path for we will grow in the right way. If however, people are bad characters, even though very advanced in their fields in their abilities, then it is better to re-evaluate how you are going about your goals and your path. Life isn’t about picking up lots of skills and abilities, it’s about being able to be more content with who you are becoming and what you are doing in this world; we should do what we can to aid an organic and healthy journey for the soul through whatever activities bring balance to our path.

Fake Plastic Teeth

Growing up in the 1980’s and 90’s there were a number of Bollywood films that even a person without much inclination in new age Bollywood, would not be able to get away from. Bollywood especially then, was quite “in-your-face”. However, one of the actors with a slightly more “tucked away” demeanor was Amir Khan. I don’t recall too much about him, other than the songs! And that films with him in them would appeal more than the likes of Salman Khan and Co. There are always back-stories and controversies that people will entertain about famous people, and I’ve also heard some about Amir Khan and how despite what he shows in the public eye, that his integrity is compromised due to scandals etc. I would prefer to either i) Give him the benefit of doubt, going with the “nobody is perfect” mentality, and/or ii) Try to see the good in what he does. One teacher mentioned that if you wanted to criticize the moon which shines so brightly in the sky, one can also say it has so many marks and craters, ignoring the fact it illuminates the night sky so beautifully. So with that context about Amir Khan set, my wife and I one evening rushed to the cinema thinking we would be in time for the showing of a Hollywood film we had planned to see, and instead found ourselves late and needing to choose whether to go home, wait for the next show in an hour, or to watch another film. My wife has a tiny bit more inclination to watch Bollywood films than I do so she suggested we watch a film that happened to be starring Amir Khan. Half-heartedly I agreed, and to my shock we found ourselves in the screen in a room full of only local Hong Kong and Chinese people from what I could see. My initial reaction was, maybe like us there was a mishap and they somehow think that this might be a good film. A few minutes in I could see that they were quite captured and following the story well despite of it being in Hindi with Chinese subtitles. They were also following the humour with great enthusiasm. I then thought maybe they actually like Bollywood films, but was kind of confused given there isn’t the greatest amount of cultural diversity in many Asian countries as compared to the West at least. Later I learnt that Amir Khan has a huge following in China and Hong Kong. It made sense, Asian culture tends, compared to Western culture at least, in general, to be a little less in-your-face “rah rah”. And Amir Khan has tended to be an actor that “could” appeal to such an audience. He’s generally been into films that highlight social issues, injustice, etc and this could resonate here. The Vedas talk about the principle of svajati, or likeness – this means we will tend to resonate with things that are like us, emotions that we relate to, behaviours we display ourselves, and so on. The principle of likeness however doesn’t mean things have to be exactly the same. It also considers how well behaviours complement each other even if they are not the same. If we study this, we will understand relationships around us; how commonality in certain aspect will lead to more “stickiness” and group dynamics that may otherwise confuse us. As much as we like to think we are in a progressive era where there is equality etc, we aren’t. Human beings are certainly a form of animal; and no number of robots or artificial intelligence will change this.

Amir Khan along with his co-stars for the wrestling film Dangal based on real-life story about a girl who medaled at the Sydney Olympic games, had to go through a grueling training regime to fit the various characters they played. Amir Khan who directed the film, had to play a young character and then the older version in the film. As a national level Indian wrestler this required him to gain and shed a staggering 22kg. So after this news, India and the Bollywood followers all over the world were going crazy about this weight fluctuation and the heavier and/or unhealthier people were using this as motivation to ask how long it took him to gain and lose 22kg. 9 times out of 10 when people ask this kind of question they ask it with a mentality to compare it to how hard they would find it. After seeing the videos of his training, the discipline it took etc, an American fitness expert broke it down. He explained how Amir Khan was extremely fit before gaining the weight, he gained it in a structured way, and lost it in a structured way. For most people who read the numbers, they are not at the level of fitness of Amir Khan. The other cast who were his daughters in the film had an even great amount to do in terms of making themselves look like professional world class wrestlers in the film. They had various national coaches, as well as Olympian Sushil Kumar help them train. Indeed the lead actress broke her bones during training for the film. Training to look good and training for combat are two different things. There are many world class fighters who don’t look particularly muscular or attractive in the terms of being super well-defined etc, which the media and society try to advocate. Having a beach body vs having a combat body may well have some overlaps but there is a clear difference in focus. Many animals who are kept in captivity away from their natural wild habitat, cannot survive when released since they do not work with the natural ecosystem that leads to sharpening of skills they are born to develop. The tigers in the zoo look ferocious on the outside, but when released into the wild they are far less likely to survive than those who have been hunting, defending and surviving their entire lives. A human being is made not only for fighting, but cultivation of meaningful intellect. When the mind and body is actively channeled then we can argue that we are robust human beings who are in touch with their ecosystem. Otherwise like the tiger in the zoo, the look and feel will resemble “the real thing” like the beach bodies, but reality itself is able to tell that all that glitters is not gold.

