In operations consulting we used to do why-why analysis. It is a method to identify cause of an occurrence. There are other methods also available for doing such analysis. The objective of such different methods is be to find the root cause of some occurrence.
Why this happened? Because of that. Why that happened? because of something else.This why question is asked on the answer of previous question until an actionable cause is identified. Mostly a root cause is reached in maximum of 5 why’s. It is a very commonly used cause and effect analysis tool in operations management.
I watched this video and could relate to karma, our entanglement to karma (Maya) and that root cause analysis technique mentioned above. The lesson here is, one must try to find “The cause of cause”.
Guruji (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) is saying in this video that when you stick at one or lower levels of the cause attribution you do not get to the real cause. On the contrary that entangles you, in Karma, even more.
If we do not perform Why-Why analysis correctly, we get frustrated and the operations do not get improved. Thus, properly performing this analysis will get to the root cause – mostly management. How and why a decision was made which resulted in the issue say for example high inventory or poor quality output. Thus that can help improve operations of the organization.
Similarly when we analyze karma we would reach to the ultimate – the cause of all the causes. Guruji calls it – Shiv tatva in this video.
Karma plays a role everywhere, be it spiritual life or professional. However, doing a why-why analysis on operations is easy on the contrary doing a why-analysis on “the cause of all the causes” is easier said than done.
Associating Karma with financial success seems completely falsified way of using the doctrine of Causality.
I was reading an article and it referred to financial success of people as the results of their Karma. Specially when we speak of “Karma” the context is effect of past life on the current one. Additionally, Karma of current life influencing the future life.
The conceptual explanation of financial success of people to their Karma made me question the concept of Karma itself. Does Financial success mean everything and is the END in itself?
I believe – Not necessarily.
I have seen kids playing with mud, plastic bottles & almost without cloths very happy and kids with LEGO toys at home crying for something else. Just let the kids be little old and see adults or old aged people – they start grumbling about money! But we forget we leave empty handed. Karma in my opinion should be construed as – something that will help us progress. Progress spiritually – if finances help in spiritual progress – be it. But otherwise putting the whole concept of Karma around Financial success is not agreeable.
Specially, when west misunderstands the concepts and tries to prove every point of their belief using concepts such as Karma – I remember Ashtavakra. I remember reading that Ashtavakara in his Geeta denied the concept of Karma.
It is the fourth and final blog in my 4-part exploration of why we lose interest in personal and professional life, what it reveals about our inner alignment, and how to rekindle purpose through a blend of introspection, systems thinking, and spiritual grounding.
In the first blog we explored, passion slipping away, with conclusion that “The war outside mirrors the war within.” How to know if it is burnout, boredom or an opportunity for a breakthrough.
In the second blog we closed on The mind wants clarity. The soul speaks in signals.
In the third blog we looked at 7 different scientific methods of how to brake the chain of thought, rewire and reignite interest. The conclusion was “Sometimes, the most powerful way to reignite interest is to remember you’re not your thoughts. You’re the one watching.”
When I was thinking about the blog series I was sure the third blog was conclusion. However, there remains few questions and therefore this blog.
You’ve tried the frameworks. You’ve optimized your calendar, redefined your goals, even taken a sabbatical. And yet, something still feels… off.
That’s when you know: it’s not a tactical problem. It’s a spiritual one.
When the logic hits the wall
In business, we’re trained to solve problems with logic. But what if the problem isn’t external?
A 2022 study in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that individuals with a strong sense of spiritual well-being; regardless of religious affiliation; reported higher resilience, lower burnout, and greater life satisfaction. Disclaimer: the research was on women, however I believe it applies equally on men too. Similarly there is another that was specifically done on Christian subjects and proves the same point (source: National library of Medicine).
Why? Because spirituality offers what strategy can’t:
Perspective: You’re not your title, your to-do list, or your LinkedIn profile
Presence: You stop chasing outcomes and start inhabiting the moment
Purpose: You remember why you started in the first place
What spirituality really is?
Spirituality isn’t incense and mantras (though it can be). It’s the inner alignment between who you are, what you do, and why it matters. Indic philosophies has various methods for the same, be it Mantras to Meditation and Worship to Work, in Hindi – Dhyan, Gyan, Karm and Bhakti.
It’s the quiet knowing that you’re not here just to perform but to participate in something larger. In Vedanta, this is called Swadharma, your unique path, your inner blueprint. When you stray too far from it, life feels heavy. When you return to it, energy flows.
Swadharma is a Sanskrit word. Made out of two words; one Swa – means Self and another Dharma – means duty. It means duty of self. The purpose in some sense.
