2日前、私は中国で影響力のあるビジネスリーダーたちと話をしました。そのうちの一人が、ある難題を投げかけました。「ガンジーの精神的後継者であるヴィノバ・バーヴェについて、彼がインドを8万キロも歩き、人々に500万エーカーの土地を近隣に寄付するよう促した話がありますね。確かに人類史上前例のない偉業だったかもしれませんが、今日、ヴィノバのことを覚えている人はどれくらいいるでしょうか？ スティーブ・ジョブズと彼が残した遺産を覚えている人はどれくらいいるでしょうか？」短期的な影響という観点から見ると、これは考えさせられるジレンマです。
実際、『フォーブス』誌も同様の考察を交えた記事を掲載し、「ビル・ゲイツとマザー・テレサ、どちらがより世界を変えたか？」という問いかけをしました。そして、ビル・ゲイツと結論づけました。しかし、私はこの実業家に、数週間前にプネー近郊の学校で実際に起こった出来事を答えました。生徒たちにも同じ質問をしました。「大きくなったら、ビル・ゲイツとマザー・テレサ、どちらになりたいですか？」 通常、60～80%の生徒がビル・ゲイツに投票するのですが、ここでは大多数の生徒がマザー・テレサと答えました。そこで私はさらに詳しく尋ねました。なぜでしょうか？ 人々が手を挙げ始めたとき、11歳くらいの内気な少女が手を挙げ、ためらい、そして手を下ろしました。それを見て、私は彼女に話すように促しました。すると、彼女の答えに私は完全に驚きました。
「ビル・ゲイツはお金の力で世界を変えました。そしてマザー・テレサは愛の力で世界を変えました。そして私は、愛はお金よりも強いと思います。」
話はこれで終わりです。シンプルで明確、エレガントで、まさに的を射た内容だったので、クラスからのさらなる反論は必要ありませんでした。**
その物語の結末は、大胆な可能性の始まりです。この集会のテーマにふさわしく、私の実現不可能な夢、そして私たち全員が共有するであろう夢は、この愛の精神を、ボリウッドの単なる感情の階層から、はるかに強い私たちの心の精神的な階層へと高める世界です。人類は、知能指数（IQ）や情緒指数（EQ）さえも理解してきましたが、今、世界に必要なのはCQ、つまり慈悲の指数です。それは心の知性です。10年以上前、神経科学者たちは、物理的に言えば、脳だけでなく心臓にもニューロンが存在することを発見しました。カビールや多くの賢人たちが明確に語っているように、「心を開けば、そこには宇宙全体が宿る」のです。
私たちの集団的な慈悲の心を呼び覚ます最大の希望は、子供たちです！愛に動かされれば山も動かせると直感的に理解した、あの11歳の子供たちのような子供たちです。マリア・モンテッソーリ博士との対話の中で、ガンジーは明確にこう述べています。「人生の早い時期に、真実を悟るためには、たとえ命を犠牲にしても愛の法則に従わなければならないことを知りました。そして、子供たちに恵まれたことで、愛の法則は小さな子供たちを通して最もよく学べることに気づきました。」
この愛の法則の特徴は、物質の法則よりもはるかに長い半減期を持つことです。その影響は何世代にもわたって続きます。ガジェットから得たインスピレーションは、時には数分のうちに単なる情報へと堕落してしまいます。しかし、同じインスピレーションが、言葉通りに行動する人を通して私たちに届けられると、その情報は波動的な生の文脈の中で活性化されます。それは私たちの意識の奥深くに響き渡ります。だからこそ、長期的には、物質の法則は愛の法則に太刀打ちできないのです。愛に突き動かされた作品は、たとえどれほど小さくささやかなものであっても、終わりのない余生を持ちます。
数年前、妻と私は徒歩巡礼の旅に出ました。グジャラート州のガンジー・アシュラムを出発し、南へ向かって歩きました。差し出された食べ物は何でも食べ、場所を与えられた場所で寝ました。それは私たちの人生を根本的に変える実験でした。道中、私たちが何度も遭遇したのは、愛の法則の波紋でした。特に、同じ道を何度も歩いたガンジーとヴィノバから受けた影響は大きかったのです。その地域の小さな村を訪れたとき、ガンジーは午後6時、つまり祈りの時間であることに気づきました。彼は数人の長老たちと農場を散歩していましたが、すぐにその場に座り込み、祈りを捧げました。少し戸惑った長老たちは、たまたま近くにいた数人の人々を集めました。
