Month: September 2024

From early on, we are thrust into a competition centered around numbers—be it in classrooms, workplaces, or social circles.

We are told that our worth is tied to test scores, bank balances, or social status.

We then impose this mindset on our children, believing that higher numbers equate to better lives.

But what if this race is flawed?

Fixating on quantifiable achievements narrows our perspective and disconnects us from the present moment.

Like a musician who plays only for applause, we risk losing the joy of the performance itself.

True fulfillment doesn’t come from hitting arbitrary milestones but from embracing the journey without constant comparison.

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Light bends, but only in silence.

The void isn’t empty; it sings.

Time refracts, folding in on itself.

What is felt but not seen, exists beyond form.

Thoughts ripple outward, but from where?

The answer is never the answer.

Truth lies in the shadows of questions.

Perhaps, understanding is the illusion itself.

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Global conflicts often stem from emotions and beliefs, not data. Pattanaik highlights that science, while powerful in solving measurable problems, cannot address the complexities of human emotions, such as jealousy or pride.

In modern times, societies wrestle with issues rooted in identity and culture, which are deeply emotional, not scientific. We see political debates focus more on values and beliefs than on measurable facts like unemployment or growth rates.

Religion, despite its flaws, attempts to deal with these inner conflicts. Science, however, remains in the realm of the objective and measurable. It doesn’t offer guidance on personal or spiritual matters, which are crucial to human experience.

To navigate life fully, we need more than just scientific knowledge. We require wisdom that transcends data and explores the depths of human consciousness. It’s about finding harmony between the seen and unseen, the known and unknown. And this cannot come by completely shunning either science or spirituality.

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Science shines when dealing with the measurable—elements, compounds, or planets. But it struggles with emotions and thoughts, which are fundamental to human experience. Pattanaik argues that science, based on measurement, can’t capture the subjective world of feelings and emotions.

Ancient Indian philosophy differentiated between the measurable (‘sa-guna’) and the immeasurable (‘nir-guna’). Science only grasps the tangible world, leaving the intangible uncharted.

This understanding helps clarify why science can’t address issues like love, fear, or identity.

The tech age has made us believe science can fix everything, but many societal issues persist. For example, hunger isn’t due to a lack of food but a failure in distribution, driven by emotional and power dynamics.

Science has its strengths, but we must not ignore its limits. Embracing both the scientific and the spiritual can provide a more holistic understanding of life, balancing the material with the emotional.

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A fascinating article by Devdutt Pattanaik explores the tension between science and religion. He points out that while science has delivered material benefits, we mistakenly equate it with rational thought. Science provides measurable, evidence-based answers but doesn’t address deeper existential questions.

Many believe science can explain everything, but it’s designed to solve specific, practical problems. Religion, meanwhile, deals with the intangible—our emotions, beliefs, and the meaning of life. Both have unique roles, and one cannot replace the other.

Science’s power lies in the physical world. It’s great for innovation and discovery but limited in understanding the inner workings of the human mind. This distinction is crucial. We should recognize that science and religion cater to different needs and aspects of life.

Misunderstanding this can lead to overestimating what science can achieve. It’s essential to appreciate its contributions without expecting it to solve every problem. Each has its domain: science the measurable, religion the immeasurable.

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During 26/11, the Taj Mahal Hotel staff’s selfless acts were rooted in ‘Tajness’—Trust, Awareness, Joy.

This culture starts with their unique method of recruitment.

Tata, the group behind the Taj hotel specifically hires from Tier 2 towns, valuing humility and service.

Employees, nurtured by constant appreciation, focus on customer safety, not personal gain.

Their instinct to protect guests saved hundreds of lives, despite the terror.

‘Tajness’ goes beyond business; it’s an emotional connect, ensuring staff remain loyal to the hotel’s legacy, safeguarding its reputation and people alike.

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Are we winners? Or are we losers?

“You have nothing to lose because nothing is yours.” – Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita.

Life teaches us this powerful truth.

We cling to possessions and relationships and titles, but they are all nothing but fleeting.

Recognizing that nothing is truly ours, we can let go of fear and anxiety.

This detachment brings peace, allowing us to live with greater clarity and purpose, free from the burden of loss.

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Everyone wants to be happy.

But how to be happy in this world full of demands. Your employer demands you to be in office. Your family demands your time. But external demands don’t leave much time for you.

So happiness can then come truly only from freedom.

