How to Grow Your Business with Buddhist Principles
I practice Tibetan Buddhism under the gracious guidance of H.E. the 25th Tsem Rinpoche. I have committed to this journey in search of self, practicing compassion and gratitude, and ultimately I hope to achieve inner peace.
And yet, I am also very much a part of the corporate world.
While studying and practicing the Buddhist principles of Dharma, I built an international multi-award winning property conglomerate named Hatten Group of Companies which started out as a small property developer in Melaka, Malaysia. Within 10 years, we were voted the Best Emerging Developer 2015 at the iProperty People’s Choice Awards and known as the largest luxury Property Developer in Melaka with successfully completed projects spread across Malaysia’s Southern region.
From just 10 employees, we now have a 500-strong workforce with offices in Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Penang and Singapore. Our existing businesses include Property Development, Retail and Residential Management, Hospitality and Macro-Investment. Our future plans include ventures in Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and China.
Having achieved considerable success in such a short span of time, the most frequent question I get asked is, “How do you stay true to Buddha’s teachings AND still move ahead in the cut-throat corporate world?”
First, I learnt that we must change our perception that Dharma cannot exist in Business.
As both a Buddhist and a business leader, I have incorporated the principles of Dharma not only in my spiritual life but also in my professional career. Buddhism has transformed the way I run my group of companies and so far the rewards – both spiritual and financial – have been phenomenal.
These are the Six Principles of Dharma that continue to guide me in my daily life:
1. Develop a Compassionate Purpose
If you want your business to succeed in the long term, it has to be more than just an income generator. It should serve a larger, more meaningful purpose in support of the community.
Since the beginning, Hatten Group has made it our core mission to work in service of the community through our chosen industries. As property developers, we chose to concentrate our efforts on building in Melaka as we wanted to bring progress and elevate the standard of living for the residents of this small sleepy town.
Even now, having expanded into Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang with successful divisions in retail, hospitality, asset management, education and medi-wellness, our goal remains the same – to bring meaningful change and contribute to the growth and development of the community.
2. Understand the Law of Attraction
Once you are guided by a higher purpose, the universe will begin to manifest the tools you need to attain your goals.
If you view your business as a means of obtaining wealth, you will always be dissatisfied. Instead, try to position your goals beyond material gain and see it as a way of solving problems or of making life better for other people. When you are guided by this higher purpose, you will be surrounded by people who share your bigger vision and this way, your business will grow and the rewards will be more fulfilling.
Speaking from experience, at Hatten Group we have always been fortunate to meet individuals and organisations that share a similar philosophy. Their goal of helping others tie in with ours and together we have collaborated in large-scale business ventures that have been both highly beneficial to the community while still generating income for our respective corporations. It is always a win-win situation.
3. Believe in Karma
Every thought, word and deed has a consequence. Take responsibility for your actions.
If you do good, you will receive good back; if you lie and cheat in your business dealings, you can expect the same in return. No amount of prayer or charity can reverse this cycle. Therefore, it is important to always act from the highest motives and practice integrity in both your professional and personal life. It’s simple – treat people the way you want to be treated and let your highest conscience be your guide in making any business decisions.
As a rule, Hatten Group operates with the utmost integrity, transparency and honesty. We treat all our clients as members of the family and try to do what is best for them in terms of growing their portfolio and multiplying their capital. We continue to build lasting business relationships based on mutual respect and trust and this has resulted in our large network of loyal customers and stakeholders.
I personally believe that if you act with kindness, you, your family and your business will reap more merits in this life and in the lives to come.
4. Focus Through Meditation
Take a step back to gain perspective and see the bigger picture.
Meditation helps you clear your mind so that you can make better life decisions. It slows down your thoughts, refocuses your perspective and lets you see problems from different angles. I recommend practising a daily sadhana – a daily spiritual practice designed to allow oneself to turn inward and perceive life as it truly is. Sadhana helps discipline the mind and suppress the ego.
As the Executive Chairman and Group Managing Director of Hatten Group, it is a constant challenge to balance my work, family and spiritual life. I find that practising a simple 10-minute meditation each day helps me gain clarity of vision, refocus my priorities and just take some time for myself to grow and evolve. It has certainly helped me make better decisions in both my working and personal life.
5. Have Detachment
Learn to let go.
First we must learn to let go of our attachment to money. The measure of success is not financial; what’s more important is the lasting impact we have on the lives of others. This is why Hatten Group incorporates Corporate Social Responsibility into our business model. Via Hatten Cares, we are committed to channeling our resources back to the community through our charity drives, awareness campaigns and donations to deserving organisations. We find that the more we give the more we receive and when we no longer see money as the priority, money keeps coming to us so that we can continue serving the community.
