Search the Internet           Tips

Indian guru's remedy for investors to tackle tension

Stressed out by the gyrations of financial markets and what's happening to your investment portfolio?

An Indian guru has a remedy for investors to tackle tension: raise your hands and declare you're happy. "You've got to throw up your arms and say, 'I'm peaceful and happy. And that happiness does not depend upon indices'," guru Swami Parthasarathy told a foreign exchange traders' conference in New Delhi.

"You could be as active as possible and the indexes can shoot into the sky or go deep into the ocean but it wouldn't bother you," he added.

Parthhasarathy dismissed the views of some western psychologists that stress can be good for people.

"If the mind is agitated, you can't think properly. You can't work properly. There's no way that stress can give you better performance," said the Vedanta Life Institute founder who conducts holistic living classes in hilly Lonavla near Bombay.

Parthasarathy is one of several stress management gurus and philosophers peddling instant mental nirvana to India's growing ranks of stressed-out executives across the country.

His Web site, www.vedanta-edu.org, defines Vedanta as an ancient philosophy that unravels the mysteries of life, bridging the gulf between the known universe and the unknown reality.

Parthasarathy said the key to fighting stress was to train the intellect.

"The mind is made up of your emotions, feelings, impulses, likes and dislikes. The intellect thinks, judges, decides. When the intellect is not strong enough, the mind takes over and plays havoc," he said.

"You're the architect of your fortune. You're the architect of your misfortune, don't blame the world," he added.

Back to top

(c) Copyright 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

Tell us what you think of this feature