The Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Managing Your Business and Your Life [Paperback]

Geshe Michael Roach (Author), Lama Christie McNally (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

The now classic work on Buddhism and business from the foremost American teacher of Tibetan Buddhism— reissued in a tenth anniversary edition with compelling case studies that showcase its principles in action around the globe.

With a unique combination of ancient and contemporary wisdom from Tibetan Buddhism, THE DIAMOND CUTTER presents readers with empowering strategies for success in their personal and professional lives. The book is presented in three layers. The first is a translation of The Diamond Sutra, an ancient text of conversations between the Buddha and his close disciple, Subhuti. The second contains quotes from some of the best commentaries in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. And the third layer, the main text, is the practical application of Buddhist philosophies to the world of business, based upon Geshe Michael Roach's seventeen-years of experience as an employee of the Andin International Diamond Corporation, a company that grew during his tenure from four employees to a world leader in the jewelry industry.
Roach’s easy style and spiritual understanding make THE DIAMOND CUTTER an invaluable source of timeless wisdom for those familiar or unfamiliar with Tibetan Buddhism. His focus on practical personal and business applications has resonated with and changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals the world over since its original publication.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Here is wise advice and counsel on an ethical and prosperous way of being in the workday world based on Tibetan Buddhist principles.” —Spirituality and Health magazine

From the Inside Flap

With a unique combination of ancient and contemporary wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, The Diamond Cutter presents readers with empowering strategies for success in their work and personal lives.

Geshe Michael Roach, one of the great teachers today of Tibetan Buddhism, has richly woven The Diamond Cutter in three layers. The first is a translation of selections from the Diamond Sutra itself, an ancient text comprised of conversations between the Buddha and his close disciple Subhuti. Considered a central work by Buddhists throughout the world, the Diamond Sutra has been the focus of much interpretation over the centuries. In the second layer, Geshe Michael quotes from some of the best commentaries of the Tibetan tradition. In the main text, the third layer, he uses both sutra and commentary as a jumping-off point for presenting his own teaching.

Geshe Michael gives fresh insight into ancient wisdom by using examples from his own experience as one of the founders of the Andin International Diamond Corporation, which was started with capital of fifty thousand dollars and which today has annual sales in excess of one hundred million dollars. Much of the success of Andin has come from applying the business strategies presented in The Diamond Cutter. Geshe Michael's easy style and spiritual understanding make this work of timeless wisdom an invaluable source for those already familiar with, and those unfamiliar with, Tibetan Buddhism.


From the Hardcover edition. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038552868X
• ISBN-13: 978-0385528689
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( B ) > Buddha
  • #54 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Buddhism
  • #75 in Books > History > Americas > United States > State & Local

More About the Author

Michael Roach is a fully ordained Buddhist monk who received his geshe (Master of Buddhism) degree from Sera Mey Tibetan Monastery after twenty-two years of study. A teacher of Buddhism since 1981, he is also a scholar of Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Russian, and has translated numerous works.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't know what to say.. (79 stars!!!:)), February 22, 2006

By 

J. Malnar (Zagreb Croatia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Managing Your Business and Your Life (Paperback)

and I don't end up speechless often.
Since I started reading this book 4 days ago I retold the basics of its lessons to half a dozen friends, and they have been adding their names to the waiting list to borrow it.
This book came into my life at the time when I already reached the level of spiritual understanding needed to put it into practice.
The bottom line of the book (and the buddhist teaching) is that every thing we DO, SAY and THINK, leaves an imprint onto our minds. Good or bad.
The more positive imprints we "stamp" onto our consciousness, the more positive our life's circumstances will be, resulting in more positive experiences.
Most desirable imprints we can plant in our minds, summarized in an 1800 years old poem by an indian master (quoted from the book):

I'll tell you briefly the fine qualities
of those on path of compassion
Giving, and ethics, patience and effort,
concentrating, wisdom, compassion and such.

Giving is giving away what you have,
And ethics is doing good to others.
Patience is giving up feelings of anger,
And effort is joy that increases all good.

Concentration 's one pointed, free of bad thoughts,
And wisdom decides what truth really is.
Compassion's a kind of high intelligence
Mixed deep with love for all living kind.

Giving brings wealth, a good world comes from ethics;
Patience brings beauty, eminence comes from effort.
Concentration brings peace, and from wisdom comes freedom;
Compassion achieves everything we all wish for.

On how to use the knowledge given in Buddha's teaching in everyday life, do read the book. Its going to change your life. Or rather, it will give you tools to start changing your life.
I already started changing mine.

35 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book that brings spirituality to the workplace, March 21, 2004

By 

F. J. Cote (Downers Grove, Il USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Managing Your Business and Your Life (Paperback)

This book is a wonderful story about a Buddhist priest who comes to the New York diamond business and works his way up from the bottom using Buddhist principles anonymously. The business is a great success selling millions and still being true to the most unlikely of business attitudes. It's a great story and it actually rings true. Along the way he talks about a lot of the problems westerners have with classice Buddhist writings.
This book made me rethink the way I deal with the people I work with and my goals in life.
I want all my friends to read this book.

29 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ancient Wisdom with Modern Enterprise, October 23, 2003

By 

"kveenhof" (Arizona, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Managing Your Business and Your Life (Paperback)

Geshe Michael Roach combines 15 years as an international business executive, with the wisdom accrued by living a life dedicated to spiritual evolution. In fact, his phenomenal success as a business man was directly caused by following the principles outlined in The Diamond Cutter.

This book is an incredible guideline for not only how to be an sucessful, ethical businessperson, but how the world actually works. The point is not the dogmatic notion of virtue, but the logic behind it. Why does generosity lead to wealth? Why does kindness lead to happiness? The key lies in two concepts clearly articulated by Geshe Roach in The Diamond Cutter: Hidden Potential and Mental Imprints.
Read this book if you want to know why you experience your world the way you do, and the speciic causes for creating the business, and the life, that you desire. Learn how to get to the end of your career, and look back and know that it was worth it. This book is highly recommended.