Saturday, August 23, 2008

Human Values from Bhagwad Gita(7-10)

HUMAN VALUES FROM BHAGWAD GITA (Contnd. from previous posts)

VALUE 7: “SAUCAM”: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CLEANLINESS:

According to Swami(Dr.) Parthasarthy, Saucam is cleanliness in a two-fold sense: Bahya, outer cleanliness, and antara, inner cleanliness. The former is a well-understood universal value. It is easy to see the benefit that comes to me and to others from external cleanliness. Clean body, clean clothes and clean dwelling place make the life more pleasant. In addition, the daily discipline of maintaining cleanliness brings about a certain attentiveness and alertness of mind. Antara saucam, internal cleanliness, which means cleanliness of antahkarana , is less easily recognized. What makes the mind asaucam or unclean? Jealousy, anger, hatred, fear, selfishness, self-condemnation, guilt, pride, possessiveness, all these negative reactions and the climate of despair and resentment which comes in their wake , are the unseemliness, the asaucam, of the mind. Like my body gets daily asaucam in my transactions with people and circumstances, similarly linked to my ragas and dweshas ( likes and dislikes, which produce desires and aversions), smudges of envy settle, a spot of exasperation lands, streaks of possessiveness appear, and overall, the fine dust of self-criticism, guilt and self-condemnation spreads into my mind. Like I maintain daily external cleanliness, each day, my mind must be cleaned until my false identification with the mind goes, in the knowledge of the Self When there is no daily cleaning outside or inside, the accumulation makes the task much more difficult..

We can clean the mind through pratipaksa bhavana, which means by being proactive and deliberately taking the ‘ opposite point of view’ and to willingly think the opposite of the unclean thought. Suppose, someone may do an improper action which insults or injures me. A resentment settles in my mind, which is my asaucam of the mind. Allowed to remain, this resentment can build up to hatred, a painful, disturbing mental state. Seeing, therefore, the personal consequences of allowing asaucam to remain, when the object of resentment comes to my attention, I summon the will to think thoughts opposite to the negative thoughts that first came to my mind. By analysis I see that the person I resent is not disliked by every one. Deliberately I search for reasons why others like him. I think of positive facts and call to mind whatever good things I know of him. Therefore, to clean the mind of resentment and dislikes which solidify into hatred, it is essential for a deliberate search for those things in another person which indicate his humaneness, his saintliness,.They are there in every one. Saintly qualities are the qualities of the Self, the qualities which really constitute human nature. Negative qualities are incidental; they come and go . Seeing the person behind the action from such pratipaksa bhavna(opposite view point) will discover an attitude of ksanti, accommodation towards him as well. Pratipaksa bhavna is a daily act for mind. A mind kept clean in this manner will be quiet and alert mind. A clean, quiet, alert mind is comfortable with itself and ready to learn, to be taught.

In the case of Selfishness, the pratipaksa bhavana thoughts can often be reinforced by action as well. When I see in myself non-consideration for the wants, needs, happiness of others, I can deliberately program myself to overdo in the opposite direction, by making myself alert to the needs and happiness of those around me.
Self-condemnation can be called subtle asaucam of the mind. Universal ethical values , consciously or unconsciously, remain as a matrix for self-judgment for any thought or action which transgress their standards. Whenever I fail to abide by a general value, some conflict usually registers in my mind. Conflict becomes guilt and guilt turns into an underground chorus of self-condemnation, which becomes a subtle asaucam pervading my mind. It can no more be justified than condemnation of others, as both rest upon the faulty understanding of the Self. Both produce turmoil in the mind. Self-condemnation can be controlled by pratipaksa bhavana, by refusing to condemn myself, while at the same time deliberately thinking non-self-condemnation thought. Upon analysis it is found that our body-mind package cannot be condemned. From Sruti (scriptures) I know that Atma illuminates the mind But Atma is satcit-ananda: boundless, timeless, full of awareness, form-free, action-free; neither karta(doer) nor bhukta(enjoyer).Thus, Atma cannot be blamed, and, no condemnation of Self is required. Clearing away of asaucam self-condemnation leaves the mind free to discover, as a personal value, the ethical norm, which has been transgressed.

