And the Journey of Dharma Begins...

A journey of a lifetime begins with the first step. Welcome to 'Dharma & Dharmasankata'

I have been pregnant with this for a very long time. And I think today is the day when the baby will slowly crawl her way to say, “Hello World”.

Have you seen this amazing indie sci-fi cult movie called ‘The Man from Earth’?

The movie tells a gripping tale of a professor named John Oldman who confesses to his colleagues on the last day of his retirement that he has been living on Earth for the past 14000 years, starting out as a Caveman who has been alive and walking, right from the Upper Palaeolithic age to now.

What follows is a gripping tale of revelations where the professor narrates his fascinating journey through the sands of time, amidst rigorous scrutiny by his science-minded professor friends, who are captivated by the story but struggle to make sense of it.

Today, as I set out to create this new newsletter and birth the sangha to discover my Dharma, while holding the collective tension of the Dharmasankata, I feel like John Oldman in my bones, who is venturing out to tell an improbable story, so rich, so full of possibilities.

How could I possibly ever tell the story of those instincts and fears I carry from the stone age days?

How could I possibly narrate the story of the cultural and religious identities I carry since the day humans decided to narrate inter-subjective collective fictions to make sense of the world?

Inter-subjective collective fictions are those which are shared by more than one conscious mind, say nationality, money etc. I would recommend Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens if you are keen to study this further. How do I narrate the burdens of carrying the middle-class Indo-Anglian self ever since I got schooled in a colonial education system that was originally conceived by Thomas Babington Macaulay?

Is it possible to examine the entire story of the human condition and set out on a personal journey of Svādhyāya?

Svādhyāya is the study of the self. We will explore this deeper,when we talk about Patanjali Yoga Sutras.

I am reminded of how Jawaharlal Nehru described India in his book, Discovery of India.

“She was like some ancient palimpsest on which layer upon layer of thought and reverie had been inscribed , and yet no succeeding layer had completely hidden or erased what had been written previously.”

In a deeper sense, what Nehru said about India, despite his aversion towards India’s past, resonates deeply with me. He might have very well talked about me.

This newsletter is going to be an expedition to discover old treasures with the ebullient energies of a new seeking that can go to any lengths to make sense of myself, the other, and the context I live in.

Btw, this is the working definition of Dharma we will work with as we walk together.

I first learned this simple definition from one of my mentors, Raghu Ananthanarayanan, who single-handedly inspired me to replenish myself through the treasures I inherited from my civilization.

Here is how Raghu once defined Dharma:

Actions that either regenerate that which has fallen, reinstate that which is falling or replenish that which is standing is Dharmic action. An action that simultaneously enlivens me, you and our context is Dharmic.

The word closest to my feeling, as I write these words, evoked by the beauty of Dharma is the quintessential Indic phrase: purana - pura api navam - that which is ancient and also the nascent.

I might sound arrogant saying this. Nevertheless.

What I am setting out to do here is different from most newsletters out there.

At a fundamental level, most newsletters want to satiate the cognitive self, the self which gets a kick by the intellectual energies that are put on display. Most newsletters are content to have readers simply read them.

However, if I am deeply concerned by the dharma of our fragile human existence living in an age of Anthropocene, it is dangerous to satiate the intellect which has taken us so far, humans, on a delusional trip of self-destruction.

We need to move beyond the limitations of the intellect and commune at a deeper level.

Although I am aware of the limitations of this virtual medium, having done enough experiments of self-reflection and inner work over this medium, I am excited about the possibilities that await us.

Before I confound you further, here is a quick summary of what this sangha is, and what it is not.

What this Sangha is

This newsletter and the Sangha that accompanies it is for those who have already set out their masts on a journey of self-discovery. You might want to be a part of this sangha if you…

• …are looking to tap into the wellspring of wisdom inside to make sense of the post-pandemic world.

• …are looking to discover your dharma and meaning in the work you do and the life you live.

• …are playful enough to examine your roots and tradition without binary judgement of sacredness and profanity.

• …are serious about self-reflection and open enough to examine your MBA credentials - your Myths, your Biases, and your Assumptions.

• …can hold your own roots in pride, without being too righteously egotistic.

• …can critically examine your roots, without wallowing leftwards in self-flagellation.

If you are such a person, I will send you something which will deepen your quest for dharma. I hope you will be able to walk with me, as we explore roads unexplored and have fun along the way.

We might explore an old proverb. Or listen together deeply to the Tales of Vikram-Betaal and get in touch with the riddles of human existence. Or experience the process of life creation through Patanjali Yoga sutras. Or get evoked by the ramyam (loose translation: aesthetic beauty) of Thyagaraja Kritis invoking Lord Ram. Or listen in to a deceptively simple story from Mahabharata.

Frankly, there will be lots to explore from Mahabharata as my love affair with Mahabharata continues abated since 2016 when I first fell in love with it. I am reminded of what V.S.Sukthankar once said about Mahabharata.

‘Whether we realize it or not, it remains a fact that we in India still stand under the spell of the Mahabharata. There is many a different strand that is woven in the thread of our civilization, reaching back to our hoary antiquity. It is a dateless and deathless poem….which forms the strongest link between India old and new.

What this Sangha is not

This newsletter and community are not for those who are

• …looking for an easy “take-away” that will be neatly packaged: Seven Lessons, Do’s and Don’ts Advice on Leadership and Management from Mahabharata and Indic Tradition.

• …looking for the next big million dollar opportunity to make money in packaging traditional indic wisdom as the next big thing.

• ...not willing to trust the context you are in and the unique intelligence you are blessed to discover your purpose and meaning.

• ..not willing to be concerned about the human condition.

• ..not ready to reflect inward and deeply listen to oneself and the other.

Energy Commitment

As I am going to invest a significant amount of life energy to produce this newsletter, I am making this a paid newsletter. I consider this as an energy commitment that we are making together as we walk on this path. However, I don’t want to offer a fixed amount.

I want to run this in the spirit of the gift economy. (Call it pay forward if you will).

I never had to pay a penny for some of the most valuable advice I got from dear friends and mentors. You are invited to offer from your heart what you are called to create this Sangha together.

I want to make this community accessible to everyone, irrespective of their economic circumstances. Your contributions will provide income support to cut down my consulting work.

More than the quantum of contribution, what matters to me is the spirit behind the offering. So any heartfelt contribution is fine with and gratefully received. If you are feeling compelled to offer anything, you are most welcome to reach out to me.

Thank you!

What to Expect

• I will mail the Sangha articles infrequently with graphic illustrations to understand core indic ideas and concepts that I have been exploring and work with the questions it offers us for our Svādhyāya. I am using the word ‘infrequently’ consciously for a reason. I want to do this not out of compulsion. I want to do it when I feel truly evoked.

• I will host fortnightly/monthly live Google Meet sessions (or a Discord audio channel, depending on the number of people who sign up) with the community members to listen in without any agenda, and hold a sensitive space for all of us to listen to the deeper struggles and dharmasankatas we are holding in living the life we live.

I am open to new ideas. We could explore so many things together. I have been learning Chanting of Taittriya Upanishad for the past six months. We could chant or have a Satsang (in company with the truth) together. The possibilities are endless.

Let me end this introduction with a crucial point. This is not a project for me.

This is a life commitment I foresee doing for the rest of my life. I hope to see some of you walk this journey together.