Here is a typical conversation that I had with several of my colleagues about my exit from Amazon:

1. Are you going to a different company or doing a start-up?

I am taking a career break for now, so not joining any other company or start-up or anything like that. I’m going to pursue some of my spiritual aspirations.

2. Oh, so are you going to Himalayas?!

Not now. The practices that I want to follow, do not need me to physically go anywhere. So, I’ll just stay at home or some peaceful places nearby and try following those practices.

3. What practices?

Anything that helps me meditate on the soul.

To elaborate, meditation in simple words is our mind focusing on any subject. We meditate throughout the day but the subject of our meditation is usually a worldly thing (e.g. a design/coding problem, project plan, audio, video, a loved one, a hated one, a desire and what not). The subject of the meditation can be the soul itself. In other words, soul can meditate on itself with help of the mind. That is when – the wise say – spiritual uplifting happens.

I’ll be doing the following practices for the same:

• Swadhyaay – Understand the true form of the soul and believe that I’m myself the same. Soul can only be vaguely explained through words and cannot be experienced by senses. So, I’ll be spending some time reading the scriptures that explain the soul. This is to keep refreshing the mental picture of the subject of meditation.
• Dhyaan – Actual meditation on soul.
• Tap – Follow dietary practices that will help body and mind remain stable. Avoid any other distractions that will make body and mind unstable.

4. Sounds confusing. But never mind. Tell me what do you want to achieve with all this?

My first goal is to achieve what is known as ‘bhed-gyaan’ / ‘aatma-sakshatkaar’ / ‘granthi-bhed’ / ‘aatma-gyaan’ etc. I call it the ‘ultimate detachment’ i.e. detachment of the soul from the body. Not just believing, but experiencing that I’m a soul, detached from what I always thought of myself to be (i.e. this body / Chintan / bhadresh@amazon and what not). Will think about the next set of things once this first milestone is achieved.

5. That sounds interesting! Please write some blogs or at least do let us know when you achieve something.

I don’t have much to share yet except some thoughts on Jainism. In future, if I really feel like I’ve a lot to share, I’ll use any known social media to do so.

6. Great. Best of luck for your experiments! Is there anything that I can do for you?

Thanks for your wishes.

If you really want to do something for me, please do the following: Take a vow to follow vegan / lactarian diet for a few years / months / weeks / days (depending on your determination) and stick to it no matter whatever happens. The idea is to not do this forcibly but to do it with a willingness to be kind to other living beings and not killing them just for your momentary urges. That’s it.