Business to the Buddha

Search results for: “education”

  • Arranged marriages

    Yesterday I received a call from unknown number – Hello, is that Pravin? Yes I said. “I’m Ms Gautam [name changed], we connected that time etc”. We talked for about 10 min, that lady (though belonging to the Art of Living community) almost abused many unknown AoL devotees.

    The lady never told name of her daughter. Yes that is true. I was contacted earlier, that time too she circumvented the question. This “arranged marriage” is a strange business – watch video below. Before you select whom you like, you first select he/she should be from which caste, what education and yes even at some place “salary”!? I was watching “Timepass” a Marathi movie recently. Two kids in their teens fall in love watch movie for what happens next. The movie ended with same questions on my face. We decide caste, social status and status first rather than the choice of guy and the girl. Things are very subjective and here goes my story.

    http://youtu.be/c6luYXhpXuI

    I registered on renowned matrimonial sites of India. I know they are in business, yet their constant push bugged me. It was bit disappointing, when they called me during weekdays. Anyways, what frustrated me using those sites was – stereotypical approach of considering me of one community rather than a prospective educated groom. I have written about it earlier too, especially against hypocrisies of my community – Lingayats.

    I came across two sites and thus deleted my profile at traditional sites. The sites are – ibluebottle.com and ZoobyDooby.com (ZD). Both are different, interesting and refreshing.

    BlueBottle is good but wants salary to be disclosed (seems awkward if one makes selection of bride/groom on salary as first criteria!). Second, you cannot search and connect on BlueBottle. BlueBottle has full personality test; what is the guarantee that someone will be able (intentionally or unintentionally) to answer all subjective questions correctly. On the other hand, ZD has a poor interface and is slow. The positives – BlueBottle puts profession as primary whereas ZD gives you chance to go through profiles. Especially ZD does a wonderful task of matching interests and profile interaction (Facebook profiling) based on an analytical engine. Watch the video how ZD works here.

    Just to give you an example – I follow the Art of Living and first person I see on ZD matches is a devotee of AoL. Is not is surprising and interesting? Let me add – when we search prospective bride/groom, we do it based on what we think we like. However, ZD learns from our social network and helps us interact and discover. Interestingly it’s free!

    I believe we are all born equal (unlike Hinduism’s caste system based divide). I feel good when I see ZD and BlueBottle believing and doing things accordingly. In long run it would help our society to get away from our “preconceived” notions of what we should like and towards what we naturally prefer.

    Disclaimer – company in which I work has invested in ZoobyDooby

  • Race – never ending

    I met Professor Arun Ramanathan a few months back (precisely in April). He taught us Corporate Governance and Business Ethics in our MBA. I told him a very practical daily situation I face. Whenever I walk, I am almost running, I notice that I walk very fast that I leave people behind as if there is a kind of competition happening. I am running to – say – win some competition.

    Courtesy Nilesh Yeram (my friend)
    Courtesy Nilesh Yeram (my friend)

    Why are we doing this? Am I alone in this kind of running (not just literal) without knowing where is the end or many professionals – like I do – are just running. Some running for money, some for a next bigger car or home, some others for a better position. Or is it that when people are young they just get in a race, a race no one knows who started but a race in which other peers are also equally involved (at least in the runners mind)? This is how ethics gets shelved in our personal and professional life. We are trying to be something. Is it of any consequence or what are the accolades related to that? It is of no interest in many cases. So the mentality is by hook or crook achieve the results.

    Two weeks back Rajagopaul uncleji shared a story with me. This perfectly relates to my discussion with Prof Ramanathan, so, sharing it here.

    Race

    I was jogging one day and I noticed a person in front of me, about 1/4 of mile. I could tell he was running a little slower than me and I thought, well, I shall try to catch him. I had about a mile to go my path before I needed to turn off. So I started running faster and faster. Every block, I was gaining on him just a little bit. After just a few minutes I was only about 100 yards behind him, so I really picked up the pace and push myself. You would have thought I was running in the last leg of London Marathon. I was determined to catch him.