ゴヴァルダン・パテルもその一人でした。当時彼は小学5年生で、2歳の時に母親を亡くし、父親はポリオを患っていました。ガンジーにはあまり興味がありませんでした。しかし、幸運なことに、ガンジーの祈りの間、彼は静かに座っていました。そして何かが変わりました。ガンジーの夕べの講演に同席し、その日のうちに、彼は生涯を奉仕に捧げると決意したのです。私たちが彼に会ったとき、彼は82歳という若さでしたが、今もなお力強く活動を続け、自分の村だけでなく、他の多くの村を変革してきました。
彼のような話は数多くありますが、例えばナガルダス・シュリマリの逸話があります。ある駅で、ガンジーが人混みの中を通り過ぎようとした時、彼は叫びました。「バプ、私は人生で何をすべきでしょうか？」 バプは言いました。「あなたは、あなたのような子供たちにあなたの価値観を教えなさい。」 シュリマリは当時16歳でした。その日から、最期まで、「不可触民」であったナガルダスは、子供たちの教育に人生を捧げました。
真のインスピレーションは、実に長く生き続けます。友よ、私たちはこの愛の法則を、私たち自身の中に、そして私たちの最大の希望である子供たち、次世代の中に、再び灯す必要があります。
最後に実話で終わりたいと思います。
何年も前、親友のジェイコブ・ニードルマンがサンフランシスコ州立大学で授業をしていた時、30人の生徒に質問をしました。「どうすれば善良になれるでしょうか？」 一人の生徒が手を挙げて、「5歳の息子から善良さを学びました」と言いました。彼は続けてこう説明します。「息子と私はメキシコでクリスマスを楽しんでいました。息子は前夜にもらったおもちゃで興奮して遊んでいました。近所のスラム街の子供が通りかかり、私は息子におもちゃを一つあげるように言いました。何度か懇願し、泣きながらやっと息子は同意し、おもちゃを手に取りました。一番嫌いなおもちゃです！」 まるで『ライオン・キング』のムファサとシンバを彷彿とさせるシーンで、父親は5歳の息子の目を見つめて言いました。「だめだ、息子よ、そのおもちゃはだめだ。一番好きなおもちゃをあげなさい」
息子は思わず抵抗しますが、父親の厳しくも慈悲深い表情を見て、渋々玄関へ行き、お気に入りのおもちゃを手放します。当然、父親は息子が帰ってきたら慰めてあげようと考えました。するとなんと、驚いたことに息子はぴょんぴょんと元気よく戻ってきました。5歳児らしい純真さで、父親の目を見つめながらこう言いました。「お父さん、すごかったね。もう一度やってもいい？」
これは愛の法則であり、私たちはこれを何度も何度も繰り返し実行し続けることができますように。
** その記事を書いて以来、ビル・ゲイツは影響力の他の側面についても探求することに力を注いできました。
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It is NOT fair to say Bill Gates used ONLY the power of money to change the world. Love is what moves money to the right and human direction. How many rich people this world have? Where are they from what the Gates are doing?
Mother Theresa was once asked by a reporter why she didn't try to change the political system in India rather than perpetuate it with her charity. Her answer was so simple and I never forgot it. "That's not my job." I think each of us has a role. We can't do it all but whatever we are personally suppose to do may we each do it with the most Love we can spare...
