The Diamond Cutter. The Buddha on Strategies for Managing Your Business and Your Life. Geshe Michael Roach
I'm enjoying "The Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Strategies for Managing Your Business and Your Life" by Geshe Michael Roach. It is a unique and interesting approach to conducting business with karma in mind.
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.
Directed by Michael Radford, Flawless (2007) is an admirable Heist film that went largely unappreciated upon it's limited release. The story concerns a female executive at the London Diamond Corporation in the early 1960's, who conspires with the building's janitor to steal diamonds from the vault. Ingenious and entertaining, the film is certainly worthy of more attention. Michael Caine and Demi Moore both deliver great performances, powerful and elegant.
Co-written and directed by Julian Gilbey, Plastic (2014) is a decent caper film that was largely met with negative reviews upon it's release. The story concerns a group of young British credit card scammers that steal a briefcase from the wrong sadistic crime boss, and are forced to pull off a multi-million dollar diamond heist in order to pay off the debt. Although it is supposedly based on a true story, much of the plot line seems too far-fetched and at best is borderline-feasible. The cast of lesser known young actors look hip, but have a tall order to fill, including Ed Speleers, Alfie Allen, Will Poulter, Sebastian de Souza, Emma Rigby, Mem Freda, Graham McTavish and Thomas Kretschmann.
Directed by Frank Marshall, based on the novel by Michael Crichton, Congo (1995) brought viewers on a scary adventure into the jungle. The story concerns a covert technology company, on assignment deep in the Congo, seeking a rare diamond to be used in a new laser communication device. One of the party discovers the diamond-filled lost ancient city of Zinj in the jungle. The thought-to-be mythical and archaeologically rich ruins were created by King Solomon to protect his diamond mine… which happens to be guarded by killer gorillas. The huge disappointment comes in the lack of CGI effects, where the filmmakers relied on humans in bad gorilla suits and robotic features to portray the animals. The cast is hit or miss, including Dylan Walsh, Laura Linney, Ernie Hudson, Delroy Lindo and Tim Curry.
London's Metropolitan Police Service, also known as Scotland Yard, have been at the forefront of crime fighting for nearly 200 years. Currently, the force consists of 33,000 officers policing a city which can reach a population of 15,000,000 people on a given day, around which roughly 1 million crimes are committed per year. They are, indeed, a formidable authority. Produced in 2013 for PBS, Secrets of Scotland Yard takes a look at the highlights in the long history of this elite group of detectives. The story begins in early 19th Century London, where a growing population necessitated the passing of the Metropolitan Police Act in 1829. The bobbies dressed in plain clothes during the early years, with little freedom to probe the public, for fear of uprising and revolution. Skilled detectives, previously operating in secret, were given free reign to conduct investigations after a failed attempt to assassinate Queen Victoria in 1842. These sleuths inspired 19th Century crime fiction, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's great detective Sherlock Holmes… whose real life counterpart may have been Scotland Yard detective Dick Turner. Professor Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, was inspired by real life criminal Adam Worth… dubbed the "Napoleon of Crime" by Scotland Yard. Adam Worth's criminal escapades culminated in a daring 1876 art heist in which he stole the portrait of the "Duchess of Devonshire" by Thomas Gainsborough. It was a crime of aesthetic passion, one of the few instances in which an art thief stole a painting to keep for his own enjoyment. In love with the portrait, Adam Worth kept the "Duchess of Devonshire" hidden under his mattress for 25 years. The CID (Criminal Investigations Department) proved necessary soon after… with the gruesome and depraved serial murders of Jack the Ripper. Terrorizing the prostitutes of Whitechapel, the killings remain unsolved but the intense investigation produced many of the detective techniques still used today. The Jack the Ripper case provided the first criminal profile and the first instance of crime scene photography. The utilization of bloodhounds became commonplace as well. The early 20th Century saw advances in the field of forensic science. Forensics were key in solving the infamous Great Train Robbery in 1963, during which a fortune (nearly $500 million in today's money) was stolen. After their escape, the thieves passed the time at their hideout by playing Monopoly… leaving fingerprints all over the board game. The founding of the Flying Squad in 1919 proved essential to modern success as well. This culminated in 2000, with the failed Millennium Diamond Heist. Organized thieves had targeted the Millennium Star Diamond, worth $750 million. Despite their daring efforts, including a bulldozer to crash the walls and a getaway speedboat, Scotland Yard nabbed their crooks thanks to the use of modern video surveillance. These are just a few of the cases and exploits featured in this worthwhile 50-minute documentary, fitfully glorifying one of the world's most elite and effective law enforcement agencies.
