It was heartbreaking news for Thai people when they heard that their beloved King had passed away on Oct 13, 2016. During his 70-year reign, King Bhumibol Adulyadej did so many things and taught us so many valuable lessons that have helped to guide us in how to properly behave and manage ourselves and our society.
In this regard, I would like to take the liberty of summarising the leadership practices of our late King according to the conventional thinking of dasavidha-rajadhamma, or the tenfold virtues of kingship:
1. Charity, or dana, refers to giving to others who need help, the unfortunate or underprivileged. There were countless occasions on which King Bhumibol initiated aid and provided necessities to his people who were affected by natural disasters. The many Royal Projects, which provide a reliable source of income for the poor, especially those who live far from urban areas, are another good example of this quality.
2. Morality, or sila, refers to conducting oneself with morality and being a role model for one's followers. In this regard, King Bhumibol told a gathering of young Buddhists in Ayutthaya in 1970: "In living our lives, we must forbear doing things that we genuinely feel are bad or degrading. We must oppose and resist all ideas and behaviours that we feel are immoral. We must be brave and persevere in doing things we know are good, correct and fair."
3. Altruism, or pariccaga, can be referred to as willingness to sacrifice time for the happiness and well-being of his people. Instead of staying comfortably at his palace, King Bhumibol frequently travelled to remote areas that only a handful of civil servants ever used to visit.
4. Honesty, or ajjava, is a quality that Thai people always perceive when they think of King Bhumibol's initiatives and actions. Back in 1975, he advised his people, "When you are about to work, don't use a lack of something as an excuse. You must succeed in the midst of shortages. You must work with determination and honesty."
5. Kindness and gentleness, or maddava, refers to a humble manner, listening to others and keeping one's feet firmly on the ground. It was normal practice for King Bhumibol to bend down to talk with his people or even sit on bare ground during his visits to the countryside. During one memorable trip on Nov 13, 1955, he demonstrated his kindness by bending low to receive three withered pink lotus blossoms from Tum Chanthanit, a 102-year-old villager.
6. Self-control, or tapa, means a strong willingness to do good deeds and not allow inappropriate actions to occur. In this regard, King Bhumibol clearly provided guidance to his people as follows: "Self-control is derived from the realisation of how things are. In short, consciousness. Before a person acts, speaks, or even before he thinks, his consciousness will remind him to decide whether what he's doing is good or bad, or whether it will produce negative or positive consequences in the long run."
7. Calmness, or akkodha, refers to a mindful habit that produces calm and does not express anger to others. He used to advise us: "Thinking is the main origin of speaking and acting because whatever you are going to do or say all starts from your thoughts. Thinking before you speak and before you act helps individuals to be able to restrain themselves from saying inappropriate things or doing things that are not right."
8. Avihimsa is usually referred to as non-violence. It also means not causing difficulty to others. In this regard, King Bhumibol expressed his views on conflict and disagreement as follows: "Disagreement is not harmful, but it depends on our intention. If we pursue the principle of reconciliation through wisdom, conflict is useful as long as we adhere to the same foundation. That foundation means everybody wants to create harmony in the country."
9. Patience, or khanti: King Bhumibol's activities are a good example of his patience in carrying out his work. As he once observed: "It's boring to do good deeds. Sometimes, it seems futile. There is no glory in it. It might also seem old-fashioned at times. But I guarantee there is nothing outdated about good deeds. It's necessary to be patient. A person's perseverance will always bear fruit."
10. Uprightness, or avirodhana, can be referred to adhering to principles and righteous actions. His strong will in this regard is reflected in the famous statement he made on his coronation day (May 5, 1950): "I will reign with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the Siamese people."
As an ordinary person, writing this article is the least I can do to for our great King.
Besides thinking of him and praising him as our role model, we should also follow in his footsteps by seriously practising what he taught. Therefore, his teaching and role modelling will continue to benefit the country and world society forever.
Sorayuth Vathanavisuth is principal and executive coach at the Center for Southeast Asia Leadership and lectures at the Mahidol University College of Management. His areas of interest are executive coaching, leadership development, succession planning and talent management. He can be reached at sorayuth@sealeadership.com
