Surya Tahora

Like many seekers, since my adolescence, I too was haunted by fundamental questions on existence which would not let me rest. Being in Paris, with its vibrant cultural and intellectual life, I avidly read Eliade, Lévi-Strauss in the field of ethnology and history of religions in order to find some answers. I shared my readings of Freud, Jung, Sartre with my friends, reciting poems of surrealists, such as Louis Aragon and Paul Eluard. I had passionate discussions with anarchist friends who wanted to change the world and initiate a revolution. I tried to understand the human brain through neurobiology (Changeux, Laborit), and read books on quantum physics and astrophysics to understand the nature of reality. I learned a lot but had no answers.

I moved on to read oriental philosophy (Zen, Hinduism, Sufism etc.) and asked questions to some spiritual masters. However, I lost interest when they told me not to ask too many questions, as they felt it was a matter not for reasoning but for believing or experiencing. I was not prepared to surrender my questioning mind and accept everything blindly in any given tradition. I could not buy the promise of one set of techniques or experiences that would lead me to the truth. None had clarity in the definition of the end to be accomplished and the means to be employed. Many times I felt the exposition of their teaching to be vague, self-contradictory, their wisdom fragmentary, and lacking in depth and vision.

What was the result of this search of many years? Disappointment and despair; and feeling that I had made no progress at all. I began to think that my quest was just a waste of time. But I just could not give up the search. On a more external level, everything looked perfect: I had a Doctorate in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a MBA. I had a dream job in the corporate world in Paris. I was traveling all over the world and had a very Parisian social and cultural lifestyle. But the fire of the search was still in my head and my heart. Nothing could extinguish it.

Then, I was made to hear in 1995, a teaching that transformed my life: The traditional teaching of Vedanta. Why? Because it highlighted the problem of the human being as taking oneself to be limited and inadequate. It pointed out that this problem is universal. It then questioned the very conclusion that ‘I am a limited individual’. In its vision, this conclusion is wrong and the problem is ignorance of the reality of oneself. It boldly stated that nothing is to be done or accomplished but only to know oneself. And it said that all that is here is only one absolute non-dual reality and that one non-dual reality you are. It was just amazing!

In the unfolding, I found that all questions and doubts were welcome. All contentions of the various schools of philosophy, spiritual traditions as well as concepts coming from contemporary science were examined and addressed one by one. I realized in time that this vision could not be contradicted or shaken by anybody because it was unfolding what the reality is. The truth it was unfolding was standing, untouched and as clear as a diamond.

During this journey, I could clearly see many times the grace at work: The grace which brought me to this teaching and the grace which carried me along to keep on pursuing this knowledge in spite of difficult moments. Another meaningful moment of grace is when I met the first time in 1995 on the campus of Anaikatti (Coimbatore), Neema. She was a student of Vedanta with an exposure to both Western and Indian culture and was also successful in her professional career at the United Nations. We decided to pursue this journey together and got married in Bangkok in 2001.

Since then, our lives have been enriched daily, and have gained depth by our common dedication to personal growth, celebration of life and love for the vision of Vedanta. Grace is indeed visibly at work!

Profile

Surya has a unique combination of life experience, business background, and international exposure, as well as an intense period of study with Swami Dayananda Saraswati. He was a professional for 14 years with The L’Oréal Group in Paris followed by Air France in Bangkok, in international marketing and strategic planning. Presently, he is a Professor of Science of Spirituality and the Executive Director for the Centre for Wisdom in Leadership at the SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai.

Surya’s areas of competence and interest are Eastern Philosophy, Meditative Practices, Cognitive Neurosciences, Personal Growth and Ethics and their applications in the domain of Leadership Development.

He teaches Spirituality and Management to over 600 MBA and Executive MBA students annually. Some of the popular courses he conducts are Leading with Wisdom; Insights & Practices for Lasting Success; Journey to Self-Mastery; The Quest for Meaning and Fulfilment, Practices to Anchor Yourself in a Chaotic World, Contemplative Practices for Leaders, Freeing Yourself from Limiting Mental Models, Navigating Intelligently Through Ups and Downs of Life.

The Centre for Wisdom in Leadership disseminates ideas and interventions for more responsible and sustainable society by bringing together the domains of leadership and traditions of wisdom, from East to West, and bridging the gap between wisdom researchers and organisations.

Surya’s commitment is to share insights, practices and frameworks to enhance the leaders’ personal and professional lives, and to assist them to become more lucid, compassionate, dynamic and responsible in an interconnected, volatile and complex world.

In a personal capacity, Surya has been conducting seminars and retreats, and giving public talks on non-duality in India and Europe, in English and in French. Currently, he teaches Meditation, Prayer Chanting, and Stories of The Mahabharata through online courses. He is unlike any other in his ability to walk his students through their emotions and blockages, into a deeper understanding of the Vedic vision.

Education

• PhD of Indian Philosophy and Sanskrit (equivalent), Arsha Vidya Institute of Vedanta & Sanskrit, Coimbatore, India, 2013.
• Executive Education Programme, INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France, 1993
• MBA, IAE Aix-Marseille School of Management, France,1988
• Doctorate in Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences for the Industry,Université Paris XI, France, 1987