There is a person whom I secretly refer to as the “Almighty Persona of Pune.” He runs a medical-tech company that operates successfully worldwide. To me, he was once my boss, is now a friend, and in some ways, has become a kind of spiritual mentor.
This time, I went to see him after quite a while.
Even so, there wasn’t a specific reason for my visit. Still, during a weekday, I dropped by just to have a casual chat.
By chance, he was starting his summer vacation the next day and was already half in vacation mode. That atmosphere set the tone, making the conversation feel relaxed from the outset.
He is a Jain*. Yet when talking to him, one senses not religious attachment but a deeper interest in fundamental spirituality.
“All religions are essentially the same at their core,”
He said this quietly.
He also remarked:
“It’s true that having some kind of spiritual foundation helps stabilise the mind.”
In India, conversations like these naturally find their way into everyday life. These are often shared as reflections on how to live and maintain one’s mental state. They're not just discussions about religion.
In one of our conversations, he recommended a podcast he listens to every day. It featured the voice of American meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein.
Joseph Goldstein Podcast Playlist (Spotify)
This led us naturally to discuss Vipassana meditation*.
“When feelings like anxiety, anger, or disappointment arise, you first observe the very fact that those emotions have appeared.”
Instead of getting consumed by emotion, step back. Observe the emotion itself from a distance. According to him, this allows a person to gain a slight separation from the ego.
He then shared his unique perspective on human civilisation itself.
“The last 3,000 years of human civilisation have ultimately been a history of comparison and possession.”
The gap between the rich and the poor.
Comparison with others.
Superiority and inferiority.
Nations, religions, ethnicities, classes—
He believed the constant awareness of separating "self" from "others" has fueled conflict throughout history.
At the same time, however, he also said:
“Everything material, including the human body itself, is only a temporary form.”
The things we see.
The things we hear.
The things we touch.
The world we see through the five senses may, in some sense, be an illusion.
It is a perspective that strongly resonates with Buddhist thought.
What intrigued me most was that, though born into Jainism, he now seems to resonate more deeply with Buddhist ideas.
“The keyword is ‘Compassion.’”
He said.
Compassion—mercy, empathy, deep understanding toward others.
From the topic of compassion, we turned to the modern world.
“I feel like the consciousness and unconsciousness of people around the world are beginning to converge into one.”
And perhaps, as a result, tremendous friction is emerging.
He viewed the current global trend toward right-wing politics and social polarisation as one symbol of that phenomenon.
“What we may be witnessing is the death throes of human ego,”
There was another phrase he used that left a strong impression on me. Of course, whether any of this is truly correct, I cannot say.
He seemed to see modern society as not just a political or economic issue. To him, it was a shift in humanity’s collective consciousness.
What kind of world awaits beyond that point? No one knows.
Still, on a scorching afternoon in Pune, what began as a casual conversation with a Jain man about to start his vacation gradually expanded into discussions about civilisation and the spiritual world.
And in the end, the final words that remained were surprisingly simple:
“Without compassion, human beings will eventually break apart, sooner or later.” This is what he emphasised as the essential truth at the heart of our discussion.
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*Jainism: A religion originating in ancient India, known for its emphasis on absolute non-violence (ahimsa) and the avoidance of harming living beings.
*Vipassana meditation: A Buddhist-derived meditation practice that emphasises observing things “as they truly are,” often through objective awareness of one’s emotions and bodily sensations.
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