Happy Birthday Erika!
To start off this edition of the TMIC blog, we would firstly like to wish Erika a very happy (milestone) birthday for 8th of September. Erika enjoyed a weekend getaway in Melbourne attending the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibition at Melbourne Museum which showcases a dazzling array of Tutankhamun’s artefacts and possessions unearthed from Tutankhamun’s tomb.
TMIC’s Strategy Session 2011
On a business related note, this year’s TMIC strategy session brought us to the beautiful grounds of Wollongong’s Nan Tien Temple. Known as ‘Southern Paradise’, the Nan Tien temple is the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere. A short blurb from their website gives insight into the temple’s main focus:
The temple focuses on the exchange of eastern and western cultures; the interchange of the traditional and the modern; and also the adaptation with the local communities. Not to mention, the nurturing and educating of devotees and the general public. Over the past ten years, Nan Tien Temple has become one of the favourite venues for religious study groups, school excursions and community group outings. Nan Tien Temple offers regular events, such as meditation retreats, excursions, art and craft classes etc. Nan Tien Temple is not only a place of Buddhists attraction in Sydney but also one of the most well known international tourist attractions. It attracts more than a few hundred thousand visitors from all over the world all year round. In addition, it plays an important role of propagating the Buddha Dharma and promoting the exchange and harmonization of the eastern and western cultures as well as all religions.
Our first day at the temple began at 12 noon with a vegetarian lunch and guided tour of the magnificent grounds, followed by a few hours of work related discussions, reviewing last years strategy session action items. Day two started with a 7am tai chi class to wake us all up and prepare us for our busy day ahead. We enjoyed a breakfast in the common eating area with other guests staying at the temple and then moved into one of the board rooms to discuss business related strategies for TMIC in the year ahead. After reviewing areas for improvement for the company and reflecting on the busy year of 2010 we were ready for our meditation class within the serene surroundings of the beautiful temple itself. We could not help but feel relaxed and refreshed after an hour of complete silence, focusing on our breathing and concentrating on the soothing tone of our teacher’s voice.
On a personal note, I found the whole experience to be extremely beneficial and brought away with me a deep respect for Buddhist teachings and values. The beauty of Buddhism is that you can work the various principles into your everyday life regardless of your religious beliefs. To be able to escape the hustle and bustle of city life, turn of my mobile phone and focus on obtaining a peaceful mind, I felt both relaxed and energised and I’m sure the rest of the team felt the same way.
In rounding up this strategy session blog we thought it would be appropriate to finish with a quote from ‘A Buddhist Approach to Management’, written by Vernerable Master Hsing Yun and translated by Otto Chang, Ph.D.
Vernarable Master Hsing Yun writes about some necessary concepts and philosophies a modern manager must have to run a smooth and successful organisation:
“Respect others with sincerity, relate to others with humility; live modestly but give generously; labour willingly to make others happy. Encourage frequently, donate generously, and speak affectionately. Give people faith, joy, hope and skilful means”
“A leader needs to know how to develop, cultivate, and nurture a competent staff. He or she should be able to recruit, train and empower talented employees. A common mistake committed by a superior is criticising a subordinate without offering any guidance. Harmony between the general and his staff is a stabilizing force for an organisation”
We hope you enjoy our photographs below:
