I always cared for recognition, which was a materialistic pursuit. I wanted to attain peaks however treacherous are the mountain paths. I had always believed in a change, and a change for the better of the existing environment including my work envoironment, in whatever I did. I always believed that destiny is the creation and fruit of one’s hard labour.
I had worked in various organizations in various capacities. While the 7th and 8th Plan were on, certain projects exclusively created at Karwar like Karwar port, Konkan Railway connectivity, Kadamba naval Base, Kaiga atomic plant, I had an important role as Economic Analyst, in projecting Karwar and its expected growth. I had very interesting assignments during my Confederation of Indian Industry days, where the vortex of industrialists and India’s hi-fi entrepreneurs were part and parcel of this body. I experimented plethora of activities while in Indo-American Chambers of Commerce, a bi-national Chamber. There are many Chambers and trade Associations in Chennai, and the spirit de corpse amongst the Organizatonal Secretaries was something unique; they were a fraternity with personal bondings! My tenure at Tirupur Exporters Association under a dynamic president A Sakthivel peaked my visibility. My Advisorship with Coir Board, and Coconut Development Board, took the exports of coir and Coconut to the pinnacle. These two products gained considerable visibility against 0% visibility in the third millennium. I also had assignments with pricewaterhouseCoopers, which was really interesting. I learnt what professional touch was.
With good scrores written in the so called chequered career of mine, I was on cloud nine, though they meant nothing. Zero is Zero and Zero is also infinity. How it could be, you may well ask. I am no mathematician, hence cannot explain.
During my different life tenures, I have always seen that ‘stupidity was always rewarded, and sincere performance was always scorned.’ Unworthy got the spotlight while the hard work of some got total neglect.
When you near 60, you get into the mood of mystic, felt the great bard of Stafford Avon (in his poem Seven Stages of Man). You become silent and believe that sublime is in devotion or in listening to discourses or practice of yoga, saddhana, and yoga with mediation. But others believe in caring and giving and longing for helping others who are in search of help. There are various forms of manifestations of munificence.
I was less engaged in working out ideas that could become products having economic value. That was pure materialism. My wife Indira was very serious about meditation. She believed in the doctrine of dharma, karma and vision for attainment of self realization. She had travelled the world, met saints, sages, powerful personalities. She was a regular visitor to the libraries not only in various cities of India, even in the far away United states. She read. Re-read. Gathered more and more information of the values. She was fascinated by the famous land marks of divine abode, and other mysterious temples which were steeped in history. India lived through its Masters. The propound wisdom of these Masters were transferred from the master to the discipline and then to his discipline, etc. The world or the universe was within. This inner atman can do anything, go anywhere, and do the impossible. There is nothing impossible, said Napoleon the great general of France. Yes; he was right.
There have been many authours, who have penned the story of Himalayas, and the saga of many rishis and yogis who have lived for 4 to 5 centuries have been recaptured in these lively narrations. I have read many books relating to the Himalayan stories, and the contents revel that the great masters and seers seem to be in pursuit of taking the world to a nobler path, which is desirable and needed today, more than ever.
My wife had an interesting meeting with Rosalind Edith Williams (1903-1996) who along with her husband D Rajgopal along with Jiddu Krishnamurthy founded the Happy Valley School, Ojai, California, USA. Also associated with this institution was Guide Ferrando, Aldous Huxley. Jiddu Krishnamurthy was a great spiritual guru, who had various experiences and has written many books which were of international repute. All these people were associated with Annie Besant of theosophical society fame, a great fighter for India’s independence. Aldous Huxley has written a book “After Many a summer (1939), and modeled the character of Virgina, which was the life story of Rosalind.
My wife met with Rosalind in Ojai and was fortunate to have spent some time wit her. After my wife’s return from Ojai, she wrote a letter to Rosalind, and her reply in her own hand addressed to my wife in India shows her concern for a person who met her for an hour or so.[Letter scanned and re-produced)
This told me that humility, whoever great can be the man, confers greatness on the person who imparts it sincerely. Great people have great traits, which simple people cannot copy. But their ideals are worth emulation. I respect Rosalind for her great simplicity, humility and compassion. Such people are rare.