The freedom of choice. The ability to choose what one wants to do, and when one wants to do it.

Typically, such freedom comes with a decent amount of wealth. Money can indeed make a fair number of problems go away.

And where does such wealth come from?

From courage. From daring to do things differently. Not just the 9 to 5, but the 9 to 9 to 9. Taking risk to making reward.

But all said and done, really happiness is simply a toggle in the mind.

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Never judge a book by its cover. We all know this.

And yet, it’s so hard to practise.

Was watching the outstanding pronunciation of sanskrit mantras by one learned person on YouTube.

He was dressed as any normal person, was also performing a homa, all the whilst providing explanations to every shloka he uttered.

Truly someone with great divinity, without which such grasp of the esoteric would not be possible.

What was the very first comment on that video and the one with most likes?

“I clicked on the video, saw a guy chanting mantras and doing a homa, noticed that he was wearing a pant and shirt instead of a dhoti and being bare-chested, so I immediately shut off the video. This man is a charlatan!”

Should the book cover matter? Never, but apparently it does…

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Can one be detached despite being in the midst of family life?

Here’s extraordinary advice from Gondavalekar Maharaj:

You should not be fond of family life itself, but should be fond of your duties therein. It is holy to do your duties, but you should not get involved in attachment to family life. You should mentally belong only to God. If you earnestly remember God, He will definitely keep you happy and contented. To belong to God is to be happy and contented in life. Have profound faith in God and do only what He likes; that is the essence of paramartha.

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Even in the heavens, everything isn’t so rosy. Desires and greed and jealousy still seem to exist. And MahaVishnu knows everything, as in this case of Uchchaishravas.

Vishnu foresaw that in his impending Vāmana avatar, Bali would lose everything, including Uchchaishravas, who would eventually belong to Indra.

Even the Gods had to endure the cycle of desires and rebirth, just like us mere mortals.

Patience, foresight, contentment and equanimity would perhaps be good to cultivate, otherwise what chance do we have at liberation when even the Gods fall prey to Maya?

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During the churning of the ocean by the Devas and Asuras, Uchchaishravas, a magnificent white stallion, emerged.

If the holy and heavenly cow Kamadhenu embodied all feminine beauty, Uchchaishravas represented all masculine strength and grace.

His loud neighing and beautiful long ears earned him his name, meaning “high ears.” Gleaming like snow under a full moon, Uchchaishravas was unlike any other horse.

King Bali of the Asuras immediately desired the stallion, but Indra, king of the Devas, too wanted it. However, Lord Vishnu advised Indra to stay silent and let Bali have it.

But why would he do that? Continued tomorrow…

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Do the best of the best know the right thing?

Perhaps not. Consider this.

Steve Jobs thought the Segway would be a game-changer, like the PC. He believed it would reshape cities naturally. But the reality was different—only 140,000 units were sold.

In 2010, British businessman Jimi Heselden bought Segway Inc. for $100 million. Sadly, he passed away in a Segway accident that same year.

Even Jobs, initially fascinated, became skeptical about its impact.

This should serve to remind us: success is unpredictable, and even visionary ideas can miss the mark.

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While we’re here on this earth, everyone’s constantly fighting.

It’s about more and more ownership and oneupmanship.

We try to divide and conquer as much as possible. Whether to acquire real things, or even just stake and win ego battles in the mind.

Can we ever truly be together?

Apparently we can, but not on this earth.

Then where?

In outer space of course!

Astronaut after astronaut, time after time, has gone into outer space to only experience the very same feeling. That in this massive dark black cosmos, we beings on our blue little speck, are as united as can possible be. Where did them borders go now huh?

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At the Met Museum in New York, is an exquisite work of art.

What is it?

Simply a mirror, with a mahogany frame.

The subject viewing the art piece immediately transforms into the object as well, once stood in front!

There’s a small piece of writing at the bottom, on a gold leaf.

It says, “Everything will be taken away.”

If that isn’t the world’s most profound mirror, then I don’t know what is!

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Now everyone likes the elephant God Ganesha’s festival. A God with a big belly will surely result in a lot of sweets being prepared and fed!

But is eating the Modak all there is to Ganesha?

Ganesh’s mount, the giant mouse Mushika, is symbolic. It represents our wandering and restless mind.

By riding Mushika, Ganesh shows mastery over his mind, emotions, and senses. This is mentioned in texts like the Matsya Purana and Ganesh Purana.

