Teen Steve Jobs’s Letter On Zen And Kumbh Mela, Reveals A Contemplative Mind
India-West News Desk
PALO ALTO, CA – In 1974, Steve Jobs was living on a farm between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz, immersed in a period of self-reflection. During this time, he penned a handwritten letter to his childhood friend Tim Brown, revealing his thoughts on Zen Buddhism and his desire to attend the Kumbh Mela, a spiritual gathering he hoped to experience but was uncertain about when he would depart.
This letter, written a day before his 19th birthday, was recently auctioned for $500,312. It concludes with the sign-off, “Shanti, Steve Jobs,” encapsulating his introspective mindset. Interestingly, this year’s Kumbh Mela is ongoing, and Jobs’ wife, Laurene, is reportedly attending it.
Not long after writing the letter, Jobs embarked on a journey to India. His original plan was to visit Neem Karoli Baba’s ashram in Uttarakhand, but upon learning that the revered guru had passed away the previous year, Jobs spent time at the Kainchi Dham ashram instead. Over his seven-month stay in India, he adopted an ascetic lifestyle—shaving his head, wearing Indian cotton robes, and becoming deeply tanned.
Kal Gandikota
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Isn’t it amazing how Steve Jobs spent all his hard-earned savings to visit India and stay there for seven months to gain wisdom to start and lead a company like Apple to success? Now there are 5 million Indian-Americans and their children in the USA. If they all make a trip to India and stay there for seven months pursuing spirituality, how much more might they gain from India after returning to the USA?
Besides Zen Buddhism, Late Steve Jobs time in India appears to have influenced his philosophical outlook and possibly his aesthetic sensibilities, leading him to lead Apple to success. His experiences in India from exploring spiritual practices to experiencing a completely different way of life, must have helped shape his innovative thinking and unique approaches to design & technologies, impressing many to follow him at Apple. India’s rich traditions of meditation, mindfulness, and holistic thinking likely contributed to his ability to see technologies differently and create products that would transform how humans interact with gadgets.
Today’s 5 million Indian-Americans represent an incredible bridge between the two great countries. Imagine the amazing potential if they were to embark on similar journeys of self-discovery in India! They could:
1) Deepen their connection to India’s ancient wisdom traditions while bringing fresh perspectives to the USA as global citizens
2) Experience the powerful combination of Eastern philosophy and Western innovation that Steve Jobs found so inspiring
3) Bring back insights that could spark new waves of innovation in technology, business, healthcare, education, and more
4) Create stronger cultural and business bridges between India and the USA
5) Draw inspiration from both traditional wisdom and modern developments in India’s rapidly evolving society
6) Potentially have satisfying careers and swelling bank accounts by observing and participating in India’s growth and development in the 21st century
The synthesis of Indian spiritual wisdom with American entrepreneurial spirit has already produced remarkable results for both countries. Building on this foundation could lead to even more innovative approaches to business, technology, diplomacy, and overall human development of entire planet!
January 16, 2025Venkatramanan
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fully agree, but the youngsters here think visiting, let alone spending some extended time, ànd experiencing a culture already familiar in their homes is below their pride! of course, there are some exceptions among my circle of friends but they are far sparse 😒
January 20, 2025