When A.T. Kearney opened an office in Bangkok this past June, it did so with the blessing of five Buddhist monks.
The office, headed by Vice President Peter Walker, has 15 consultants plus a support team.
Recognizing some of the Thai people's practice of Buddhism, A.T. Kearney asked the monks for a blessing ceremony.
Buddhism recognizes the important relationship between monks and lay people. The monks bring spiritual learning and merit to the people and their ancestors, and the lay people supply the monks with material support.
The ceremony, called "Tum Bum," included Walker lighting candles and incense sticks and monks chanting in the ancient Sanskrit language. Normally, the monks would be seated cross-legged on a raised platform, but because the ceremony took place in a modern office, the monks agreed to sit on chairs in the conference room while the consultants all sat on the floor, with their feet pointing away from the monks.
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