Such control is a mark of an enlightened person. They remain unaffected by life’s ups and downs, handling everything with awareness and intelligence.

Ganesh’s elephant head further emphasizes his wisdom and enlightenment, reinforcing why he’s revered.

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Had the chance to meet my Guruji recently in person. He spoke of many things, as always, all super interesting.

But one which piqued my interest the most was what he referred to as the “Mukti satsang”.

He said, “Yes, each of you are attending satsangs and reading and discussing the scriptures. But is mukti (liberation) your only goal?”

He continued that if Mukti was the sole goal, then that satsang could indeed be a mukti satsang.

Which got me thinking. We may all attend satsangs and read scriptures. But am I doing it for Mukti? Or is it simply for helping me deal with the problems of the world we live in?

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Transforming PG&E required a shift from traditional corporate practices to a culture infused with love and empathy. Patty built a new leadership team, choosing individuals who shared her vision. She believed a compassionate team was crucial for meaningful change.

One specific initiative she introduced was the “Safety Stand-Down,” a day when all operations halted to focus solely on safety practices and open dialogue. This initiative was not just about policies but fostering a culture where every employee felt responsible for each other’s safety and well-being.

Patty also implemented “Listening Tours,” visiting various field sites to hear directly from employees. This wasn’t just a formality; it was about understanding their concerns and making them feel seen and heard. She believed this approach empowered employees, making them feel part of the company’s transformation.

Under Patty’s leadership, PG&E began to emerge from its crisis, focusing not just on operational success but on rebuilding trust and community. Through these initiatives, Patty showed that leading with love could drive both business results and human connection.

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On her first day, Patty visited the Union Hall to connect directly with the workforce. Arriving without fanfare, this gesture showed her belief in authentic, people-centered leadership driven by love and respect.

Her next stop was Paradise, California, a town devastated by wildfire. Seeing the lingering effects reinforced her belief that rebuilding was about more than infrastructure—it was about healing and trust.

Patty’s philosophy of love influenced every decision. She introduced a “performance playbook” to foster a culture of improvement and accountability. Love, for her, meant empowering every employee to contribute meaningfully.

By creating an environment of trust and respect, Patty made love a core value at PG&E, nurturing a team motivated to serve the community with dedication and care.

But can such a culture truly exist? Concluded tomorrow!

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When Patty Poppy became CEO of PG&E, a US based energy behemoth, the company faced a severe crisis following devastating wildfires that led to bankruptcy. Patty saw this as an opportunity to transform the company with a vision centered on empathy and love.

Her approach was to make things right quickly. She learned from other leaders that recovery required swift action and genuine care, focusing on the safety and well-being of employees and communities.

Love became Patty’s leadership foundation. She believed in creating a culture where everyone felt valued and empowered, leading with decisions that prioritized people, even in challenging times.

Through this lens, Patty initiated changes aimed at restoring trust and improving operations, envisioning a company that is not just efficient but also deeply connected to those it serves.

But how exactly? Continued tomorrow…

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Here’s some amazing quotes by the CEO of a leading energy company.

1. “Love became the foundation of my leadership style. I believed in rebuilding the company not just with strategies and systems, but by creating a culture where every person felt valued and empowered.”
2. “For me, love meant making decisions that put people first, even in tough times. It was about healing those who had been harmed and ensuring we did not forget what happened.”
3. “I knew it wasn’t just a financial transformation; it was an operational transformation driven by a people-first approach. If I could enable my entire workforce to be problem solvers, there was nothing we couldn’t do together.”

How cool to hear something like this from a CEO isn’t it? But is it for real? More tomorrow!

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There’s no dearth of advice-wanters and advice-givers in this world.

But the two rarely match in wavelength.

The advice givers are usually from a different era. And can scarcely understand what the other person is truly undergoing.

The advice wanters on the other hand, often want great success, but achieved through great shortcuts.

And when it comes to career advice, what really can one give or take, in an age where AI seems to be poised to unravel all our conventional ideas.

Maybe the suggestion of Jerry Seinfeld is the best. “Get good at something. That’s it. Eveything else is bullshit.”

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An old fable shares the story of a monk who went for alms. A householder saw him and scolded the monk for begging despite his strong physique. The monk listened quietly and then asked, “If you give a cow to me and I don’t accept it, where will the cow go?”

The householder, a bit confused, answered, “To me, of course.” The monk smiled and replied, “Exactly. I do not accept your abuses.”

