What's Happiness?

Yesterday I attended a session organized by the Aurora Forum on Happiness. It featured Pico Iyer and Robert Thurman. They were both very eloquent, particularly Pico Iyer. Thurman clearly is a man of great wit and and even greater mind, but the mind was beginning to wander and sometimes he would ramble on.



The focus of the discussion was Happiness and, in the context of the interests of these two men, as defined by the Dalai Lama. But I was intrigued. Even though I had been a student of business history, I had always wondered what true happiness was. The Ashtavakra Samhitas which were exposed to me by the rev Swami Viradananda in the Chicago Vedanta society were my first to some of the deep thought in vedic literature.

I am convinced that True Happiness can never be found. It can only be felt. It is experienced when we dont seek it actively. Being a karma yogi is the first step towards experiencing happiness. A karma Yogi ois one who does his or her duty without being attached to the fruits of their labour. This removes the expectation of reward. True happiness is what we call truth or GOD. The rest is joy, fleeting moments of which give us a sensation of contentment.

However in the modern world is hapiness possible? Where is progress without expectation of reward? The progress is a reward no doubt, but being unattached is the key. The attachment leads to a perception of real progress, in the real world and in a physical sense. But the same attachment leads to lack of control of the baser emotions.

Bhakti Yoga also brings happiness they say. But Bhakti yoga unless in the Meera bai or Goswami Tulsidas tradition can lead to misbegotten behaviour.

However does comfort lead to happiness or lead us away from it? Should humans aspire to comfort and peace of mind or a state of happiness that is really only for the yogis?

What matters - money or institution building?

Today's Formation of New Ventures featured a case on Sabeer Bhatia and Hotmail. The case was interesting as was the discussion in class. Steve Jurvetson was there and his observations were quite helpful. But reading the case made me wonder more about Sabeer - Did he miss a great chance to become a truly great entrepreneur? Was he focused on making quick (and well deserved I would add) money and thereby forgo an opportunity to build a wonderful and sustainable company for some time? Or did he have no choice in selling out to Microsoft because of their legendary intimidation tactics?

The discussion in non markets about lobbying was also interesting. I wonder how this can be applied to incease the H1B quota?

Only three months to go - I am so lucky to be here

They warned me. Time would fly by fast. I knew it also. But I had no clue it would be so fast. It only seems yesterday that we moved here half the way around the world. The Stanford campus beckoned, beautiful and shimmering in the warm California sun, with palm trees swaying in a gentle breeze and palm drive making the entry to the campus feel like a country club. It was a dream come true for me. To go to a top university in the world for an academic underachiever like me had always been a wishful thought.

These last 7 months have been fabulous. The classes were generally great. The GSB atmosphere is so fabulous but even more is the atmosphere in the University. There is such a can do spirit here. The real entrepreneurial spirit is outside of the GSB - not in the GSB. Sure there is lots of it in the GSB but the engineers and the scientists seem to be the ones thinking up the ideas.

I am so glad that I came here. My perspectives on the world, the people in the world and generally everybody has refined and in some cases changed so much. I never thought of anything entrepreneurial. Now at least I can dare. Not because of Stanford. But because of the people I met at Stanford.