Buddhism and the Law

I had the privilege of attending a dinner hosted by the Buddhist Society of Western Australia on 25 November 2008.

Ajahn Brahm, the Abbott of the Bodhinyana Monastery was kind enough to speak to the guests on the issue of Buddhism and how it applies to corporate Australia.

His words and advice were most reassuring and I was pleasantly surprised how he was able to relate Buddhist principles to the corporate world.

He recited a short story from Leo Tolstoy which I believe is so applicable to all aspects of life including the practice of the law.

The story was about an emperor who sought the philosophy of life. He ended up with 3 simple questions:

1. When is the most important time?
2. Who is the most important person?
3. What is the most important thing to do?

The answer to the 1st question is NOW. NOW is the only time we have. If you wish to thank your receptionist for the good work she has done, NOW is the time. Not tomorrow or the day after.

The answer to the 2nd question is: the person standing in front of you and requesting your attention. We often do not give our full attention to the person speaking to us. I suppose if all couples practice the answer to this 2nd question, the divorce rate in the world will drop.

The answer to the final question as to what is the most important thing to do is: TO CARE. Unless we care about what we are doing and why we are doing it, then there is no reason for us to function. Likewise , unless we care about what we are doing for our clients, we will never be good lawyers.

It was a short speech filled with humour and compassion.

I hope I am able to practise what was taught by Ajahm.

Until my next blog, I wish my readers well.