Another life-changing practice is to let go of anger and ego. When we are truly passionate about our business, we tend to be over protective and emotions can run high. Instead of getting defensive and seeing every comment as an attack, we should practice conscious awareness and see the positive side of every situation. In order to grow, we must learn to accept, evaluate and digest every comment and every situation as every experience has something to teach us.
6. Be Grateful
There is always someone who is worse off than you. Be grateful for what you have.
The most important lesson that I have learnt from H.E. Tsem Rinpoche is gratitude. Be thankful for every blessing, every experience and every person in your life. Be grateful to those who help you, those who love you and especially those who test you. In all cases, you are the beneficiary because it is only in times of hardship that you discover your true strength and learn the value of patience, compassion and tenacity.
I am eternally grateful to Rinpoche for steering me onto my true spiritual path. Without his gracious presence and guidance, my personal and professional life would not be as fruitful, fulfilling and so blessed. My utmost gratitude goes to my parents, especially my father. In business, he has been an invaluable mentor. I look up to him for his bold vision, fearless attitude, tenacity, passion and commitment. I always seek his wisdom to guide me in making major business decisions and he has truly shaped me into the man I am today.
Focusing on these six elements of Dharma has helped fast track the growth of my businesses – this includes high ROI, great client relations, loyal employees and much more.
But, no matter what I am doing, be it business or personal, I am grounded in the knowledge that I serve a bigger purpose; a purpose that Rinpoche has instilled in me, which is to dedicate myself in service of others.
The true measure of our success is not the money we earn, but the changes we make and the lives we touch while on the journey in search of inner peace and Enlightenment.
A photo of me with my father and elder brother.
The Buddha’s teachings on Wisdom and Compassion is an integral part of our lives that extends not only to our families but to our businesses too.
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I remember speaking to someone who runs an IT business, and he had some success and he told very firmly that one could not be so ethical and become a success. So it is a good surprise to hear something different in this article.
The effects are similar to the cause, so wealth is generated via one’s generosity. This is the cause that gives wealth as a result. To think one cannot be ethical and also be a success goes against the laws of karma, and that this means only people who are dishonest, cheat and do not play fair can be successful.
Thanks Rinpoche and Dato’ Colin for sharing the meaningful article.
Frankly, people like me who is living between blue and white collar life would never imagine how many challenges a successful businessman faces in daily basis. Dealing with different kind of people before, rich people always give me an impression that they have a lot of insecurities, because they have so much to lose.
However what Dato’ Colin share here are very powerful. Putting Dharma into real practice not only give you a peace of mind, but a tool to success in everything in life. The six points mentioned are very practical that not only applicable for business, but a meaningful life across the board.
Thank you.
Thank you Dato’ Colin for sharing this article with us.Very nice and insightful. Your experience and journey of applying Dharma into business is truly inspiring to others. May many others will follow the 6 principles of Dharma in guiding them in their personal and also working life. I will definitely apply your advice to my online business.Thank you once again.
Regards,
Anne Ong
Your success is nothing but evidence that the practice of dharma and business are not mutually exclusive but rather complements each other. It is through the practice of the teachings of the Buddha as a guide to your dealings in your business that you achieve success.
You and your family are a shining example to others that they should follow the tenets of the dharma to create good karma and merits so that you can have material wealth for your path on the dharma to be smooth and be without obstacles. That you may help dharma to grow and to benefit others.
Thank you, Rinpoche for your guidance and thank you, Dato Colin for your sharing.
Very nice and insightful article.
It is always a wonder how we balance work and Dharma.. but it is actually Dharma balancing us to our work.. and guiding principles of how we treat everybody, be it suppliers, customers, internal stakeholders, employees.
We believe in Karma and how it can come back and “bite” us should we not practice good ethics, hence we always give our utmost best through honest dealings and integrity.
How Hatten Group grew to be where we are is through the great advice and guidance of our Guru, HE Tsem Rinpoche, for without him and the Protector Dorje Shugden, we will not choose Melaka to be the base and grow from there on.
Thank you Rinpoche, thank you Colin, for sharing.
In this era of fast pace, business oriented world, many people are “confused” about how to integrate spiritualism into business environment. It is always heart warminig to read articles on how to put spirituality into business and make it work.
Thank you Dato’ Colin for sharing this. What you shared carried a lot of weight because what you and your family achieved for Hatten in a short 10 years is amazing. I wish many more people can incorporate spirituality, integrity and honesty into business, because in the end, we all want long term business and happy customers.