Amir Khan’s ability to dip in and out of “fat” or weight is a testament to a mental strength that comes from practice and experience, and his inclination to highlight social issues to do with injustice show his desire to expand his intellect and use his abilities to try to make a change for the better. Georges St Pierre, of the best mixed martial artists, and a true gentleman said that what comes out under pressure will be what you practice – not something else. One who likes only to enjoy, misses out on the liberating detachment that comes from finding joy in the process and not being so anxious over results; which is a mentality that in its irony attracts the best results.

Working the Invisible

Trips back to the UK can often be the source of reflection. Nelson Mandela once said one of the most intriguing phenomena is how one can return to a place and see how much they have changed, and the place may not have. The irony would be the opposite. To be conscious of our mental evolution and journey. Why is this important? Many feel the world is moving fast with so many technological evolutions and so many people also being lifted out of poverty. The question of evolution must be linked to who we are. Seeing things for what they are, seeing people for who they are, and seeing places for what they are – and working with these in the appropriate state of mind being conscious of who we are and working out our role in relation to these things. Whatever we do, whatever we have, the meta-physical, or invisible journey is key.

The Grit is Where its At

Most of the wealth of the wealthiest people in the world is inherited. With the house price increases over a decades in areas of London there are people who are sitting on a lot of cash. What they initially put in is not near the value now. As a result many people close to retirement sell-off and purchase in more economical areas outside of London where they may get more for their money. This has resulted in accelerated wealth for the sellers. There are often cases of wealthy parents and grandparents gifting fancy cars to the grandchildren, Lamborghini’s and Ferrari’s. Occasionally you will see very young people driving these. One naturally wonders how such an expensive car, is in the hands of someone who looks like a teen. There may be two levels to this situation. One is the belief that the laws of karma always operate based on what goes around comes around, and that there is always justice and action/reward balance. This means that the teenager would have had to have done something in a previous life to deserve the Lamborghini. On the other hand, factoring out previous life efforts counting in this life, this is simply a case of no effort and pure inheritance of fortune. The parents who would have put in the hard work, and the recipients who are benefitting from it without the work. Who really benefits? Those who evolved mentally through the hard work, or those who simply enjoyed the result? In our martial arts dojo, I recall a time where one of our senior-most brown belt teammates forgot to bring their belt, and was practicing with a white belt on. When everyone saw him, they smiled because they knew the situation in reality which is that he has years and years of quality experience, and technically and physically is head and shoulders above the rest. The mental journey involved in progressing so much is far more significant than whether he wears a brown belt, a white belt or a stripy Mr Blobby belt, or no belt. The external doesn’t matter, the internal experience and evolution does, and would out-fight any other opponent who hasn’t mentally evolved as much. Driving the Ferrari is like wearing the brown belt when the mentality is that of a complete beginner. They may be cashing in on their previous good karma, but if the mind isn’t evolved over time the value in such cashing in experiences will not benefit one in the long term as the grit is where the real fortune is at.

Like a Jedi

Visiting the UK where everyone is generally more conversant in English means I can understand what is happening all the time; at least on the surface of things. Recalling the Star Wars Return of the Jedi, there is a time where effectively an illusory version of the Jedi is fighting, not the real Jedi, who is meditating on the mountains somewhere. This is a similar feeling to being on a train where you don’t understand the conversation around you. You can therefore be less distracted by it even though you’re in the thick of it. If you pick up the local language, you will be able to understand what’s happening. When you understand what’s happening, you will subconsciously digest it, and those conversations will affect your thoughts. Being a tourist in a foreign land who doesn’t understand the language completely means you can 100% focus on your own thoughts since what you hear cannot be processed. You therefore preserve your mental energy for what you want to focus it on. This can indeed be done in an atmosphere where you understand the language and culture, but it takes an additional layer of processing to not let it filter. It’s similar to a pair of siblings and the elder kid may be disturbed by the younger one and the mother may say “Just ignore him or her.” The information is in, but it should be discarded is the mothers request. It takes work, and it takes energy and we need to be smart in how we use our energy. 

Without mental evolution, where the values of hard work with detachment from results, the imbibing of humility and compassion towards others and the Earth, all of the big-bang extreme material progress that many people are striving for, including those who are trying to come out of poverty – will not bode well. Many previous generations have tried to rise in similar ways through big bang ideas and have risen, at the expense of so many things; and we now see a world which is suffering the reactions of some of these innovations which at one time were so novel, whether it be through polluted oceans of plastic, or hordes of people whose health is suffering as a result of air pollution. Working towards a more conscious and more holistic form of success will be more fulfilling and better for everyone and everything.

