이틀 전, 저는 중국에서 영향력 있는 재계 지도자들과 이야기를 나누었습니다. 그중 한 분이 이런 질문을 던지셨습니다. "간디의 정신적 후계자인 비노바 바베 에 대해 말씀하셨는데, 그가 인도를 8만 킬로미터나 걸으며 사람들에게 이웃에게 5백만 에이커(약 200만 헥타르)의 땅을 기부하도록 영감을 주었다고 하셨죠. 인류 역사상 전례 없는 업적이었을지도 모르지만, 오늘날 비노바를 기억하는 사람이 얼마나 될까요? 오히려 스티브 잡스와 그가 남긴 유산을 기억하는 사람이 얼마나 될지 생각해 보세요." 단기적인 영향의 관점에서 보면, 이는 사려 깊은 딜레마입니다.
사실, 포브스지는 비슷한 내용을 담은 기사를 썼습니다. "빌 게이츠와 마더 테레사 중 누가 세상을 더 많이 바꿨는가?"라는 질문이었습니다. 그리고 그들은 빌 게이츠라고 결론지었습니다. 그런데 이 기업가에게 제가 한 대답은 몇 주 전 푸네 근처 학교에서 있었던 실화였습니다. 저는 그들에게 같은 질문을 했습니다. "커서 누가 되고 싶니? 빌 게이츠와 마더 테레사 중?" 보통 60~80%가 빌 게이츠에게 투표하지만, 여기서는 대다수가 마더 테레사를 선택했습니다. 그래서 저는 더 깊이 파고들었습니다. 왜 그럴까요? 사람들이 손을 들기 시작하자, 수줍은 어린 소녀(아마도 11살쯤 되어 보임)가 손을 들었다가 잠시 망설이다가 내려놓았습니다. 그 모습을 보고 저는 그녀에게 말을 하라고 권했고, 그녀의 대답은 저를 완전히 놀라게 했습니다.
"선생님, 빌 게이츠는 돈의 힘으로 세상을 바꾸었고, 테레사 수녀는 사랑의 힘으로 세상을 바꾸었습니다. 그리고 저는 사랑이 돈보다 더 강력하다고 생각합니다."
끝. 간단하고, 명확하고, 우아하고, 딱 맞아떨어져서 수업에서 더 이상 답변이 필요 없었습니다.**
그 이야기의 끝은 대담한 가능성의 시작입니다. 우리 모임의 주제와 일맥상통하는, 제 불가능한 꿈, 그리고 우리 모두가 공유하리라고 확신하는 꿈은, 이 사랑의 정신을 볼리우드의 단순한 감정적 층위에서 우리 마음의 무한히 강력한 영적 층위로 격상시키는 세상입니다. 인류는 지적 지수(IQ)와 감성 지수(EQ)까지 이해해 왔지만, 지금 세상에 필요한 것은 연민 지수(CQ), 즉 공감 지수입니다. 그것은 마음의 지성입니다. 10여 년 전, 신경과학자들은 물리적으로 볼 때 우리 뇌뿐만 아니라 심장에도 뉴런이 존재한다는 것을 발견했습니다. 카비르와 많은 현자들이 우리에게 분명하게 말했듯이, 마음을 열면 온 우주를 담을 수 있습니다!
우리의 집단적 연민 지수를 일깨우는 가장 큰 희망은 바로 아이들에게서 나옵니다! 사랑에 감동하면 산도 옮길 수 있다는 것을 직감적으로 알았던 열한 살짜리 아이처럼 말입니다. 마리아 몬테소리 박사와의 대화에서 간디는 매우 분명하게 이렇게 말했습니다. "인생 초기에 저는 진실을 깨닫기 위해서는 목숨을 바쳐서라도 사랑의 법칙을 따라야 한다는 것을 깨달았습니다. 그리고 아이들을 둔 축복을 통해, 저는 사랑의 법칙을 어린아이들을 통해 가장 잘 배울 수 있다는 것을 깨달았습니다."
이 사랑의 법칙은 물질의 법칙보다 훨씬 더 긴 반감기를 가지고 있다는 것입니다. 그 영향력은 여러 세대에 걸쳐 지속됩니다. 우리가 사용하는 기기에서 얻은 영감은 때로는 몇 분 만에 단순한 정보로 전락합니다. 하지만 그 영감이 행동으로 실천하는 누군가를 통해 우리에게 전달될 때, 그 정보는 진동하는 생명력의 맥락 속에서 활성화됩니다. 그 영감은 우리 의식 깊은 곳에 공명합니다. 바로 이것이 장기적으로 물질의 법칙이 사랑의 법칙에 맞설 수 없는 이유입니다. 사랑으로 움직이는 작품은 아무리 작고 보잘것없더라도 영원한 여명을 가집니다.