Javed Akhtar has a lovely poem where he expresses the sentiment that he dare not ask Mother Teresa the question of why she never questions the system that keeps perpetuating the poverty when she accepts the donations from the leaders (such as Bill Gates) of the system that condemns so much of humanity for so long to such abject and inhumane poverty. The poet concludes that he dare not ask such a question for by asking it he will have to assume responsibility for his own role in the system. To walk and trample others or to not walk and be trampled..... such are the choices that so many of our modern systems confine us to.
Nice article. But, I don't understand the human need to compare, judge, classify, analyze and finally try and reduce down to a factoid or truth that is then expected to be unassailable.How do you measure impact objectively that every living being, atleast sentient beings can all sign off. Therefore, celebrate everything and be inspired by all those unknown, unsung heroes each of us encounter in our lives- if we only learn to look and learn.
If we dig deeper, we can find many negative points to worry about both Gates and yes Mother Theresa as well (Christopher Hitchens et al). I like Ana's views on this as well.
Both r great in my eyes&mind, but it is in different way, one was mainly for religious site, also so kind hearted her contribution for each person of the world, Another one is richest one also mankind oriented, i appreciate him in this regard, i m from bangladesh in asia, i m a social worker, i m sending him my web links, i m asking him for share with my little works, also m asking him to pay a visit my country, my works,http://www.helpingothers.cl...,
https://secure.avaaz.org/en...
Please see this
http://www.activistpost.com...
Bill Gates is a firm believer in eugenics. This is why he is pushing toxic vaccines in third world countries... he is no humanitarian. Sorry for the not-so-positive comment, but I don't like giving credit to people who mean the entire globe harm. I've read some horror stories about Mother Theresa, as well. But, I agree. We should all strive to make the world a better place. Thanks for sharing!
We are encouraged to leave this world just a little bit better than we found it. We are taught to leave the wood pile just a little bit bigger than we found it. I thank Bill and his wife for caring enough to share and leave this world just a little bit better.
Here's a good article that puts some balance into the Mother Teresa myth. I've spent some time in Calcutta and also found she is not a popular figure there.
http://mukto-mona.net/Artic...
I'm sure Bill Gates is no saint either, but at least some of the benefits of his work are visible among the criticisms. But the main point is that the author's walking pilgrimage across India is a great story! Always best to stick to what you know.
I read the walking pilgrimage and found it quite inspiring. But I think the mention of Mother Teresa is seriously misplaced. Her idea of love was that the people at her centres would find Jesus through suffering. Although they have changed since her death, she didn't even give them anti-malarials, and the vast donations were spent either on opening new centres that worked the same way at negligible cost or filling the coffers of Rome. When people offered to donate stuff that wasn't hard cash, they were generally refused. This has been documented in a number of books (for instance,
The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice), and admittedly some of them are anti-Catholic, but the data and reference material available as proof is mostly incontrovertible. With regards Bill Gates, I am sure his philanthropy started to improve his image (which was very poor at the time) and he was maybe tiring of Microsoft. But love him or hate him, the protocols he has set up for dispensing funds are carefully data-led. This means that charities are held very accountable (most charities in the world are not) and that funds - for instance to fight aids - are not hedged with religious paraphernalia such as GW Bush's disastrous funds-with-strings that prevented countries accepting help unless they promoted abstinence over condom use.
I am a great fan of dailygood.org, but tossing 'feelgood' names in the mix without first knowing the facts could considerably erode its credibility and effectiveness.
[Hide Full Comment]Truly, it's not an either or.
both of them did a great job in transforming the world. The inventions of Bill Gates help us cope with the world today and the compassion of Mother Teresa help us treat each other fairly. We need to emulate both of them instead of taking sides.
I hate the fact that they're comparing how good two fantastic people are...why! They both serve as icons for people of different positions in life that serve others in their own way. Mother Theresa gave all of herself to care for others. She was awesome. Bill Gates and his wife are fantastic people...how many rich guys genuinely care and spend so much time helping others and such a massive scale? Even if it were true that Gates had some agenda to push GMOs, vaccines, and Monsanto, many people don't consider this immoral. It's not like he is supporting Hitler and the genocide of the Children of Israel...so back off and grow up.
