To know tragedy and to live it is two different things but when Anu Aga was struck by three tragic episodes in a row, she became a woman who would never be afraid again of life or death. And who invested her energy and resources in cultivating human capital within her company and outside it.
Anu Agas life story of grace under fire and her success as a born again businesswoman and former chairperson of Thermax India are both intertwined. To narrate one without touching upon the other would not be possible. .
Anu was born on August 3, 1942 in an upper middle-class Parsi family in Mumbai. A degree in Economics, post graduation in medical and psychiatric social work and a Fulbright scholarship later, she married a bright Harvard scholar Rohinton Aga, raised a family and had just married off her daughter when tragedy struck.
In 1996, Rohinton passed away suddenly after a heart attack and nothing had really prepared Anu to her fill his shoes or take his place as a chairperson at Thermax. Thermax, a modest engineering company initiated by her father A S Bathena three decades ago had been managed with exemplary excellence by Rohinton and Anu had been content handling human resources but now she was expected to run the company and win back the fast depleting trust of the shareholders.
But more personal tragedy was in store. Her mother-in-law passed away and then her 25-year-old son Kurush died in a road accident. Three debilitating deaths in the family would be enough to knock the air out of any womans sails, but Anu took over the reins at Thermax and grew it to new heights. The Government of India conferred Anu Aga with the Padma Shri Award for her distinguished service in the field of social work.
Along with your degrees you imbibe many experiences and come across very interesting people who have a deep impact on your life. So though my formal degrees did not help me prepare for the challenges I faced, I am sure it shaped me in being the person that I am.
When I faced the three tragedy in an year. In that time I had thought Is I pity on myself or fight against the situation. And I choose the second option get courage and fight. In that time I had participated and practiced Vipassana meditation.It has strengthen me to take adventures decisions and I stand up.
Vipassana is one of India’s most ancient meditation techniques. Long lost to humanity, it was rediscovered by Gotama the Buddha more than 2500 years ago. The word Vipassana means seeing things as they really are. It is the process of self- purification by self-observation. One begins by observing the natural breath to concentrate the mind. With a sharpened awareness one proceeds to observe the changing nature of body and mind and experiences the universal truths of impermanence, suffering and egolessness. This truth-realization by direct experience is the process of purification. The entire path (Dhamma) is a universal remedy for universal problems and has nothing to do with any organized religion or sectarianism. For this reason, it can be freely practiced by everyone, at any time, in any place, without conflict due to race, community or religion, and will prove equally beneficial to one and all.
What Vipassana is not:
It is not a rite or ritual based on blind faith.
It is neither an intellectual nor a philosophical entertainment.
It is not a rest cure, a holiday, or an opportunity for socializing.
It is not an escape from the trials and tribulations of everyday life.
What Vipassana is:
It is a technique that will eradicate suffering.
It is a method of mental purification which allows one to face life’s tensions and problems in a calm, balanced way.
It is an art of living that one can use to make positive contributions to society.
Vipassana meditation aims at the highest spiritual goals of total liberation and full enlightenment. Its purpose is never simply to cure physical disease. However, as a by-product of mental purification, many psychosomatic diseases are eradicated. In fact, Vipassana eliminates the three causes of all unhappiness: craving, aversion and ignorance. With continued practice, the meditation releases the tensions developed in everyday life, opening the knots tied by the old habit of reactin
g in an unbalanced way to pleasant and unpleasant situations.
Although Vipassana was developed as a technique by the Buddha, its practice is not limited to Buddhists. There is absolutely no question of conversion. The technique works on the simple basis that all human beings share the same problems and a technique which can eradicate these problems will have a universal application. People from many religious denominations have experienced the benefits of Vipassana meditation, and have found no conflict with their profession of faith.