Success Sutras for the 21st Century

Summary

A Trilogy of Wisdom is a rendition and interpretation of the best of Indian and Chinese Wisdom carefully sifted and packaged for Success in the 21st century. It aims to benefit the common man as well as a politician in achieving political sharpness, social order and spiritual bliss.

Chanakya’s Political Wisdom

To peep into the megamind of Chanakya will be easier if two traits about him are understood - One: Chanakya loves his motherland passionately and intensely. He doesn’t want his motherland to be enslaved at any cost. He spends sleepless nights when he learns the news that the Greeks are advancing towards Magadha. He gives up his career as a Professor at the Takshila University with the hope of advising the Nanda dynasty as to how to stave-off the impending attack and preserve independence. He is often deeply frustrated when the rulers of the populace behave imprudently. His frustration is the yard-stick to measure his love for the country. Two: Chanakya detests the hypocrisy of the Indian society because he knows that it makes India weak and non-credible. He himself sees life as it is and has the courage to talk about it like that. He is not sugarcoat but a sandpaper.

Chanakya is a peak in political consciousness, a peak in political thought. But he is not just a thinker he is a doer. Karl Marx has said philosophers have only interpreted the world- the point however is to change it. Hebert Spencer has said the great point of education is not knowledge but action. Chanakya is a man of action. He brought together several quarreling and splintered states under one umbrella. He created for the first time in recorded history a strong India which for a change was proud of its present and of its present strengths, an India which was ready to repel successfully, the never beaten armies of even Alexander.

He is as ruthless as Machiavelli - still there is a moral strand in him. This morality is his second distinguishing factor. He is a votary of guile with the wicked but he feels enduring strength comes from principles. He has stated that a debt should be paid of till the last penny and an enemy should be destroyed without a trace. In the first part of the statement Chanakya's morality can be seen and in the second part of the statement his ruthlessness. His positivism is immense as it accommodates the negative in it. This positivism is the other distinguishing trait of Chanakya.

Confucius’ Social Wisdom

In China it is said that for the well-being of the body, follow Taoism; for the wellbeing of the soul follow Buddhism and for the well-being of the society follow Confucianism.

Confucius was a sage and social philosopher of China whose teachings have deeply influenced East Asia, including China, Korea, and Japan for two thousand five hundred years. The relationship between Confucianism and Confucius himself, however, is tenuous. His ideas were not accepted during his lifetime as the Chinese society was a decadent society that was seeped in Taoism and talked of idleness. Confucius came and he talked of duty, he talked of action and not just idle action, but wise action that leads to a happy populace and restores social order.

This book is an amalgamation of Confucian understanding and a wise interpretation of human nature:

How should a person behave as the unit of a family, a society member and as a ruler? How social relationships can be brought in harmony? Why some societies succeeded while the others failed? What can India learn from successful and prosperous societies?

The reading is aimed at opening reader’s window to harmonious relationships.

Kabir’s Spiritual Wisdom

Saint Kabir has been one of the most unusual Indian poet thinkers. Achieving a peak in spiritual consciousness, he was not just a spiritual guru. His dohas or couplets have been widely translated and attempts to interpret them have also been made. However, most of this interpretation is esoteric and academic. It often does not do justice to this great master of his times.

This book highlights the essence of Kabir, not as a poet or spiritualist alone, but as a Success Guru. Pavan Choudary, through this compilation has made Kabir address issues of mentoring, love, friendship, humility, courage, desire, success, greed, speech, wisdom and many others. One often wonders if Kabir knew of the dilemmas of the 21st century or have the predicaments of life been the same always.

Reception

"In this set of three books reader gets the distilled essence of Chanakya's political wisdom, Confucius's social wisdom and Kabir's spiritual wisdom. The thoughts of these masters have been carefully sifted and interpreted for success in the 21st century." – The Times of India

"Each book in this collection of mini books has great depth…there is great insight on political sharpness, social gain and spiritual intelligence - to aid the ambitious soul." - Hindustan Times

"student of Statecraft teaches you tricks to a great life through the ways of three starkly different historical icons." - Midday

"Large-fisted dose of Self-Help wisdom" – The New Indian Express

"This book has been able to capture the spirit of Confucianism. It is most appropriate that it dwells on the social aspect of Confucianism. It talks of Social Harmony, which is key to Confucius. " - Mr. Xei Fei (Former Cultural Head, Chinese Embassy)