Company of spirituality
 Photo: Janak Bhat By Monika Shinghal Being on top gives you a heady feeling. But it can be lonely at the top. Haunted by loneliness, many Indian CEOs are now falling back on spirituality for success in family and professional life. "Spirituality should not be confused with religion," says Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, founder of Isha Yoga. "It mirrors one's inner conscience. As there is a science for external well-being, there is a science for inner well-being as well. Spirituality is that science. It is, however, a subjective science." It might seem paradoxical- Subhash Chandra Goel, Chairman, Zee TV & Essel Group Known as India's Rupert Murdoch, this man holds the stage in small-screen entertainment. His flagship channel, Zee TV, marked the inception of satellite broadcasting in India and took the audience beyond the Doordarshan era. Subhash Chandra Goel has been written off several times in his career. But he has always bounced back, with fortitude and self-assurance. So, what upholds this equanimous disposition? Is there a streak of spirituality in him? Well, Goel has been an ardent practitioner of Vipassana for the past 16 years. He is the president of the Global Vipassana Foundation and has donated several acres of land for the Global Pagoda at Esselworld in Mumbai. The meditation hall, that can seat 10,000 meditators, will have the largest dome in stone in the world. "Chandra takes a 15-day vow of silence every year. He goes to Igatpuri for meditation," says a source close to Goel. The Essel Group promotes Vipassana in a big way, offering a number of meditation courses to its employees. Renowned spiritual leader Satya Narayan Goenka is Goel's spiritual adviser. He is the principal teacher of Vipassana. Goel values the time spent on meditation, since that is the only time he spends with himself. "Vipassana is an act of cleansing one's soul and involves a very vigorous schedule," says the source. "One has to surrender oneself completely to the teacher. He is also not allowed to speak. It is very difficult in the beginning, but if one succeeds in bearing the hardships, he will emerge as a more clear-headed person. Vipassana gives one a new lease of life." Vipassana has helped Goel tremendously. Once a person of bad temper, he has gained good control over his anger. Anu Aga, former Chairperson, Thermax Credited with turning around the fortunes of Thermax, an engineering company, Anu Aga describes herself as "happy, content and at peace with life". However, not long ago, her life had come to a standstill after a double blow. First, she lost her husband, and then, 14 months later, her son died. "I thought my world had come to an end," says Aga. Life, it seemed, was dead. Thermax had gone public just then, and there was no one to take charge of the company. It was then that she turned to Vipassana, a Buddhist form of meditation. "It has been a life-altering phenomenon. I meditate for an hour every day. It helps me come to terms with life." It was a friend, herself caught in a similar situation, who inspired her to take up Vipassana. "She appeared to be in full control of things. It was when I saw her smiling that I decided to give a shot at Vipassana." She emphasises that there is more to life than fame and wealth. "One should focus and invest in life after death. Everything else is insignificant. Aga passed on the baton to her daughter, Meher Pudumjee, in 2004. Meher also practises Vipassana. Did her mother introduce her to it? "No, I didn't. It was her decision. I don't force decisions." That applies at workplace, too. She has a meditation hall for her employees, but no one is forced to meditate. "A lot of employees are into Art of Living and Brahmakumaris, and I fully respect it. Everyone must choose his own path." There are many forms of meditation. But Aga would not like to "shop around". "I have found what I needed. It has helped me take some crucial decisions in life, especially when my company was going through a rough patch. It has been a life-altering phenomenon for me. Profits are important, but it's long-term results that matter. Spirituality empowers one to focus on long-term objectives. It's all about good values. It's all about business with a human touch." Adi Godrej, Chairman, Godrej Industries He was one of the first to realise that locks were made to match keys and not the other way around. Adi Godrej heads the 110-year-old Godrej Group that started out as a lock maker. Today, it has a product portfolio that includes furniture, appliances, insecticides, soaps, food and medical diagnostics. The list is growing, with Godrej recently inking a deal with candy maker Hershey's. So where does he draw inspiration from? Does he have a spiritual guru? "I don't believe in spirituality. I don't like the word and I don't use it. I am a Zoroastrian by religion and I have utmost faith in my religion. I visit the Fire Temple once every week," says Godrej, who draws inspiration from day-to-day life. "Ethics and morality are important, but my spirituality lies in walking the right path. It inspires me. I believe in a religion as long as it does not turn into fanaticism." But what does he do in times of crisis? "I reflect upon the situation and visit places of worship. I also turn to family and friends. It helps." What about the rising stress levels at the workplace? "I'm not sure if there has been an increase in