Enjoy the Bargaining

by: Bernard Prasodjo

When we go shopping to famous Mangga Dua, Jakarta, usually we are walking from one shop to another, from one corner to another, and we are bargaining here and there to get the cheapest price. Sometimes, we are back to the shop, which we have visited because it sets cheapest price, even if the difference is only 5 cent for the goods of 10 dollar. Actually, if we count the spent time and wasted energy to get lowest price, the difference of the price is nonsensical. Unfortunately, we did it for satisfaction.

Or sometimes we do not want to understand. When we want to by art craft, we frequently make calculation about the painting with the price of USD 5.000. -, then we say: “It’s too expensive!” The most expensive canvas is only 50 dollar. The paint is only 30 dollar and it only spends three days to make it. So, the painting budget does not reach 100 dollar. If added with profit, the most expensive price is supposed to be 150 dollar. Sometimes, there are some people who have that opinion notwithstanding the art value. It is better not to say that, if you do not have willing to buy. Even if in your mind, do not even think about that.

When one of my friends accompanied Master Choa to take a walk in art market in Jakarta, Master was interested to buy a big crystal stone in a stall. After asking about the price, my friend started bargaining then the price was agreed but my friend was surprised when Master paid the stone with previous price of label. So, my friend’s bargaining was useless. However, the seller must be happy because he had reasonable profit.

In other day, after alumni meeting in Padang, a trainer from Jakarta wanted to buy ceramic statue. The hosts, some students, the trainer and Master Herminia took a walk to the shop in the corner across the street. After looking around, they decided the statue to buy and asked about the price. The Chinese seller, who was not fluently speaking Bahasa, haltingly said the price was three hundred thousand rupiah (USD 30. -). Immediately, taking money from her wallet, Master Herminia said, “Let me pay, I will take it as a gift.” Then, a friend from Padang started to bargain. He started from a hundred thousand, a hundred and twenty thousand, a hundred and twenty five thousand, and then it increased to a hundred and fifty thousand. The seller gradually decreased the price and then the seller set the price of two hundred thousand. Both parties kept bargaining. Master Herminia only kept silent but there was something disturbing her feeling. Then, the group pretended to leave the shop and finally the seller gave in to sell the statue for one hundred fifty thousand rupiah.

What we can learn from above story? Do you remember the ”Golden Rule?” The Yin Golden Rule states: Don’t do to other what you don’t want the other do to you. Whereas, Yang Golden Rule states: Do to the other what you want the other do to you! So, if we do not want to be forced (in this case, to be totally bargained), do not force other. Or if we want to have many profits, abundance, give the benefit or decent fortune to other.

In English, to bargain comes from the base word bar and gain. Bar = to prohibit or resist, gain = get income, profit, fortune. So to bargain is to resist the other’s fortune. If we do it, our fortune will be resisted. We can bargain but don’t make their profit become very small. The saying says ”Take the coconut milk but don’t squeeze too hard to leave coconut waste.” It’s Ok if we do small bargaining. If finally it is too expensive, so, it is the fortune for him. Don’t be afraid to do that. Don’t be afraid that our cost will be higher because by doing it, our income will be higher, even it will be higher than the cost by not doing bargaining too much.

If we know that the price of good or service, we want, is too expensive or not reasonable, don’t buy, with the positive attitude, just find the goods with the same type and normal price in other place. We do not need to say ”it’s too expensive”, ”I don’t have money”, ”it’s not easy to get money,” and other similar sentences, because it is the state of negative mind and if you repeat it again and again, it will come true. However, if you have bought it, nothing more can be done and just be generous because it is the profit for the seller and pray that the profit can help to increase his spirituality.

What if we have goodwill to educate the seller, who sells with not normal price or wants to cheat, so he/she will be free from bad karma? It is good if we have that goodwill. However, it spends long time to give new understanding. To say words is not enough to change people’s behavior. So, skill, very soft spiritual energy, strong and clean aura is needed. Moreover, it has not been the part of our duty.

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