How do you collaborate the spirituality of meditation with corporate management?

Deepal Sooriyaarachchi’s latest book Inward Bound explores how the currently ‘military-sounding’ business environment saturated with ideas such as ‘war room’, ‘penetrate’, ‘take over’ and ‘obliterate’ can be balanced with spiritual attributes through ‘mindfulness’.

First published in the UK in 2012, the second print now titled “Inward Bound for Mindful Living’’ will be launched as a Sarasavi Publication on the 16th of February at 5.30 at JAIC HILTON, alongside a knowledge sharing discussion titled “Mindfulness for Corporate Success and Happiness”

According to Smarth Bali, Global Communication Specialist, “Deepal takes on an odious and seemingly irresolvable issue: the practice of management and the practice of mindfulness (read meditation). If we were to draw comparative columns, we will see, clearly, the incongruity of such an enterprise: avariceversuscontentment, competitiveness versus equanimity, ambition versus satisfaction, and aggression versus empathy … Can they blend? If not blend, can they at least complement each other? Is not mindfulness an immediate and pressing contradiction to the skills (demanded) of business?”

The crux of the issue is captured in the book as follows;“In this highly demanding (business) environment, to be effective you need to be in control. To be in control you need to know what goes on here and now. To know what goes on you need to be aware. To be aware you need to be mindful. When you are mindful you have a state of mind that is alert.”

Inward Bound is timely and critical if we have to work and maintain equilibrium in our world. It is perhaps the harbinger of ‘return to basics’ in a business world that is way too mercenary. The flowering of the individual is a direct outcome of “a thought about slowing down” and being completely aware of the “present moment”, indeed, being in the present moment. In the book the writer takes simple, everyday routine tasks – driving, brushing, walking, etc. – and converts them to mindfulness activities. Reading the book makes one wonder, ‘Is that it?’ We are so conditioned to regarding meditation as a highly esoteric practice that we are almost stumped incredulous by simplicity. 

The launch event will comprise of talks by leading persons such as Dr. Tara De Mel on “A scientific approach to Mindfulness”, and Prof. AjanthaDharmasiri on “A business case for Mindfulness” .The book will be reviewed by President’s Council PrasanthaLal de Alwis and the event will conclude with Deepal‘s presentation on “How to integrate mindfulness to corporate life”.

Passes for the event can be obtained by contacting Deepal through [email protected]