The High Priest of Purposeful Living

Dandapaniji talks with Navni Chawla about finding meaning and purpose to life and living in alignment with it to make the most of our time here on this planet

As I entered the hotel lobby where Dandapaniji staying, I saw him coming out. He told me he had just finished another interview. Seeing his enthusiasm, we straight away started looking for a place to conduct his second interview for the day, which was with Life Positive. We went to an outdoor area with less noise. He politely asked if I wouldn't mind doing it on the staircase since it was in the shade and away from people; hence, quieter. I instantly agreed, my heart filled with joy and gratitude to be with this humble yet renowned man who trains world-class athletes, sitting beside me on the staircase, eager to answer my questions.

What do you do Dandapaniji?

I was a monk for 10 years after which I left the monastery I was in. I am a Hindu priest now. The biggest difference between a monk and a priest is that as a monk one practises Bhramacharya and does not earn money, but as a Hindu priest, one can get married which I did. And I have a four-year-old daughter.

I work as an advisor to entrepreneurs and athletes. I train them to understand how the mind works, how to leverage that understanding, and to focus their mind to get better at what they do.

[I read his book The Power of Unwavering Focus, in which he emphasises the importance of living a purpose-focussed life. Since I was so interested in that subject myself and also thought talking about purpose will resonate with a lot of people, I asked him about it.]

How does one find their purpose in life, especially if they are lost or clueless?