Business to the Buddha

Search results for: “ego”

  • Ego – “growth”

    Smiling-Baby

    Adviti – my daughter – is close to 1.5 years now. I have been witnessing her growth as any parent would. Earlier, she used to cry mostly when she was hungry then slowly the “needs” increased and “reasons” for crying too. When something she wants does not happen, she expresses it her own way. Slowly she has learnt another method of expressing herself – either making a sharp sound or fists to show her anger. In all these months, I see there is a kind of growth. The growth I am talking about starts sticking with us. It is about our ego, getting the things done our way.

    I was discussing a situation with a friend of mine. He is too talkative – yes more than me. During our call based on the situations and narratives, I was finding loopholes in his arguments and interrupting him. I told him that the situation in your case proves that you are egoist, reasons a, b and c. He gave alternative reasoning to my pointers to which I gave more alternative reasoning. The call concluded, it was futile to explain to him from an outsider’s perspective.

    My days with Adviti are turning more interactive, expressive and entertaining. I see, the recent phone call and Adviti’s activities in a lens that makes me feel that we grow in certain way and ego starts blending in our lifestyle sooner than probably we expect.

    Adviti is able to differentiate between herself and others. She is slowly understanding that we appreciate few things and do not few others. If she has to getaway with unacceptable actions she has started knowing her away out. My friend was trying the same – finding a way out with alternative arguments.

    I doubt if I should call it ego in case of Adviti she is barely 16+ months. Yet, when I see her at times looking for recognition, at times faking sobbing and showing bit of anger it shows she is growing, she is recognizing her liking and possibly her way of getting things done.

    When we start growing and our ego is in between it limits our possibilities of blossoming, be it personal life or professional. My friend is stuck, he still needs to learn it is his ego that is causing him the pain.

  • Mumbai and ego

    Mumbai is a unique city. I was talking to a friend of mine and had a eureka moment. There is a relationship between Mumbai and ego. One can learn a lesson or two on spirituality from Mumbai.

    Ego puts itself at center and everything – including the world – around itself. Similar thing happens in Mumbai. Geographically Mumbai is in length, unlike many other cities. There is no way you can be in center of the city if you are in a corner.

    Map of Mumbai, Mumbai and egoMumbai has three railway lines – Central, Harbor and Western. Western line is of affluent people, Central line people feel they are in the center of city. Harbor line is of Navi Mumbai, one of the largest planned city in the world.

    Western line is very crowded, at times if you are stuck in traffic on western express highway you are immobile for an hour or so. When you talk to people of Western line, you will hear oh “western” is far better. It is centrally located, I get everything in my locality. Standard of living are simply incomparable with rest of Mumbai.

    Similar logic you get when you talk to people of central line. They will say trains run fastest on our line, eastern express highway is really a highway. We are centrally located and can reach anywhere easily. When you talk to people living on harbor line you will hear almost similar good reasons to be on harbor line. It is far more planned has a lot of space, wide roads and planned neighborhood unlike mainland Mumbai. Standard of living are far better than any other part of Mumbai – at least we have some space to live at home. These points are mostly by those who live in Navi Mumbai.

    Our ego also works in the same manner. We are centrally located, everything is centered around me. Ego tends to look at sunny side of self and possibly shortcomings of others.

    Whether you talk to a person living in Borivali (Western), Bhandoop (Central) or Chembur (harbor). Borivali is in north – similarly Bhandoop or Chembur. This is a unique learning you have from Mumbai. You consider yourself as the center and whole world is circling around you irrespective of whether it is so. It is like Shashi Throor hidden in all of us.

    Ego and Mumbai are one to one mapping, both of these show us how our mind manipulates us. We need to stop manipulation of self by the self.

  • Our Ego Vs the Universe!

    I have written on ego earlier, actually a couple of times. I received this video on Whatsapp found it interesting so thought to share it on my blog – The universe is so big and thankfully we know this now. Still we create our own world due to our ego – Size of the Universe

    The world we create around us Vs our size

    The source of this video is unknown to me currently.

