Known as the Buddhist merchant: Michael Roach

Michael Roach is an American with a strange experience. He was born in 1952 and graduated magna laude from Princeton University. He then traveled to India to become an ordained Buddhist monk, then immersed himself in The Dharma for 25 years and became the first American in history to receive a Geshe (Doctor of Buddhist Studies) degree.

　　When he returned to the United States, he applied the emptiness he had learned in the Diamond Sutra to his own business operations, taking out loans and friends to found Anding International Diamond Company, which started with $50,000 and has been a global company with an annual turnover of more than $200 million since 1998.

　　At a time when his diamond company's wealth was rolling in, Michael Roach retired and began teaching Buddhism, writing books, giving lectures, but also studying Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Russian, as well as translating his works.

　　He set up an organization called the Enlightenment Business Organization to teach business people how to increase their creativity and wisdom through meditation and strengthen the strength of the good side of karma. In addition, he was also active in the reconstruction and renovation of the Sera Monastery in Tibet.

　　This is the "business of happiness" that Michael has been preaching all over the world, not only helping countless people to earn wealth, but also inspiring them to harvest happiness.

　　Then, Michael, known as the "Buddha Businessman", wrote his business experience into a book called "The Diamond Cutter", which won praise as soon as it was listed. The book has been reprinted and translated into 25 languages.

　　One of his favorite books is the Diamond Sutra, and it changed my life. ”

　　How did the Diamond Sutra influence the "diamond monk"?

　　Let's play Michael's "Diamond Game" together.

Close your eyes and visualize a situation in your head:

　　You are a monk, and after 20 years of asceticism in the temple, one day Master said to you, "You have completed the retreat, now go down the mountain immediately, go to the red dust to continue your practice, it is best to be a businessman." ”

　　The master's order is difficult to violate, you carry your bag out of the pure Buddha's door, into the hustle and bustle of the world, you suddenly find that there is an unusually shiny little thing under your feet, you remember the "Diamond Sutra" that you read in the temple before, you conclude that this is the legendary diamond, a very valuable diamond, at this time, you are faced with 3 choices:

　　1. Turn a blind eye to the diamond and continue on the road.

　　2, you remembered that you lived in the temple for more than 20 years, because the temple is remote, it is too poor to open the pot, so you picked up the diamond, returned to the temple, and handed it to Master.

　　3, you pick up this diamond, take it with you, accompany you in the red dust and continue to fight.

　　Michael often talks about the above small stories at the beginning of the interview. He said his choice was the third, and the situation depicted in the mini-game was almost a reflection of his real experience.

　　He explains, "Your choice to turn a blind eye means that you have understood the truth of the emptiness of all things; your choice to return to the Master means that you not only understand emptiness, but also know how to use it in practice."

　　As for the significance of the third option, I'm about to share it with you. Remember, there is no right or wrong, good or bad difference in choice, the so-called right and wrong, good and bad, will always be just the judgment of your 'heart'. Don't regret your choice, have the courage to take it, and be a warrior in the red dust. ”

　　Q: Do you like China? What is the deepest impression of China?

　　MMK: I like China very much and come here once a year. I have lived in monasteries in Tibet for many years in China, and I have a deep relationship with China.

　　The deepest impression of China is that it is a very great nation with the most brilliant classic works in the history of world culture, including my favorite Diamond Sutra.

　　Q: Where did you first read the Diamond Sutra?

　　McMah: I graduated from college when I was 20 years old, and in the year I graduated, my beloved parents passed away, and then I lost my brother, and the family changes hit me so hard that I couldn't figure out why people died.

　　Since people will eventually die, what is the point of me studying diligently and taking medals?

　　During that time, my world was particularly gray, and I constantly denied myself, not knowing the meaning of living. Later, when I heard that there was a meditation academy in India, I packed my bags and flew there to start a monastic life and receive a very systematic study of the Dharma.

　　The first time I read the Diamond Sutra was in class, although I couldn't understand Chinese characters, I had an inexplicable liking for it.

　　Q: What do you think the Diamond Sutra is talking about?

　　MAI: Dependent voidness.

　　Q: Why did you choose to return to the United States to do business?

　　McMah: After I had a solid foundation in Buddhism, my teacher encouraged me to go back to the United States to do business, saying, "Although the monastery is an ideal place to learn the wisdom of Buddhism, the busy American office is the real life, and it is also the best laboratory to test your learning results over the years." ”

　　At first, I didn't pay any attention to his words. I don't have a soft spot for the greedy, indifferent image of American businessmen.

　　Master saw through my thoughts, and one day he gathered a group of highly educated students and gave a lecture on "Buddhism and the Business Community", which made me understand the truth that "small hidden in the mountains and forests, large hidden in the city dynasty". So I said goodbye to my teachers and went back to the United States.

　　During a meditation in 1975, I realized that I would be in the diamond industry in the future, so I tried to find a job selling and selling diamonds.

　　However, the jewelry industry was very family-oriented at the time, and no one wanted to apply for strangers, and the results could be imagined. However, a well-meaning person suggested that I go to the Gemological Institute in New York to take a few gem identification courses, first, to learn professional knowledge and second, to get to know people.

　　Listening to him, I did meet my future business partner at the Gem Academy.

　　Question: Many people say "no adultery, no business", is doing business against the Buddhist scriptures you follow?

