Steve Jobs and Buddhism

On October 5 2011 Apple Inc. – the world largest technology company in term of market capitalization announced the death of its co-founder Steve Jobs, whom the media proclaimed him as a creative, brilliant and amazing human being of our time, equal to Albert Einstein and Henry Ford.

Over two thousand five hundred years ago, around 550 B.C., an extraordinary human being, whom his disciples addressed him as Buddha, had walked on this earth at a country known as India now. Buddha means a fully enlightened and awakened being, a being endows with knowledge of ultimate truth through his own effort without a teacher.

Before he became a Buddha, he was a prince by the name of Prince Siddhattha, indulged himself in sensual pleasure. When he was aged 29 years, he ventured out his palace and saw these four sights, i.e. an old man, a sick person, a dead person and a hermit, that prompted him to search for answers for the first three sights. Emulated the forth sight, he shaved his head and left the luxury life to take up the life of a mendicant. His strive for enlightenment were full of challenges and lasted for six long years.

In a full moon light while he was meditating under a Bodhi tree, with resolved and focus mind he discovered the ultimate truth. From then on, he preached the Dhamma – the teaching of the Buddha to all sorts of people, form Kings to slaves for forty-five years. After his death, his teaching was passed on to his disciples – a community of monks without a break in lineage.

Before the formation of Apple, Steve Jobs traveled to India to learn about the teaching of Buddha that later influenced his thoughts so profoundly. This can be found in his commencement address at the Stanford University in 2005, many of them found their ways to the teaching of the Buddha. What Dhamma that Steve Jobs wished to preach?

The Law of Causation (Kamma)

The Buddha philosophy of causal relation explains all actions, be it physical, verbal or mental produce future result, either immediately or in future. The past action is the condition or cause of the subsequent action, thus created an unbroken chain of actions or events perpetually. For example, dependent on the thought of generosity, arises the action of writing a check for charity; dependent on the act of donation, arises the feeling of happiness; dependent of …..

However the law of causation does not work in a straight line, just like we know that apple seed stores the potential of growing into an apple tree, it requires the right supporting factors for successful germination. Likewise an action may or may not produce result immediately, but the result will arise when all conditions are right.

Therefore a wholesome action will give rise to profitable result; unwholesome action will yield unfavorable result in future. We can control our action, but not the timing of the result or predict its happening. In Steve Jobs’ speech, he said, “…. you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future… “

The law of causation also works reversely, the stopping of an action, comes the cessation of its result. Using the above example, through the extinction of thought of generosity, the action of writing is extinguished; the extinction of writing, happiness is extinguished; extinction of ……. Alternatively, if a dot is not created, no dot will arise.

The Truth of Change

As mentioned in the law of causation, life is a series of events; each event arises and disappears at great speed. To an untrained mind, it seems life is permanent and unchanged, like we think images on TV screen are static. Unpleasant feeling does not last long; it comes and goes, so does pleasant sensation. With this insight knowledge, we embrace change and confront life’s vicissitudes with calmness and open mind, or lightness. Just as in Steve Jobs’ speech, he said “…. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything.”

In order to reach this state, the training of mind is essential. The Buddha taught the mindfulness training. It is the training of getting the mind to stay right on the object – not a microsecond behind or forward, right on dot. The object can be a sight, sound, smell, taste, touch or thought. By being mindful, one aware of the arising and passing away of the object, thus clearing up delusion of permanency and knowing things as they really are, i.e. all phenomena subject to change.

Contemplation on death

Many people think death is the end of life; however to the Buddha, death is just a phenomenon to signify the disappearing or ending of an event or a thing. Literally we are experiencing death every second, body cells die and new cells grow, and this goes on and on. Likewise, a sensation or thought arises and dies off almost instantly. Why fear death, instead turns death to motivation and sense of urgency, make use of it to chase out procrastination and inferior complex.

Therefore contemplation on death, to study death is an important daily homework for everyone. In Steve Jobs’ speech, he said “…. for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" ….. ”.

Last but not least, may the wholesome deeds of Steve Jobs bring good and profitable results to all beings and the world!