  • Ego

    Two men in a room, room is in an apartment, apartment is in a building
    Building is in a locality, locality is in a city, city is in a state
    State is in a Nation, Nation is in a continent, continent is on The Earth
    The Earth is in a solar system, solar system is in the galaxy
    The Galaxy is in the Milky way…

    We are so small still we create TWO WORLDs in a single room!

    Me on the top of the world
    ‘Me’ on the top of the world

    When I was in school, I read this poem in Hindi in my course. It is very meaningful and important story of our life. We are nothing if we follow the trace suggested by the poet. Yet, we create our own world and cause problems in our surroundings, our near and dears life and life of our colleagues. All this for what – to manage, boost and nurture our Ego. If the ego goes beyond our near & dear and colleagues, it goes to kill people in the name of our belief system. Majority of the wars fought in the world are because of Ego.

    Alexander the great – why “the great” because he conquered the world – with sword! Cold war – why? To prove WE are better than YOU. MY country is superior than YOURs. This applies to the recent attacks in cities of Afghanistan, social unrest in the Middle East (suppressed ego of citizen and suppressing ego of the respective rulers) and Nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea. We see political, religious, cultural and regional problems because of Ego.

    At the same time, I am of the opinion that ego is not a problem, the manifestation of the same is a problem. Self respect becomes ego when it crosses a certain line. I see many solutions to this, one is when we start looking at ourselves through the lenses of the poet who wrote the above lines. We are tiny small creatures and there are many things beyond I and MY GROUP. For some, ‘I’ and ‘My group’ becomes purpose of existence. Second solution I see is through the eyes of Mirdad. Other is through the peaceful methods e.g. meditation suggested by spiritual masters.

    What say you – is ego ‘purpose of existence’ or a problem?

    Related blog based on The book of Mirdad – Forbidden word

  • Burnout, Boredom, or Breakthrough? Decoding the Inner Signal

    Burnout boredom or breakthrough - inner signal - business to the buddha

    It is second 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.

    Not all disengagement is the same.

    But how do you tell the difference?

    Some days, you feel like you’re sprinting on a treadmill that is exhausted, overcommitted, and emotionally drained. That’s burnout.

    Other days, you’re staring at the screen, uninspired, underwhelmed, and wondering, “Why am I even doing this?” That’s boredom.

    The Silent Drift: When Passion Quietly Slips Away

    And sometimes, you feel a quiet discomfort, not from too much or too little, but from the sense that you’ve outgrown your current orbit. That’s the beginning of a breakthrough.

    Burnout and Boredom

    A 2024 study published in the British Journal of Guidance & Counselling found that boredom at work can lead to emotional exhaustion and cynicism, much like burnout, but the path is different.

    Burnout is typically caused by overload, too many demands, too little control, and chronic stress.

    Boredom, on the other hand, stems from underload that is monotony, lack of challenge, or misalignment with personal growth.

    Interestingly, both states lead to disengagement, but the emotional texture differs:

    StateEmotionCauseSymptom
    BreakthroughRestlessnessInner evolution, misalignmentThere must be more than this
    BurnoutExhautionOverload, lack of recoveryI can’t do this anymore
    BoredomApathyOverload, lack of recoveryI don’t care anymore

    Why This Distinction Matters

    Misdiagnosing boredom as burnout can lead to the wrong solution. If you’re bored but think you’re burned out, you might take a break; only to return feeling just as empty.

    But if you’re on the edge of a breakthrough, the worst thing you can do is numb the discomfort. That restlessness is your soul’s way of saying: You’re ready for the next level.

    From Signal to Strategy

    Here’s how to decode your state and respond:

    • Your Energy level: Are you depleted (burnout) or disengaged (boredom)? Or are you restless with ideas but no outlet (breakthrough)?
    • Your Calendar (Busy-ness): Too many meetings and no time to think? Burnout. Too many repetitive tasks? Boredom.
    • Your thoughts: “I’m tired” = burnout. “I’m stuck” = boredom. “I feel called to something else” = breakthrough.

