Steve Jobs, the esteemed co-founder of Apple, was much beyond a technical pioneer; he was a searcher. He arrived in India in 1974 at the age of 19, seeking spiritual insight to add to his creative impetus. Today, Steve Jobs’s spiritual journey in India speaks to us all even more deeply, as society navigates constant innovation, pressure, and the search for meaning. This blog explores Steve Jobs’ spiritual journey in India and his connection with Neem Karoli Baba

Jobs’s journey was more than a flight away from Silicon Valley. Rather, it was to find deeper meanings and clarity that could fuel creativity and drive resilience in himself and his work with technology and commerce. 

Jobs’s journey reminds all of us that weaving spiritual lessons into our busy modern lifestyle can bring us closer to finding a healthy balance. Let’s learn further about his journey.

Steve Jobs’ India Trip: A Quest for Truth

During his time in India, Steve Jobs spent seven months wandering, traveling barefoot at times. He traveled through rural villages, searching for a spiritual answer and a deeper understanding. He later reported that this experience revealed the importance of intuition, which is known to have framed his approach to life and creativity.

One of Jobs’s major stops was supposed to be Neem Karoli Baba’s ashram located at Kainchi Dham. Although the great guru had died by the time Jobs arrived, he still picked up on the spiritual energy and atmosphere of the ashram, which powerfully affected him. Baba left behind an abode of knowledge that continued to influence Jobs.

Jobs also lived an almost monastic life during his stay in Himachal Pradesh. He wore khadi clothes, practiced meditation, and preferred silence and simplicity. Now, he felt that he was able to strip away layers of illusion that fundamentally changed his point of view about life.

Neem Karoli Baba: The Guru Who Inspired the World

Let me introduce you to Neem Karoli Baba, a remarkable spiritual teacher who continues to inspire millions of people through his life and his messages. Neem Karoli Baba, whom devotees fondly called Maharaj-ji, was born in India around 1900. He taught the importance of unconditional love, compassion, and selfless service to others and believed that true spirituality comes from seeing the Divine in each being and serving others for its own sake without expecting anything in return. He followed the ideals of simplicity and humility in every moment of his life until his death in 1973.

When Steve Jobs went to Neem Karoli Baba’s ashram in Kainchi Dham in 1974, he was moved by the peaceful energy and by the ideals that the guru had left behind – in the consciousness of a group of people, not a year after Baba had died. Those experiences shaped Jobs’s view of himself in life, and he subsequently left filled with worlds of clarity and inspiration. 

If you can take anything away from Neem Karoli Baba’s life and teachings, let it be to practice loving freely, serving selflessly, and finding the extraordinary in everything ordinary of everyday life.

Sanatan Dharma’s Impact on Jobs

The underlying concepts of the Sanatan Dharma had a profound influence on him:

• Karma-yoga and Seva

He absorbed the ideals of selfless service imparted by Neem Karoli Baba.

• VEDANTIC non-attachment (dharma)

He adopted the practice of letting go of ego and fusing intuition into action.

• Ahimsa par excellence

Guided by compassion and purity, his practice switched from vegetarianism to veganism and finally to fruitarianism.

Those principles would later form Apple’s ethos: make products that serve you simply, beautifully, and thoughtfully.

Spiritual Practices That Shaped His Thinking

• Meditation & Zazen

Jobs cultivated a practice of silence and stillness after India. He followed Zen meditation to achieve focus and clarity.

• Minimalism

“The simplicities of Zen Buddhism” really influenced his design and aesthetic. Less always meant more.

• Intuition over intellect

Upon returning, he said, “The main thing I’ve learned is intuition… more powerful than intellect.”

For the modern reader, this trio of silence, simplicity, and intuition serves as a powerful guiding force.

Link to Ayurveda

Steve Jobs experimented with some practices that overlapped with Ayurvedic and yogic traditions.

• He would embark on fruitarian diets, eating nothing but apples or carrots for days together.

• He would fast for extended periods, thinking that a cleansed body would help in sharpening the mind.

• He believed that food is our most vital medicine. When taken mindfully, it purifies our body and mind. He followed a specific diet to meet these yogic ideals.

 Legacy: What We Can Learn Today?

What does his life have to offer to a present-day reader?

• A spiritually oriented leadership

You may follow Sanatan ideals like purpose, service, and simplicity to strengthen your leadership skills.

• Youthful integration

Steve Jobs merged code with clarity. Today’s innovators like you can integrate technology with spirituality while keeping yourself ethically grounded.

• Practical principles

We must meditate every day, live with purpose, and trust our intuition. It may be mystical; you can make it strategic.

Conclusion

Steve Jobs’ time in India and his study of Sanatan Dharma led him towards a balanced and thoughtful lifestyle. He decided to live a life of simplicity, trust his intuition more, and reach deep contemplation. These thoughts led him toward building his esteemed company, Apple’s way of work as well. 

For us, this evidence suggests that old spiritual ideas can be combined with practical life to produce a rational way of leading our lives. You can think calmly and listen to your inner voice more often while pursuing your desires, as Jobs did.