    Finally, I did it! I caught and passed him by. On the inside I felt so good. “I beat him” of course, he didn’t even know we were racing. After I passed him, I realized I had been so focused on competing against him that I had missed my turn. I had gone nearly six blocks past it. I had to turn around and go all the way back.

    Isn’t that what happens in life when we focus on competing with co-workers, neighbors, friends, family, trying to outdo them or trying to prove that we are more successful or more important?

    We spend our time and energy running after them and we miss out on our own paths. The problem with competition is that it’s a never ending cycle. There will always be somebody ahead of you, someone with better job, nicer car, more money in the bank, more education, better behaved children, etc. But realize that “You can be the best that you can be; you are not competing with anyone.”

    Some people are insecure because they pay too much attention to what others are doing, where others are going. Take what has been given to you. Stays focused and live a healthy life. Run your own RACE and wish others WELL!!!

    Is not it a good thing to learn?

    Other related blogs

    Chinu and the pebbles

    Money worth earning

    Swasthay – dwelling in oneself

    What more you need?

    When will we stop?

    Why are you doing what are you doing?

  • Border-less world

    Let us imagine, a border-less world. A world where

    Source - http://praditaastarina.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/170580815_bbdabc8038.jpg
    Border-less world

    1. people can move from one place to the other without Visas
    2. goods and services can be bought and sold without import/export duties
    3. education is free (at least basic education)
    4. people would be free to do what they want to do (not taking law in their hand though)

    I believe both the leading economic “-isms” and many spiritual/religious “-isms” have been trying to do that for years.

    The economic “-ism” are capitalism and socialism. Socialists want this by making a world a single big society where everyone is working for the society. Capitalists are trying to do it through Washington Consensus and IMF. Until now the results have been failure. Russia failed, China becoming a capitalist USA (being protectionist) walking on the way to become more socialistic. Seems There could be a middle path where both these -isms are together.

    Religious groups “-ism” are Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism etc. Christianity wants the world to be Christan, Islam talks about Universal brotherhood. I am not sure about the other two asking people to convert to their religion though. However, Hinduism talks about Vasidhev Kutumbakam. Vasidhev Kutumbakam means one world family. But the idea all over the world is unity and unifying the world in different ways.

    All this is failing because – the ulterior motives are money or fan following (I mean increasing number of followers of the religion).  Since both they ways seem not working, what if we turn to something else, no politician, no economist and no religious group to lead. People leading the people’s movement!

    Take the following case – Social media for social service, crowd sourcing based funding (crowd funding) and initiatives such as Janlokpal (India), Occupy Wall Street (USA), Jasmin revolution (Tunisia) and Tahrir square (Egypt) etc. If people are empowered yet are asked not to encroach on others freedom. What if we really become an educated world, without politics, without divisions, without borders.

    This may happen if we remove ego and greed from our society!

    Image Source – http://praditaastarina.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/170580815_bbdabc8038.jpg (Apologies for delayed update, it was updated in the image description but not visible on view)

  • MBA is not about Money, Blazer, Arrogance

    Recently one of my friends – Krishna Kranthi has written a novel – “MBA is not about Money, Blazer, Arrogance“. Generally I don’t read fiction but the title of the novel made me read it. It is an interesting read and good authorship for a first time novelist. I liked it so much that I almost completed it in single reading. Many MBA students feel the same as the protagonist in “MBA is not… “. Only a few not only think but also write about it. Yet only a few not only write but also live the lessons learnt through this soul search, Krishna is one. Take an example – whatever small profit earned through the sell of the novel would go to an NGO. A very noble cause – who and how many think and act like that?

    In the novel, the protagonist asks pertinent questions. The protagonist – somewhat confused and a lot more explorer – is trying to search for the real purpose of the MBA. If I take the freedom to extend the realm – searching for the real purpose of life! The book is very good read for all students (not just MBAs) – it may help them find the objective for doing what they are doing?