    The Breakthrough Path

    I started off this exploration with boredom and burnout. But when I realized there is a possibility of Breakthrough as well, I started thinking and here was what that search resulted in:

    • Micro-pivots: Can you shift your role, audience, or medium without quitting everything?
    • Creative friction: Lean into the discomfort. Journal. Talk to mentors. Let the questions breathe.
    • Spiritual grounding: Practices like meditation, self-inquiry, or even reading the Gita can help you distinguish ego-driven escape from soul-driven evolution.

    The mind wants clarity. The soul speaks in signals.

    Burnout says, “You need rest.”

    Boredom says, “You need challenge.”

    Breakthrough says, “You need truth.”

    In the next blog, we’ll explore how to reignite interest. It is not forcing motivation, but by reconnecting with what truly matters.

  • The Silent Drift: When Passion Quietly Slips Away

    It is a 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.

    Read my old blog on the similar concept. Circumstances – are you a victim or a victor?

    This was one of my learnings based on an interesting book The Three Laws of Performance.

    Circumstances – are you a victim or a victor?

    You don’t wake up one day and say, “I’m done.” 

    It’s subtler than that.

    It starts with a skipped morning ritual. A meeting you once led with fire now feels like a checkbox. The work you once loved becomes… well, tolerable. And slowly, without alarms or announcements, the inner engine stalls.

    I’ve seen this in boardrooms and classrooms. In CXOs and students. In myself.

    But why does it happen?

    The Psychology of Disinterest

    Research in behavioral science calls it anhedonia – the loss of interest or pleasure in things that once mattered. But in real life, it’s rarely clinical. It’s cumulative.

    • Micro-disappointments: A string of unmet expectations; promotions that didn’t come, ideas that weren’t heard, relationships that frayed.
    • Misaligned values: When what you do daily drifts too far from what you believe in.
    • Over-optimization: When life becomes a spreadsheet of KPIs, and joy is nowhere on the dashboard.

    We don’t just burn out from doing too much. We burn out from doing too little of what matters.

    Is It Really Disinterest or A Deeper Insight?

    Here’s a contrarian view:  What if losing interest is not a failure – but a signal?

    A signal that your inner compass is working. That your soul is whispering, “This isn’t it.” That your current path, while logical, no longer feels meaningful.

    I’ve seen leaders who walked away from high-paying roles not because they were weak; but because they saw something others didn’t. They sensed the cost of staying misaligned. And they chose differently.

    The First Step Back: Awareness

    Before we talk about solutions, let’s pause.

    If you’re feeling disinterested, don’t rush to fix it. Sit with it. Ask:

    • What part of my life feels heavy?
    • Where am I pretending to care?
    • What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?

    Sometimes, the most strategic move is to stop performing and start listening.

    A Hint of the Spiritual

    In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna doesn’t tell Arjuna to quit the battlefield. He helps him see it differently. The war outside mirrors the war within.

    Maybe your disinterest isn’t a dead end. Maybe it’s a doorway.

    Losing interest isn’t the problem. Losing awareness is. When we stop noticing the drift, we normalize the numbness. But when we notice it, we reclaim choice.

    In the next blog, I’ll explore how to decode this disinterest – how to tell if it’s burnout, boredom, or a call to evolve.

    Until then, pause. Listen. The silence might be saying more than you think.

  • My 4 Pillars of Health: Staying Fit at 45+

    My 4 Pillars of Health: Staying Fit at 45+

    I turned 45 recently! But my annual health report shows that it looks like the report is of someone in his 30s.

    I’m neither a gym freak nor a marathoner. In fact, it is evident that I do not have bulky muscle! I’d like to soon start at least light gym or exercise.

    I’m just like any professional who is fairly at senior position – juggling work, deadlines, targets, city traffic, finding difficult to get time for self or family and any other sort of stress. Additionally, I have gained 3 KGs in last couple of months.

    People asked me – how do you manage to look younger, fitter, healthier than your age? At times, I only thought of my physical appearance, and I responded lightheartedly “looks can be deceptive” and dismissed the question.

    When this question was asked too often I started thinking about possible reasons.

