One of Deepa Sharma’s paintings inspired part of Shankar’s book, “The Seven Steps to Bliss: A Modern Upanishad” Deepa is an artist and architectural engineer, and in this conversation, we explore how one piece of art can spark another.

We talk about the three parts of art: the spark, the journey, and the dialogue with the work and its artist. Deepa shares what it was like to listen to the book as her first audiobook, what resonated most with her, and who the book might speak to. We also look at how art travels across generations, and what each generation can learn from the others.

You can find Deepa’s artwork on her website (https://artbydeepasharma.weebly.com/) and on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/deepasharma.art/).

You can purchase your copy of "The Seven To Steps: A Modern Upanishad" audiobook on his website (https://www.drshankarcoach.com/product-page/audiobook-the-seven-steps-to-bliss-a-modern-upanishad)

John Schuster calls it "agefulness," staying vital, adaptable, and open to growth at any stage of life instead of accepting decline as the default. John is a coach, teacher, and author, and at one point in the conversation, he poses a question worth sitting with: how many good vibrations have you put out into the world over your life?

We talk about how the scorecard for success shifts as we get older, and compare Indian and American attitudes toward aging, from appearance to playfulness to how openly people accept the years they've lived. John also shares his advice to his younger self: see aging as opportunity, not decline. This conversation spans three generations between Nikil, Shankar, and John, and it's proof that good vibrations and learning move in every direction, no matter your age.

We chat with Mahesh Panchagnula, a professor at IIT Madras and host of the Professor Mahesh Podcast. Mahesh and Shankar first met in academia, and their friendship has grown into something much more. When Shankar wrote "The Seven Steps to Bliss," he invited Mahesh to be an early reader.

We talk about the aspects of the book that resonated most with Mahesh, like the name Jiva for the book's main character, and why it carries so much significance. We discuss some of the core questions around spiritual development (Who am I? Why am I here?) and Mahesh highlights the tantric aspect of Jiva’s path in the book. We also discuss how the book may serve as an entry point to Hindu philosophy for non-Hindus.

You can find more about Mahesh on his podcast, where he interviews guests to help parents and students make informed career decisions: https://www.youtube.com/@ProfMaheshPodcast