Reset, not a retreat but a Reset
You don’t need to quit your job or move to the Himalayas. You need to shift how you show up. In fact many times the thought drawn on me and every time I heard Guruji (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) and Osho, and felt the path they teach is not to run away. Going to Himalayas sounds like running away. In fact krishna says the same thing to Arjuna, do perform your duty.
Here’s how:
Start with Silence: Even 5 minutes of stillness a day can help you hear what your mind drowns out. Ask: “What am I avoiding by staying busy?”
Revisit Your Inner Scorecard: Are you chasing metrics that matter to others but not to you? Redefine success in your own terms.
Serve Without Attachment: The Gita teaches: Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana– you have the right to act, not to the fruits. When you serve without clinging, work becomes lighter.
Find Your Sangha: Surround yourself with people who value depth over drama. One aligned conversation can reset your compass. We had this as one of the 7 methods in previous blog.
Let Go to Let Flow: Sometimes, the breakthrough comes not from pushing harder but from surrendering smarter (Bhakti).
When interest fades, we often look outward – new roles, new routines, new goals. But sometimes, the real answer is inward.
Spirituality isn’t an escape from life. It’s a return to it with clarity, compassion, and courage. Getting back to our Swadharma.
So if you’re feeling lost, don’t just optimize. Orient. Not to the next milestone but to the stillness within. Because when strategy ends, soul begins.
In the rush of boarding school bus, after the Delhi blasts in of early November 2025, a simple conversation with my seven-year-old daughter Adviti unfolded like a gentle teaching from the Buddha himself. She wondered why I hesitated over certain toys and things she adored. I struggled to convey the essence of “value for money”. A delicate balance where investment yields joy, utility, and lasting worth. My complex mind was thinking in jargons and like the economic principle of optimizing resources for maximum benefit.
I thought for a while and was failing to get to the concept. Suddenly an idea came to mind to make this real for her young mind. Drawing from our market stroll few weeks ago, I told her about the big balloon we bought from market at 25 rupees: “What if it bursts right away, leaving no play, no laughter? Those 25 rupees vanish like mist, offering nothing in return.” Her eyes lit up with understanding, grasping in an instant what eludes many adults.
Value: in professional sense
This conversation happened with Adviti as I lit the diya in our home temple. My thoughts moved to a parallel world. The balloon transformed in my mind into the fragile vessel of life itself; our prana (or life), fleeting human form, so easily burst by carelessness or violence.
Yet this shift does not diminish the drive of daily dharma; my thoughts move to the spirituality. Though, it does not mean that professionally, I take life easily. I am competitive compared to many I see. I always strive to do things that make a difference, with a simple life goal that people remember me as a professional who punched above his weight. This is an ambition of leaving legacy, yet it naturally flows into deeper inquiry. But after that, the next step always is spirituality.
Thus, weaving the threads of marketplace and mandir, I tried balancing these thoughts. In business, value for money demands efficiency, quality, and impact; in spirituality, it calls us to question the true return on our life’s investment. Hinduism’s karma and Buddhism’s Right Livelihood urge us to create positive ripples – for self, family, society – turning every action into Dhyan and Dana, selfless giving that endures beyond the transaction.
Shadows of Wasted Value
These positive waves can quickly turn into chaos when bad events disrupt our peace. I was thinking all these things and at the back of my mind, the recent Delhi blasts brought back painful memories of the Mumbai attacks I saw in 2006, 2008, and 2011, making me think how ignoring life’s value affects everyone around us.
Terrorists squander their own lives and others’, blind to the sanctity of existence. A doctor, trained to heal, choosing instead to destroy, was completely beyond my comprehension. At the same time, I was angry, no one holds the right to burst another’s balloon, for in ahimsa (non-violence) lies true value addition for generations. Imagine channelling that education into service, not harm; this is enlightened management, where economic prudence meets spiritual awakening, fostering communities of compassion over chaos.
Child’s Wisdom, Adult Awakening
Adviti, at seven, embraced value for money through play; when will the learned among us awaken to the same concept to “value of life”, the life’s greater worth?
Invest mindfully, act ethically, live purposefully. In blending business acumen with Buddha’s wisdom, we ensure no burst leaves us empty, only enriched, connected, eternal. Let this simple lesson from the balloon stay with us all, like a quiet reminder during our morning aarti. It shows us how to move from everyday buying-selling to real, lasting change in life; the kind that touches our atma and stays forever.
Alexa play “bum bum bole”. This is a Hindi film song. The song teaches opening you mind, thinking, experiencing, and dreaming specially beyond your belief or knowledge. The song made me think in different dimension, questioning few things and conclude – experience beyond your belief.