    When I looked deeper, I found four big levers of health:

    1. Genetics – no control, thanks Mom and Dad.
    2. Lifestyle – long hours, stress, traffic, only partly in our hands.
    3. Food – this one matters. At home, we eat balanced, mostly fresh meals. Think dal, sabzi, whole grains, fruits, nuts, everyday real food. Rarely junk. That credit goes to my wife.
    4. Spirituality – my daily anchor, 20+ years of Art of Living practices.

    My this deeper analysis has given me this insight – what could be different in many others vs what I do is combination of above. I have control on some of these and some are God’s gift. I mean parents and wife :).

    What is complete in my control is part of life style, food I eat and my Daily practice of Art of Living Sadhana. I’ve been pretty regular with it since 2004. For the past 20 years, I’ve practiced Sudarshan Kriya, pranayama, meditation – every single day. That consistency has been my anchor. It keeps my stress low, my energy high, my mind clear – and yes, those health numbers reflect it.

    You don’t need extreme diets or punishing workouts. If you anchor yourself in two things – simple, mindful eating and consistent spiritual practice – it can transform your health and your life.

    I would seriously and sincerely recommend – Art of Living Happiness Program and regular practice of the same after the course.

  • Business and the Buddha – Does It Still Stand?

    In 2010 when I started the blog Business to Buddha, my hypothesis was simple – there is a connection between business, economics, management and spirituality. At that time, I found it very logical. But today, I sometimes stop and ask myself – does it still stand true? Or was it only a nice thought to start a blog?

    I go back to Buddha’s teaching of dependent co-arising – we grow when others grow. In business language, this looks like collaboration, co-innovation, ecosystem play. One company wins, but not at the cost of the other, rather both become stronger in the process. In my first blog, I had taken the example of BMW launching Z3 with James Bond movie. Or even in racing – Ferrari and Honda compete, but they push each other to make better cars. Competition, yet mutual growth.

    That is why I felt Business to Buddha makes sense.

    But where does it not work? The reality of quarterly numbers, investor pressure, market share fight – these are not spiritual conversations. Here sometimes compassion or equanimity takes a back seat. You can’t tell your board, “let’s wait for the muddy water to settle before we act.” In these moments, spirituality looks like a luxury.

    Krishna’s Wisdom

    This is where I feel balance is important. If you see Mahabharata – Krishna himself ran away from one war (Jarasandh and Kalayavan, if I recall right) but later encouraged Arjuna to stay and fight at Kurukshetra. Same Krishna, two different situations, two opposite responses. Business also needs that balance. Sometimes retreat, sometimes full action. The wisdom is to know when to do what.

    Chanakya also wrote – artha (economics) and dharma (ethics) go hand in hand. If either is missing, the state collapses. Maybe that’s what we miss today – we run only for artha and leave dharma behind.

    So does Business to Buddha still stand? I’d say yes, but not as a formula, more as a reminder. It is not that every board decision must sound like a sermon of Buddha. Rather, it is about remembering there is a middle path – between hard business realities and human values. Between quarterly pressure and long-term trust.

    The Buddha said walk the middle path. Krishna showed both – running away once, fighting another time. Chanakya tied economics with ethics. Somewhere in between these, lies the balance for us – in boardrooms, in markets, and in our lives.

    Maybe that’s why this blog continues. Not because I have answers, but because I still feel the question is valid – can we connect business with the Buddha? For me, yes – because life itself is this balance.

    Image generated using AI model

  • Hanuman in Ashoka Vatika: A Lesson in Stillness

    Occasionally, I share stories from Indian culture with my daughter – Adviti. Though, we’ve not watched the recently released movie Mahavatar Narsimha, but I have read the story of Bhakt Prahalad in the form of Amar Chitra Katha for her. I wish I get more time with her to explore, once she grows up, it would be the other way round, probably she would not have time for me.

    Last December when we went to couple of cities in Tamil Nadu, we saw strange carving of animals, seeing those I and my sister were discussing – perhaps our ancestors knew genetic modification or mutation etc thus they had animals with body of horse, head of lion and hands of humans etc. These thoughts have been very unique experience for us. My sister and I were discussing probably Indian culture was too evolved with science (say mutation) and inner science – a balance between physical realm and meta physical realm.

