Applying Buddhist Principles to Managing People in the Public, Private and Nonprofit Workplaces

Frances Berry

Master Sheng Yen counseled corporate and government leaders on leadership and governance. And many Buddhist organizations, including Dharma Drum Mountain, hospitals, universities and other organizations are run by senior Buddhist practitioners. This paper will lay out core principles and practices related to management that have a grounding in Buddhist teachings, and to the extent possible, are illustrated with examples from real life agencies and leaders. The paper will also include discussion on the challenges and opportunities to expand these principles into broader management practices, outside of designed Buddhist organizations, by comparing them with core democratic governance and management practices widely practices today in Taiwan, the United States and Europe.