We spend a lifetime chasing wealth, power and success. But what if we have misunderstood all three?
Can someone with ₹1,000 crore in the bank still be poor? What if their children have fallen into harmful habits, their marriage is in trouble or they have lost their peace of mind? Would we still call them prosperous?
It is an interesting question, and one that came up during my conversation with Dr Jai Madaan at the recent launch of her book, The Inner Kingdom: Peace, Power and Prosperity. “Prosperity is not possession. It is sampannata: the feeling that life is enough to support you,” writes Madaan.
We tend to associate prosperity with money, property and possessions. Yet a person may have all three and still be miserable. Equally, someone with modest means may enjoy good health, loving relationships and a sense of contentment. Who, then, is truly prosperous?
Madaan’s book revolves around three Ps: peace, power and prosperity. Interestingly, it wasn’t written to a predetermined plan. She told me how years of meditation and reflection gradually found their way onto paper. “It was beyond my control,” she recalled. Only later did she and her team organise those thoughts into a book.
I was particularly struck by her interpretation of power. “Power is not the ability to control what stands before you. It is the mastery to direct what rises within you.” She cites Hanuman as an example of strength without ego, courage without aggression and knowledge without pride. There is a lesson here for a world where power is so often confused with the ability to dominate others.
My favourite chapter is on the Ashta Siddhis, the eight powers within us. Madaan gives these ancient concepts a contemporary interpretation, exploring qualities such as subtlety, expansion, gravitas, lightness, mastery and influence. “Siddhis are not meant to make you greater than others; they are meant to make your power more conscious.”
And then there is peace. “Happiness rises and falls with the waves. Peace is the ocean that learns not to leave itself.” I also liked her explanation of samarpanam, or surrender. It isn’t about giving up, but about doing one’s karma sincerely and accepting that not every outcome is ours to control.
I couldn’t help thinking how relevant this is for women today. We have come a long way in pursuing our ambitions, achieving financial independence and making our mark in the world, while continuing to nurture families and relationships. But perhaps the next step in this journey is learning to give our own happiness, health and peace of mind the same importance we give to everything and everyone else.
Success, after all, is not just about how much we earn or achieve, but also about the quality of life we create for ourselves and those around us. And perhaps that is the real meaning of prosperity: not just having more in life, but getting more out of life.