stress over a period of time. It has always been there. It's just that now there are more companies employing more people." Godrej says one should spend quality time with family and friends to beat stress. Does he hold any meditation programmes for his employees? "We do have a series of training programmes aimed at attaining work-life balance for our employees." His spirituality also lies in working out religiously. Having set himself an ambitious target of 10 hours of exercise a week, he works out every day. "One should definitely take some time out to work out. It helps in not just keeping fit physically but also mentally." Godrej has been to 80 countries. Italy and South Africa are his favourite destinations. Travelling rejuvenates him and exploring new places excites. He prefers going on short vacations and loves water sports and squash. Indu Jain, Chairman, Bennett Coleman & Co. Indu Jain begins her day with the recitation of mantras and shlokas, fully connected and immersed in universal consciousness. "I look at my palms and believe that they represent the hands of the devatas, with their faculties. When I place my feet on the ground, I feel that I am a part of the earth, and the power and energy flowing through me is giving me strength," says Jain. She does not see any difference between the creator and his creation. "It is up to us, what we want to be; the individual or the collective, a drop of the ocean or the ananda sagara, a single tree or a forest. It is this which spells the difference in our actions and therefore the outcome." Jain's spirituality lies in her everyday living, and everything, including her lifestyle, is an expression of that. She believes that one runs through a spectrum of emotions-happiness, anger, frustration and depression-every day, but it is one's spirituality that helps one retain balance and keeps one rooted. "Spirituality has helped me deal with relationships, happiness and sadness, in a balanced way without losing control." Bennett Coleman has entered into an agreement with Nalanda World Wisdom Centers, and converts its Mumbai office canteen into a Nalanda World Wisdom Center every evening and holiday, where programmes such as the Art of Living, Isha Yoga and Essence of Life are conducted for the employees. The company also invites well-known spiritual leaders to conduct special programmes. Jain's philosophy centres on the belief that there must be harmony between one's inner and outer worlds. "I firmly believe that one's outer growth and prosperity must be complemented by one's corresponding inner growth. My mission is to make spiritual quest a passion for every individual so that it becomes indispensable. Rangita Pritish-Nandy, Creative Director, Pritish Nandy Communications The 28-year-old daughter of media baron Pritish Nandy believes that being spiritual about work and life has helped her achieve what she has. As the creative director of Pritish Nandy Communications, Rangita deals with many frayed nerves. Especially on the sets where dollops of patience is required, she says, being in tune with your spiritual self helps. She does not have a name for divinity but believes in the force guiding the universe. "I am not spiritual when it comes to a particular religion, but I'm spiritual about work, music, love, my family and movies. God doesn't have a face or a name, but he is a force that I have a fabulous relationship with," she says. Once a project has been scanned and approved for execution, Rangita steps into the picture. She is responsible for casting, taking the film to the floors and executing the project. Her day at work begins at about 10 a.m. and ends by 11.30 in the night. But she knows how to distance herself from the insane pace when needed. Listening to some soulful music or catching up on reading, even blanking out her mind helps her calm down. Says PNC vice-president Ramkamal Mukherjee. "There are times when she has to listen to juvenile scripts. Instead of letting it bog her down, she simply switches off. She is absolutely at ease at the workplace." Rangita does not believe in new-age gurus, but loves to follow herself. "Believing in oneself is, frankly, the key to everything," she says. "No amount of yoga or guru/baba-belief can stand you as strong in the storm as belief can and will. So, yes, on the toughest day, I can switch off the world, put on my music, believe that I still 'am' and therein cope with the world, taking on anything and everything!" V.N. Dhoot, Chairman, Videocon Spirituality, for him, is the belief in some power that rules the world. "It is also the relation of mind with respect to matter," says Dhoot. He is a great believer in the power of jaap or chanting. "Even Shankaracharya, the master of the scriptures, has said that ultimately, it is the jaap which is most powerful," says the 54-year-old honcho. Dhoot is deeply religious. He believes that religion is a path to spirituality, and he has taken this path. Despite busy schedules and frequent travels, Dhoot has developed a routine by which he gets his time to be in touch with the supreme power. His day starts with a chant, and he recites one chapter a day from the Gita. The next half hour is spent in deep meditation. Then, he starts his jaap, chanting 'hare Rama, hare Krishna' for almost 45 minutes. "I try to inculcate the teachings of the scriptures into my daily schedule, which is not very easy. For instance, for all that I do and