New Delhi, A 51-year-old letter written by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has resurfaced in the news after being sold for a staggering Rs. 4.32 crore in 2021, revealing the late innovator’s unfulfilled spiritual desire to attend the Kumbh Mela. The letter, which dates back to February 23, 1974, was addressed to Jobs’ friend Tim Brown and sheds light on the tech mogul’s search for meaning and his deep connection to spirituality.
The letter was penned just one day before Jobs turned 19, during a pivotal moment in his life when he had dropped out of college and was living in a remote cabin in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. At the time, Jobs was on a personal journey, seeking deeper understanding, and had recently returned from a period of working on an apple farm. It is during this time of self-reflection and exploration that he wrote the heartfelt letter.
In the letter, Jobs confides in his friend Tim, expressing his confusion and the ongoing search for meaning in his life. “I have read your letter many times… I do not know what to say. Many mornings have come and gone, people have come and gone, I have loved and I have cried many times,” Jobs writes, highlighting his emotional state and the complexity of his thoughts. He then reveals his wish to travel to India for the Kumbh Mela, a massive Hindu religious gathering that takes place every 12 years.
“I wish to go to India for the Kumbh Mela, which starts in April. I will be leaving sometime in March, not really certain yet,” Jobs wrote. The letter also includes a personal invitation to his friend Tim to visit him in the mountains, where they could further discuss Zen Buddhism and other thoughts that Jobs had not fully understood from Tim’s previous letter.
Jobs’ wish to attend the Kumbh Mela, however, was never realized. While he did make it to India in 1974, he missed the Kumbh Mela, instead spending seven months immersed in the country’s spiritual and philosophical culture. This journey would play a major role in shaping Jobs’ personal and professional life. During his time in India, he became deeply influenced by Zen Buddhism and eventually studied under the guidance of Zen master Kobun Chino Otogawa, who later officiated his wedding to Laurene Powell.
Though Jobs’ spiritual quest in India shaped his worldview, his dream of attending the Kumbh Mela remained unfulfilled. However, in a poignant turn of events, Laurene Powell Jobs, his widow, has honored his wish 14 years after his passing. With the Maha Kumbh Mela currently underway, Laurene has traveled to the event under the guidance of her own guru, Swami Kailashananda, fulfilling her late husband’s desire in a deeply symbolic way.
This personal journey of Jobs—both spiritual and emotional—offers a glimpse into the complexities of the visionary behind Apple. The letter, now a collector’s item, serves as a reminder of the philosophical and introspective side of the man who revolutionized technology and left an indelible mark on the world. As the world celebrates the Maha Kumbh Mela, Laurene Powell Jobs’ participation adds a reflective and meaningful chapter to Steve Jobs’ spiritual journey, one that was left incomplete in his lifetime but is now carried forward in his memory.
BY – KARTIK
