Promoting Workplace Equality: Lessons from Shuka Journey

The Challenges Faced by Swastika

Swastika had always been resilient. As a transgender woman, she navigated numerous challenges in her personal life with courage and determination. However, when she joined a reputed company as a product manager, she encountered a different kind of battle. In the corporate world, her gender identity became a focal point of unwarranted scrutiny, judgment, and discrimination.
Despite her qualifications and dedication, Swastika found herself facing subtle yet persistent biases. Colleagues often questioned her capabilities, and some even outright avoided working with her. She was excluded from important meetings and decisions, making her feel isolated and undervalued. The stress of trying to prove herself constantly weighed on her, and the workplace, which should have been a platform for her growth, turned into a source of anxiety and frustration.
One day, Swastika received a message from the CEO’s office requesting a meeting. This added to her stress, as she feared the worst. She had been doing her best, but the lack of support and acceptance from her colleagues made her doubt her future in the company.

The CEO's Intervention

When Swastika entered the CEO’s office, she was tense and visibly stressed. The CEO, noticing her discomfort, asked her what was troubling her. At first, Swastika hesitated, but then she decided to open up. She explained how her corporate life had become unfair due to the biases and discrimination she faced because of her gender identity.
The CEO listened intently, and as Swastika spoke, his expression grew serious. He was deeply concerned and disappointed to hear about the challenges she was facing. He knew that this was not just about one employee's experience but about the culture and values of the company as a whole.

Determined to address the issue, the CEO called an urgent meeting with the entire staff. In the meeting, he shared Swastika’s experience, emphasizing the importance of creating an inclusive and equitable workplace. He explained that equality is not just a policy or a slogan but a fundamental principle that must be ingrained in the company’s culture. To illustrate this, he shared the story of Shuka, a tale that embodies the essence of true equality and acceptance.

The Story of Shuka

Shuka, whose name means "parrot," was the son of the great sage Veda Vyasa. His birth and life were surrounded by extraordinary circumstances, and his story carries profound lessons about equality and spiritual enlightenment.
According to legend, Shuka was born in a most unusual way. One day, Lord Shiva, in preparation for narrating the secret of immortality to his wife, Goddess Parvati, ordered all beings to leave the vicinity. Shiva began the narration, but Parvati soon fell asleep. Unbeknownst to Shiva, a parrot had just hatched from its egg and was inadvertently listening to the divine conversation. To keep Shiva narrating, the parrot imitated the humming sounds Parvati would have made.
When Shiva discovered Parvati asleep, he realized that the parrot had learned the secret of immortality. The parrot, now aware of its transgression, fled to a nearby forest and entered the mouth of Veda Vyasa’s wife as she yawned. Enraged, Shiva demanded the parrot to come out, but Vyasa intervened, arguing that if the parrot truly knew the secret of immortality, it could not be killed.
The parrot, now within Vyasa’s wife, refused to come out unless it was promised two things: to be recognized as Vyasa’s son and to be born free of any worldly attachment, as a liberated soul. Vyasa agreed to the first condition but hesitated on the second. As a result, the parrot remained in the womb for twelve long years.
Unable to bear the pain any longer, Vyasa’s wife pleaded with him. Vyasa prayed to Lord Vishnu for help, who assured the parrot that it would be free of attachments and eligible for moksha (liberation). The parrot finally emerged in human form and was named Shuka.
From the moment of his birth, Shuka was different. He was a digambara (one without clothes), symbolizing his oneness with nature. He was enlightened, with no consciousness of his physical body, and lived a life of spiritual detachment. His knowledge and spiritual attainments surpassed even those of his father, Veda Vyasa.
One day, while Shuka was wandering near a river, he passed by a group of celestial damsels, or apsaras, who were bathing. Despite being young, handsome, and naked, Shuka remained entirely unaffected by the sight, a testament to his spiritual state. The apsaras continued their frolicking, unperturbed by his presence.
However, when Veda Vyasa, an older and renowned sage, followed shortly after, the apsaras hurriedly covered themselves. Curious, Vyasa asked why they reacted to him but not to his son. The apsaras explained that Shuka was a sama drik, one who perceives and treats all beings equally, without any distinction between man and woman. Shuka’s mind was in a constant state of blissful tranquility, unaffected by worldly sights, while Vyasa had not yet attained that level of spiritual purity.
Shuka’s life and actions were a living embodiment of true equality, where all beings were seen as one and the same, without any prejudice or bias.
The Moral of the Story
The CEO concluded the meeting by drawing a parallel between Shuka’s enlightened state and the concept of equality in the workplace. He explained that true equality means seeing and treating everyone as equals, irrespective of gender, race, or background. Just as Shuka was unaffected by external appearances, employees should strive to look beyond superficial differences and focus on the strengths and capabilities that each person brings to the table.
The meeting had a profound impact on the employees. The CEO’s message resonated deeply, and the story of Shuka became a symbol of the company’s commitment to equality and respect for all. From that day forward, Swastika noticed a positive change in her colleagues' attitudes, and the workplace gradually transformed into a place of acceptance and support.