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"Good-Bye, Mr Patel" is a Ugandan born Indian's story of self discovery and quest for flawless vision. The author believes the modern day malaise and strife are caused by the increasing spiritual void in us and warped thinking that has put man on a proverbial treadmill of unprincipled living and search for elusive happiness somewhere outside in a material world. He says 'when we clear our minds of the clutter of useless baggage, worthless information and second-hand knowledge stored to bolster our ego that is allowed to weigh upon us for no discernible reason other than to gain a sense of ascendancy over others and to justify our otherwise meaningless existence, then clear spiritual highways to blissful reality open up'.
Bitter experiences of early life of poverty and belonging to the Patel clan forced the author to look at himself. He could not accept that he was any different from a non-Patel and realized how deeply scripted he was by the social environment in which he grew up. He craved freedom from the shackles of his social and psychological order. He chose to move away from calling himself a Patel to look at himself objectively. This introspective journey gave him the strength to break with his past, dismantle the shackles of impractical and unquestioned customs, traditions and beliefs to pave the way for an open mind to flourish.
This fragmentary autobiography reveals how positive interpretations of his bitter experiences have shaped the transformation of his thinking and life and taken him to living in a state of abandonment - a life free of stress and anxiety.
The title "Good-Bye, Mr Patel" suggests that there is a Patel lurking inside each one of us who needs to be banished. This is the ego that blinds and imprisons us in an illusory world that diverts the mind from venturing into world within where the real person resides.
The book finishes with the author's barrier-shattering, and enlightening, principles such as "no-one owes you a favour", "the real enemy is within", "your children are not yours" and more, which have crystallized from the crucible of daily living and paved the way for joyful living on a unique path!
About the author
Assistant Professor-cum-Scientist Department of Entomology, Sugarcane Research Institute Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University PUSA-848 125, Samastipur, Bihar, India
