Rebuilding My Business with Treasures of the Heart
Kevin Gan Chun Kiat once believed that as long as he worked hard and achieved financial freedom, happiness would naturally follow. But after a series of painful setbacks in both business and life, he came to realize that true success isn’t measured by wealth or status. It lies in developing “treasures of the heart”—qualities like compassion, courage and hope.
“Success:” The Rise and Fall
A Drive for Financial Freedom
For most of my childhood, I was raised by my mother. My father struggled with a gambling addiction that led to the breakdown of our family and severe financial difficulties. My greatest goal in life from a young age was to achieve financial freedom.
Everything seemed to be leading toward the kind of life that others would envy.
At 23, I started my own business, worked hard and saw it grow rapidly. The following year, I purchased my first home. At 25, I got married, and a year later, I became a father. I had a car, a house, a family and a thriving business—everything seemed to be leading toward the kind of life that others would envy.
With everything going so smoothly, I firmly believed I had found the formula for success. As long as I worked hard, avoided wrongdoing and kept learning, I was bound to succeed.
Overconfidence and the Brink of Bankruptcy
Gradually, however, I became arrogant and greedy, making high-risk investments. I was full of confidence and refused to listen to others’ advice, becoming increasingly short-tempered. My employees suffered under my leadership, and looking back now, I realize how unbearable I must have been.
By 2014, my troubles had begun in earnest. Poor investment decisions led to mounting bank loans, yet I reassured myself that investment always carries risks and that I could still handle things. However, I only sank deeper into financial trouble.
Even at rock bottom, I couldn’t see my mistakes.
I was so upset by the situation that I began to mismanage my company. My harsh treatment of employees pushed away both talent and business, resulting in ongoing losses.
After two years of struggle, I was forced to sell my house for cash and move into a rented apartment.
I thought that by avoiding reckless investments and focusing on my business, I would turn things around—but reality proved otherwise. By 2019, I could no longer pay my employees let alone settle debts to my suppliers or pay off bank loans. The outcome was clear—bankruptcy and business closure were inevitable.
Buddhism Sparks the Courage to Reflect
My Struggle in Sharp Comparison
I was still in denial, convinced that I had done nothing wrong. I remember sitting by a window, questioning myself, “Why have I sunk to this point? What did I do wrong?”
Even at rock bottom, I couldn’t see my mistakes. Even though I never told my mother about my dire situation, she sensed it. Throughout my struggles, she was the one who worried and suffered the most. Every day, she earnestly chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for my well-being.
‘Have you ever helped others?’ It was an ordinary question, but it struck a chord in me.
I had not attended a Soka Gakkai meeting for some 19 years or so and always turned down such invitations. Having built my business with my own hands, I saw no need for religion. But then, one day in December 2019, I received a call from a member inviting me to meet up. He shared his life-and-death struggle with illness. It moved me deeply. Compared to what he had suffered, my struggles seemed insignificant.
I opened up and confided in him about what I was going through. He listened, then simply but firmly encouraged me to chant and said that I would definitely overcome the situation.
Then he asked, “Have you ever helped others?” It was an ordinary question, but it struck a chord in me.
Looking back, I believe it was my mother’s powerful prayers that led me to accept his call.
A New Understanding
When I first started my business, my goal was to provide a better life for my mother and family. But after achieving financial freedom, I became selfish, greedy and arrogant. I stopped caring about others.
My father had also been a businessman. His gambling addiction led him to accumulate massive debts, sell off family assets and, ultimately, drag my mother, as his guarantor, down with him. I was heading down a similar path.
When I arrived home that night, I finally understood my mistakes. I began chanting—deeply reflecting on myself.
Saving My Company by Transforming Myself
Management Based on Compassion
With continued prayer, I found the courage to keep my business going instead of closing it. No matter how dire the situation, I resolved to transform my karma.
I also began reading books by President Daisaku Ikeda and found immense encouragement. I firmly held on to these words of his: “Those who have suffered the most, those who have experienced the greatest sadness, have a right to become the happiest of all.”
At the same time, I began working on my human revolution. As I chanted, my inner state changed, and my external environment began to shift too. I controlled my temper and abandoned my harsh management style, choosing instead to patiently and humbly listen to my employees. Company morale improved dramatically.
The most pressing issue was the company’s cash flow. However, a series of small, unexpected orders came in, each with upfront payments, and this solved urgent financial needs, such as employee salaries.
Genuinely Caring for My Employees
In March 2020, I decided to commit to the practice and received the Gohonzon—a scroll central to the practice of Nichiren Buddhism that has Nam-myoho-renge-kyo written down the center.
Not long after, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and Malaysia entered a lockdown, known as the Movement Control Order (MCO), which required the closure of nonessential businesses. Given that my business focused on office furniture and interior design, the MCO effectively meant a forced closure.
Despite the crisis, I remained determined to protect my employees, chanting earnestly for their well-being. My prayer was clear: No salary cuts. No layoffs.
Even with mounting debt, I was approved for a low-interest government loan. More astonishingly, a large project came in during the MCO, and the client agreed to pay a deposit before work even began.
I felt that my employees regained their trust in me, and some even invited former colleagues to return. I was no longer the domineering boss—I was a boss who genuinely cared for his employees.
By 2021, the company had turned profitable again and was back on track.
Not Just Happiness for Myself
True Happiness Through Compassion and Connection
I have never forgotten how a simple heartfelt question from one kind person awakened in me the desire to help others.
Among my family members, I am the only one who remains in contact with my father. What began as a sense of obligation to care for him has gradually transformed into an expression of heartfelt gratitude and filial devotion. Our relationship evolved from awkward silence to open conversation. In 2020, he too began chanting, eventually, reconnecting with his wife, children and grandchildren.
In 2022, my company achieved its highest revenue, and I was finally able to buy a new home!
Even as my financial situation improved, I remained committed to supporting others. I introduced both my cousin and my brother in the US to the practice, hoping that they would see their life and relationships transform as I had.
I’ve let go of arrogance and attachment to being right.
My brother had to quit his job to care for his autistic son. Both he and his wife were under great emotional and financial stress. I frequently video-called, wanting to provide emotional support. Eventually, he was able to secure a job working remotely, allowing him to earn an income while caring for his son. He is now an active member of the SGI-USA, and his life has significantly improved.
Since beginning to practice, I’ve let go of arrogance and attachment to being right. Now, I aim to put what I learn from studying Nichiren’s writings and President Ikeda’s books into practice and apply the principles of Buddhist humanism in my daily life.
I’ve come to understand that accumulating what we call “treasures of the heart”—compassion, courage and hope—has led me to realize that my true mission in life is to bring happiness to both myself and others. After all, true happiness becomes most meaningful when shared.
Adapted from the November 2024 issue of the Chinese edition of Cosmic, Soka Gakkai Malaysia.