Reconciling the Irreconcilable

Convenient thoughtlessness

With the world at an interesting juncture in many respects politically and technologically, people often find themselves with many irreconcilables. We decided to move out of the inner city area where I lived for over 5 years, to a less populated area on another island in Hong Kong called Lantau. This has bought a certain level of peace, which comes from many things including the thousands of trees on dozens of hill peaks that surround us, and a large body of water that the place overlooks. One of my colleagues I met recently, who is an author mentioned that "in places we work and live that are centered around convenience, I need some inconvenience as it forces me to think." On reflection, it is also that fact which makes this move all the better. Thinking time, subconsciously is often something people want to get away from. Convenience can take away spontaneity of thought in situation; to that extent we become conveniently thoughtless. Some of the most beautiful things human civilization is responsible for; great art works, music, are all instigated by thought in experiences and situations. We do not see museums built in memory of how hard someone slogged to make a bit of money; well we might see a few exceptional cases, but all in all, great memories and legacies of mankind are associated with quality and innovation in thought.

Reconciling the irreconcilable

Irreconcilables are situations or changes that we cannot bring ourselves to a position of comfort in relation to. Tropical locations are often characterized by the noise of insects in the background. Often times on holiday, I know I am somewhere very natural and tropical if I can hear the sound of nature in the background such as crickets or birds, rather than the sounds of man-made interventions like cars and building works. Many parts of Asia, Hong Kong included has insects called Cicadas. These insects are quite sizeable, around 2-3 inches long, of black, orange and sometimes yellow colour. They are also big enough that they are part of Chinese Shandong cuisine. They make an extremely loud sound as a mating call and also to fend off predators. The sound of a cicada insect can be over 120 decibels loud, which is as loud as a chain saw, or a jet take-off at 300 meters distance. The journey back to the apartment involves a small walk through an area that is occupied with hundreds of cicada insects, which emerge at certain stretches of the year. Normally, one would only every hear the bugs, and never see them since they mostly stay on trees, however on an overhead bridge, they sometimes get lost and end up on there. On one walkway, at a certain time of year, there is  very good chance you will come across one. One day casually walking past, I saw a bug, and thought not much of it and just walked past. I didn't even know what a Cicada was at the time. As I walked past it, it suddenly made the extremely loud noise and buzzed about in a frenzy; leaving us both in utter shock! I had no idea of the extent of their sound at the distance I was at! I knew that if I see them again, I would have to be careful; maybe it was a one-off. Coming back one evening, it happened again. I was in a similar level of shock. I then reasoned; it’s an insect so much smaller than me, I am coming back from a martial arts class where I have to fend off people far bigger. Why am I so apprehensive? It’s not logical. Knowing there was an alternative route to walk home avoiding the insects all together, I thought I will walk on the bridge and through logical understanding, I will not freak out. Seeing the insect from a distance, I prepared myself mentally for the loud outburst and frenzy. I was more shocked and disturbed than the first time. Conclusion; better not to take the bridge next time.

Depth is the only answer

We live in a world with increasing freedom of expression and thought. This is a wonderful development, and guards against oppression, which has been misused through the course of history in so many ways. Whilst such freedom of thought and expression can be very progressive, it can also lead to more disagreement on various levels. The reason why the polls didn’t capture the right wing votes in the major elections we had, is that people who believe in values that will generally be acceptable to the public, will more readily broadcast these, whilst those who don’t believe in values that are acceptable, may have reservation in sharing so loud and clear their beliefs. It is very simple. I was discussing with one friend whose original roots and heritage go back to Eastern Europe, the political landscape in Europe in light of numerous developments post-Brexit. He shared that a right-wing mentality has always featured strongly in the regimes of many dictators in Europe of the not so distant past. How that can be purged in one generation is difficult to accept, and this resurgence of a right-wing mentality, is one of the telling signs in that direction. Just as for a vegetarian who takes care of animals all day long and has relationship with them, it may be irreconcilably difficult to understand eating animals; for someone who loves to eat meat, it is irreconcilably difficult to understand how one cannot eat meat. The world is full of such irreconcilables; this has been the case since time immemorial. At it’s tamest there may be a ill-feeling towards anothers’ views, a disagreement, an argument, a scuffle, a riot, a war. Irreconcilables and how we deal with them, is therefore critical to stability and peace in our lives. Different human beings will have different level of tolerance of mental conflict in their lives. For some, they live in conflict mode all day and are more than happy to argue, and continue to grow amidst it. Whereas for others, arguing is rare, it is disturbing, and hinders their growth. This has some relation to our personality type and how extrovert vs introvert we are; however, there is a factor common to all personality types that will determine the extent to which we are able to handle conflict in our lives; this is depth of thought. If we have finished a long hike; and really need a drink, we go to Starbucks. My friend may get a coffee, whereas I might want a shake. We may not be on the same page regarding which drink, but we do feel the same that we are thirsty and tired. In a similar way, we may not agree with anything that a person believes, stands for, how they are as a person, etc. However, we do acknowledge that they are a human being, they also had a mother and a father. If we agree that there is something beyond their body which comprises their being, like the existence of a spirit, then we broaden this vision of equality to all living entities. At that level we are perfectly reconciled. We can then zoom back out to the choice of drink, and view it in perspective. The more in tune with the depth of vision that this brings, the more easily we will be able to reconcile the world in our minds.

