Mr. Chen Guangbiao is always the focus of media and appears a high profile.
In 2007, he donated 181 million Yuan and ranked as the top Chinese philanthropist in Chinese Philanthropist List 2008 hold by China Philanthropy Times.
In the relief work for Wenchuan earthquake occurred on May 12, 2008, he in person led 120 rescuers and 60 large machineries from afar to the earthquake relief site, rescued 131 lives and donated over 100 million Yuan to the disaster-affected area, which is appreciated by the Prime Wen Jiabao.
In 2009, he again donated 100 million Yuan and established Huangpu Disaster Prevention and
Due to the outstanding contribution in terms of economic building and philanthropy, he received many national and provincial honor certificates and medals which would fill up more than one room, including two CCTV Economic Figure Medals.
He loves philanthropy course, not only limited to the domestic region; he went to
He donates money and supplies, hold concert, broke Benz car in response to China Town Car Free Day, sold his house at low price in response to the State policy call for limiting house prices.
His philanthropy behavior at high profile is always a hot topic in question on network and media, and there is also hot topic about false element in his philanthropy report. Coincidently, there is another large news about him which appears to be an international joke, as his certificate of Top International Philanthropist is recognized as fake by the United Nations.
I don’t need to know who fooled Chen Guangbiao and made him so embarrassed. What I want to say is that Chen Guangbiao is fooled by himself, because he doesn’t know what the real philanthropy is.
I am not intent to criticize Chen Guangbiao. I just feel pity of him. Frankly, Chen’s philanthropy behavior is worth of appreciation by everyone of us, no matter how much he has donated, even one Yuan, or one penny.
However, the real philanthropy is done from heart, having nothing to do with wealth, fame or gains, and we don’t need to care about where we rank at on the philanthropy list.
Actually, philanthropy is measured by the heart, rather than how much money is donated. You do it without the intention of getting any return, money, reputation or gains, but with real heart, then you are doing philanthropy, even only one Yuan is donated.
I tell you a story. The emperor Wudi of Liang dynasty built 480 temples and made offerings to over twenty thousand monks. He thought his virtue was great. When Bodhidharma, the first patriarch of Zen Buddhism, visited the east land, Wudi call him in and proudly asked how much virtue he had got. Bodhidharma replied that there was not any virtue. Wudi was very angry and instructed that vehicle, boat and horse throughout the country were not allowed to carry Bodhidharma. Bodhidharma had to go on travel on foot until he went across the river by reed and maintained nine years of deep meditation which shocked the country greatly when Wudi felt so sorry that he wrote the Shuilu repentance verses which last to nowadays.
This story tells us that, when doing philanthropy, you don’t need to consider the fame; the more unintentional you are, the closer you are to the real philanthropy.
I also organized many entrepreneurs’ philanthropies. As an organizer, we have to make propaganda for their behaviors to gain more social support resources. I also explained to the entrepreneurs that philanthropy course actually is a kind of dual education, namely, we as donators shall learn the strong spirit from the beneficiary, and the beneficiary shall learn the entrepreneurs’ spirit of remembering the root and seeking for further improvement when they become wealthy. And I require that the beneficiary’s image of accepting donation shall not be exaggerated, especially the children.
At one time, I participated in one donation event. When the beneficiaries hold the red envelop with donated money inside in front of them for reporters to take pictures, I saw none of them appeared happy. I immediately told the organizer: stop, don’t focus the flash light to them!
The enterprisers always don’t know one truth: when we go too far in pursuit of large scale, excellence and high end, we are away from the normal way.
There must be certain deficiency when we do things intentionally. The deficiency in Chen Guangbiao’s behavior has nothing to do with others. There is wish in his heart which is just utilized by other people.
My teacher told me that wealth, fame and gains are like credit card. When we do things on the bright path of dedication, tolerance and mercy with real heart, we are recharging our credit card; when you enjoy wealth, fame and gains, you are consuming the credit card, even while you are doing philanthropy.
I hope that more people can lean well about how to recharge their credit card of virtue by dedication, tolerance and mercy.
