Therefore, one who does not know how to choose wisely what to learn shall gain very little of true worth. For that which one shall need in life goes unlearned, whilst that which one has learned goes unused. Worse still, should one take what has been learned and apply it in ways that are misguided and ill-directed — putting it to wrongful use — the consequences become all the graver and more burdensome.

April 30^th, 2014

Most importantly, one must prepare the following:

First, ensure that all necessary tools and equipment are ready.

Second, demonstrate by example — show others how it is done.

Third, know how to offer words of encouragement at the right moment and in the right manner.

While the work is underway, continue to offer encouragement along the way — bring water for them to drink, bring a snack for them to enjoy. Before one knows it, the work will be finished.

One further point worth remembering: encouragement must be given at many stages and at many moments — from the time one encourages others while the work is in progress, through to the moment the work has just been completed, and even afterward, when one encounters them again and continues to greet and converse with them warmly.

A leader who conducts themselves in this way is one with whom everyone will want to work. This is quite different from one who speaks pleasantly only when they need something done, and then, once the work is finished, acts as though they do not know the person at all. If one behaves in such a manner, one should not expect that person to come and offer their help again in the future.

May 2^nd, 2018

First, there must be a person of wisdom and keen intellect to point the way and set the direction — without this, the work will be exceedingly difficult to accomplish.

Second, there is no undertaking of any kind that requires no financial resources — a budget must be available.

Third, there must be a method for training oneself and training others. Whatever the approach — whether highly sophisticated or straightforward — a method for training those who carry out the work is indispensable. Without it, one cannot effectively bring people together to work in unity.

All three of these conditions must reside within the leader. If they are scattered and dispersed among different individuals, the work will be difficult to accomplish.

May 2^nd. 2018

Furthermore, although one may believe oneself to be managing one’s time well, in practice one’s time management is often lacking. And for any given task, there may be dozens of ways to approach it — yet one simply proceeds according to whatever method comes to mind at the moment, or whatever one is most accustomed to.

That method, however, is not necessarily the best one. There are many other approaches available, but because one is familiar with a particular way of doing things, one clings to it and presses ahead regardless. As a result, the work produced does not meet one’s expectations, or is not completed on time — and frustration arises once more. The heavier the workload becomes, the more the tendency toward anger grows alongside it. One becomes increasingly quick-tempered. And the more one loves one’s work and throws oneself into it, the more one’s face gradually takes on the fearsome expression of a giant.

April 25^th, 2018

They work for the benefit of the organization, for the benefit of humanity, and for the advancement of virtue — not merely in exchange for wages alone. Any organization whose members possess a pure heart, and who dedicate their lives, minds, and hearts wholeheartedly to their work, to the organization to which they belong, and to goodness and virtue in this way — that organization is truly fortunate, for it possesses human resources of immeasurable worth.

From the book Principles of Buddhist Administration Method, page 20

Consider, for instance, when an organization finds itself in a state of financial loss — such a person would not seek to compensate through corrupt or immoral means, such as fraudulent conduct or the trafficking of illicit substances, as a method of resolving the crisis.

Furthermore, in the very act of deliberating upon solutions, one must maintain mindfulness as the governing faculty, never allowing emotion to reign supreme — for to give rise to anger, to speak ill of others, or to inflict harm upon those around one, would only serve to compound the problem into ever greater complexity and entanglement.

It is therefore clear that to be a truly good administrator, competence alone is wholly insufficient. One must be anchored by the principles of Dhamma within one’s heart — discerning what is wholesome and what is unwholesome, what is worthy of action and what must be relinquished.

For a person to possess the wisdom to think in such a manner, their mind must remain bound and grounded in the principles of Dhamma at all times.

From the book “Principles of Buddhist Administration method,” page 6

November 1^st, 2019

To be as the Sun is to afford others protection and shelter. Whatever dangers or threats may loom, one stands as a guardian against such perils — commanding reverence through the power of phra det.

To be as the Moon is to bring warmth and solace to the hearts of others. Whatever others may lack — be it sustenance or clothing — one is able to provide, inspiring affection and gratitude through the grace of phra khun.

One who embodies both the Sun and the Moon — possessing both benevolent authority and gracious virtue — is truly worthy to lead. This stands in stark contrast to those who resort to coercion and intimidation as instruments of power. Such fear as they inspire endures but fleetingly, for authority of this nature is without permanence. On the day their power is extinguished, they shall find themselves met not with sorrow, but with the quiet satisfaction of those they once oppressed.

October 31^st, 2019

9 October 2019