Where am I headed?

Somebody a few days ago asked me,
“Anand bhai with this wood working where do you think you are headed?”
I know a lot of my friends and acquaintances might have had similar questions. So I have decided to answer this question once and for all. But before that I would like to point out all the directions I am not headed towards.

I don’t want to be the next “successful” startup founder billionaire. In my personal experience more money always brings more problems not less. Also acidity and sharts.

I don’t want to go settle in the US/Europe or any other exotic country. I have had the opportunity to visit a few places for a while but I like the chaos of our own country.

I like to work my body. Sweat each and every muscle. This may run contrary to most people’s ideology. Most people work so be able to afford not to work hard. Hire a coolie in a station. Get “better” seats in a train or a plane. Better being more comfortable to their bodies. Feel free to pamper your bodies, I will “use” my own.

A few close friends who have maybe glimpsed the slight spiritual traces I have, suggested I should go join a suitable akhada and go full monty as it where. I even once did some research, spent some time in Rishikesh. From all these experiences I have found that the saffron clad ones are probably far more attached, rather than detached. But again, if you don’t see me online/offline for a long time I might have taken the plunge.

Many of you think that I have not “used” my degree for a “better” life. For one I have a different definition of a better life than many others. I would think someone working with wood, designing structures and grinding steel is doing far more justice to a degree in metallurgy and material science than someone selling shares, or soap, or cigarettes. That is again my own personal opinion.

So where am I headed to. I have discovered that instead of knowing where you are headed to if you are sure of the next few steps, that will probably lead you to some place good. Again after doing vipassana, I have realized that all good and bad is just in ourselves. The most happy people I have seen have probably the least reason to be happy. So its all good. Have I reached that state where I can be happy in any state?
No; but that is where I am headed.

P.S. one of my friends (Vinay) pointed out that it seems I have something against CEOs and founders. Maybe I have some personal bias against some of them because thier ambition usually is so huge they have hardly any space for empathy. Also this negativity might have come because of the negativity I have faced by people who think they are doing “well”, and their’s is the only right path. Theoretically I know to each there own. But, am I in a state of mind where I can apologise all of them 100% for their negativity, maybe not. But I am headed that way.

P.P.S. Somewhere in all this mix I guess the Indian caste system is also at play. Working with your mind is the right of the higher castes. Also making other people work. Physical labour is usually is reserved for the low castes. And in todays economy, low class. I have been highly inflenced by Guru Nanak ji’s philosophy. In spiritual endeavours there is a widespread feeling against hard labour. They say it wastes Ojas. I have even read that if a spiritual seeker sweats a lot they should rub it back into their body. Guru Nanak ji I believe was ghe first who said that you can work hard and still gain liberation. He also believed that one doesn’t need to be a sanyasi to be liberated. Lots of gratitude to him to showing me the way, yesterday being guru purnima.