An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide: A Visit With Warren Buffett, The World’s Second Richest Man

During the week of November 29, 2010, a class of students from a business school in Houston, Texas, went to see Mr. Warren Buffett (the world’s second richest man) in Omaha, Nebraska. The class and some faculty spent a full day with Mr. Buffett and asked him about his business philosophy. One student, Aimee Langlinais, said she was impressed with Buffett’s admonishment to invest in people, not in businesses. Mr. Buffett said, “I think that entrepreneurs should always remember that focusing on the best interest of the people they affect every day, whether that be their employees, shareholders or the community, will drive profits. What they decide to do with those profits speaks to their character.”

With a net worth estimated at $47 billion (may be more), Buffett repeated his recent mantra to students- that people with more than $1 billion in net worth should donate at least half of their money to charity. When people hear he is the wealthiest person in the world, they may begin to stereotype. But when you meet him, you realize he is very humble and as far away from materialism as you can get. It sets an example for anyone, whether they are entrepreneurs or not.

What a remarkable human being Mr. Buffett is!

I can go on and on describing the havoc greed can create. My purpose of writing all of this is that we Jains have ethics, morals, aprigraha, ahimsa, absolute truth, and not stealing as foundational morals. They are not slogans. We need to stick to these time-tested principles. My brothers and sisters, these Jain principles are the saviors of the human race.

Now you decide, is this behavior consistent with ahimsa?