Managing a Buddhist business

One of our speakers will be Dharmachari Keturaja, General Manager of Windhorse:evolution in the UK. In this introductory interview, he talks about principles and challenges of their business inspired by Buddhist values:

1. What key Buddhist values do you try to embody within Windhorse:evolution?
D. Keturaja: There are quite a range of Buddhist values that we try to embody within Windhorse:evolution.  Our engagement with some of these has unfolded over the years as the business developed, but there are two key values that have been there right from the start of the business.  Initially the business was set up to raise money for projects within the Triratna Community (then the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order).  So dana (generosity) was a central value that motivated the founders of the business – the altruistic aim of raising funds to establish the infrastructure of a new Buddhist Movement.  We embraced the profit motive (choosing to sell giftware because of the high margin involved), but not for personal wealth creation. The business has always been wholly owned by a charity so that any profit not reinvested in the business is available to give away.  In the first ten years the business struggled to establish itself, but in the 90’s it expanded rapidly and began earning considerable profits.  Amongst other things these profits have been used to help buy several Rural Retreat Centres, Buddhist Community Houses and Urban Buddhist Centres in Europe.  Most recently we helped fund the new ‘Buddhistisches Tor Berlin’, a large urban Buddhist Centre that opened last month.  We also give money to social projects connected with the communities we trade with in the Far East.  In Bali for example we fund a small school for disabled kids.  Ethical Trading is another of our values and we work in partnership with suppliers to improve the conditions of their workers and the communities they come from.

The spirit of dana is not only embodied in the business’s profits being given away but also in the fact that most people in the business make a financial sacrifice to work in the business.  We consciously pay ourselves less than market rates, in order to be able to give away more.  Our wage structure is very flat with the best-paid workers earning less than three times that of the lowest paid.  Further many have adopted a radical type of needs based remuneration, unrelated to the responsibility they take in the business.  This involves taking on to live a relatively simple lifestyle.  Thus the four directors of the business, live in Buddhist communities, and receive remuneration below that of some of our warehouse workers. 

There are many other ways in which the practice of dana, the first of the Boddhistava’s perfections is encouraged within the business.  Of course what makes this practice of generosity particularly Buddhist is when it is taken on within the context of reflection and the embodiment of moving beyond self-reference, and self-clinging – seeing through the illusory nature of self.

This is where the second of the two key aims of the business comes in.  Over time we have seen more and more the value and scope of using the work itself as a spiritual practice.  Working in the business world presents objective challenges – for example we have ourselves reflected back in the response of others.  It is also an arena for observing the karmic consequences of our actions.  In these and in many other ways we have come to realise how useful work can be in our own personal spiritual development.  In order to make use of these opportunities we have discovered that certain supportive conditions are helpful.  We have pioneered an approach we call Team Based Right Livelihood (TBRL) that aims to provide a basis of supportive conditions for spiritual practice.  So for example work teams have regular ‘Right Livelihood Meetings’, in which they study relevant dharma teachings, and there is the opportunity for personal and collective reflection. Within these meetings ethical issues might be looked at, or the practice of mindfulness at work explored.  (Our warehouse team has regular silent mornings where they especially focus on mindful working).  And sometimes people may share personal insights gained from their practice.  We find strong and trusting friendships grow within this context.  

Experimenting in these ways we have found that combined with attending retreats and supportive living situations, work can be part of a whole lifestyle that provides an integrated approach to practicing the Dharma.

2. What have been the key challenges?
D. Keturaja: At different times the business has faced different challenges.  At first financing the business was difficult.  Later when the business grew very rapidly in the 90’s we found it difficult to maintain our ethos with our workforce expanding so quickly.  At the end of the 90’s we consciously decided to slow down our growth so that we could focus on building internal structures that supported communication and staff participation.  The challenge of rapid growth demanded personal change and development, but without time for reflection, and meeting wider personal needs this become unbalanced.  We wanted a business that was sustainable for our staff – with its challenges but not leading to ‘burn-out’.  In the last ten years we have sometimes struggled to attract Buddhist to join the business and chose to employ some non-Buddhists who shared similar values.  Now most of our shops are run by non-Buddhist, while our head office is still mainly Buddhist.  Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in Buddhists wanting to join us.

3. What other Buddhist business do you know of?
D. Keturaja: Within the Triratna Buddhist community there have been a number of experiments in the area of Right livelihood.  There have been several cafes, whole food shops, and gardening business, but many of these have not lasted.  Most recently there have been a number of businesses set up to train teachers in Mindfulness Based Therapies, notably ‘Breathworks’ which is based in Manchester.  In India many in the Triratna Community are involved in education and health projects – in particular running hostels that enable some of the poorest children in India to go to school. 

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a company driven by Buddhist values?
D. Keturaja: The most obvious advantages are those that stem from working with others who share one’s Buddhist values.  We have a common point of reference in our practice of the Dharma and Buddhist ethics.  This makes communication more straightforward.  It doesn’t mean we don’t have our differences but conflicts tend to be resolved quickly and amicably.  With our relatively low wages people don’t join us for personal financial gain!  This means they need to be motivated by our collective vision and this leads to high levels of personal commitment in the business.  

In terms of disadvantages, we have sometimes struggled to find the skilled staff we need within a relatively small pool of Buddhists interest Right livelihood.  This has meant we have probably not been as enterprising and professional as we could have been.

5. What are your key professional goals?
D. Keturaja: Our most immediate goal at Windhorse:evolution is to bring the business back into earning a reasonable profit.  As with many other businesses we have suffered in the current economic crisis.  We have a number of strategies to improve our profitability that we are currently implementing.  As well as insuring the financial success of the business I feel my role is also to oversee and encourage the spiritual vitality of the business.  Fortunately we have several very experienced Buddhist practitioners in the business, and these men and women are very supportive of those working with us.  As well as offering training to newer members of the business, we like to encourage people to find their own ways of making their work a spiritual practice.  I am also very please that we have a growing interest from young men and women wanting to join us and explore TBRL as an arena for their spiritual lives.   

We are also keen to encourage new business ventures inspired by Buddhist values.  Recently we have been supporting a new Residential Letting Agency started as a Buddhist business here in Cambridge.   I would like us to be helping to establish more Buddhist businesses especially those that relate to core human needs, like housing, health and education.