Viewing serendipity, Karma Yoga through an entrepreneur’s lens

Oogway: There are no accidents.

Shifu: [sighs] Yes, I know. You've already said that twice.

Oogway: That was no accident, either.

Shifu: Thrice.

― Kung Fu Panda

Since childhood, I have been fascinated by animation films. Apart from entertainment, some of them have a deeper message. One of my favourite is Kung Fu Panda, a movie that I must have watched at least a dozen times!

The above lines from the movie are part of conversation between Grand Master Oogway and Master Shifu. Oogway asks Shifu to accept Po as the Dragon Warrior, and the latter says this choice was an accident. Pat comes Oogway's reply that there are no accidents.

I have heard many entrepreneurs talk of ‘being lucky’, ‘getting lucky’, ‘being at the right place, at the right time’, and so on. Some have said their entrepreneurial journey was a ‘chance happening’ or ‘happy accident’. Often one wonders about businesses and entrepreneurs with many merits that have failed and how some unexpected ventures have succeeded. We conclude that luck did or did not favour them. Like Oogway, through my entrepreneurial journey, I have come to believe that there are no accidents.

In 2005, MeritTrac (a startup that I co-founded in 2000) raised capital from HSBC Venture Capital. One of the key points that weighed in our favour during the investment process was the fact that a strategic adviser had written a book on entrepreneurship in which he had featured MeritTrac as a case study. This case study happened because I had bumped into him in INSEAD Singapore where both of us were guest faculty at a session organised by Balagopal Vissa in 2003 — and he had got interested in our story.

Why was I invited to Bala’s session? In 2001, as I was embarking on my entrepreneurial journey, a friend from the London Business School called seeking help for this friend and fellow doctoral student (Bala) on some research on entrepreneurship, and I had gladly agreed to assist. Bala came down to Bangalore and we spent a few days together as I ferried him from meetings that I had organised — and became good friends.

Bala then joined INSEAD Singapore as an Assistant Professor in 2002, and as MeritTrac was muddling through difficult choices, he wanted me to share my entrepreneurial experiences in his class at INSEAD and he had also invited the same strategic adviser as another guest for the same session. So, if I had declined to meet and help Bala in 2001, our investment in 2005 would probably not have materialised. Is this luck? Is this an accident? I believe that this is serendipity, and Karma Yoga.

Serendipity refers to the occurrence of unexpected or fortunate events that happen by chance or accident, often resulting in a positive outcome. It is often associated with the idea of luck or fate, and it can be seen as a form of divine intervention or providence.

Karma Yoga is a concept in the Bhagavad Gita that emphasises selfless action, where actions are performed without any attachment to the outcome, but rather with a focus on the service of others, or a higher purpose. According to Karma Yoga, performing good deeds without any expectation of reward or recognition can bring about positive consequences and create good karma, which can lead to a better future.

In this context, serendipity can be seen as a way of experiencing the positive consequences of good karma, which is created through selfless actions. When we perform actions with the intention of serving others or a higher purpose, we are creating positive energy that can attract fortunate events or opportunities. These events may seem like they are happening by chance, but they are the result of the good karma that has been created through selfless action. In addition, the practice of Karma Yoga helps develop a sense of detachment from the outcome of our actions, which can reduce attachment to desires and expectations. By letting go of the need to control the outcome, we can be more open to serendipitous events and opportunities that may arise.

Through the practice of Karma Yoga, we can create positive karma and attract positive events, which can lead to a better future and a greater sense of inner peace. Through experiencing serendipity, we can see the fruits of our selfless actions and be reminded of the power of positive karma.

Madan Padaki is Co-founder, Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship, and President, TiE Bangalore.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.)