He
had a keen desire to be independent and loathed the idea of having
an authoritative figure over him. To him, any form of employment
meant that he would have a boss who could fire him at whim. One day
he overheard his father and elder brother talking about their plans
to make him a collector like one of their relatives. That meant
working under a commissioner. "We attain this human
life with great difficulty so what would be the point if I were to
acquire a superior. When I did not want any material
things, why would I put up with someone who could boss me around?
It may be acceptable to those who desire a materialistic lifestyle,
but that was not for me. I would rather own a small paan (beetle
leaf) shop than be censured under any circumstances. So I decided
to fail my matriculation exams so that my brother and father would
stop entertaining the idea of me becoming a collector!"
Always in pursuit of spiritual bliss, he
never found happiness in what people found happiness in.
He was never dictated by social norms, and he did things contrary
to what others did. He was never enticed by money or wealth, and he
ran his civil contracting business with integrity and ethics. When
asked about other contractors using inferior quality raw materials,
he used to say, "We may starve, but we will never
compromise on the quality of cement and steel in building
construction. Cement and steel in a building are like what blood
and bones are to the body!"