Actually its debatable over whether Mother Teresa actually did that much good, check out these two articles: http://www.patheos.com/blog...
[Hide Full Comment]http://motherteresawasafrau... As for the Bill Gates argument, the only thing he has ever said in regards to population control (as far as I'm aware) is that “The world today has 6.8 billion people. That’s heading up to about nine billion. Now if we do a really great job on new vaccines, health care, reproductive health services, we could lower that by perhaps 10 or 15 percent.” To me this simply suggests that naturally, as health care and reproductive services improve, the birth rate will decrease. I don't see it as a reason for mass hysteria and a reason to call him evil. I was once a believer in conspiracy theories and I would like to stress the importance of checking out both sides of an argument before you come to any conclusions. If you really want to know if Gates is a good person or not, read both the good and the bad things people have to say about him, then make up your mind.
I prefer to think that Bill Gates has both love and money.
Inspiring Article. One of my favorite quote I read in an elevator in the hospital many years ago is "Smile, it does not cost you anything, but you might get one back." Power of Love can grow exponentially.
Bill Melinda Gates foundation is following the footsteps of Rockfeller foundation (promoters of CGIAR & Syngenta - which controls - world's agriculture in many ways; Syngenta - GM seed co.). Bill Melinda Gates foundation has alloted significant portions of their so called "philanthropy" funds towards GM/GE propagation in Africa along with Rockefeller foundation and their Agriculture lending banks in Kenya and thru CGIAR arms also with Syngenta (a GM Seeds co.)
After 75 years of so called "philanthropy" the funds of Rockefeller foundation has not decreased a bit and ensured a luxury life and government patronage for the entire John-D familytree for many generations. Bill Gates' idea of "philanthropy" is no wonder similar - people simply got carried away by few peanuts given by him for Malaria, poverty aliviation - actual agenda is something else. The foundation invests heavily into the stocks of Bio-Technology firms...
I'm an Organic farmer for the past 4 years - formally I was a Wealth mangement technology guy - thus I have a good inside view of both.
[Hide Full Comment]Thank you for this Wonderful and inspiring article. May we all strive to be of service and to share whatever gift we have been given. Compassion Quotient is Imperative. Live by LOVE, indeed; it has positively impacted my life in ways beyond expressing. In 2005, I sold my home and possessions to create/facilitate a volunteer literacy project in Belize, I've donated programs for 33,340 students & trained 800 teachers to use their own indigenous stories in schools. This year the program is invited to Kenya, Ghana and India, I will go. I'm working hard to raise the funds, I am not sure How it will work out, but I have faith it Will because my goal is to build bridges between cultures, foster understanding and Compassion through our stories. I work often with children, they teach me more than I've ever taught them. We would do well to listen to children more for solutions to world problems and to see REAL compassion.
I also share FREE HUGS worldwide, the connections that occur in moment of embrace are powerful, deep and life altering. Thank you for remind us how important LOVE and Compassion are. HUG and <3, Kristin
[Hide Full Comment]Both charitable giving and loving are good. indeed, sharing money is a form of love. Jesus spoke about it a lot. 2nd only to describing the empire of God, money (and our relationship to it) was the subject that Jesus spoke about most!
Another worthy dynamic to consider is the alleged "justice vs. charity" matter. See: http://www.patheos.com/blog...
I wholeheartedly agree with Lisa, bad spelling or not. Bill Gates is handing out Monsanto nonreproductive genetically modified seeds (Frankinseeds) to millions around the world in the name of charity. Next planting season there will be no seeds to plant from this year's crop.
This is not coming from a place of love.
I have to admit I almost didn't open the article because Bill Gates name was in the heading, but I did and am so elated about the opportunity to embrace the amazing stories highlighted in the piece. I am also in total agreement with Lisa and her sentiments, and my perspective is that the Gates Foundation is in constant conflict with and embraces degrading reform and 'grant' practices toward public education teachers and our efforts to address the needs of all children in our care. And, his GMO ideas have made their way into the foods that are sacred to many of the indigenous peoples around the world, threatening the health of these precious bodies and souls, all in the name of 'progress' by inserting genetics for increased 'nutritional value' and implied 'increased yield'-in essence polluting an entire way of life.
