Living in the immediate aftermath of India’s independence, the colonial rigours existed in full force across India. Growing up in a modest joint family home in New Delhi, surrounded by elders of all ages, Vivek Singhal was instilled with a deep sense of respect for silence, simplicity, and shared stories. Life had yet to be about materialism for many, but the gradually shifting socio-economic transformation of the subcontinent influenced Vivek Singhal’s perception and artistic sensibilities from a young age.
Abundance was not something Vivek was party to while growing up, but what he possessed in love, values, and community had massive impacts on his worldview going forward. The formative years of his life taught him the real wealth of life, which lies beyond materials, in meaning. Furthermore, accompanying his father, the first graduate in his family, to the Ramakrishna Mission Centre every day brought him closer to a spiritual school of thought preached by Swami Vivekananda, who played a crucial role in the man he would go on to become. Reciting lines from Swami Vivekananda’s teachings, Vivek became drawn to the confidence on Swamiji’s face and the radiance in his photo, soon coming to realise that it stirred something inside him. The impact was so far-reaching that he went on to choose the name ‘Vivek’ for himself at age 8, which he credits to perhaps sensing that it meant discernment. Years later, he took several books of Swamiji with him to the United States — extending his connection with spirituality while going places in NASA, the University of Michigan and elsewhere. To this day, Vivek reiterates that Swamiji’s speech at the World Parliament of Religions has remained a deep and enduring inspiration for him, helping him strive towards inner clarity and fearless expression... Read more