achieve, I try to give credit to the Almighty. At times, this is difficult, as the mind battles with personal ego. But when my mind is in conflict, I resort to the divine powers of jaap." Dhoot recalls the time when he was elected president of Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India. "I was supposed to give a speech before the congregation, and strangely, I froze. I am used to giving talks regularly, but strangely, at that minute, I couldn't utter a word. And then I began concentrating on Lord Krishna. And my speech flowed out effortlessly after that. I am convinced that it was the Lord who was speaking through me that day." Dhoot says that he has learnt to rely on Lord Krishna a lot. "Whenever I can't, I depend on the lord to do my work. I believe it is he who takes the decisions for me." Dhoot took his first lessons of the Gita from his grandfather and learnt to chant it verbatim. "Later, I learnt Sanskrit, so that I could understand what I was chanting." He is known for his discourses on the Gita, which he has delivered at varied venues. He's also a regular columnist on spirituality in Marathi newspapers like Loksatta and Maharashtra Times, and has written for Economic Times and Financial Express. But what about business decisions? Does he keep business and spirituality mutually exclusive? "In the boardroom, too, I am guided by the philosophy of the Gita, which says I must do my karma in the best way I can. Here, my karma is the profit of the company, and I set that as my goal," says the businessman, who considers Sri Sri Ravi Shankar his spiritual guru. Devita Saraf, Executive Director, Zenith Computers You cannot be brought up in an Indian household without some measure of spirituality seeping into you, says this 25-year-old businesswoman. "My idea of spirituality may not be a very traditional one, because I don't believe in gurus," says Devita Saraf. "I don't believe in that one magical chant or mantra which you can recite to ward off all trouble. My upbringing has given me a cool head, a great asset when you have to deal with crises and challenges every day. I am at peace with myself, and I look inwards for solutions, whether the problems are professional or personal." Saraf likes the philosophy of the Gita, and finds it one of the most practical handbooks for living. "Most religious teaching frown upon lies as a sin. But the Gita has a practical approach. It says that if a lie serves a greater good, then it is not a sin." In her business life, too, she finds the teachings practical. "For instance, look a the philosophy behind 'Karmanye vaa digharaste, ma phaleshu kadachana... Saraf is not very ritualistic because she believes there is an age for everything, again a doctrine of the Gita about doing your karma well. "It's my age to hang out in discos. There will come a time when I sit at satsangs. But right now, I leave the devoutness to my parents, and am happy to reap the benefits of their devotion." But she fasts on Ganesh Chaturthi, invariably every year. Dinesh Kumar, CEO,XL Telecom & Energy Ltd Dinesh Kumar greets you with a pottu on his forehead. His table is strewn with small icons and pictures of gods and he has a huge statue of Ganesha facing him. "Religion is very close to my everyday life. It was not so before, but certain incidents in my life changed it," he says. Dinesh's business is highly competitive. His company makes CDMA handsets, fuel ethanol and solar photovoltaic products. When he took over the company following his father-in-law' But things were not that bright a decade ago. "There was a point in 1994-95 when I had no money even to buy a cigarette. My wife, Ritu, was the only earning member in the family. Then I met a friend who told me about Shirdi temple. There I learnt about shraddha (faith) and saburi (patience). There were no miracles and I did not expect them, too. But I am where I am thanks to my faith." Nagaraj, his secretary, is also an astrologer. Depending on the astrological phase Dinesh is going through, Nagaraj gives him a mantra and suggests the temple he should visit that day. Dinesh's devotion is not merely limited to visiting temples. He has taken it upon himself to renovate old dilapidated temples and also build new ones. All his factories have a proper Ganesha temple with a priest. He sponsors the education of a number of children, and helps organisations for the blind and AIDS-infected children. "Whenever there is a problem, japams are organised at home. Ritu participates in the pujas, but she is not faith-ridden like me," he says. Though he does not force his beliefs on anyone in the family, he does wish that both his sons, who are now in the US doing their undergraduate programme, understand that there is a divine being. "I once took them to Shirdi and they were cribbing. I told them to close their eyes for a minute and that when they opened their eyes they would see a miracle. They did that for a lark and when they opened their eyes, a man stood in front of them offering them prasad. Though it was sheer coincidence, I think they understood what I was trying to explain. My belief is that if you go with total faith and zero expectancy, He'll show you the path. It has happened to me and I believe in that power." V. Thulasidas, Former Chairman and Managing Director, Air India He is a busy man who cannot find time in his hectic schedule for meditation, rituals or regular visits to the temples. But