This is a great article. It opens our eyes to possibility. It's unfortunate that we are compelled to judge and condem the efforts of others when they do not line up with our own beliefs. So many people are helped by efforts we do not agree with. There will never be a time when we get it perfect so we should always be thankful that people at least try.
Very touching. All this leaves us with a sense of confidence and hope for Humanity.
Nipun, I enjoyed your article today. It reminded me of how, in their later years, Mother Theresa and John D. Rockefeller looked very much alike, with deep lines in their weathered faces. The difference was that JDR's eyes were the eyes of a dead man: the richest man on earth had eyes with no life or vitality, only cold calculation. MT's eyes were alive and engaging, even tho she'd seen enough human suffering to drive anyone else mad. Who died richer?
Where I would give a tip of the hat to Gates, tho, is that he is looking for root causes of poverty, while MT would never touch that area. She would treat the poor, but never concerned herself with the structural causes of poverty.
And a final thought, the irony and the tragedy of so many institutional religions is that while the founders taught the law of love, in time the institutions are often taken over by lawyers and bureaucrats who practice a love of the law.
Too
much credence is given to the relevance of that initial question posed
by the Indian industrialist. Taken to it's logical extreme, the
question could well be "Who has changed the world more: Adolf Hitler, or
Mother Teresa?"
It's absurd, of COURSE. The question to be contemplated by our
children /youth (or at least suggested for consideration by us) is WHAT
do you want to change. How MUCH is irrelevant, and as you see can
become quite absurd.
Too much credence is given to the relevance of that initial question posed by the indian industrialist. Taken to it's logical extreme, the question could well be "Who has changed the world more: Adolf Hitler, or Mother Teresa?"
It's absurd, of COURSE. The question to be contemplated by our children /youth (or at least suggested for consideration by us) is WHAT do you want to change. How MUCH is irrelevant, and as you see can become quite absurd.
Each of us has the opportunity to make a difference. Thank you for the article, Nipun. I enjoy reading your articles.
I agree with Lisa. Gates is into population control, not saving or helping humanity. Do the research and see.
Jobs had tumor in shape of his ear piece when he died..that is legacy they leave as accumulating wealth without accepting accountability is trashing planet, health, well being...Gates and Allen, Jobs are known because they supplied energy to the old paradigm of wealth making over all ...and the trajectory becomes nihilistic (M Meade) so too their legacy. Think about the press and who sponsors it, governments etc...waking to real values before there is nothing to save is the most important thing we can do, now before we really blow it as a species we can be so much more...how sad if we let the old paradigm define us.
Mother Teresa experienced 40 years
of darkness and doubt, yet she unwaveringly carried on her mission.
I am sorry to say this but Bill Gates promotes things that are distroying our invironment and the health of us and our children. GMO's, toxic vacines....Monsanto. He is saving alot of taxes on his giving indeavors yet human life should be at the front of his motivation that would be in the love of giving.
To understand the greatness of Mister gates, simply Google " YouTube gates vaccines".
If
Bill and Melinda Gates were not inspired by compassion they might be like so many
other billionaires, including many in India who do not use their resources to
make a difference in this world. Compassion and thoughtful allocation of
resources can do enormous good. The world should be grateful that enormous
generosity of spirit and compassion are prompting Bill and Melinda Gates to use
their resources for the betterment of the people of our world.
Beautiful - and let's give Bill Gates credit - he is giving his money and energies from a place of love.
I disagree that Bill Gates doesn't use love too. His methods may differ, he combined heart and mind using the resources he understands to achieve far reaching results. God creates diversity, wouldn't the world be better served by avoiding the polarizing views this article uses to make a point. They each gave in a way that was amazing, I am grateful that these great souls came to serve life.
Thank you for sharing , Mr Mehta , that was inspirational , The Power of Love .