Rajesh Sengamedu is a lifelong seeker, wellness coach, and yoga and meditation practitioner with over 30 years of experience. He has guided hundreds of people through yoga, breathwork, and meditation, helping them achieve greater well-being. As the author of Happiness Beyond Mind, a self-help book on living a joyful and fulfilling life, Rajesh combines Vedanta philosophy with practical techniques. His approach integrates Hatha Yoga (physical practice), Pranayama (breath control), meditation (mental focus), and dietary guidance. In addition to his wellness work, he serves as an Account Executive in the Bay Area, working with high-tech clients at a leading consulting firm.
In his latest offering, a compilation of 40 short stories, he has captured an important point about the challenges faced by the Hindu diaspora in navigating the balance between their cultural heritage and the pressures of modern, westernized life. It's true that many have embraced aspects of western culture—consumerism, wealth creation, and technology - while feeling disconnected from the deeper spiritual and philosophical roots of Sanatana Dharma, which offers a more integrated, holistic approach to life.
That sense of void is a common experience when external success (through hard work and material gains) doesn’t quite satisfy internal spiritual needs. Many in the diaspora might be seeking fulfilment in ways that modern life doesn't always provide, and the teachings of Sanatana Dharma could offer them the balance, meaning, and connection they’re missing. However, reviving and appreciating the depth of these teachings requires effort to understand them beyond rituals or surface-level practices.
How have your experiences staying outside India shape the writing of your book?
The US is the third country that we have stayed abroad. After a few years in Sweden and the UK, we moved back to India. In 2014 we relocated to the US as I got a good career opportunity. I was twenty years younger when we lived in Europe and had the same aspirations and dreams as any thirty year old would. I went with the usual flow.
However, in the US, something changed. Perhaps it was the Guru's grace that accelerated my spiritual learning. I started noticing how people's motivations are different, including my own and my immediate family members. Then I saw a pattern. It was a familiar one.
Earn - spend - yearn for holidays - and again earn.
There was nothing wrong with this. But I somehow acutely started noticing a dissatisfaction with status-quo amongst the family & friends that I interacted with. People seemed to know what and how to do something, but rarely knew why they did that. This was being propagated into the younger generation as well. History was repeating itself and a generation was growing up not knowing the why behind their actions.
We know how people who migrated from one Indian state to another have lost touch with their language and family customs /traditions. It happened with my family too. Although I am a Kannadiga, my ancestors moved to Tamil Nadu (probably due to persecution by the then Islamic ruler?) and my parents lived in Andhra Pradesh because of my dad's job. I grew up knowing more Telugu than Kannada.
I saw a similar situation here, that extends beyond oblivion of just language! Here the migrant Indian population actively disconnects from their own culture & tradition to become 'Americanised', whatever their definition of that word was.
I realized that it was just a matter of time that the strong current flow would carry away the floating sticks in the river.
Therefore I researched on the specific thinking process and tried to write stories to help the people think about a different perspective to their life situations and use our age-old framework of dharma-artha-kama-moksha as a guide to understand their why, in addition to how, what.
The short stories bring about several contrasting protagonists whose value systems clash. Is this the crisis within Hindus today?
Yes, the crisis with Hindu diaspora is that they are not able to understand to appreciate the depth of our Sanatana Dharma culture and its integrated holistic view of life. Neither are they able to relate to it because it is not explained well. At the same time, they have also aggressively adopted & become 'westernized'. This influence - movies, social media, consumerism, wealth creation mind-set, and have all created only a hardworking, well earning, high tax paying community. However, there is a void in their lives that the diaspora is trying to fill.
What are the guiding points for Indians abroad today. What is shaping them the most?
The diaspora is guided by financial success, and individuality. And a constant nagging need to 'integrate' into the society, without being clear what integration means to them. Integration is not a bad thing; I actually think it is a good thing, but not at the expense of eschewing one's culture. The tragedy is that the diaspora has not analysed the pros & cons of different value systems before adapting one. They are going with their gut instinct.
What is the role of our various spiritual paths in their lives?
This is a difficult question. The various spiritual paths and traditions offer a way of seeing the bigger picture beyond the ordinary. Beyond what is heard, seen, read and understood commonly. It helps to bring purpose and meaning to life.
I see two broad categories in the Hindu diaspora. Most of the younger generation (<35 years old, with young children) are focussed on financial success and are far away from even attempting to understand Indian culture, leave alone trying to live it. The older generation (35-70 years old, with grown up kids and grandkids) are also struggling to help their children make happier choices.
There is another category where, irrespective of the age, the desire to understand our culture beyond the physical manifestations - clothes, movies, food, festivals etc., is very strong. Those who are lucky gravitate towards dharmic centres like temples, learning centres etc. here. Those who are unlucky, have that urge but are confused about what to do and how to do it. Asking their parents - even if they live in India, is of no avail. The sandwich generation (people who are in my age group, 50-60 years) have no clue either about our spiritual culture.
How do you think the sources of Indic Wisdom have either changed or dried up since our times?
I certainly think that the Indic wisdom is difficult for the diaspora to learn. Perhaps because it is very confusing with so many stories, conflicting implementations of the ever-elusive dharma concept in practical life and no clear guidance from trusted elders. The elders are usually people who are older by age, but not necessarily in wisdom. In short, it is tough for people with short attention spans to spend time learning and implementing in their lives.
What is your vision for your book.
My vision is simply to help people understand that conflicts are part of life and there is a well-tested age old framework of Dharma. When understood properly can reduce the stress of decision making in a conflicting, endless choice-driven world.
I also wanted to figure out how to communicate with the Hindu diaspora better to strengthen their relationship with their own culture so that they (and their young children) are prevented from being influenced by extreme positions like radical, proselyting theologies, Wokeism, Communism and purposeless Capitalism,..