    When I am writing this, I am reading “Globalization and its discontents” by Prof Joseph Stiglitz. I see through these books and connect the two things. I realized that there are more things beyond the ivory towers of AC rooms and excel sheets of calculations (as we MBAs are generally absorbed in). That something is – the drought stricken Marathwada Maharashtra (read Mumbai mirror Sunday 17th feb 13) etc. There is hope, there is opportunity for all of us to think beyond our own small goals. The opportunity to do something good for the society as a whole.

    —-
    There are two kinds of people. The Preservative and the Transformer. The Preservatives are trying to protect the status-quo, while the Transformers are trying to do something new update / innovate / improve and do something worth for self and society.

    I see a transformer in Krishna a different fellow who is different from the preservators. Who has asked few core questions for education (MBA). I think readers can find their own selves in the protagonist of novel and do some soul searching while reading the novel.

  • What difference will it make?

    I recently got involved with a project with the Art of Living. The project is based on the upliftment of residents of Dharavi. So, I just happened to visit the website of Dharavi School of the Art of Living. When I read this story on the site, I thought that this I would share on my blog.  Here is the story….

    The story of Starfish

    A small boy was walking along a beach with his grandfather. Every now and then he would pick up a starfish strewn on the beach and throw it back into the ocean.

    His grandfather watched for some time and then impatiently said, “Son, what are you doing? There are so many starfish. What difference will it make?”

    The small boy picked up one more starfish, looked at it, and throwing it back into the ocean said to his grandfather, “It makes a difference to this one! This one will live.”

    Often we are saddened, overwhelmed and paralyzed by the enormity of a task. But like the small boy, each one of us can make a difference to someone.

    The website concludes –

    The children of Dharavi are much like the starfish: strewn aside by circumstance and society. You can bring them back into the mainstream. Give them an education delivered with affection. They too can make a difference to this world. Wouldn’t you like to give them a chance? To know more about the school  Click here. To contribute to the school Click here!

    Source – http://www.dharavischool.org/the_starfish_story.html

  • Durgasakha – an organization

    Last week I went on trekking with an organization named Durgasakha. First thing first – thank you to my friends Abhishek Ranjan Jha and Santosh Jagtap to pull me and registering me for the same and thanks to the Durgasakha team. It was a great experience and a good outing after long work hours and weeks. Beyond a break from work, why I enjoyed this trek is also the reason of why I am writing this blog.

    Tringlewadi Igatpuri

    I liked this organization, thanks to Abhi, Subodh and Nene Kaka who informed about the mission of this organization during the trek. Durgasakha is a Hindi/Mararthi word which means – Friends of forts. The organization came into existence as a group who were trekking enthusiasts. Slowly these guys realized that few group visit these forts and litter here and there. So, one thought – to keep forts clean (source of water and temples on the fort) whenever they visit there – came in mind. Plantation and finding history of the place etc. Well, initially any person may think that it is a good thought and perhaps every trekking group would want to do that. This organization goes beyond it.

    This group took another initiative, to help underprivileged yet bright kids, question was how? This initial thought was materialized on two levels, one to distribute used cloths etc – I will come on the ETC in some time – to the interior areas of Maharashtra. The ETC part was – people are moving from CRT TVs to LED/LCD TVs so if those old TVs can be distributed to schools of the interior areas with educational CD and CD players that would help learning of these kids. A fact was, this group – currently – does not take any cash donations in general from anyone, any profit from the trekking events go to sustaining these activities of helping the villagers. Is not it interesting? These people are no ‘corporate bigwig’, these guys are like many of us, who are working in Mumbai struggling in trains on daily basis, for example.

    One other friend of mine – Nitin Chandorkar – was with me on the trek. He suggested “I am of the opinion that we should not just give them facilities but also make them self reliant” (give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, you teach him how to fish and you feed him for life). A very good thought, to our surprise the group – Durgasakha – has already started and done that too. Few Namkins we took on trek were from similar organization they are trying to nurture.