he does not consider himself any less spiritual for these omissions. "If spirituality means to acknowledge that there is something above and beyond us, a force that guides and binds the individual to the universe, then I am spiritual," says the former chief secretary of Tripura. A staunch follower of the philosophy of the Gita, Thulasidas believes that his karma is his duty, and if he does that well, even if the result is not what you expect it to be, he has imbibed the essence of this great text. Thulasidas believes a person's spiritual belief changes with time, age and circumstances. "I have gone through phases of great doubt, I've been an atheist and an agnostic, too. I've been through some very difficult phases in my professional life, in Air India and also during the insurgency in Tripura. To cope with such instances, you need to be a great optimist, have a sense of humour, and you need to believe that there is a meaning in what you do. This isn't always easy, but that is precisely what the Gita's philosophy is." He was initiated early in life to the doctrine of the Gita. "I love reading the Gita. I love going back to it, and the more I do, the more I subscribe to its philosophy," he says. Thulasidas is well-versed in other religious texts, too. "I love reading the Bible. The authorised English version of the Bible is a treat for the lover of the language. I keep going back to the Bible, just as I keep going back to Shakespeare, for the literary pleasures it gives me. But I go back to the Gita because of what it teaches me." Thulasidas practises yoga. But for him, it is more a physical exercise than a spiritual tool. "I visit temples. This year, I hope to visit Sabarimala, if I am able to squeeze some time out of my karma." Zarina Mehta, CEO, Bindass Zarina Mehta is not a very religious person, as she believes that "religion is the cause of more pain than healing in today's world". For this media head, an hour of Vipassana daily is de rigueur. Says Mehta, "This is not a religious practice, although it is the teaching of the Buddha." The 46-year-old CEO says Vipassana has helped her cope with stress and difficult times much better than she did earlier. With competition in the media hotting up, Mehta already has a tough job, and running a niche youth-based channel does not make it any easier. Her day in the office, which starts at 9.30 a.m., is full of meetings, as she enjoys handling everything from revenues to PR. Thanks to Vipassana and her health-conscious nature, Mehta goes through her day with cheer. Her energetic vibes keep her employees motivated. She agrees that the more authority one has, the greater is the scope to influence others' lives and therefore the need to be more responsible in one's own behaviour and decisions. "It has made me aware of what I do and how I react. Most importantly it has also helped me through very good times as well." Veena Patil, CMD, Kesari Tours "Spirituality to me is a means of keeping my mind on track," says Patil. As she is part of an industry where thousands of people are her responsibility, keeping her nerves is of utmost importance, and being a religious and spiritual person helps her do that. Be it meditation or puja or jaap, Veena believes in everything that helps her remain patient and keep hopes alive under extreme circumstances. "You need to believe in a Superpower, for it helps keep the mind in check. Not only does it keep your mind devoid of any hidden agenda, but it also gives you a secure feeling that someone is watching over everything you do and will take care of it all," she says. In 1997-98, when an accident occurred on one of her tours, Veena turned religious and followed a daily ritual. But soon enough, she realised that she could not follow it thanks to a heavily packed routine. On a friend's advice, she now does the Garuda jaap for the safety of all her customers and visits the Siddhivinayak temple. "It's not only about security, but being spiritual also means that I keep my conscience clear, and do the right thing always, like paying my taxes on time, for example." It also keeps her detached from materialistic desires and does not let petty issues upset her. "I always tell God to give me what I deserve. Life is full of ups and downs and one needs to have a mechanism that helps one maintain a balance." Patil feels that anything on spirituality, even discourses on TV, is good enough if you can take the best out of it. She also reads books on spirituality. When she feels she has had enough of the stress, she takes time off for some deep breathing before stepping out into the corporate world again. Rajesh Shah, Co-Chairman & Managing Director, Mukand Rajesh Shah considers himself fortunate to have Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi as his guru. He has been a follower of her teachings for more than a decade. He takes out 15 minutes every day to meditate and reflect upon her preaching before leaving for work. How does it help him? "It helps me a lot, especially, in times of adversity," says Shah. "It has made me more calm and mature. It helps me reach out and understand people better." He also internalises and turns to family during difficult times. It was Shah's mother who introduced him to Nirmala Devi. "Mataji is full of love and compassion." His younger brother Suketu Shah is also inclined towards spirituality but has faith in another guru. For Shah, corporate life is very