Theme: Making a living vs Making a Life
Dated: 18th September 2025
On September 18, 2025, Dhyāna, the Society for Consciousness and Awareness, hosted an illuminating speaker session with eminent writer and public intellectual Gurcharan Das. As Dr. Maya Joshi pointed out, Dhyana was hosting him after 15 years, when he had conducted a mindful discussion around his celebrated book The Difficulty of Being Good.
The session brought together an engaging blend of personal anecdotes, philosophical reflections, and life lessons. Das spoke about growing up in Lahore before Partition, his experiences as a student, and his serendipitous journey from engineering to literature. He narrated how a story from the Kathasaritsagara ‘The Mouse Merchant, ” shifted the vector of his life, teaching him that destiny often takes shape in unexpected ways. From the absurdities of Partition, to the constraints of the License Raj, and the moral dilemmas of organised religion and governance, he reflected on the larger question of ‘making a living versus making a life.’ Central to his philosophy are key lessons on loving the work you do and the people you live with. Another is Laghima, Sanskrit for lightness of being.
The session concluded with a reflection on humility, emphasising the importance of taking one’s work seriously without taking oneself too seriously. Students were especially struck by his emphasis on diary-keeping, reading widely, and cultivating a life beyond mere survival
The event proved to be an inspiring experience, encouraging students to engage deeply with their passions and to seek meaning in both their personal and professional journeys.
