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[email protected]Does it ever come in the way of your decision
making as a businessman? It is considered
that one has to be quite shrewd to succeed in
business.
Well, I think what you are referring to is how one
has to step on others sometimes to succeed in
business—by hurting others or causing them
pain, right? I believe if one has to hurt others to
succeed in business, then even from a moralistic
point of view I would not do it, let alone the
spiritual part. There is no reason why one
should step on others to make profit or to grow.
Yet, at the same time, if I have to fight somebody
in business, then I think that I have a spiritual
armour which makes me more protected and
more blessed than my rivals. Therefore, if I
feel that what I am doing is right and am siding
with the truth, then it doesn’t matter who I
am fighting with. I will have stronger faith in
my ability to succeed than the person who is
fighting me because I know that I am fighting for
what is right.
What is the reason for your sangfroid? One
has never seen you raising your voice on your
colleagues.
In spirituality, it is easy to preach and think
of not losing one’s temper, but the real deal
is to practice it. My practice is that if you can
do something to change a situation, then do it,
and if you can’t do anything to change it, then
accept it. What other option is there? Why
should I lose sleep over it and get angry or
upset about it?
Do you fear that your leniency might lead
to slackness or inefficiency from your
employees?
If someone is not putting in his best efforts,
they are damaging themselves more than me
because they are blocking their own growth.
Which means that if they are getting into a
habit, then they would do the same in any other
organisation they go to. And they won’t be
able to grow as much as they would like to. My
expectation from all those who work with me
is that they should be sincere in their job and
do everything to fulfil it. They are not school
kids who should be punished. For that matter,
even school children don’t respond well to
punishment; they rebel or go the opposite way.
Strictness will only cause them to hide things
and you won’t come to know what is actually
happening.Do you ever fear losing all that you have?
No. If I lose all that I have, it would mean that it’s
time to go for my sadhana—to the mountains
somewhere in a cave, and spend the rest of my
time in spiritual pursuits. It will be a blessing
from God.Please share a memorable anecdote as the
publisher of Life Positive.
I was at a retreat in Bangalore about four to
five years ago. Life Positive had come out with
a special issue on love. At this retreat, I had
kept a few copies of LP at the reception. While
I was quietly having tea, a lady approached
me. She told me that she had just read the
magazine and somebody had told her that
I was its publisher. I nodded in agreement.
She continued, ‘You know, God cannot be
everywhere; that’s why he makes people like
you!’ It was very overwhelming for me. For a
moment, I didn’t know what to tell her.
There have been a couple of times when
people have told me that LP has actually saved
their lives. They were about to commit suicide,
but they changed their mind after accidentally
reading the magazine. Incidents like these
give me the impetus to continue to publish Life
Positive regardless of the hurdles that come
its way.Close Encounter 23