Guest post by Jayram Daya

IIT Bombay Mech Engg batch of 1968 may remember Jayram Daya as being a sensitive, good-natured classmate from Hostel 2, an artist, and a citizen of South Africa. Since those student days, Jayram has successfully established a business in South Africa, handed the business over to his two sons, and is now happily pursuing higher interests in the next stage of life. He is in Sanyaas Ashram, but also, in his own words: I’m an engineer, an entrepreneur, a storyteller, a poet, an author, a painter, a photographer, a blogger, a philosopher, and a visionary.

This post is a very brief but authentic first-person account of Jayram’s long journey of realization – from IIT to the present. For many years, he has maintained a blog as his personal diary. With his permission, we have taken this article from his blog, which we post here with some minor edits. The graphic accompanying these two posts includes a quotation from Jayram and his photograph.

We believe readers will find this first-person account captivating; needless to say, other similar accounts from readers would also be welcome.

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I was just a number in my first job, and I became a statistic on the job market. The prevailing attitude was that if one worked solely for money, they would need to exert less effort to attain the highest financial reward. I was also dragged into this belief due to the laws of job reservation and lost my enthusiasm as an engineer. The culture of sitting in the toilets and reading comics, sleeping most of the night shift, waiting for Fridays, drinking parties, smoking dagga (marijuana), and many other pastimes at work was widespread and it began to bother me. I didn’t enjoy going through this work culture and opted to stay away from it. I began to isolate myself and withdraw from the rest of the workforce. Performing activities on the floor required various actions that contradicted my ideals and beliefs.

The slogan ‘Sam stand’ or stand together attitude was evident with apartheid laws, but not at the expense of low morale and productivity. While working, I found myself in need of money and unable to adapt to the conventional mind-set. Despite applying for other employment, being non-white proved to be the most significant barrier. My education was not used for what I was trained for, and I eventually found the truth within myself. This is when I lowered myself to the lowest levels of my religious beliefs and moral values.

At this point in my life, I was called out at work for something I had nothing to do with. I overheard co-workers discussing a company truck being involved in an accident and losing a few thousand Rands with the shipment. The general feeling was one of joy and happiness. I foolishly joined the crowd and made numerous statements wishing the company ill, unaware that the company’s payment was what put bread on my table.

With conflicting and negative thoughts, saddened by what was going on around me, I met devotees of Krishna Consciousness while waiting for my wife in a shopping mall one summer day. ‘Hare Krishna,’ said a group of men and women, mostly whites, with their heads shaved and tail-like hairs on their bald heads, a substantial tilak on their forehead, and very religious-looking attire. They were not unfamiliar to me, and I felt at ease in their company. I was carried away by their smiles and greetings. Within a short conversation, they had persuaded me that the work they were doing was worthwhile. Feeding the hungry was a priority in the majority of our poor communities. As if under hypnosis, I took out the last few Rands I had and donated them. They gave me a receipt for the money received and a copy of the Bhagavad Gita. After recalling some of the miraculous events in my life, I was once again placed in a mysterious state. Religion had turned into a childhood fantasy for me; then I had evolved into a liberal thinker. Seeing my wife coming with a bagful of goods, my first words to her were ‘I am sorry’.

I felt terrible, so I tried to explain to her why I threw away the last few Rands and persuade her that it was for a worthy cause. As I found myself without any extra income, I felt entrapped. I later realized that I was a giver, not a greedy taker. For several days, I had the new Bhagavad Gita on my coffee table. I had previously read the scripture. Then after a long day at work, I picked up this book and began reading a verse that was relevant to my life.

‘You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but do not crave the fruits of action’, Krishna tells Arjuna in verse 2.47. ‘Consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty’. I must have read this verse several times before a sudden shift in attention occurred, inspiring me to work harder without expectation. The abrupt change promoted me to the next level at work; I was no longer surrounded by shift workers and common workers on the floor. I was assigned more intellectually engaging assignments. During this move, I found new employment in a major metropolis.

By gaining experience and developing work ethics, new thinking in the workplace helped me become a better person. I always arrived at work respectfully, wished the company well, and served them to the fullest extent of my ability. My boss liked me and gave me some perks that no one else had. Working for a prestigious international company I experienced the power of money. When you possess wealth, people inquire about your well-being. Yet, when you lack resources, those same individuals question your identity. This dynamic was exemplified and proven by my involvement in projects worth millions of Rands.

Divine or unexplained events have changed my life as an adult, and it has happened again and again. ‘Worship work’ became my life’s motto, and my most significant step forward. As time passed, I began to develop the same value system for my family, community, society, and country. The abrupt shift was due to the realization of money and its influences. I had finally prioritized my responsibilities over my finances.