Source Youtube, original – from Movie Taare Zameen Par
Alexa started playing bum bum bole song, Adviti was happy. Slowly she learned the lyrics of the song, for her the lyrics are not that very meaningful, yet she learnt singing few lines. She keeps on mumbling them while listening to the song.
She started saying “bhala machhaliya bhi kyu udati nahi? Socho, socho na.”
The above line is in Hindi, it means “think why the fish cannot fly, just think”. Somehow it came to my mind that fish can fly if we start calling a bird a fish ?
I asked Adviti, how about it? She didn’t understand. I reiterated Adviti let me explain
a bird can fly
if I start calling a bird. a fish
so the fish will start flying isn’t it?
A creative answer to a question that asks you to think.
I’m answering your question Adviti, you are calling a fish a fish so you are asking the question why can not a fish fly? If you start calling a bird a fish it will start flying 😀
I think she will need some time to figure out this logic.
Well this is on a lighter side however in reality our perceptions actually create our realities and whatever we think is based on our beliefs.
The formless
Recently a big public, judicial and political debate started in India. The row is of a Shivling in a mosque. Before we proceed further – Shivling is a representation of formless. It is a symbol of energy.
Gyanvapi Mosque Banaras Source Sunday Guardian
One group – Hindus – is saying that it is Shivling and the other group – Muslims – is saying it is a fountain. Let the competent authorities respond or prove to what exactly it is. The point I want to make is – this is how our belief systems are, we see what we want to see there may be some different reality out there.
If you dig deeper, Muslims theology states that the God is formless. Hindu’s Worship the formless in the form of Shivling. If you try to connect these dots conceptually the idea is same – formless. Method of praying or bowing to the same concepts of “formless” are different. This underling concept is still not clear to masses. Why create a fight for one upmanship? There are many more dimensions to the debate. I do not want to digress.
Belief system
Our beliefs blind us. In Ashtavakra Geeta, Ashtavakra says – you are seeing the rope as the snake because your mind is saying that it is a snake. this belief is making you feel the rope as a snake. Until you open your eyes and mind, you will feel the rope is the snake.
Our religions are also the same, some people believe in something, other people believe in something else. What is correct or what is true can only be proved when we become more objective, think, open-up and willing to experiment.
This is the reason I like Indic religions – specially Buddhism and Hinduism to a great extent. After reading few philosophical texts of Hinduism I see Buddhism as a subset of Hinduism.
Experience beyond your belief
Hinduism has given philosophy of Yoga, Meditation, Bhakti (devotion), Karma, Gyan etc. There are many ways to experiment and experience. The best part is no one asks you to follow a certain path or approach. You follow or practice what you feel comfortable with. In one family you may find members of the family following different paths Bhakti (Devotion), Yoga, and Meditation in some cases questioning everything and not following any. This chaos is perfectly fine in the family.
Experience beyond your belief
Out of all these methods, the key is – “experience”. Some paths gave recipe of experiments too.
Patanjali discusses Yoga Sutra, Shiv Sutra discusses 100+ meditation methods, Narad Bhakti Sutra discusses Bhakti (Devotion), Ashtavakra Geeta tells open your eyes see it, Krishna summarizes everything in Bhagvad Geeta. There are Upnishads, the list is very long to complete, contemplate, try everything and experience. Pick your options.
If I were to say something, here is my approach pick one in the beginning. I will recommend read Bhagvad Geeta. It gives you a wonderful summary of different paths. Try one or the other path for experience. Whatever suits you from within, go deeper in that path with additional text!
Interestingly, what the end results is? It is experience. All these paths proposed by the Indian theology are science. They do not want you to believe what is written. In fact, all the titles written above most have question between a speaker and listener. Do not just blindly believe what is written, ask what you have in mind.
Open your mind
What every human-being needs to do is – keep aside the belief system and move towards the experience system.
The takeaway is – open you mind, put aside your battle of belief, and fasten your seatbelts for the journey of experience.
Interdependent co-arisingis a very key concept of The Buddha’s teachings. The other interesting names of this concept are dependent co-arising and dependent origination. Dependent co-arising is a deep concept. The depth requires an understanding of the concepts of Buddhism. So, I keep writing at a very shallow level examples to drive home the point. Whenever I read the book – Old path white clouds by Thich Nhat Hanh I get itched to this very concept. He explains this concept in easy words – “From interdependent origins, all things arise and all things pass away.”
I have shared multiple examples specifically for dependent co-arising on my blog. These examples were shallow yet practical relationship between the teachings of the Buddha and the present-day Business.