The Hidden Whisper

Entitlement

For the first time, I’ve found myself living at the very end of a train line. Naturally one of the attractions is that there’s a good probability you will be able to get a seat, even in the rush hour. Indeed some people will even miss a train if it means they can be in the front of the queue for the next one where they will guaranteed be able to get a seat. Observing peoples behaviour on trains is always fascinating. Levels of irritability, entitlement, lack of consideration for others, and management of personal space are amongst the most common issues. In the train we often experience greater levels of physical proximity than is normal throughout the day. On the train the rush hour, you are physically much closer to people you don’t even know, than you probably have ever been with your work boss or colleagues who you spend all day with. It therefore makes for a very interesting set of psychological dynamics. A lot of this article is based on assumptions which may or may not be true, but it is how I see the situation. “Entitlement” is responsible for most of the conflicts in the world. Land ownership, entitlement to bigger bonuses, access to more rights, etc are at the crux of most tension in the world. So back to the train scenario, is it natural for people who get on the train first to feel a sense of entitlement and right to a seat more so than someone getting on the train for just a couple of stops?  If someone has waited for 3 trains in order for them to get a seat, do they then feel a greater sense of entitlement? If a person who works for the MTR and is a train driver gets on the train, should they feel a greater sense of entitlement? Should locals over tourists or foreigners feel a greater sense of entitlement to the things in their country? Whatever the case may be, this sense of entitlement is probably the most common cause of serious conflicts in the world. The challenges of the world are more often than not up-scaled versions of micro-challenges that we all face every day. The feeling of entitlement to a seat is the same feeling in essence as the cause of most wars. In Britain, there was recently a documentary about how migrants are 10 times more hard working than locals. This is leading to their being more successful, and over time I believe will have a bearing in the countries distribution of wealth like it has done for decades. This creates more challenges around entitlement. Is something yours through birth-right, or through hard work? All very controversial questions that will trigger sentiment in a lot of people. It is indeed the same sentiment that is responsible for much of the political flavour in the past years, and there’s no reason to believe why it won’t be going forward either. On the other hand, times are changing at the top and in successful people in their empathy and outlooks on the world. There are some strong and positive role models who are following a more open manner of leadership with humility, as we can see from some of the UK’s royal family.

Beauty of Humility

The problem with powerful positions is that they fuel the entitlement complex. Hard work whilst also an essential ingredient in building substance, can also give rise to entitlement. It is unfortunate that those ingredients required for greatness can also so easily give rise to this damaging complex. How this entitlement-complex is managed is down to character. If a person is humble and empathetic by nature then they will not like the entitlement-complex, and will continue to be humble even in external success. However, if a person starts to believe their own hype, then it can easily give rise to the entitlement-complex and more so as they become more successful externally. The internal vs external success factors are therefore different. There is a story that Alexander the Great appointed an advisor who would whisper to him constantly throughout the day “You are Mortal. You are just a Man. You are Mortal. You are just a Man.” This was to help Alexander the Great manage his entitlement-complex. Unfortunately most people aspiring to be great don’t want this whisper, however if we live in reality then the whisper will be most welcome. The reality is that if we don’t play back this whisper, then the laws of nature will. In a world of so many differences, the greatest undisputed commonality is that of our human mortality. Therefore, instead of focusing on our greatness as a goal for ourselves, we can indeed pursue greatness for the betterment of others, in a spirit of giving whilst knowing the reality that our existence in this world is far more futile than we care to accept. This is indeed why children are the most inspiring people in terms of internal attitude; their absorption in the moment rather than the result of greatness for themselves, is commonly the focus. Before schooling etc, this is their natural mindset. To pursue results in a spirit of living in the moment is far more conducive to a healthy mental state that contributes positively to society and those around us, than to continually hanker for that which we do not have or own.  

Humility is therefore the most beautiful jewel in any Throne of Success.