During BCC President's visit to Hong Kong in November 1983, Mr Agha Hasan Abedi spoke to BCC family members of the Far East Regional Office and the Hong Kong Metropolitan Bank on the role of the individual and his environment.
There are by now nearly 7,000 people living and working in the BCC world. Recently we have tended to emphasize the role of our joint personality as a secret of success. By merging our energies and our vision, we are creating the most remarkable commercial organization in the world. The success that we are enjoying now is only a foretaste of what the coming years will bring. The world is changing very fast and BCC is poised to give a direction to these global changes.
Because we seek to understand the unknown and the invisible, we are in tune with the way the world is moving. There is a pattern and a purpose to events, even though they may appear discordant on the surface. The values that BCC espouses in the Major Purpose are the values of the highest form of human civilization. As these values gain increasing acceptance, BCC will automatically rise to a pre-eminent position in world affairs.
In this very broad perspective, the importance of the individual within the House of BCC should not be overlooked.
Influence
Our joint personality is an expression of a family composed of individuals. The actions and feelings of every individual affect our family as a whole. If a stone is thrown into a pond, it produces waves throughout the whole pond. Each wave has an effect in every part of the pond. Similarly the waves of individual life produce an influence in all parts of our family. Although each individual has his or her own sphere of activity and responsibility, we are all part of a broader, more universal organism. A body is composed of many cells. When every cell is functioning smoothly, it has a powerful and harmonious influence on the whole body. But any defect, lack of energy or dullness in even one cell can bring about a corresponding effect in the life of the whole organism. In the same way the universe reacts to individual actions and feelings.
Through every thought, word and deed we are constantly influencing our environment. The quality of that influence depends on the quality of the individual with whom it originates and his or her level of consciousness. This shows how dependent, and how powerful, is the life of each individual.
Someone may not be aware of the influence that he or she is producing, but the effect is felt none the less. An expression of goodness, compassion or love produces a loving or life-supporting influence on the whole cosmos. One insensitive word will produce that same influence of insensitivity throughout creation. We are innocently subjected to, and influenced by, the silent emotions and thoughts of others.
Enlightenment
All parts of life are so interconnected, and the influence of each aspect of life on every other aspect so complex and diverse, that it is important for everyone to live spontaneously in accordance with the laws of nature. Each person's thoughts and actions would then automatically be helpful and compassionate and would produce beneficial influences for themselves and their surroundings. Each individual has to rise to this level by themselves. No one can possibly raise the level of another person's consciousness. But others can reveal the link between individual and universal life and inspire us to establish a close coordination between the two. The boundaries of individual life are not restricted to the boundaries of the body, or even those of one's family or work place.
They extend far beyond these spheres to the limitless horizons of cosmic life.
The language of silence
The technology of the invisible is a means of harmonising these influences for evolutionary purposes. It is the language of silence and, as such, it is more powerful and more subtle than any spoken word. It is also the language of the heart. As we learn to communicate in this unspoken language, we come closer to universal truths and approach the source of creation. Our success as individuals and as an organization will come from this.
Success will come all the faster as we consciously strive to give our best to our colleagues and to our customers. Each individual should aim to achieve a better performance and to increase productivity and profitability wherever possible. We must pursue excellence with all the energy and dedication that we can muster. Each individual can make a very great impact on the whole BCC environment.
In creating our own environment, we should put ourselves in a position to help others when they are closed or depressed. We can extend a hand and share sorrow, as well as joy, with our colleagues. We can close our ears to gossip and malicious discussion. We can think the best of others and they will respond through the invisible communication of the technology of the invisible.
Individuals are responsible for the quality of their environment and share a responsibility for the overall performance of the BCC group. The final results might depend on management and its ability to harness the energy that is available. But individual efforts can make the final result that much greater, that much purer.
History shows that leadership at any level is not given - it is assumed by successful individuals. The House of BCC has, in its officers and executives, many potential leaders of great stature who we feel will eventually assume the responsibility of leadership and become leaders of our time.