Mastery At Work
Mandala
The Mandala
The Three-Fold Path mandala is comprised of a red lotus blossom superimposed on the blade of a samurai sword inside a circle. Together, these elements represent the three pathways to mastery: The Lotus (personal skills – also called soft skills), The Sword (professional skills – also called hard skills), and The Circle (continuous improvement).
The word mandala traditionally describes an intricate painting representing a complex spiritual concept, or a map of an exalted inner world. Buddhist monks will gaze at a mandala for hours until they are able to reproduce every pixel of the image in their minds during meditation. Meditating upon the inner painting, they can begin to deepen their understanding of the concept it depicts, or they may even visit within their minds the world it represents, internalizing the light and power it manifests.
The Three-Fold Path mandala is a graphical representation of an ideal world that equally balances ethics and etiquette, professional skills and personal growth. Mastery is the art of achieving perfection in work, as a template for polishing one’s spirit.
The Circle
A circle symbolizes perfection. In The Three-Fold Path, we strive to achieve a perfect balance between ethics and etiquette, experience and practical skills, and personal mastery. The circle describes The Three-Fold Path as a continuous process. There is no beginning and no end. There is no time when even a master of The Three-Fold Path will suddenly realize he has no more to achieve, no more to learn, no more room for growth. An individual who believes he has already attained perfection eliminates the possibility of any future evolution. It is the enthusiasm to keep exploring the mysteries of this world and the willingness to learn new ways to explore it that define mastery. Mastery is attained, not by seeking a sense of completion, but by forever embodying the openness and beauty of a beginner. Mastery is not an ending. It is the pursuit of the infinite possibilities and wonder of the future.
The Samurai Sword
The samurai sword represents a tool of discrimination, used to cut through the veil of ignorance and illusion and reveal the Truth. The sword is symbolic of the warrior arts, a counterbalance to the creative arts. Warrior arts are those practices that force us to conquer, not others, but ourselves. Warrior arts teach us to face and embrace challenges, using academic knowledge, wisdom and expertise. In The Three-Fold Path philosophy, the sword symbolizes the hard skills, also called professional skills, which one must apply to achieve a goal or succeed in work. It is knowledge, experience and skill in a particular field that enable us to provide the highest service to others. Pursuing continuous education and striving to reach the heights of achievement in our chosen profession lend us the respect and gratitude of others, as well as the joy of leading a productive life.
The Lotus
The lotus is a symbol of enlightenment and purity. It is a flower one finds resting on the surface of the water and though its roots are in the mud, its blossoms always grow towards the light of the sun. The Three-Fold Path uses the red lotus blossom to represent the soft skills, which are to be applied together with professional skills to achieve mastery. The way of attaining a state of fulfillment in work and in life is to grow both personally and spiritually, as well as professionally. Embracing the aesthetic of acting ethically and compassionately, we can make our work a source of joy, fulfillment and financial success.