Dear Dato’ Colin,
Thank you for sharing with us your experience and opinions on infusing spirituality into your career. In fact, if we truly practice any spirituality, there shouldn’t be any distinctions between personal and corporate life.
You wrote, “The most important lesson that I have learnt from H.E. Tsem Rinpoche is gratitude. Be thankful for every blessing, every experience and every person in your life. Be grateful to those who help you, those who love you and especially those who test you. In all cases, you are the beneficiary because it is only in times of hardship that you discover your true strength and learn the value of patience, compassion and tenacity.”
This is the most powerful paragraph in your article. Many people take things for granted. Whether it’s the time we have or people who’d showed us care and love, we usually take them for granted. We think that they would last forever. On the contrary, we can lose them at the blink of an eye. This is the nature of samsara, impermanence. For some, they are so self absorbed that they are totally oblivious of others and their needs.
In addition, what you say is so true. When we go through hardship, this is the time that we develop our inner strength, patience, compassion and tenacity. If we’ve never gone through any difficulties, we will never think of developing these qualities.
Thank you once again, for your sharing. I’m sure many people will be inspired.
Regards,
JP
Thank you Dato’ Colin for sharing your wonderful experience and journey of applying Dharma in your business.Its a inspiring story to learn from your experience and the 6 powerful principles of Dharma which will help those individual business people to be successful .
(In order to grow, we must learn to accept, evaluate and digest every comment and every situation as every experience has something to teach us.)….well said by Dato Colin.
Thank you Dato’ Colin for sharing your journey in dharma and your method in applying dharma in a corporate world.
I always think that it is difficult to practise dharma in corporate as everyone only have the same mindset that is to gain more profit at the fastest pace and therefore lots of greed and selfishness. But you have showed us that as long as we are perseverance and hold our principal and dharma strongly, we can apply it no matter which segment we are, be it corporate or not.
Most importantly, is to set the right mindset and hold on to dharma principles. Continue to strive no matter how many challenges we have.
I have often wondered if spirituality has any place in the corporate world. I used to think that the business world which thrives on money, profits and all things material is on the total opposite end of spirituality. When I see someone as spiritual as Dato’ Colin being so successful in his field, I couldn’t help but wonder how does Dato’ fit spirituality into his business.
This is such a great post to debunk the myth that religion and spirituality have no place in the business world. I now have a better idea of how spirituality can be weaved into the business world. And I believe that it is Dato’s spiritual practice that has helped his family business grow so successfully.
I particularly find this bit very inspiring – “But, no matter what I am doing, be it business or personal, I am grounded in the knowledge that I serve a bigger purpose; a purpose that Rinpoche has instilled in me, which is to dedicate myself in service of others.”
Thank you for this good read, Dato’. Am sure that the 6 points Dato’ mentioned will help business people, who are also spiritual aspirants, to have the best of both, corporate and spiritual, worlds.
Thank you Dato’ Colin for sharing this article with us. Your experience and journey of applying Dharma into business is truly inspiring to others. May many others will follow the 6 principles of Dharma in guiding them in their personal and also working life. With this, we will have peace and harmony among the people in the world.
With folded palms,
Vivian
It is both motivating and enriching to read sharing by successful individual who applied Dharma in their life. Thank you Dato’ Colin for this sharing. This shows us that when we applied Buddha Dharma, we will be able to achieve more in life.
Dear Dato’ Colin,
As your Dharma friend, it is always a pleasure to be with you in any space or event as you always exude a casual “happiness” that is very deep from within you.
The clear explanation from this article, you have been able to find a “middle and combined” path with your spirituality, within the Buddhist philosophy, and the corporate world, and it is very inspiring.
With our Guru’s teaching spreading in 10 directions, I pray that all young adults will have the good fortune as you have had since a teenager to learn the Dharma as they progress in life.
I wish you “success” in your all that your undertakings and your life be lived with purpose of having been of benefit to many people.
Sincerely Datuk May
Great post. Need to reflect upon myself and be grateful for the things we always take for granted.
I am totally agree with this statement that you had mentioned above which is “The true measure of our success is not the money we earn, but the changes we make and the lives we touch while on the journey in search of inner peace and Enlightenment.” Without any changes in life, all remain same and there is no way to be success if everything goes without any improvement.
People adhere to religion for the sake of their souls, but it turns out that regular participation in faith-based activities is good for the body and mindset too.Sometimes, religion could provide a strong value system and a foundation on which to make good, long term decisions which deliver us to sucess?
Thanks for sharing your experiences and this article does give me some ideas to proceed to better achievement . “Be grateful and thanks everything that we have.”
Hatten group is the one who bring up Melaka, and our beloved boss Dato Colin Tan, is a very caring person, who care his employee and customer.