Heine describes how Zen embraces two different yet harmonious paths. The Way of the Hermit teaches detachment -the mental clarity you need to view your situation dispassionately and impartially, to perceive who is a friend and who is an enemy, to understand what is possible and what is not. The Way of the Warrior teaches the ability to act without hesitation at the proper moment. Together, they can prepare you to meet the challenges of the modern world of business.
Heine offers a step-by-step guide to achieving these skills and applying them in daily life. Using real-world examples interwoven with sayings and stories from the Zen tradition, he shows how Zen can help in situations ranging from gaining a deserved promotion to defeating the strategies of a resentful colleague. At the same time he makes it clear that in Zen the path to personal success must be one that values the truth, respects every individual, emphasizes cooperation, and serves the goals of the larger group.
Replete with practical advice, White Collar Zen will appeal to many of the same readers who have made The Art of War and The Book of Five Rings so successful. It will certainly fascinate anyone interested in applying Zen principles to achieving professional excellence.
In reading this book you will learn:
* How to apply Zen techniques to business scenarios;
* How to practice "elevation, purification and activation" so you can bounce back from
setbacks; and
* How to solve conflicts by having "Zen Encounters," not confrontations.
Some of the material in this book has previously appeared in the following journal articles:
Ban Buddhist Kung-Ans as Models for Interpersonal Behavior, Journal of Chinese Philosophy, 30/3-4 (2003): 525-540.
Zen in the Workplace: Applying Anti-Structure to Enhance Structure, Global Business Language, 9 (2004): 95-106.
Critical View of Discourses on the Relation between Japanese Business and Social Values, Journal of Language for International Business, 15/2 (2004): 35-48.
to make your professional life more satisfying