To every soul who has ever felt
a quiet call from within —
a sense that life can be lived
more consciously, more tenderly, more awake.
This book is for you.
This world is waiting for you.
This is a part of the dedication of the book, Awake: A Blueprint for Conscious Living in the Age of Acceleration, written by Shailesh Haribhakti, an advocate of ESG, CSR, and sustainability, with a five-decade career as a Chartered and Cost Accountant.
This dedication is, almost, like a gist of the book which talks about varied things in our day-to-day life, which if done mindfully, with awareness, can change the course of our lives.
“The idea was to present a ready reckoner to today’s youngster,” says Haribhakti. “The idea came to me when I had gone to Sri Sri University. I was inspired there by 30 youngsters who were awarded PhD that day, out of which 25 were women. All had only one question to ask – where do I stand in the job market? That made me realise that it so deeply embedded in the psyche that after education I have to get a job!” Shailesh Haribhakti reveals.
This realisation proved to be a trigger that made Shailesh Haribhakti to write this 90-page book in a lucid language which is extremely easy for the youth to understand. Each chapter is made of one-liners that are paragraphs in their own which exemplify concepts in a simple manner.
“It had to be written in simple sentences, connected to thoughts and giving people a flight to super confidence in one's ability and in entrepreneurial spirit, which is really going to be the basis of India's growth. That's what Awake is all about.”
Awake is that and much more. The first part of the book is called Inner Revolution. Haribhakti tells the reader that you, as a person, are not defined by your marks, jobs or salary. It also discusses how mind is your personal computer that can help you control everything and how to control it.
This part also tackles the biggest problem of the current youth – FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). He categorically points out that it is this complex that makes you miss out on life at large and the present moment that defines life. ‘Comparison is emotional. It grips us in the chest. It makes us restless. It convinces us that life is running somewhere else — and we are Missing it. This is the great illusion of our times: We believe we are missing life, while life is here, beating in our chest.’ (sic)
Haribhakti emphasises the importance of Silence in more than one chapters. He speaks about that when he talks about mind, he talks about it when he talks about meditation and he talks about it when he talks about silence in a chapter that’s entirely dedicated to Silence.
What intrigues is the way he explains the necessity of discipline. He says that Discipline gives Freedom. “Yes, it does. Because if you are undisciplined, the whole atmosphere reacts against you. People, processes, organizations, even the planet, everybody. If you are undisciplined, the planet also rebels against you. And that in the end robs you of your freedom,” he explains.
Meditation has been an integral part of Haribhakti’s life and he admits that when he says ‘Meditation is intimacy with Life’ (sic). He reminds us that meditation is remembering that we are lacking anything and that ‘we are not broken’. (sic)
Among other things Haribhakti discusses love too. ‘Relationships Also Change Shape. As people grow, their needs change.’ (sic). In the chapter ‘The Century Belongs To Those Who Dare To Love’, he reminds us that ‘Love is inner strength that does not require armor.’ (sic).
He also breaks all myths about health. ‘True health is not how strong our body looks. True health is how freely life flows through us.’ (sic).
Each chapter has Reflections and Practice sections which help you understand for yourself how much have you comprehended and also helps you practice what you have learnt. Are these concepts and teachings for his children or grandchildren? “100% Every youngster, everybody, my children have grown up, so I it is more addressed to my grandchildren.”
Awake: A Blueprint for Conscious Living in the Age of Acceleration, is a ready reckoner for teenagers and young adults that talks their language and teaches them wisdom.
