From Electrical Engineering to Enlightenment

As a child, I had always wanted to be an electrical engineer. I loved the discipline and all the thrills that came with it. The first electrical device that I made out of scarp materials was a simple electric doorbell for my home. The first ring on it was so sweet and divine! I wrote 'PRESS' beneath the pushbutton so that no visitor can miss it!

The next project was a crystal radio set. It was assembled out of assorted materials including my mom’s favorite rolling pin that served as the core cylinder for the radio frequency tuner. My father got me a pair of headphones salvaged from an army depot. When I first heard the broadcast from the local Pune radio station, I jumped with joy. I felt proud to have achieved something great - like having won the nobel prize!

Eventually, my childhood dream took shape into reality. I graduated in electrical engineering from the then famous century-old College of Engineering in Pune. I was blessed to learn from the best of Gurus. Who can ever forget the teaching of Prof. Virkar who was the head of electrical engineering department? 

My passion pursued into working for one of the largest electrical companies in India. Over the years, I was pushed up in the managerial ladder and one day I found myself completely out of electrical engineering. But then, my heart yearned for something that could sustain my curiosity into the unknown power – like electricity that you don’t see but it does wonders!

When I took a walk this morning, I heard the noise of geese from the sky. It was a flock of geese flying in beautiful symmetry like you see the air planes flying in formation at air shows. How wonderful is this creation!

I believe in the existence of a great unseen creator, and I think He is very intelligent.  The complexity and beauty of His creations are just amazing. I like to probe into the unknown and share the excitement with other interested humans. In the process, I too have a great opportunity to get enlightened.

So, in recent years, I have taken to the study of some of the most ancient scriptures handed down to us by our ancestors through centuries.

I enjoy my work – it is as glamorous and exciting as the study of electrical engineering! I hope it lights up some lives around the world.

The Miracle of Manjakudi

Swami Dayanand Saraswathi

Ever heard of Manjakudi? Well, it is a small village located on the banks of the river Cauveri in Tiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu near the city of Kumbakonam in South India. Thanks to my dear friend Dr. Sureshwara, my wife and I had an opportunity to visit this village - the birthplace of the well-known Indian monk Sri Dayanand Saraswathi. Our visit was facilitated by Sri Rajagopal, a disciple of Dayanand Saraswathi, a senior manager of Wipro, and a wonderful human being! It was very nice of him to conduct us through the facilities in Manjakudi village. 

Manjakudi is one of the few villages in India where excellent educational facilities are now made available from kindergarten to graduate programs. Built and administered by Swami Dayananda Education Trust (SDET), Manjakudi has spacious primary and high schools, a college that offers undergraduate and graduate programs in arts and sciences, a Veda Paatashaala where all the four Vedas are taught in Gurukulam style, a large auditorium, vast playgrounds and a library.  

Wipro's BPO at Manjakudi

A Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) center of Wipro Technologies is functioning from an independent air-conditioned building. Launched in 2011, Wipro's Manjakudi Development Centre is a successful result of its tie up with SDET.  

Other notable facilities in Manjakudi include a Goshaala (cow shed)  with local and cross-breed cows that yield about 100 litres of organic milk every day, a vermi-composting project that converts organic waste into compost, and a large herbal garden growing medicinal plants.

Higher Educational Facilities

SDET not only provides quality education but also creates employment opportunities to the rural folks in Manjakudi itself to minimize their migration to cities. This way, the rural economy seems to have improved significantly with a large floating population streaming in everyday from neighbouring cities. Some of the city folks have migrated to this village – like the security guard I met who had moved from Bangalore after living there for over 20 years. 

Manjakudi is indeed a miracle! It is a clear demonstration of transforming a sleepy village into a busy hub of educational and economic activities. Swami Dayananda Saraswathi’s dream is now a reality. Manjakudi is indeed a superb model worth replicating in some of India’s other villages. 

We left Manjakudi with our hearts filled with abundant joy and our bellies with sumptuous South Indian vegetarian meals served on banana leaf!