stressful and involves difficult decisions. He feels spirituality plays a significant role in the corporate world, as it helps one rein in anxiety and take prudent decisions. Does he hold any spiritual sessions for his employees? "Everyone yearns to get something higher and better in life. Everyone wants to have a better understanding of the Almighty. We have meditation programmes for our employees every year. We also have a Ganesha temple on company premises. But it's entirely voluntary. We don't force anything on our employees." He feels a spiritual act works better when performed as a group. It is often seen that the more successful one is, the more one's thirst for spirituality. But Shah says, "I don't see any correlation between success and spirituality. Spirituality is something very natural. It is something very deep and cannot be learnt from books. It is not theoretical. If I am in a clear frame of mind, I am able to visualise that much better, and therefore work better. So in that sense, it's reflected in the company's bottom line also." Besides work and spirituality, Shah likes travelling. He is also passionate about nature and environment, which he describes as his "new calling". K.S. Raju, Ceo, Nagarjuna fertilisers and chemicals Raju starts by saying that he is not religious. He says there are no dos and don'ts in spirituality. In fact, spirituality is applicable to business, too. He defines spirituality as something operating from the spirit rather than the mind. Says Raju: "Something operating from the mind has a structured pattern, it's conditioned, predictable, driven from the space which is limited, whereas if it is from the spirit it has a larger dimension, with a holistic view of life, and is also all-inclusive. Raju is associated with the Brahmakurmaris, Swami Parthasar-athy' His big realisation came 25 years ago when he was travelling down Tank Bund, Hyderabad. He was in the back seat and, being tired, was about to rest his head, when he suddenly felt that he was walking out of the vehicle into a compound. "It was a momentous feeling and I was set free because I recognised this moment for what it was. I immediately felt energised and there was a paradigm shift in my energies." The second time, he had just walked into his office that faces east, and from this vantage point he could see the sun rise over the Hussain Sagar, leaving a misty wake underneath. He felt a wave sweep through him and the message he got was that in a sea of darkness (read ignorance), here was light. He also says that several instances in his life were preparatory grounds for the future. He lost his father first, and mother a few months back. In this, he sees a message: "Everything happens to you precisely. I was at peace because I accepted the process." How precise you want your life to be is always a subconscious choice, he adds. A CEO's role also matters a lot. "How I think, I deal, conduct myself is very critical. My dealings with the stakeholder concerned and the community at large matter. My empathy has to be sustainable, inclusive and responsible. With Harshikaa Udasi, Rekha Borgohain Dixit & Lalita Iyer |
Messenger blocked? Want to chat? Here is the solution.
**************************************************************************
World's Biggest Gujarati Portal, click the link below to join.
http://www.f4ag.com ( http://www.fun-4-amdavadi-gujarati.com )
Click here to join Fun_4_Amdavadi_Gujarati Yahoo! Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Fun_4_Amdavadi_Gujarati/join
**************************************************************************
Welcome to World's Biggest Gujarati Group
Pure Gujju Group with Young Gujju Members
Most happening & the only active Gujarati Group in the Universe
Meet Our New Generation & Make New Friends
This is the only biggest Gujarati Fun group, where you can meet NRI, Local Gujarati Guys & Gals with real fun, no junk at all.
This group is for LOCAL & NRI AMDAVADI GUJARATI PEOPLES, but any one can join, you will get lots of funny & great emails everyday. Please join with big mail box like Gmail or Yahoo or create new account to receive our emails. This group support all types of attachments
Regards,
Moderator, Fun_4_Amdavadi_Gujarati
***************************************************************************
World's Biggest Gujarati Portal, click the link below to join.
http://www.f4ag.com ( http://www.fun-4-amdavadi-gujarati.com )
Click here to join Fun_4_Amdavadi_Gujarati Yahoo! Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Fun_4_Amdavadi_Gujarati/join
**************************************************************************
Welcome to World's Biggest Gujarati Group
Pure Gujju Group with Young Gujju Members
Most happening & the only active Gujarati Group in the Universe
Meet Our New Generation & Make New Friends
This is the only biggest Gujarati Fun group, where you can meet NRI, Local Gujarati Guys & Gals with real fun, no junk at all.
This group is for LOCAL & NRI AMDAVADI GUJARATI PEOPLES, but any one can join, you will get lots of funny & great emails everyday. Please join with big mail box like Gmail or Yahoo or create new account to receive our emails. This group support all types of attachments
Regards,
Moderator, Fun_4_Amdavadi_Gujarati
***************************************************************************
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
.
__,_._,___
No comments:
Post a Comment