Whenever I try to interpret this concept; besides the interdependence, this concept touches on another concept of Hinduism (or Indic religions) – the concept of Karma. Karma gives us a guiding principle of cause and effect. It is easy to understand with the help of an English proverb – as you sow; so shall you reap. A very easy example of the cycle of Karma can be seen in an episode – Lucky penny – of How I met your mother.
However small we think we’re as an individual, we’ve the power to make an immense impact on the world. You may have heard – if a butterfly flutters its wings in Amazon forest, it may cause a hurricane in Japan. I came across this interesting Domino effect video. I could relate it to the butterfly effect and thus to dependent origination.
Watch this and relate the accumulated energy of the bar to Karma, the first piece as the butterfly fluttering wing and in effect interdependence of everything as a cycle.
Incidents shape our experience, experiences shape our opinions and opinions in long term shape our beliefs and set of belief become our religious practices. With time everything must evolve and must change! We must always remember – This too shall pass and should always be ready to accept change in belief, questioning our assumptions based on new experiences. Here is an incident that changed a laughing stock of our life into a serious affair after the Corona pandemic in which more than 2,00,000 reported deaths have happened until now.
Our incident
It was the year 2015, I had married to Simple – my wife – for only 8 months. In these 8 months, I had to travel out of India twice for a month or more. So before leaving for the second time, I had arranged for my wife’s travel to join me in Toronto. Due to her half-yearly audit preparation, she flew later. This is a story how things make or change us.
While in flight, Simple sneezed. Fellow passenger, who was flying to the USA, was somewhat taken aback. She quickly took out her first aid box and gave a tablet to Simple. Initially, Simple was a bit hesitant to take this medicine. Remember we were told in our childhood – “while traveling do not eat anything given by others.” She said I am alright, it was due to the cabin temperature I do not have a cough or a cold. Probably the co-passenger was also told something like, don’t eat anything given by strangers, in her childhood. So the co-passenger read the content line by line and said it is just multivitamin. Somehow Simple got away this time. However, she sneezed again, this time she could not say no to her. Simple had realized by now how petrified the lady on her next seat was. So, this time around she took the medicine – unwillingly though. So, the whole flight afterward was peaceful for both – Simple and the passenger.
Simple landed in Toronto and the first thing that she narrated was this incident. We laughed together on this and, I told her somehow in India it is not a big deal, I think we are so immune to it isn’t it? We remembered this incident whenever we flew, smiled at each other. Karma you call it. This small smile and fun started haunting me recently.
Change-in-belief
This Corona happened and we are all locked down at home. Now whenever we go out for buying essentials, we get hand sanitizer at the entrance of D-Mart as if it is a Prasad! Honestly speaking, touching the shopping trolley I feel scared and giving cash or card, I tell myself hope this person is safe. Now, I realize how that co-passenger must be feeling about sneezing of Simple. How life, experience and opinions change, isn’t it?
One virus that is bothering everyone across the globe has given a new perspective to the joke we used to tell each other almost every time we flew. Small or big all types of incidents shape us as we grow up. So I changed my opinion about coughing, sneezing and more! If someone coughs around us now the eyebrows rise. Simple and I changed our opinion towards the fellow passenger of Simple in 2015.
Last week I was in the US. I spoke with a friend of mine he is a professor in a college in USA. We discussed many things, what got our attention was the dependence of many moving parts of our society such that everything impacts everything else. This is nothing but interdependent co-arising.
We discussed the school system of USA, how the impact of 2008 great recession is going to impact funding of schools in coming time. The story is like this – during the collapse of late 2007 early 2008, birth rate in USA reduced. This is researched and published fact refer here “…the college-going population will drop by 15 percent between 2025 and 2029 and continue to decline by another percentage point or two thereafter…”. The researcher states birthrate as the factor, quote from the same source “…When the financial crisis hit in 2008, young people viewed that economic uncertainty as a cause for reducing fertility,” said Grawe. “The number of kids born from 2008 to 2011 fell precipitously. Fast forward 18 years to 2026 and we see that there are fewer kids reaching college-going age…”
After 17 years when expected students those who could go to college have reduced this is impacting overall finances and the operations of schools. Look at the impact, how one things affects other. This is interdependent co-arising. What goes around comes around, impact on education may cause other impacts example – job market, sustainability of businesses and resulting in another possible economic crisis – it is a loop.
Abstraction of this scenario
You must have heard – if a butterfly flutters its wings in Amazon forest, it may cause a hurricane in Japan. We at times miss the power of small things and ignore them. This understanding of sensitivity of impact of one thing on a larger scale makes a person compassionate. Currently the world needs compassion more than the mad rush to reach somewhere. In the long term, impacts are what are left behind not the individual goals we kept in our mind.