    These fascinating ideas are making me read further more Amar Chitra Kathas with my daughter, plus other books on Indian spirituality. I think even more about what can be additional deeper lesson in these stories? So, here is one.

    Hanuman’s wait

    After leaping across the ocean in search of Sita, Hanuman finally finds her – under the Ashoka tree, distressed and surrounded by demons. He’s done the hard part. He’s made the impossible journey.

    But now comes the real test.

    Despite his strength and speed, Hanuman doesn’t leap into action. He doesn’t rush to speak, fight, or “rescue.” Instead, he climbs a tree and waits. Silent. Still. Observing.

    He watches. He listens. He reads her state of mind. He becomes a witness, not a reactor.

    And when the moment is right – when she’s ready – he gently steps forward, offering only what’s needed: a sign of hope.

    Catch the beautiful song from that moment in the animated film Ramayan.

    The Business Parallel

    Sometimes in business, not acting immediately is the most strategic thing you can do.

    • The product is ready, but the market isn’t
    • A deal is in motion, but approvals are stuck
    • The team is tired, and pushing harder will do more harm than good
    • There are conflicts, but you have to wait – like Buddha told Ananda: wait for the water to flow, only then can you fill the flask with fresh and clear water

    The instinct is to jump in, solve, fix, escalate.

    But good leadership often means holding steady. Watching. Listening. Reading the moment before making the move.

    Just like Hanuman did in Ashoka Vatika.

  • Flow Over Fixation

    Mind’s chatter rarely stops. On that fateful day more than a year ago, even though I was riding my two-wheeler, mind was rambling, 9:05 am I will reach home. We will have breakfast, by 10:00 am or so we will take a stroll in the society. By that time Adviti will be back from her dance class. We would get ready by 11:00 am spend some time at home and start for social gathering followed by lunch.

    It was about 9:00 but my mind had already reached lunch time. They say plans are useless but planning is important. I was preparing this plan in my head and in three minutes I was on the ground! Met with a minor accident, or that is what I thought it was. At the hospital I realized it was not a small accident.

    That one thing changed me to a great extent. I make plans, of course I worry for many things too however, I know now that in next second things may change completely. This incident reminded me of my Senior Division NCC days. I was Senior Under Officer of my company 3MP CTI. It was one of the best learning experiences as a leader. I had heard many adventurous stories shared by our trainers and Commanding Officers. One insight stayed with me: even when a plan is thoroughly prepared for field operations, the leader must remain flexible. The officer in command understands that about 70% of the plan is predetermined. The remaining 30% must be adapted based on the situation at hand. So even after planning they keep room for improvisation and course correction.

    If in a life and death situation they can keep their plans fluid, in our day today professional and personal life too we should have that wiggle room for change. However, in our daily rut we miss out on this kind of small yet very important lesson. Take an example, when you go to office on a daily basis, do you change your route often? I recall, I had to fill my car and in the self-chatter while driving I completely missed this small yet very useful thing. We become so mechanical that we miss out on things.

    That two-wheeler ride turned out to be more than just a commute – it became a quiet lesson. In that one moment, life shook me out of the mechanical rhythm we all fall into. Buddhist practice often speaks of mindfulness – being in the now, not being dragged into what’s ahead or behind. That morning, my mind had already reached lunchtime, while my body was still dodging traffic at 9:00 AM.

    We make plans, and we should. But we must also remind ourselves: plans aren’t permanent. I remember my NCC days – our commanding officers always said, “Plan for 70%, keep 30% flexible.” It wasn’t just about military drills; it was deeper. Whether in business strategy or daily life, that 30% flexibility is vital. It’s space for awareness, for course correction, for growth.

    As professionals, as leaders, and even as commuters, the lesson is the same: don’t get locked into habit. That minor looking accident taught me something major – presence matters. Even an ordinary ride can turn into an extraordinary insight, if we’re tuned in.

    We must live with awareness. Not just by the clock or calendar, but by being present to what is.

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