Perreault Magazine - 42-
SK: You became a very successful neurosurgeon, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. You wrote that in the process of becoming a success you forgot Ruth’s third “trick” of “opening the heart”. When in your life did you realize how important this third “trick was?
JD: At the time, I lived in Newport Beach which is one of the most affluent areas in the United States. One morning I woke up worth $75 million. I was recently divorced. I had a Ferrari and a Porsche in my garage , a mansion overlooking Newport Bay, a villa in Florence. I was dating beautiful women. I was purchasing a private island in New Zealand. Yet, I had never felt more unhappy in my entire life. I felt empty and alone. I had everything and I had nothing.
Then suddenly, the dot-com bubble burst and I was millions of dollars in debt and effectively bankrupt. I had made a number of commitments to charity. The only asset I had left was the stock in a medical device company of which I had been CEO. I decided to keep live up to my commitments and gave away all of my stock in the company. In 2007 the company went public, with a valuation of $1.3 billion with those charities that I had promised to support receiving $30M . It was in that moment that I felt free. I realized that happiness cannot be bought with money and that it was only through connection to others and being of service that is the true meaning of life. This is what Ruth’s third “trick” was all about. I decided to follow the compass of my heart. I learned that there's one way for wealth to bring happiness - and that's by giving it away. The brain has its mysteries, but the heart holds the secrets.
SK: We all know that our heart has its own intelligence and power. How would you explain this?
JD: The research has shown that the heart sends far more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart. There are more neural connections that go from the heart. Ultimately the mind and the heart are part of one unified intelligence. By giving up my last remaining wealth, I feel that I learned what Ruth taught me when I was twelve years old and too young to comprehend. The most real magic there is- compassion. It's the greatest gift, and the greatest magic. It is also what gives of us meaning.
SK: You manifested a meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. You also serve on the Board of the Dalai Lama Foundation. Would you take us on this journey?
JD: Yes! For our offspring to survive in a harsh environment, they required to be cared for and nurtured for well over a decade. As a result our brains are hardwired to sense when another is in pain or suffering.