What is Aham Brahmasmi doing in a personal finance blog?

Good question..

So first here is a small intro to what is Aham Brahmasmi (on YouTube you will get far better explanations than what I could put together)..

Aham Brahmasmi is an ancient (Sanskrit), translating to: “I am Brahman”. It means that the Self – or ‘I’ – is essentially the same as the all-pervasive and primordial spiritual force, ‘Brahman’, which has existed since time immemorial and will continue to exist after the death of the physical world.

This powerful sloka, Aham Brahmasmi, is one of the Mahakavyas originally found in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad text of the Shukla Yajurveda.

Now suppose you just play at home for 5 years with your cousins (joint family, farming occupation), say your prayers (kids pick up pretty fast) with the family, and eat food, life is great, you have learnt a lot.

At 7 or 9 depending on your physical and mental strength you are “Navjothed” or a sacred thread is put around you and sent to the Gurukul for education. You are now entering the “Brahmacharya” part of your life – and the Guru becomes your parent for the next few years.

Let us say for 2 years you are taught “Aham B…” – at that age you will ACCEPT that you are the universe. You will identify with the insects, birds, trees, rivers, mountains…and realize that we are all part of the universe. So all of YOU will understand the concept of “Aham B..”.

Thus you are taught RESPONSIBILITY towards others – towards fellow beings, nature, vedas, friends, neighbors, siblings..and you are taught to love them. That’s easy – YOU ARE THEM. In fact the whold of “Kathopanishad” is about teaching you “what is here..is what is there”. This means your body too is made up of the same elements with which the earth is made up of – 5 elements. Dust unto Dust – heard that?

Then you are taught the SUBJECT – whatever subject.

Tell me a one thing- will I EVER EVER be able to BRIBE you ENOUGH to cut a part of your body? No?

That’s because you believe that your left hand is as much as a part of your body as your right hand, correct?

Then why am I able to BRIBE A Professional to mis-sell a product? whatever the product? Pharma or Finance? Simply because you do not know Aham Brahmasmi. If you believed it, you WILL NEVER mis-sell.

So let us come to something as close as this – every BFSI company – should disclose the TOTAL PORTFOLIO of the top 15 salaried persons (total emoluments) on their websites.

Second requirement – every new product that is launched should be bought by at least 2 people of the CXO level. When he/she leaves it should be taken over by another CXO.

Every CXO who sells / buys a product should write a 200 WORD note on why he/she  is buying it.

I know nothing of this will happen.

I know I can’t take (or even get) a position as a trustee, or director (anyway I am a vendor so there is a conflict of interest, just in case somebody consdiers, my answer is NO).

I am so happy that I lead a life fairly independent of these industries – even though I do lotsa training.

I am happy to go around the country and kick ass – getting people to save / invest think about 40 year investments, accumulating Rs. 1000 crores, farming not hunting, writing a will – and come out after every trip feeling NOBLE.

I can write a book on how much of good that has happened because of the good that has happened because of the Mutual fund and Life insurance industries….however I kick ass now and then, just to keep ourselves grounded…

Phew…..happy that I am Retired – I mean from work, not from life.