There has never been a more important time to break free from a materialistic, egotistical way of doing business.  

We witness daily how even the most conventionally successful people end up depressed or worse, as a result of not finding peace and happiness in their lives.

However, there is a growing number of entrepreneurs able to move past the obsession with materialism and turn their focus to doing good for others.

And guess what—they are happy! How? They are guided by a strong clarity of their purpose, knowing their big “why.”

We see Richard Branson supporting charities, Steve Jobs was committed to making a dent in the conventional way things are done, Bill Gates donating massive amounts of money to education, Oprah Winfrey promoting spiritual leaders, Tony Robbins shaking the stages with hard-core answers to people’s fears.

All of them attained success in their own way, and all of them have a strong sense of purpose—they know “why” they do it. They live their lives according to their inner values. Money doesn’t matter so much to them as much as the message they want to get across. Whether we like them or not, they are an inspiration for all entrepreneurs.

Initially, I drew inspiration from the leaders I mention above, but while they are clear in their purpose, it didn’t help me to find mine.

Through my journey into Buddhism, I have found that it provides the philosophy and practices for achieving wisdom and growing as a human being, while at all times, focusing on doing good for others.

I have built my business combining Buddhism and entrepreneurship. I am a Buddhapreneur and know first-hand of the peace, happiness and success that comes from doing business this way.

In Tibetan Buddhism, Bodhicitta is the most important aspect of the philosophy—becoming a better human being by living our lives for the good of all other sentient beings.

When we do business with Bodhicitta in mind, we are pushed out of our comfort zone, we focus on the wisdom and we grow. We have to regularly check in with our integrity and find our inner peace. If it doesn’t feel right, or will benefit one person over others, this is not the right path.

So what does a Buddhapreneur do differently?

1. We still make all the money we desire, but we know that abundance is part of our karma—in order to receive we must also give. So we give to charity, or use money to raise awareness for something that will help make the world a more peaceful, kinder place.

2. We aim to always be mindful of our responsibility towards all beings and ensure that our actions are driven by kindness and compassion towards others, not ego.

3. We practice meditation to centre ourselves from distractions and frantic over-thinking. We learn how to prioritise and achieve clarity of purpose.

4. We train our minds to control our own thoughts so that negative thinking or ignorance doesn’t control us. As we become wiser, we become the key person of influence in our industry. That’s great for business! 

5. When we plan our strategies, we look deeply into who we really. This means not giving into “the hustle,” as hustlers are motivated by greed, and carry a deep fear of not having enough.

It also includes focusing on a healthy lifestyle and work-life balance.

Most importantly, we need to be able to love ourselves first, as only then can we love those around us. Not working long hours is a good example. Long working hours mean exhaustion, which means we are not looking after ourselves and also means we don’t have the energy to give. Our aim is to give all we can.

6. According to Buddhism, ego is the main cause of our suffering. Buddhism is about removing suffering from our lives and the lives of those around us. So, we aim to control ego. We don’t need approval from others, we don’t brag how much money we make, or check our likes on Facebook. On the contrary, we check in with ourselves and our happiness.

7. We do our best to keep the positive energy in circulation, and we expect nothing in return. However, in my experience, the universe gives back in abundance.

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Author: Duda Jadrijevic

Image: flickr/seeveeaar

Editor: Lieselle Davidson