    After this trek I was thinking to write about this experience. I was wondering one does not need to be politician or very rich to do something for the society. What is needed is – preparation of heart and mind or desire to do something. I remember few lines of a Hindi Song – …’Mushkil nahi hai kuchh bhi, agar thhan lijiye’ मुश्किल नहीं है कुछ भी अगर ठान लीजिये. Nothing is difficult if you are committed!

  • The world is imperfect!

    When I was in my teens, I wanted to change a lot of things. The political system, the education system and even the social system of India. This was furthered by the program – the Big Fight of Rajdeep Sirdesai. Once my father told me – “world will remain the same, it was same at the time of the Buddha (people pelted stones on him, conspired against him), it was same at the time of Kabir. Jesus was crucified, Mira poisoned and so was Osho. The world still, is the same and would remain the same. Why do you want to change the world? Look at yourself and why do not you think of changing yourself.”

    My father is right the world is the same and will remain the same. The need of the hour is to change oneself, because everything starts with ‘I’ and surprisingly everything ends with ‘I’ (earlier blog on Forbidden word). Is not it an irony? I did not understand the deeper level of my fathers message for a long long time. Many ‘I” create the world, and each single ‘I’, has its own definition of ‘perfect’. Interestingly, the definition of perfect keeps on changing and therefore, the single definition of a perfect does not remain intact within the mind of ‘I’. This starts one conflict then the other and so on. The conflicts are -at least – as many as the ‘I’ in the world.

    The world is imperfect, the world will remain imperfect or perhaps we – as individuals – are not attuned to accept it and live with it. Effectively, perhaps we – as individuals – are not perfect. I think this is why we suffer and perhaps this is where the Buddha started on the four noble truth – there is suffering, there is cause of suffering, there is a solution and lastly ‘the path’. I believe, the suffering is not because of the world, but because we see things as we want to see and when something does not work according to our logic we feel the world is imperfect.

    Related blog based on The book of Mirdad – Ego and Forbidden word

  • Syādvāda – The Doctrine of Postulation

    I had written about this earlier, however thought to revisit the same again. What is the meaning of system when it is not solving the required purpose? Let us take the same example again from my previous post Lost in translation. What is the meaning of grammar (System) if the language (Following the system) is not able to communicate the message using the grammer?

    To make my point further clear, let me take recent developments in India. In case of Anna Hazare, the Government was shouting about the SYSTEM in place, “THE SUPREME PARLIAMENTARY PROCESS” and therefore was not relenting to the rightful issue of sentiments of the common man of India. What is the use of such process which is not listening to the voices of people, and we call it DEMOCRACY! At the same time, Supreme court of India has kept death sentences (ruled in favor of High Court) for Killer of Mr Rajiv Gandhi and Afzal Guru (involved in parliament attack of 2003), let me repeat – Supreme Court of India. Yet for many years they are in jails of India. Now, the system of respecting the Supreme Court is not followed. What kind of SYSTEMS we are talking about?

    A man/woman – actually killer in some sense – is in jail not receiving the fruits of his/her crime, why because we can do away with some systems selectively to suit our benefits. At the same time a man (Anna) – who is fighting for a cause – is given rule-book and all sorts of stories of systems, stating what he is doing is not in favor of democracy. What nonsense! Are not these systems making us handicap rather than helping us? Is the system making us feel – in India, you can get away with murders too?

    Reiterating this from my earlier blog – …I am not arguing against systems. I am just trying to say that one has to answer the question – why at first place we designed systems?

    1. to facilitate operations of society (in case of religion, culture and laws)
    2. to facilitate operations of work (in case of businesses).

    Inputs from Prof Mankad on need of system –
    3. to facilitate understanding of the present and formulating vision for the future (in case of education)
    4. to facilitate orderly day to day living for people, ensure fairness in dealings, security and openness (in case of governance, transparency and judiciousness). At times, systems are inadequate too.