　　MM: I have three principles for doing business:

　　First, to do business is to be successful, it is necessary to make money.

　　In the classical teachings, there is nothing wrong with money per se, and that those who have more resources are more able to do more good deeds than those who do not.

　　The key question is how to make money, where the money comes from, how to keep it flowing, and the mindset about the money. In fact, making money can also become part of the practice.

　　Second, we should enjoy money. In other words, we should know how to make money while staying physically and mentally healthy.

　　A businessman who exchanges his health for money does not understand the purpose of doing business at all.

　　Third, if a person looks back on his career at the end, he can say very frankly: "These years of struggle have meaning for themselves and the world." "Then he's really a businessman who's too successful."

　　Whether it is doing business to make money or practicing ancient Tibetan wisdom, it is all about enriching our lives and achieving harmony and unity within and outside. People who only know how to make money, but do not care about their own and the interests of others, are not worthy of being called businessmen.

　　Q: How can you use classic wisdom in your business to make more money?

　　MMM: That's a very interesting question. If you had $100,000 now and wanted it to become $1 million, what would you do? Deposited in the bank? The safety factor is very high, but it is estimated that by the day you die, you will not be able to get 1 million, and the bank interest rate is too low.

　　Open a restaurant? A few years ago, I had a good friend who happened to have $100,000, and he used the money to invest in a very grand restaurant, but it wasn't long before he was forced to close the door, and 100,000 yuan was lost.

　　What about investing in real estate? I have a friend who, more than a decade ago, bought a small apartment for $100,000 in the most valuable neighborhood in New York, ready to be resold in the future. Right next door to the World Trade Center.

　　As a result, the "911" incident occurred in 2001, and his house was resold for more than ten years, but it was still not sold. Investing in stocks? alas...... Not as good as the first three options.

　　As long as you keep asking, you will find that whether you make money or not has nothing to do with whether you open a restaurant, invest in real estate, invest in stocks, restaurants, houses and stocks themselves are not wrong, its nature is "empty".

　　"Empty" is not nothing, but it can have unlimited possibilities, can make you money or make you lose money, so that we have the opportunity to take advantage of it.

　　So when you wake up one night, 100,000 becomes 1 million... This is not impossible, as long as the principle of emptiness is used correctly.

　　Q: Are there any easy ways to do this?

　　MMM: If we liken our minds to a video recorder, turning it on 24 hours a day, it continuously records everything that is perceived through our eyes, ears, and thoughts.

　　When you see yourself reaching out to help a troubled subordinate, a good seed is planted in your heart; when you see yourself telling a little lie to a customer or supplier, a bad seed is planted in your heart.

　　Seeds always germinate and blossom one day, if you keep planting "bad seeds", you can only eat bitter fruits in the future; only by constantly planting "good seeds" can you harvest the fruits of success and happiness.

　　For example, the company's financial situation is unstable and has been in a long-term loss state. To solve this problem, you must give more of the profits you have obtained to those who help you create profits, and never take ill-gotten gains.

　　Remember, how much profit you share is not the point of the matter; the heart you are willing to share (which is a very powerful "good seed") is the key to the whole thing.

　　For example, you see a ripe business opportunity earlier than others, but you don't have enough money and raise money everywhere to no avail.

　　The solution is simple, never play a dime miser from now on. You have to keep giving, giving, and creating a win-win situation.

　　Giving, achieving win-wins has nothing to do with how much you make, the only thing that matters is whether you are really willing to share and really happy to see everyone succeed.

　　The more sincere you are, the more powerful the seeds you plant in your heart, and the fruit must be particularly sweet.

　　Franklin was a famous American politician, scientist, and businessman with a noble personality. His way of dealing with market competition is to invite all competitors to join a new community called the Chamber of Commerce, jointly develop the market, and make every member of the participating community richer and richer.

　　To give another realistic example, people who do business are most worried about natural and man-made disasters, the newly built villa community has encountered mudslides, and the freshly released seafood seedlings have encountered typhoons...

　　We always think that it is external force majeure that hinders the success of the cause, in fact, all the problems are in ourselves.

　　If you want to stay away from natural disasters, you must learn to keep your promises and adhere to the rules of life in life. Factors such as climate, transportation, and the environment are inherently "empty" or "neutral."

　　Even when traffic is at its most chaotic on some sections, some people can still enter the city smoothly from other sections; when it snows and rains heavily, some people make a big profit, such as the mechanic who handles the slopes and the umbrella manufacturer.

　　It can be seen that there is no right or wrong in itself, and the positive or negative impact it brings to you comes from your perception. These perceptions are not created out of nothing, they are the external result (effect) of your past actions (causes).

　　Q: How to sow more "good seeds" in daily life?

　　MMM: There are 6 simple ways that you can make yourself and the people around you think about it if you practice it repeatedly:

　　1, if you want to make a career and make a lot of money, you must maintain a generous and generous mentality.

　　2, want to be harmonious and happy family, have a good mood every day, you must follow the ethics and morality of life.

　　3, want to be healthy, attractive, you must avoid anger, less or no tantrums.

　　4, if you want to sit in a high position and become a leader, you must be helpful.

　　5, if you want to concentrate, you must insist on meditation.

　　6. If you want to do what you want, you must understand the meaning of emptiness and be more kind.

　　This is the diamond I have brought with me to accompany me in my constant conquest in the red dust!