It looks so simple when I tell you that my Dad bought Colgate in 1977 and has still not sold it. It pays him nice dividends and has rewarded him at a good rate – especially when you consider the nice dividends, which from 1993-4 were tax free too.

One question to answer is ‘Could you have sat for 38 years and not be swayed by what you see, hear and read’? Keeping the mind calm is a very important thing in Investing. See what Swami Ramdas has to say (source of course his Anand Ashram). This is not a new or original story..many versions of this story do exist. Read it and understand the concept..do not worry whether Lord Rama said this or Kabir said this or Gandhiji said this. Seriously source does not matter, I have done a simple thing…it is called cut n paste. Read and understnad the context. Here is the story….

An itinerant Sadhu, in the course of his wanderings, came to a village and settled himself down in a temple for some days. He used to sit quiet and serene on one of the verandahs of the temple. He was hardly going out, and spent all his time inside the temple. The Pujari of the temple, finding in the Sadhu high spiritual qualities, gave him at mid-day a part of the food offered to God as Naivedyam. The Sadhu lived only on one meal a day. This went on for some days.

One day, the manager of the temple happened to pay his periodical visit to the temple for inspection. He saw the Pujari in the act of giving food offered to God to the Sadhu. The manager did not like this. He told the Pujari, “Why do you feed this lazy fellow? He is sitting quietly without doing anything. Such people do not deserve to be given food. So I order you not to feed him any more.” The Pujari obeyed. The Sadhu did not mind the stoppage of food to him. He would go out at mid-day, beg for food in two or three houses, and having satisfied his hunger, return to his seat in the temple in about half-an-hour’s time. Thereafter, he would continue to sit silent in his Asan until the next day.

Thus the Sadhu continued to live in the temple. About a week later, the manager, as usual, came and saw the Sadhu sitting quietly as before at the same place in the temple. He came to know from the Pujari that the Sadhu did not receive any food from the temple and that he was satisfying his hunger by begging.

Now, the manager, getting interested in the Sadhu, was curious to know why he was sitting the whole day doing practically nothing. He went up to the Sadhu and, sitting near him, asked him “Sadhuji, what is the meaning of your sitting the whole day without stirring out?” The Sadhu replied, “I will give you the answer in five minutes. Please wait.” The manager waited. Five minutes passed. But no answer came from the Sadhu.

The manager reminded the Sadhu about his question. The Sadhu again said, “Brother, will you wait for five minutes more to get the answer?” The manager, with a little impatience, told the Sadhu he would wait for five minutes more but would not do so any longer. Again five minutes passed. Still the Sadhu was silent. Then the manager questioned him a little sternly, “What is this, Sadhuji, ten minutes have passed and you have not yet answered my question?” The Sadhu calmly replied, “Brother, will you please wait for another five minutes?”

The manager was impatient and excited at what the Sadhu said. He stood with his watch in hand and told the Sadhu finally, “Look here, Sadhuji, I have a lot of work to attend to. I cannot afford to idle away my time like you. I give you five minutes more for the answer. If you do not fulfil my wish, I will go away.” The manager waited for five minutes more and no answer came. In a huff, grumbling and in an irritated mood, the manager went out of the temple.

When he had gone a few yards, he stopped and reflected – “I cannot sit at one place for 15 minutes quietly, whereas the Sadhu is there on the verandah all the 24 hours except for a short period. What tremendous power and control he has over his mind!” His admiration for the Sadhu became very great.

He turned back and, entering the temple, called the Pujari and said, “Pujari, from tomorrow, you should feed the Sadhu from the offerings of food to the Deity as you were doing before as long as he chooses to stay in the temple.” After saluting the Sadhu in all humility and reverence the manager left. Verily, to control the mind and sit steadily at one place without the thought of moving about is not a joke. Only rare souls who have subdued the mind by concentration upon God can do this.

Try doing this. Sit for half an hour without processing anything. No books, no screens, no talking, no sleeping, be alert with your eyes shut. No mantras, no beads, no nothing….and then we shall do a class on investing.