The lesson is clear. Criticisms and negativity only have power if we choose to accept them.

By not accepting, they return to where they came from. In life, we often have a choice, even if it may not seem obvious.

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Here’s a super story I came across on equanimity, in “The Speaking Tree” by one VB. Totally worth sharing and reading, as is the case with everything else here on Foreverhappynow! (tongue in cheek!)

Onto the story!

A group was engaged in a singing practice. A carpenter was setting the stage. Every time the carpenter made some noise, the choir leader looked at the carpenter silently indicating that he was disturbing their practice. This continued for a while and finally the carpenter told the leader, "Don't worry, please continue your practice. It is not disturbing my work."

How awesome isn’t it?!

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Samatvam or equanimity is one of the highest virtues.

Is it easy to be equanimous always?

Are we able to react the same way to both praise and blame?

How about to success and failure?

Surely pleasure and pain aren’t any easier to deal with equanimously.

And fame and disrepute? Impossible!

Lord Rama was said to have a smile the day he ascended to the Ayodhya throne. He was also said to have retained the same smile when he was banished into exile the very next day.

More equanimity? Continued tomorrow…

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Spirituality is for the weak and the meek, is what one would think.

Because spiritual people tend to remain more silent, more introverted and less bothered by external irritations.

And hence new spiritual seekers look at advanced spiritual folks, and think they should jettison all pragmatism and focus on being outwardly calm.

As we well know, maintaining calm on the outside is pointless if the mind is agitated.

In the world we live in today, stress is a reality. Many people aren’t honest or well intentioned. Personal gain often takes over everything else. And people can argue and fight for the silliest things.

Does a spiritual person remain weak and meek?

Absolutely not. If there’s one thing to be remembered, it is that the divine Bhagavad Gita itself was revealed on a battlefield!

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Who’s the king of the world?

Okay not Jack from Titanic.

But the king of the world would seem to be the one with the most money, right?

Well king is only figurative. I mean, anyone with a lot of money today has an extraordinary degree of freedom, and thereby probably happiness.

How to get money though, by just doing a 9 to 5?

Hardly possible. And with the advent of AI, is there any guarantee that even a 9 to 5 will work? How do you know AI isn’t writing this very post?! It can certainly already do much cooler things!

While AI can automate and replicate most things, I suppose one thing it cannot do, is to replace YOU. You are the brand. You are all that matters. You are everything. You have everything. You are complete. Spirituality will quite like this thought process!

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Compassion is a deep virtue, distinct from simple kindness. It goes beyond warm feelings, requiring awareness of shared pain and vulnerability. True compassion lies in recognizing suffering and responding thoughtfully.

Perhaps we should first overcome our instinct to avoid pain. Facing it directly, both in ourselves and others, allows us to embrace empathy.

Next, compassion demands action—actively seeking to alleviate suffering.

Perhaps we should also extend this compassion to ourselves, offering forgiveness and understanding as we acknowledge our own faults and frailties.

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The “dead horse theory,” passed down by the Dakota Indians, offers a simple yet important lesson: “When you discover you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.” Too funny, isn’t it?

This wisdom, circulating as a WhatsApp meme, humorously critiques modern approaches in business, government, and education.

Instead of accepting the obvious solution, many employ complex strategies to revive the metaphorical dead horse. These include buying a stronger whip, changing the riders, and even threatening the horse with termination.

Some go further by hiring outside contractors or appointing committees to study the problem. Others might provide additional funding and training, hoping to boost the dead horse’s performance.

In a global twist, visits to other countries are arranged to observe how they manage their dead horses, all while avoiding the simple truth!

The takeaway? Sometimes, the simplest solution is the most effective. Let go of what’s not working and seek new paths for genuine progress.

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HR isn’t the most liked part of any organization, generally speaking. It feels like they never give enough bonuses and increments and what not.

Is that really HR’s problem? Or the manager’s? Tough one.

But no one likes a system where ratings are given at random, with no measure of what an employee has achieved and missed.

The same is true for our spiritual growth too.

We often want to know how far we’ve come, and how much we’ve progressed.

Many ask why they are unable to even control their minds for basic things. “I know what I’m supposed to do, but I’m just not able to do it!” (like regular exercise, chanting, meditation, eating clean etc etc.)

The crucial part is periodic measurement. A spiritual audit. Without that, any appraisal is but futile.

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