몇 년 전, 아내와 저는 도보 순례를 떠났습니다. 구자라트에 있는 간디 아쉬람에서 출발하여 남쪽으로 걸어갔습니다. 제공되는 음식은 무엇이든 먹었고, 자리가 주어지는 곳이라면 어디든 잤습니다. 그것은 우리의 삶을 근본적으로 바꾼 실험이었습니다. 그 과정에서 우리가 반복적으로 접한 것은 사랑의 법칙, 특히 같은 길을 자주 걸었던 간디와 비노바에게서 온 물결이었습니다. 그 지역의 작은 마을을 방문했을 때, 간디는 오후 6시라는 것을 깨달았습니다. 바로 기도 시간이었습니다. 그는 몇몇 원로들과 함께 농장을 산책하고 있었지만, 곧바로 기도를 위해 그 자리에 앉았습니다. 약간 혼란스러웠던 원로들은 근처에 있던 두 사람을 불러 모았습니다.
고바르단 파텔도 그중 한 명이었습니다. 당시 그는 초등학교 5학년이었고, 두 살 때 어머니를 잃었으며, 아버지는 소아마비를 앓고 있었습니다. 간디에게는 그다지 관심이 없었습니다. 하지만 뜻밖에도 간디의 기도가 진행되는 동안 그는 침묵 속에 앉아 있었습니다. 그리고 무언가가 바뀌었습니다. 간디의 저녁 강연에 참석한 그는 바로 그날 평생을 봉사에 바치기로 결심했습니다. 우리가 그를 만났을 때 그는 82세의 젊음이었지만, 여전히 활기차게 자신의 마을뿐 아니라 수십 개의 마을을 변화시키고 있었습니다.
그와 비슷한 이야기가 많이 있는데, 예를 들어 나가르다스 슈리말리의 이야기가 있습니다. 간디가 기차역을 지나가던 중, 수많은 사람들 사이를 지나가다가 "바푸, 제 인생에서 무엇을 해야 할까요?"라고 소리쳤습니다. 바푸는 "가서 너와 같은 아이들에게 너의 가치관을 가르쳐라."라고 말했습니다. 당시 슈리말리는 16세였습니다. 그날부터 "불가촉천민"이었던 나가르다스는 생을 마감할 때까지 아이들을 교육하는 데 평생을 바쳤습니다.
진정한 영감은 참으로 오랜 여명을 가지고 있습니다. 그리고 친구 여러분, 우리는 우리 안에, 그리고 우리의 가장 큰 희망인 우리 아이들, 다음 세대 안에도 이 사랑의 법칙을 되살려야 합니다.
실화로 마무리하고 싶습니다.
오래전, 제 친한 친구 제이콥 니들먼이 샌프란시스코 주립대학교에서 수업을 하던 중 30명의 학생들에게 질문을 던졌습니다. "어떻게 하면 착해질 수 있을까요?" 한 학생이 손을 들고 말했습니다. "다섯 살 아들에게서 착함을 배웠어요." 그는 이렇게 설명합니다. "아들과 저는 멕시코에서 크리스마스를 즐기고 있었는데, 아들이 전날 밤 선물받은 장난감을 가지고 신나게 놀고 있었습니다. 이웃 빈민가 아이가 찾아왔고, 저는 아들에게 장난감 하나를 주라고 했습니다. 몇 번의 간청과 눈물 끝에 아들은 마침내 동의하고 장난감을 집어 들었습니다. 아들이 제일 싫어하는 장난감이었죠!" 마치 영화 라이온 킹의 무파사와 심바의 전형적인 장면처럼, 아버지는 다섯 살 아들의 눈을 바라보며 "아니, 아들아. 그 장난감 말고. 제일 좋아하는 장난감을 줘."라고 말합니다.
이때 아들은 본능적으로 반항하지만, 아버지의 엄격하면서도 따뜻한 눈빛을 보자 마지못해 문으로 가서 가장 아끼는 장난감을 건네준다. 아버지는 아들이 돌아오면 위로해 줘야겠다고 생각했다. 그런데 놀랍게도, 아들은 깡충깡충 뛰며 돌아왔다. 다섯 살배기 아이다운 순수함으로 아들은 아버지의 눈을 바라보며 말했다. "아빠, 정말 대단했어요. 다시 해도 돼요?"
이것이 사랑의 법칙이고, 우리 모두가 이것을 계속해서 반복해서 실천하기를 바랍니다.
** 그 기사를 쓴 이후, 빌 게이츠는 다른 차원의 영향력을 탐구하는 데에도 힘을 쏟았습니다.
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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 .