Jain Spirit 2001 12 No 09

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 51

OF SUBSTANCE
of my hold over my subject. Therefore, when I did speak, I would sound better than the others."
inspectors, I always told my workers that I had full faith in them. I would give them the specifications of the materials and tell them to be their own inspectors in the production unit. This increased both their self-esteem and their skill, and no doubt their loyalty." "My religion and my upbringing have taught me that where you are born is because of your karma. Go beyond that and you realise that all atmas are equal. Besides, a little praise goes a long way in making 'efficiency effective and weakness redundant,' as Drucker recommends."
"From my childhood, by education and example, I have been guided by the five principal tenets of Jainism - ahimsa, satya, asteya, aparigraha and brahmacharya (being non-violent, honest, abstaining from taking anything that does not belong to you, being content and observing fidelity). Everyone at home followed these principles. My uncle had many business interests but his personal assets would never go beyond a certain point no shady deals and no opulence, even though there was affluence. Enjoy what you are entitled to because of your good deeds, your punyakarma, but do so with a certain detachment, is what Jainism says. The Walchand group earned respect for transparency of action because these religious tenets were applied to daily life."
Pepper this strong conditioning with an infectious energy and thoroughness of approach, exemplary time and people management and you have the success formula of this woman of today. "I have always had a tendency to evaluate and analyse the knowledge I acquire. I also believe in constantly updating myself. I still read the latest books on economics and business management. At conferences, I would never open my mouth until I was sure
"Religion teaches you to face reality," is how she brushes off a compliment on how refreshingly candid she can be even on such deeply personal and vulnerable ground. But then, in business life victory goes to the one savvy enough to circumvent any minor setback and create one's own space, one's own style. "My jewellery, my bangles, bindi, shoes, flowers always matched my sari. I played badminton regularly to stay in shape after my three daughters were born." She even learnt kathak along with them, for a while!
"From my childhood, I have been guided by the five principal tenets of Jainism.
It was from this happy mix, this irresistible cocktail of a traditional foundation and a modern outlook, a healthy and perfectly groomed body. and a quicksilver mind, that the swan soon emerged, earning compliments galore as she brushed shoulders with the high and mighty.
Independently, Daftary has trav elled extensively and lectured on subjects ranging from management and women's empowerment to vegetarianism, ahimsa and Jain philosophy. Little surprise then, that the Jain Ratna Award was conferred on her because of her firm belief in ahimsa as a practising Jain, her commitment to the propagation of Jain philosophy as well as human and ethical values.
"In 1980 I began a serious study of Jainism under Acharya Vidyanand Muni. It was he who convinced me
A Woman of Substance
that I should take up the editorship of Jain Bodhak, the fortnightly started by my grandfather. It is second in longevity only to Tilak's Kesari and it has brought me a lot of fulfilment. You see, when one follows certain principles, one wants to know the philosophy behind them. My main effort in Jain Bodhak is to make available what is in the shatras in a The road to simplified manner. moksha is open only to those with samyakdarshan which is shraddha (piety), gnan (knowledge) and charitra (good character)."
"I believe in yoga. I do the suryanamaskar as well as pranayam and dhyana. You see, pooja or path (ritualistic worship or chanting and reading of spiritual texts) are the initial steps but finally the road to moksha is through the mind, learning to eliminate anger, avarice, attachment and ego. The most difficult to give up is maya (attachment). Jainism tells you that by good deeds you may accumulate punya but to break the cycle of life and death you must cultivate detachment."
In whatever she does, Sharayu Daftary's motto clearly is, "Give your all to what you do." You have to only read her outstanding resume, or listen to her "management-speak", or nitpick with her about Jain philosophy, or discover she gives research grants to low profile but deserving musicians. You can hear about the exhibition on vegetarianism that she had mounted and how she helped Satish Arora add zing to Jain food at the Taj, or see how well her daughters Gauri Pohoomal, Czace Shah and Kavita Khanna have turned out ("what was important was not what they did, but how well they did it"), or stare disbelievingly at the impeccable hand embroidery she has done on her saris!
Shalaja Ganguly is a writer. The above is extracted from "Vardhaman, a book on Jainism," 2001, published by Times of India to commemorate the 2600 years of Lord Mahavir's legacy. The book was distributed free throughout India with the newspaper on 6th April 2001
oog
December 2001 February 2002 Jain Spirit
47