Success is on every business leader’s lips. But the tools to achieve it are not always clearly understood, according to 89-year-old Indian philosopher and author, Swami Parthasarathy, who is headed to South Africa this month for his annual lecture tour.
Parthasarathy says in an ever-changing world, with inevitable fluctuations in the economy, the ability to navigate towards success and peace depends on the effort you put in, and the knowledge of the constituents of success.
He says there are three essential constituents of action towards success – concentration, consistency and co-operation.
“Concentration is the art of focusing the mind in the present. The human mind has a natural tendency to slip into worry about the past or anxiety about the future. Concentration is the technique exercised by your intellect to hold the mind on the present action without allowing it to slip into the past or future. Concentration is measured by the extent the intellect engages the mind in the present,” he explains.
Consistency, he says, is ensuring that your actions flow in the direction of your goal. This means using your intellect to avoid distractions.
“Through consistency your actions turn powerful,” says Parthasarathy.
Co-operation refers to seeking the collective strength of other people, whether in a company, community or country.
Germany and Japan were devastated in the last World War. Yet, as soon as the war ended the nationals pooled their efforts co-operatively to rebuild their nations.
They returned to power and strength both politically and economically.
“The United States and Australia could boast of nothing a little over 200 years back. The early settlers had to pool their resources in a spirit of co-operative endeavour to build their nations. Both have emerged as powerful nations of the world,” he says.
While he may not be imparting obvious economic solutions, Parthasarathy is a world-renowned authority on combating stress and enabling a far more focused approach to work. He encourages people to develop their intellect and improve their general well-being with his message derived from the ancient study of Vedanta.
Vedanta is the ancient philosophy of India, dating back several thousand years.
It is a scientific system of principles that govern human life – the digest of great thinkers and philosophers over countless generations. Its timeless principles transcend culture, race and religion, making Vedanta universal in its application.
Vedanta, according to Parthasarathy, or Swamiji as he is known, is a user’s manual for life – just like an instruction manual guides the user in the operation of a device, so does Vedanta explain the human constitution and how to use the body, mind and intellect for maximum peace and prosperity.
Above all, the application of the philosophy’s principles promotes true self-development, ultimately leading to self-realisation, the state of human perfection
Parthasarathy has interpreted this timeless philosophy of life into practical techniques of management, translating it into contemporary language that modern business people can easily understand.
Parthasarathy’s lifetime research has been formulated into self-management courses for corporations worldwide, and he has authored nine books, including the best-selling The Complete Works of Swami Parthasarathy(2012) and Vedanta Treatise: The Eternities. His latest book is titled Thesis on God.
In Durban, Parthasarathy will explore the three constituents of success in-depth. This is a seminar that takes place on August 4 at Coastlands in uMhlanga. His public lecture, on August 2 at Durban High School, is titled “The Middle Path”.
“The entire humanity is involved in two extreme approaches in life. One class of people goes all out and indulges in the world. Another class abstains out of an irrational fear,” he explains.
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Sunandaji’s lecture tour
Sunanda Leelaram, affectionately known as Sunandaji, is the daughter and protégée of Swami Parthasarathy.
Under his guidance, Sunandaji has been researching and propagating the philosophy of Vedanta for more than three decades.
* Her lecture schedule is as follows:
Durban: Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Person of Perfection, August 3-6, Durban High School, 255 St Thomas Road, Musgrave.
The Bhagavad Gita, forming the philosophical portion of the epic poem, Mahabharata, expounds the fundamental values of life. It synthesises man’s thinking, feeling and actions to live a life of purpose.
The Bhagavad Gita gives a philosophy of life that can be translated into practical living in one’s social, official and domestic lives.
Public lectures are free and open to all. Visit www.vedanta.org.za
To book: Durban seminar: Vyasa, 072 943 2277, vyasa@vedanta.org.za
* Durban public lectures: Sumenthee, 071 111 5505, sumenthee@vedanta.org.za