    And therefore my stand is no spiritual teacher advocated “create a religion in my name” …and do business on the same. They just showed the path, I recall Mahavir (one of the messengers of Jainism) used ‘Syādvāda’. What I understand about ‘Syādvāda’* is – this is true and that is also true. Everything is based on relativity. Systems are correct if they solve the basic purpose, if they do not – better to change them. Everything of 12th century (or Before Christ) may not be relevant today better abolish some of them, right? So, relevance is important and thus the doctrine of postulation… systems are correct but in context, be it democracy of India. Mahavir said that 500 years BC (Before Christ), we are still not listening/learning, are we?

    More on Syādvāda in future blogs.

    *Note – it is purely my understanding and please do your research for references

  • Red pill

    These dialogs of the Movie Matrix are very dear to me. The Matrix in Hindi was translated as Mayajaal. Maya means illusion. When this movie was released I was doing my Engineering and by chance I was learning about control systems, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computer Networks. I along with one of my friends Vijayant Thakur did extensive work on the same.

    When I watched that movie, I could relate to so many things of my education that I started thinking that one day I will make my own AI based matrix :). Finally, I did my major project thesis on AI. Besides the technical aspects of the movie, it touched me on a spiritual levels too. Though I did not and (feel do not) understand spirituality much, I could feel some very strange relation between technology and spirituality. I thought to put the blog on Matrix because of the following few sentences of another beloved book of mine – Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama (page 62).

    “… My master said that avidya means individual ignorance while maya is both individual and cosmic illusion. Ma means ‘no’ and ya means ‘that’. That which is not self-existent yet appears to exist, like mirage, is called maya. Then he explained another school fo philosophy which maintains that maya is universal illusion and also the mother of the universe…”

    In the movie The Matrix the same happens – a universal illusion is created which makes people feel that it is the year 1999.

    The dialogs which I am sure many people know and admire (hats off to the screenplay and dialog writers).

    “Don’t think you are KNOW you are!” – and very interestingly this statement of Morpheus is contrary to Greek philosophy – Cogito Ergo Sum!. That is where difference between philosophies of East and West comes alive.

    “Com’on don’t TRY to hit me and HIT me.” Do not TRY, DO it.
    “The body cannot live without the mind.”
    “I’m trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You’re the one that has to walk through it.”

    I used to tell my friends if given a chance to work in that movie, I would want to play the role of Morpheus rather than Neo. I enjoyed watching the movie, it relates to us on different levels and specially to us in professional and spiritual life. For example –

    [Conditions applied] One should do what one is passionate about (believes in) – Neo takes ‘red pill’ to know about the Matrix. [As long as one is not hurting the others privacy and not killing other – read terrorism].

    …Take a ‘red pill’ and see how deep the rabbit hole goes…

  • Next is what?

    I was reading a newspaper, the question came in mind – next is what? For a moment Samsung mobile advertisement came in my mind. So keep guessing, next is what for Samsung (off late for Nokia too)? Jokes apart, the question is serious, forward looking and for soul searching.

    The question is very natural, after completing graduation person asks him/herself – what next further education or a job? The question is still there and will always be there in our mind – thinking species.

    In terms of existence and growth of an organization this question is apparent. Organizations think of short term and long term strategies, I have heard some plan for next 25-50 years too and they do it sincerely every year. So, the question “Next is what?” is an eternal, perennial question.

    Next is what, was the question at the time of independence for India. Singapore became a part of bigger Malay nation in 1960’s with a vision of The Next. Though it failed, what makes us feel really great about Singapore is – the vision of Mr Lee Kuan Yew. He rose to the occasion and see where is Singapore in forty years of its independence. Singapore has emerged as an economic power and hub for Asia Pacific, I admire leadership skills of Mr Yew.

    Next is what? is the question currently for Egypt too. What we learnt in strategy planning is – scenario planning and what.. if analysis. Egypt needs an able leader one similar to Mr Yew of Singapore and make long term agile strategies and take short term actions to realize those plans.

    After Egypt, Algeria, Yemen and Bahrain are protesting, “Next is what?” for Egypt is the question to ask and this is equally pertinent for these other countries. We will see the results in coming time.

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