India, Sept. 17 -- A background in science or engineering does not always lead to a conventional technical career. For some spiritual teachers, years spent studying engineering, physics, or management became part of a very different journey, one that eventually led them toward meditation, philosophy, service and spiritual teaching. Their stories offer a glimpse into how academic training and questions about life's deeper meaning can sometimes lead people in unexpected directions.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's early education brought together two areas that would remain central to his life: science and Vedic knowledge. According to his biography, he graduated in 1973 with degrees in Physics and Vedic literature. His first teacher was Pan...