I recalled my university business management courses. Why should a young working professional study economics? What is the relationship between technology and the economy? And how much do I contribute to the economy? As an engineer, of course I do contribute, because technological progress allows for the more efficient production of more and better goods and services. This is what prosperity is based on.

That understanding took me back to my understanding of ancient Indian philosophy. Not only was ancient India a land of philosophy and religion, but it was also a fertile ground for science and technology. Many wise sages wrote vast works of science and technology literature, and I was a student of this knowledge. Looking back in time, ancient technology was the result of advances in engineering during the growth of ancient civilizations. These technological advances in history prompted societies to adopt revolutionary modes of living and governance. Yes, South Africa was working toward that goal, and instead of focusing on the negatives, I made it my mission to be productive.

Mining, farming, and technology were the virtues that money took on to serve as a medium of exchange in South Africa. The following characteristics of reliable money are frequently mentioned: general acceptability, portability, durability, divisibility, homogeneity, recognition, and stability. There was no doubt in my mind that South Africa had everything under control. It was going to offer me a better life than I had ever imagined.

I had to change my mind-set and tolerate apartheid laws to succeed as an engineer. When selecting engineering subjects, I acknowledged the absence of job opportunities in South Africa. Thus, I made a commitment to challenge this reality with honesty, seeing it as a lasting reminder of the importance of freedom of thought and personal values. I had finally concluded that I needed to identify my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Money was the primary focus of my SWOT analysis, so I understand its importance. Money’s primary function is as a medium of exchange. Based on its role in daily life, money serves as a medium through which people acquire essential goods and services. It serves both purposes as a source of comfort in daily life and a means of meeting a need. Money is the most influential factor in living a happy, healthy life, but it pales in comparison to the importance of love and care.

To summarize, money has existed in many different forms throughout history, but it has always served the same three functions: as a store of value, a unit of account, and a medium of exchange. This introduction will go over several sorts of money in the future, such as commodity money, fiat money, fiduciary money, commercial bank money, metallic money, paper money, reserve money, and many more.

Furthermore, understand that everyone’s financial structure is made up of four basic components: assets, debts, income, and expenses. You can assess your financial situation and current net worth by measuring and contrasting these. Money became my secondary goal after I realized this.

A few famous quotes about money:

‘All money is a matter of belief’ – Adam Smith.
‘Lack of money is the source of all evil’ – George Bernard Shaw.
‘Money is freedom’ – Horace Walpole.
‘Money is a good servant, but a bad master’ – Francis Bacon.

As a student of the Bhagavad Gita, and according to verse 16.12 of the text, people are enslaved by endless cravings and driven by lust and fury. These people amass wealth in unethical ways to satisfy their senses. To help me understand what money means to me in the context of my life as a Sanatan Dharma follower, I drew a line between wealth and money.

I needed money and did not want to be a hypocrite, so I researched the Vedas and learned what I believed. The Vedas explain money as ‘green energy’, which you receive in exchange for your energy (conducted through deliberate physical and mental effort). As a result, we use our inherent energy to serve others. Hindus pray to Lakshmi Mata, also known as Adi Shakti, Cosmic Energy, or Green Energy, for wealth and success.

The following story about Gautam Buddha gave me valuable guidance.

The two teenage boys

Gautam Buddha travelled to share his knowledge, enlightening people about his attainment of knowledge through constructive meditation and penance. During one such travel, he rested on the outskirts of a village and sat under a giant tree. He explained the doctrines and disciplines of his realization to the people who came to see him.

Two adolescent boys were playing their usual pranks and wanted to prove Buddha wrong with a fool-proof plan. So they approached the saintly Buddha and asked, ‘Do we have a living or dead bird in our hands?’. One of them had the bird cupped in his hands, which were crossed behind his back.

With his ESP knowledge, Buddha looked at them and read their minds. ‘My children, I know your prank; if I say it’s alive, you’ll kill it with a twist of your fingers on its neck; and if I say it’s dead, you’ll let it fly away, proving that it’s alive.’

The boys were taken aback by the response and wondered how the saintly man knew their innermost thoughts; both fell to their knees and became Buddha’s disciples.

At this point, Buddha added that the future of our lives is in our hands; whether we succeed or fail, we must make an ethical choice that will keep us inspired and motivated. I remembered it in my prayers, and every time I made a decision, I replayed this story in my head. These encounters stimulated my intellect, enabling me to see divinity in Adi Shakti. She is worshipped as consciousness, intellect, sleep, hunger, shelter, force, thirst, patience, community, modesty, contentment, regard, luster, wealth, profession, memory, kindness, motherhood, joy, illusion, and the truth of existence.