PREFACE

Spirituality as a subject has always fascinated me. I started the subject of yoga and related subjects when I was fairly young. I began practising Hatha Yogic exercises more for improving my health and physical well being. But along with the physical transformations, I found that my mind was seeking answers to many questions ,like "Where is god"? "Why there are so many religions which are fighting with each other for establishing supremacy of one over the other" ? Why is man so self centered"?. To many of the questions I got no answers. As a student of Business Administration and Management, when I started occupying positions of responsibilitily, I tried to find some unique ways of motivating executives to perform their tasks for the successful running of business. It was then that I realised , that there is a wealth of veritable treasures lying hidden in the vedantic thoughts of Indian seers, which have already given answers to the various vexing questions that were bothering me. The first of the series of books which gave me answers to most of my questions were the eight volumes of Swami Vivekanda's complete works. Starting with his first lecture at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, the volumes were dedicated to his tireless, brilliant and man making spiritual discourses during the next eight years. I followed up this by reading books about Swami Vivekananda in the west - New discoveries by Marie Louise Burkes, and other publications of Sri Ramakrishna Math, from which I came to the conclusion that application of sprituality to man's everyday life will not only transform him as an individual but also will enable him to conduct himself for the good of the society and country. I was convinced that the innate of divintiy of man could be made to express itself in whatever he was doing. It struck me that the application of spiritual values will not only enable one self to manage himself first and will also promote the sucess of the organization or country. When I retired from The Svadeshi Mills Co. Ltd as the Managing director, I gave a talk on " Sprituality in Managment" .I wanted to share my thoughts of my talk with a wider audience and discerning public. This book on "Sprituality in Management" is the outcome of my desire. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to the Ramakrishna mission and its publications, from which I have liberally borrowed the wonderful ideas and ideals. If a very few are going to profit from the book, I feel I would have achieved my aim.

Bombay 26th April 1998, H.RAMACHANDRAN.