On Doing Nothing

With my six-year old hyperactive grandson away from home, I felt I had nothing to do. He always kept himself and me engaged. Not having anything to do made him get 'bored' and so, the flame of activity has to be always lighted. Without him, I suddenly found a strange dullness creeping into me.

Contrary to what many people may think, doing nothing is not easy. You need to experience it. As a child, the worst punishment I ever suffered was to sit silently facing a wall! The American version of it is called 'time out'- a punishment to a misbehaving kid in which the child is temporarily forced to remain silent in a single spot. The anguish of forcing someone to be seated silent and do nothing seems far worse than any physical punishment.

I pondered over 'doing nothing.' In doing so, I recalled Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi's two famous words "Shumma Iru." It literally means 'Be Still' or 'Keep Quiet.' Silence is said to be the Highest teaching of Bhagavan. 'Shumma Iru' is the state of absolute stillness, without deeds, words, and even thoughts. In other words, Do Nothing! Perhaps, a blank slate is the best place to begin something new or feel afresh. It is believed that in this state of stillness, one can experience a feeling of bliss in the mind in its pure state.

The great Sufi poet Rumi wrote, "Only let the moving waters calm down, and the sun and moon will be reflected on the surface of your being.

Most of us are used to having our minds occupied all the time. We seldom take any time to pause, to reflect over things, or even to just think. To many, life seems to be a nonstop sequence of activities.

Are there any benefits of 'doing nothing'?  Many saints and philosophers have attested to the benefits of doing nothing but engage oneself with self-introspection. By doing so, you have a chance to grow spiritually, discover your own strengths and weaknesses, and decide upon what you really want to do.

So, after all, doing nothing is not that bad. May be you should try spending sometime doing nothing!

Give your mind a break by observing "Shumma Iru." Enjoy your own 'Do Nothing' vacation!

Code of Conduct

During my recent trip to Kumbakonam in South India, my wife and I took the opportunity of visiting many rural areas around. It was one of the most satisfying vacations that we ever had.

Picture of a Poster

In this trip, my objective was not merely to visit the temples but to learn more about the lifestyle of people in the villages. What’s most interesting is to observe how the rural people make a living and how happy they are given the poverty in their lives. In pursuit of my mission, I went trekking on the narrow Mangudi-Konakkarai road close to the banks of Cauvery river. The rough clumsy road had clutters of huts lined on either side surrounded by dense trees almost like a rain forest. The journey provided me opportunities to meet with many rural folks. They seemed very happy, merrily engaged in weaving, picking flowers, drying coconuts and doing such mundane jobs. None complained about life. Some of the kids playing around were wearing only their beautiful smiles. A lady was carrying several cut stems of banana trees. I bought from her four pieces and gave her Rs.20. She declined the Rs 20 note and said 'Please give me Rs.10 only. It is more than enough and I do not want more.' Her words left me stunned. It reflected a code of conduct and supreme contentment. How exactly she had inherited such a code of conduct and contentment? 

The clue came from a poster that I saw on the walls of one of the huts (see picture). It was an announcement of the 1341st birthday of a king called the third suvaramara muthraiyer. The local people said that they belonged to a community called 'Muthraiyar' and were followers of the great tradition set by a King Mutharaja, a renowned chieftain who lived sometime in 5th or 6th century A.D. This king himself was believed to be a descendant of Kannappa Nayanar, a great devotee of Lord Shiva, who offered his own eyes to replace the bleeding eyes on the Shivalingam (see right corner of picture). The code of conduct set by this king included honesty, truth, and service to others. I was told that the community living there was very peaceful, contented and the incidence of thefts or other crimes was negligible.

Think about it! How different are our urban attitudes, and how indifferent are the most educated people?

Having a personal code of conduct is a powerful source of contentment to help you respond to challenging life situations. Judging by Western or Urban standards, the poor rural folks I saw near Kumbakonam had really no reasons to be happy. Yet they were supremely happy and lived on their own terms! Is there a lesson for us to learn from them?