A Life in Balance
August 2006
By Life Positive
as told to Mansi Agarwal
Active meditation, judicious eating habits, exercise and a constant awareness of one’s inner being, help Swami Satyarthi, an Osho follower and founder of the Heritage Emporium in New Delhi, lead a joyous and unfettered life.
A Day in my Life
My days are very simple. The first thing I do on waking up, is to look at the early morning sun and thank God for gifting me another day to live. This life is not mine; this breath is not mine. They are given by some unknown entity who we call God. I try to remember this all the time. Before getting out of bed, my wife and I practice belly laughing which helps release mental blocks.
Then I practice active meditation for one hour, after which I listen to Osho’s inspiring discourses. I further refresh my already refreshed self by swimming under God’s sky. Unless I have some appointments, I have fruit and juices as breakfast and then go for work. After work, I reach home, have a light dinner, practice the Om meditation, spend quality time with my family and go for a stroll.
Wellness
My active routine takes care of my wellness. A balanced mind, along with physical health, play a significant part in determining our wellness. I eat very consciously. I am a pure vegetarian, and believe that whatever we eat affects our energy levels. Age factor is just a mental block. I am active because I am young at heart; age does not matter.
My Family and I
I am lucky that my parents never forced me to follow any strict religious rituals. Be human, be honest, be hard working and never do what makes you ashamed of yourself are some of the values they taught me. My father was a self-made man. He started from scratch after Partition. He is still remembered for his kindheartedness, and was the most powerful inspiration of my youth.
My guru’s wisdom has widened the scope of my understanding. For him, there were no boundaries. My wife and both my brothers, Satya Paul (who is a designer and exporter) and Rajesh Nanda (who runs L’affaire at GK in Delhi), are also Oshoites. Osho has become a part of my family.
My family is unrestricted. It starts with my relations and then spreads further to embrace my colleagues, friends and finally, the whole world. I share myself with each to such an extent, that even if I were to die today, I would have no regrets.
Initiation
I was young and restless when I came back from England after completing my Master of Science degree in textile engineering. Once I joined business, I was sucked into the materialistic world. Yet fundamental questions agitated my being. I asked: What is happiness? What are we living for? How can we be happy? I recognized that sensory and other materialistic pleasures did not give me lasting happiness. My quest led me to Osho, who I met as Bhagwan Rajneesh in 1977. The initiation happened after I read his book, Satya Ki Khoj. I immediately knew I was close to what I sought. From then, the journey became inward and changed my perspective. Osho has no dos and don’ts. With my own learning and awareness, I became a disciple and formed my own system of understanding that became the base of true happiness in my life. On October 13, 1979, I received sanyas and was rechristened Swami Satish Satyarthi.
There is much more beauty to life when we go within. Be happy to share your happiness. Osho has given us the whole sky and wherever we Oshoites have gone, we have created a world of our own, which is filled with love, love and love.
Awareness
Awareness is to live a meditative life. Only if I am aware will I know what my food tastes like. I try to be aware of my body, mind and that unknown force to which I am connected, at every moment. Bulle Shah once said that your hands should be occupied with work, but your mind should always be drowned in the happy remembrance of the one you love the most, be it your lover, guru or the Almighty. I breathe Osho, exhale Osho, he has given my life a meaning.
Osho calls the New Age man, Zorba the Buddha. Zorba, named after the well known book by Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek, is one who enjoys whatever life imposes upon him with awareness. We must adapt ourselves to be Zorba in the outer world and Buddha in the inner world. We hurt others when we are preoccupied with trifling matters. When we learn to treat others well, we cannot do to another what we do not like done to ourselves.
Heritage
Work is worship for us. This place was started in 1968 under the name Handloom Emporium. With time, we grew and entered the world of fashion. Once you are open to life, it teaches you many things. Over the years, we upgraded our haven and transformed it, so that shopping became a sensory pleasure, Heritage was soon the talk of the town. We consider our products to be mementos of love. Our motto is to welcome a stranger and to send back a friend.
I always felt that positivity reflects in one’s conduct. Regular meditative sessions and discourses are organized at least once a week for all the employees; their smiling and cheerful faces are proof of the positivity.
Leisure
I love classical music. These days, I listen to gandharva music. I have installed speakers all over my home and the soothing classical beats resonate to all the corners. I am very fond of my master’s discourses. I cannot compare myself to my master but I do try to inspire all by imparting the wisdom that Osho gave me. I am also a shutterbug. I enjoy nature and I like to capture its exquisite moods, like the sunrise, water bodies and landscapes.
Peace of Mind
Nature has always inspired me. I like visiting places where I am able to connect to my spirit. I liked Zurich, Geneva, Canada, and places which are calm, green and have space for nature. In Delhi, there are many places which emanate tranquility, like the Akshardham Temple.
Success
To be successful in the material world is one phenomenon and to be successful in our own life is another. I do care for outward success but inner serenity is a better achievement, I would say.
Spirituality
All life has three aspects or gunas – tamas, rajas and satva. Tamas is like the brake of a car, while rajas is the accelerator. Where to stop, in which direction to go, how many friends to have – once you know your necessities, you know that the rest are all desires. How much energy you dedicate to achieving your desires depends on your level of satva or purity. As for me, I do not want to be a part of the rat race. I live life in all its dimensions. Once you belong to Existence, the entire universe belongs to you, the sky is yours, the earth is yours. Once you are in the invisible world of spirituality, automatically the cosmic forces take care of you.
Death
Death is not the full stop. It is just a comma, which is unavoidable. I don’t want to die as a seed, I want to become a flower. Even after this body withers, I want to remain alive like a fragrance in the hearts of all. I want a chautha before I die so that I can call everybody and give him or her a last hug. Meditation is also a small death; with active meditation slowly but steadily the negative aspects of a being die. I celebrate death.
God
We are all fools. We look for God outside us in temples, mosques and churches. But He is within us, waiting for us to find him. Spend time with yourself; and you will find God in your own soul.