My colleagues Akshay Chalke and Gaurav Thosani are full pictionaries of movies. While our group has some discussion, they relate to some or the other sequence of a movie, say, the dialog and start laughing amongst themselves. At times, we’re clueless what transpired, other times few other friends also start laughing when present context and movie sequence is clear. Initially, I used to look at Akshay and Gaurav with confusion, what the heck? What’s the meaning, what’s so special in that? At times, when they used to inform about the movie sequence (mostly I’d not watched) I used to feel what’s funny in that? In some chats, when I’d watched the movie, I went back about quarter of a century (I’m very old!). These small incidents helped me learn how can you fix your mindset?
My story
It was 1997, I’d just started traveling, that too alone – a distance of 500km (overnight bus journey) for my engineering. Being the youngest in family, naturally, I had lived in lot of protection and guidance. On top of that I was emotional & quick to get nostalgic. Those days, about 25 years back, video coach buses were cheaper and used to provide entertainment by playing a movie till mid night.
It’s a nuisance if you don’t like the movie and a headache if you want to sleep for next day’s college. On top of all this, my mindset and disappointment with my present situations, made me uncomfortable and disappointed by the world in general. Though, the movies used to be light comedy like- Ishq or Govinda- movies of 90s. Some movies used to be slapstick comedy – no sense, just laughter rides. But, my mental condition, disappointments and nostalgia made me hate these movies. I never liked some hit comedy movies of that time, such as Ishq, Dulhe Raja, Auntie No. 1, Bade Miyan chhote miyan etc. In fact some songs made it to the list for example song of movie Ishq Nind churayi Meri kisne o Sanam; although I always liked singer Udit Narayan over others of that time.
Read more about teachings of my professors about satisfaction.
Read another one on how our sanskara‘s create our reality and possible Karma
Lessons
I started giving some thoughts on the incidents when Akshay, Gaurav and colleagues laughed on that movies sequences etc. I realized, if one’s mind is disturbed anything around doesn’t feel good. In fact the association with situations and mindset can be as long as decades. The next thought was now when I know it is mind’s problem, how to fix your mindset?
I’ve watched few of those movies in last few years. Now I wonder those were not as bad, in fact, few were hit of that period. Slowly I realized, these are small moments of fun and lightening the mood. At the end of the day, one must be happy that’s the bare minimum one can have in life.
How to fix your mindset?
The point is, how can one be beyond one’s mental state and situations and still be happy / balanced in tough times?
one way is to be in the present moment (tough hum?)
learn to differentiate between the situation you are facing currently with the general state of your mind that’s created by other situations in life. You must have heard of keep your work and personal life separate (Easier said than done right?)
fake happiness (balance or equanimity) as in the movie Three idiots “All iz well”
look at learning opportunity in this tough time. Focus on lesson than the pain (easier)
meditate daily (the best)
Fixing your mindset become easy if you start any of the above steps. In my opinion is a better method of fixing mindset. Otherwise we become headless chicken driven by the situations around us. Still, if you’re unable to make your mind, reach out to me, we can speak on this lesson. Lastly read this simple telephonic discussion that could give you an idea or this may give some drift.
I had a question some time back, whether or not should I teach virtues to Adviti. This question came in mind after witnessing a lot of corruption cases in India. I got a feeling that Karma – that a lot of Indic religion followers believe in – does not do justice at least in a visible sense. The inference of Karma missing its duties comes in mind when we see a lot of people wrongdoing and still happily manipulating systems to practically prove themselves to be on the right side of the law.
In the previous blog – teaching virtues to Adviti – I had pointed to a politician. He, at last, got in custody recently. Yet the point remains, is Karma giving as good as it should? Indian judiciary is a long and mostly not very pleasant ending for cases against politicians. Why should anyone teach virtues and ethical practice to offsprings when everything can be bent as needed?
Anand Utsav – course with Guruji Sri Sri Ravi Shankar – had been a great learning and rediscovering. Learning is a continuous process that is still going on. Now, when I have been having some more perspective on myself, I believe I should continue teaching virtues to Adviti that I had been questioning myself off late. The point is – with teaching virtues one must teach the discerning skills as well to the kid.
One must not get carried away by what good or bad others are doing. It is their way of living. Some will be worst off and will get Scott free too, in the court of justice. Everyone must learn the basic ethics in formative years, however, in addition to ethics another learning should be the ability to make a decision who should be treated how.
