Like most people born into a “Sai Family”, I was told at a very tender age that Sathya Sai Baba is my God. Let alone comprehend the concept of ‘God’, the innocence and ignorance of the age had painted an image of Him as the one who cures my fever, helps clear examinations with top grades and also the one who punishes me, if I were to waste food or disobey my parents. 

When I was in my teens, my mind was drawn towards so-called rational and liberal ideologies, one which completely discarded the concept of a higher power/God. So extreme was my behaviour that I couldn’t stand anything traditional or spiritual. Words such as empathy, obedience, gratitude ceased to exist in my dictionary. Naturally, the “Lakshman rekha” based on morals and ethics, soon blurred into obscurity. The goals had to be achieved by any means, and ends are more important than the means. This ideology persisted a few more years and it took a series of events in professional life, to drive home the importance of character building (not just competence). I was convinced that studying in Swami’s college was the only way to recalibrate by compasses, once and for all.

A year and a half prior to joining MBA, armed with an engineering degree from a “premier” institute, I felt that I had “arrived”. Bagging coveted assignments and climbing the corporate ladder had become the only purpose of life. Newly kindled, intoxicant fuelled relationships felt more important than a few minutes of a phone call with my family back home. As the realities of life unfolded, one-by-one, I started experiencing the darker side of this maddening rat race. Shortly, the dream run came to an abrupt halt. 

Broken, lost, low on confidence and alone in a distant land, Bhagawan became my sole friend and confidant. Silent prayers to Bhagawan gave me courage and hope. I realised not just the importance of values and morals, but more importantly, the need to listen to one’s inner voice, conscience. 

My joy knew no bounds when I was accepted into Swami’s MBA program. In the two years as a student in His college, I was blessed to interact with and learn from “Swami’s teachers”. We discussed and debated on a wide array of topics, academic and spiritual. But, the one teacher who thought the most crucial of Life Lessons, the one whose sessions were a blast and whose company I dearly miss every day, is the Senior Boys Hostel. 

Undoubtedly, the hostel is the most important and potent pillar in Swami’s system of Integral education. The hostel equipped each one of us with all things necessary to fight the battles in life (especially internal ones). The hostel drove home profound lessons in the most ingenious ways possible. Growing up without any siblings, the concept of ‘sharing’ was alien to me. I didn’t want to share my snacks/shampoo/subject notes, let alone sharing my space with a dozen other kids. Initial months were so bad that I felt like dropping out. Worse, I blamed Swami for putting me with a bunch of unruly brats. Were my problems chasing me even in the Abode of the Highest Peace?

Slowly and steadily the hostel imparted the invaluable life lessons of patience, perseverance and purity of heart. The sheer ambience of the place helped simmer the internal chatter, restlessness and anger. Community living played a great role in identifying and overcoming personal weaknesses while driving home topics such as conflict resolution and consensus-building. Discipline turned out to be the secret sauce for excelling in the plethora of activities, from dawn to dusk. A subtle yet stark transformation was visible at many levels but more importantly, in a long time, I was happy, joyful and content. Unruly batch-mates had become friends for life. And, I could find my unique way of connecting to my Swami. It has been a couple of years since I left the Institute, but it feels like yesterday. The corporate world no longer feels glamorous or intimidating. Those long hours, burning midnight oil and chasing deadlines, don’t feel lonely and daunting any more. Humility, compassion, empathy and outright honesty, once considered signs of weakness, drawing mockery are now being lauded as essentials of leadership. While with every sunrise there appears more challenges from unknown quarters, there is innate energy that keeps you calm. While the world tries its best to woo you, the locus of happiness edges inwards, one step at a time. Unequivocally, these strengths are bestowed by Him through the system of integral education. It is amply clear that the purpose of endowing us with these qualities was to strengthen our inner connection with Swami and share unconditional love with all His creation. The future may have reserved the most coveted of positions, but none more important than being in the constant company of Him.

Shreyas Nayak MBA, 2015 – 2017, Prasanthi Nilayam. At the Institute, he was part of Hostel RO water maintenance group. Currently oversees the Market Analytics and Executive Insights at GE Healthcare in its Europe and APAC Customer Analytics function, based in Bengaluru. He is a part of Brindavan Alumni Seva group.