Business retreat at Plum Village

My holiday began with the International Business Retreat at the Plum Village. Two hundred entrepreneurs, coaches, managers and CEOs gathered to learn, exchange, reflect, and inspire each other to reshape the impact the businesses have on Earth and humanity. 

My contemplation began with an inquiry: Is it possible to bridge mindfulness and business in the same way (neuro)science and mindfulness have been nourished each other in past decades?

I am not sure if I have received the answer to my question but I do take many seeds of inspiration for the journey ahead.

Day 1

Learning how to pause

The agenda for the day is to learn to pause. We get to know our retreat Family Peaceful Valley. We all chose to work on the compost, as part of the service meditation. Our guides remind us to contemplate on the concept of transformation and impermanence as we see the human waste become the nourishment for the Earth.

I open up to the invitation of the mindful bell to pause and breathe mindfully, to make silence the part of the learning process. We learn to sit, make time to stretch, listen to our bodies: sleep if you feel like sleeping, breathe mindfully, take a walk at least once a day.

Day 2

Contemplating on koans

We receive koans to contemplate on:

What does mindful breathing have to do with business?

Are you in possession of the present moment?

Do you want to be number one or do you want to be happy?

A kōan (公案) (/ˈkoʊæn, ɑːn/;[1] Chinese: 公案; pinyin: gōng'àn, [kʊ́ŋ ân]; Korean: 공안 gong-an; Vietnamese: công án) is a story, dialogue, question, or statement which is used in Zen practice to provoke the "great doubt" and to practice or test a student's progress in Zen. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kōan)

Day 3

Four kinds of enterprises

Enterprises can focus on generating:

· A lot ‍‍of happiness and a lot of profit

· A lot of happiness and a little bit of profit

· A little bit of happiness and a lot of profit

· A little bit of happiness and a little bit of profit

What do you base your enterprise on? Happiness or profit?

Day 4

Lazy Day

This is the day without agenda and obligations. It is the time to observe ourselves and notice what ‘wants to be done’. The question "what is the difference between human doing and human being?" follows me through the whole day. 

I meditate, read, sleep, eat and go for a walk. When anxiety surfaces I remind myself there is nothing to do, nowhere to go. I let the silence become the invitation for the seeds of store consciousness to present themselves: attachment to productivity, satisfaction, fulfillment and reward. 

When clouds of jealousy, competition and inferiority storm through the day, I remind myself there is nothing to do, nowhere to go. I end up with a list of the things and actions that nourish me.

Day 5

Dharma talk on business

It is raining. The meditation hall welcomes us wet and curious about the next Dharma talk related to business. I still don’t have answers to the koans we received so far. My brain is swarmed by neurons opening new pathways as I hear the next contemplation: Compassionate Business People Change the World. I can’t imagine big corporations embracing this statement. I feel discouraged about the return and sharing with executives. The talk continues without allowing me the time to dwell on this fear. I park it for later if it wants to present itself again.

New concepts continue to inspire me:

1. Present moment is not a physical location but a concept of No Birth and No Death.

2. If we have a moment A and moment B then the logic follows:

A ≠B

B is not separate from A

B contains compassion and responsibility for A with the freedom to improve what was created in A

3. The purpose of economy is for humans to have happier and easier lives.

4. Economy helps us to begin to walk in the direction of compassion and coexistence.

5. Money, power and fame can be compassionate tools.

Day 6

Q&A Session

We gather to ask questions and seek counsel from the elders:

Q1: How to balance the concept of being in the present moment vs goals and aspirations?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3JB2POMZlU

Q2: If compassionate businesses heal the world, where are the seeds of compassion? How does it relate to social justice, equality, planet Earth?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpuuAcRaWkA

Q3: Sometimes I feel intolerant when I am with people I love, the people close to me. How can I deal with that?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXGjNBzLdoU

Q4: Since I started to practice, I sense strong tendency to depression. I relate to the need for survival that triggers depression. It is getting worse, what can I do?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=209_UOvMMkA

Q5: We are learning of new ways of organizations and how to operate them. How does Plum Village function as an organization? Is there a hierarchy? Who is in charge? Is your organization a pyramid or organic? How do you deal with conflict?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIMkjT6MOqk

Q6: I have worked most of my life as a journalist. I am now on a sabbatical and right before this retreat I was on a catholic retreat. How to bring the harmony between two religions?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX0bmCyFtNY

Day 7

Last koan

We are bringing our retreat to closure, it is the last day and part of me is eager to get back into the secular world, while another craves to remain in the space of mindful nourishment. 

Finally, I take the following teaching on the four aspects of the right diligence as the focus of my practice:

1. Moving difficult emotions from mind consciousness to store consciousness

2. Not allowing the seeds of store consciousness to come into the mind consciousness

3. Inviting the good seeds into the mind consciousness

4. Learning how to water the good seeds of consciousness for a long time and how to dwell happily in the present moment

I end up this retreat with a new kōan: 

Can the meaning of business be transformed from...

Breakdown

Uncertainty

Stress

Insomnia

Negativity

Economy war

Stock market crash

Scarcity

...to...

Being

Uniqueness

Slowing down

Insightfulness

Nowness

Engagement

Sustainable Action

Smiles

?

Resources

“We have to make a commitment to ourselves and to our community at work, that from now on, every time anger manifests, we won’t do anything or say anything until we’ve calmed down.” 

——Thich Nhat Hanh, Work

“Wanting power, fame and wealth is not a bad thing, but we should know that we seek these things because we want to be happy. If you are rich and powerful but unhappy, what's the point of being rich and powerful?"

"There is only one success that really matters: the success of transforming ourselves, transforming our afflictions, fear, and anger.” 

——Thich Nhat Hanh, 

The Art of Power

DALIDA TURKOVIC

Dalida has worked in the field management training and consulting in China since 1995. While living and working in this fast-changing environment she gained deep insights on the pressures people have in their professional and personal environment. In all her work Dalida is driven by a profound interest in what moves and motivates people. She believes in big change through small steps, whilst keeping the body and mind in balance.

She believes in the wisdom of emotions and coaches her clients to use this wisdom to bridge professional challenges and enhance presence at home, with their families.

Dalida is the founder of the Beijing Mindfulness Centre, author of Mindfulness for Beginners, the book for mindful parenting, and holds certifications as Professional Certified Coach (ICF) and Mindfulness, Wellness and Somatic Coach (Mindfulness Coaching School). 

Her TEDx speech “The road less traveled” is available on

https://bit.ly/2vEvaUd.

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