Arthur Brooks: Each of us in this room, we
live chaotic lives.
We have lives that are filled with work and
the work sometimes overwhelms us.
We rarely stop to ask the purpose of our work
and the purpose of the system that makes our
work possible.
Well, recently we and my, my
colleagues at the American Enterprise Institute
we've been spending time in a place in Mumbai.
It's called Dharavi.
And I was spending time with a friend of mine
who is an entrepreneur in Dharavi and his
name is Krishna Pujadi.
And Krishna came from a little village in
Bangalore.
He was poor.
Krishna and I were walking around Dharavi
for several hours and he told me something
very interesting.
Krishna told me that he was wealthy.
And I looked at him by my American standards
and I said, “How can he say he’s wealthy?
He’s poor by American standards!”
I said, "What do you mean that you're wealthy?"
And he said, "I'm wealthy because I've been
able to do three things; build something,
earn my living and serve other people.
And that's what it means to be wealthy."
And that's when I understood finally is what
His Holiness meant for the pillar of the happiest
life which is wealth.
The key to true wealth creation for all of
us is to create something, to earn our way
and to serve other people.
That's the purpose of the free enterprise
system.
That's the purpose of the capitalist system.
If capitalism is not about building things
and earning things and serving others, then
capitalism isn't right.
And we're not doing it right.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Money cannot
provide love, we need love.
I often just telling the billionaire, the
physical size of a stomach more less same.
And then finger, only 10 fingers.
So you can acquire let's see 20, 30 rings, but
you have only 10 to wear.
So, the poor people and rich people are same.
Arthur Brooks: The poor are not different
than we are morally.
When you see a poor person you shouldn't say,
"Oh that poor person.
I need to relieve the suffering."
You should say, "That person is me."
And in so doing what you're doing is you're
helping somebody as you help yourself.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama: I really appreciate
you, your organization.
You are showing genuine interest in not only
money matter but more wider perspective.
I really very much appreciate.
Thank you.
Arthur Brooks: Thank you Your Holiness.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Through that
way, you see, you can make greater contribution
for a better world.
