Emptiness in Japanese Business Conglomerate

By K.S.Chow

Introduction

The way which the Japanese people perceive the Zen Rock garden is penetrating, revealing and enlightening. Viewing thus at the rock garden, they do not merely perceive the rocks conglomerated to form the rock garden. In other words, they do not view the rocks which construct the rock garden as independent or separate self-contained entities. They perceive two main constituting conditions or aggregates, namely, the various pieces of rocks and the air spaces between them. Without the air filling the air spaces surrounding the rocks, the air spaces are vacuum. If they are vacuum, the rocks will collide against one another immediately as a general knowledge of science of pressure reveals. Therefore, it is evident that the rocks and the air spaces are dependently co-arisen and co-exist in equilibrium. In short, the rock garden is empty of a permanent self-nature or intrinsic nature.

Emptiness and Dependent Co-arising

This wisdom of emptiness in terms of Dependent Co-arising is applied in forming Japanese Business corporations or conglomerates on the basis of the economic concept or model known as Keiretsu. Keiretsu is the co-operation of manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and bank in closely knit group. This economic model was principally responsible for the Japanese post-war economic miracle between 1955 and 1961. The emphasis is focused on market share over individual profits. Keiretsu stresses on interdependence, smart partnership of win-win culture rather than unfriendly, destructive rivalries or competitions. Hence, Keiretsu concurs with Buddhist wisdom of Dependent Co-arising and benefiting oneself and others. This corresponds with the Hua-yen philosophy of totality of interdependence (dharmadhātu -pratītyasamutpāda).

Quality Management

In order to regulate the quality of the contigent conditions of the Japanese business conglomerates or corporations especially in the manufacturing concerns to enhance business operation at all levels, the Japanese economic savants or intelligentsia have innovated quality control circle (QCC) and total quality management (TQM) system. The Japanese government supports the quality management system by implementing the Japanese incorporated concept. The concept emphasizes the intimate or friendly co-operation between the government bureaucracy and the private sector whose economic interests are dependently co-arisen. The Malaysian Look East policy emulated the Japanese economic model and innovated the Malaysian incorporated concept (Persyarikatan Malaysia). The Persyarikatan Malaysia has helped transform Malaysia into an economic tiger in South-east Asia. The incorporated concept is, in actuality, the Buddhist wisdom of emptiness or Dependent Co-arising. QCC actually corresponds to conglomerate of conducive wholesome conditions regulated by the natural law of Dependent Co-arising or the wisdom of Emptiness to satisfy corporate goals. TQM corresponds to the management of quality conditions which are orientated towards the success of the Business conglomerate or corporation which operates or functions under the natural law of Dependent Co-arising made possible by the ultimate Truth of Emptiness. Owing to the fact that all business phenomena are empty of any permanent, unalterable entity, the conditions can be added or subtracted to bring about the most conducive business environment for attaining the targeted economic goals.

The original economic models of QCC and TQM were innovated by western economic savants or intelligentsia, such as Dr. W.E.Deming, Dr. J.M Juran and Dr. W.E. Shewart. The Japanese Quality expert, Dr.Ishikawa emulated the Western models and further innovated and enhanced QCC and TQM to construct the phenomenon of Japanese economic miracle after the second world war.

Conclusion

All phenomena are empty of any permanent, unalterable substance. They are dependently co-produced from cause and conditions. When the conditions are wholesome or positive, the outcome or fruit is correspondingly wholesome or positive. Likewise, if any of the condition is qualitatively defective or obstructed , the product is qualitatively defective or obstructed . The regulation of the quality of all conditions is the task and responsibility of the total quality managers who are fully aware that all departments and the entire company are empty. Most importantly, the intuitive apprehension of the emptiness of the human personality produces the unsurpassed human capital in terms of love and wisdom - the first class human capital . No total quality managers can perform their functions if all the phenomena are not empty. All phenomena are either conditioned to success or failure. If a phenomenon is wholesomely conditioned, the fruit is wholesome; if a phenomenon is unwholesomely conditioned, outcome is naturally unwholesome. The law of Dependent Co-arising is the force behind the production or deterioration. Therefore, human or company destiny can be either constructed or deconstructed by managing or demanaging the conditions qualitatively. Contigent upon the qualities of various contigent conditions involved, a phenomenon (human personality or company is a form of phenomenon according to Buddhist wisdom) can either improve, deteriorate or remains unchanged. The universal characteristic of Emptiness or Insubstantiality or Non-self gives us the hope to change any conditioned phenomenon. Nothing in the world is fatalistically or accidentally determined. Conditions, operated by the natural law of Dependent Co-arising, determine everything. Nāgārjuna in his Mūlamādhyamikakārikā expounds that everything is possible because of Emptiness. Majority of the conditions of the Business environment are manageable by TQM managers who are actually expert in the field of conditioning and reconditioning which is the doctrine of emptiness from Buddhist perspective .Buddhist wisdom is not merely concerned with soteriology. It can be utilized to improve and enhance business  performance by managing the qualities of conditions or resources employed. Supramundane wisdom can be employed to enhance mundane wisdom to construct heaven on earth.