Of all the asaucam, Jealousy is the most illegitimate of attitudes because even by the standards of the relative world it is “unreal.” Jealousy is a reaction of sorrow over a lack , which I conclude exists, when I compare myself with some other human being, who is seen as superior. This supposed superiority, when examined , will always be found as partial and incomplete. I will never be jealous of all the aspects of another person – nor will anyone jealous of me ever find me totally superior.. Thus, there can be no real locus of jealousy for me . A jnani is not jealous because no second person exists, others seeing themselves as separate entities will indulge in self-demeaning comparative judgments of excellence, followed by the pain of matsarya (jealousy). When the illegitimacy of jealousy has been seen, it will readily be susceptible to pratipaksa bhavana by deliberately thinking: “I am happy to see someone with such excellence. I am happy to see the happiness of this person. I admire the person. I appreciate the person”. By such thought I nip the jealousy in the bud.

A Manager, who imbibes the value of asaucam, including internal cleanliness, will be more proactive and adequately sensitized to appreciate the others point of view, and therefore, shorn of selfishness, jealousy, self-condemnation , and be more effective in dealing with conflict situations and ethical dilemmas bein presentlt faced in the corporate environment.

VALUE 8: “STHAIRYATM” Steadfastness:

Sthairyath is nistha, ‘firmness’ or ‘steadiness’. Derived from the Sanskrit root ‘stha’ ‘to stand’, Sthairyath indicates constancy or perseverance. Sthairyath is: Karma nistha, swadharma nistha i.e. “ steadfastness in action, steadfastness in one’s duty.” Thus, a steady effort on one’s part toward committed goals or toward duties or responsibilities imposed upon one, is Sthairyath. Swami (Dr.) Parthasarthy has candidly pointed out that" When it comes to applying effort towards a goal, most of us find ourselves to be arathbhasurah i.e., ‘heroes at the beginning’. We start any undertaking very bravely; we are lions of resolution at first, but then enthusiasm wanes. The energy of the ‘heroic beginner’ dwindles when the total effort required becomes clear. Then, some pretext is found to escape completion of the job. Lack of steadiness towards a commitment results in goals not being achieved. This brings a build-up of guilt over failure to complete what was started. Sthairyath means there should be steady effort towards whatever you have committed yourself to achieve until it is achieved. Thus, it is a steadiness that neither yields to laziness nor is disturbed by distraction.
In the management context , Sthairyath highlighted is nistha or firmness not only in seeking the total content of all knowledge, in which all other goals resolve, but also total commitment and steadfastness in one’s duty through appropriate and timely action, in which Sthairyath; steadiness is a prerequisite. Without this golden value the manager simply can not survive. He need imbibe the value of Sthairyath constancy or perseverance and be steadfast in both planning and action.


VALUE 9: “ATMAVINIGRAHA”: Mastery over the Mind:

Atmavinigraha, according to Swami (Dr.) Parthasarthy, means mastery over the mind. The Sanskrit word ‘atma’ signifies the first person singular ‘I’. It can be used for the physical body or its vital functions; mind or its ‘ego’ sense can also be called atma. Atma is also saccdanada, the timeless, limitless awareness that is truth of ‘I’ , the Seelf. Here, in the context of Lord Krisna’s instructions to Arjuna, atma simply means the mind of the antahkarna. Vinigraha means ‘restraint’ or ‘curbing’, which, with reference to this value is ‘mastery’ of the mind. What must be mastered is one’s way of thinking. Swami( Dr.) Parthasarthy has , here, beautifully explained that "The mind is colourful kaleidoscope of fanciful thoughts which come and go, as the mind is whimsical by nature But I, the thinker, need not fulfill the fancies or yield to the caprices, as I am the sanctioning authority."

In general, thinking of mind is of three types: Impulsive, in which unexamined thoughts born of instinct hold sway; mechanical, in which prior conditioning is the dictator; and, deliberative, wherein my budhi, the evaluating function of mind, consciously examines my thoughts, accepting or dismissing them in accordance with my value structure. There is a fourth way of thinking – spontaneous, in which my thoughts without deliberation, conform to the highest universal values. Spontaneous thinking of this kind manifests at an absolute level only in one who has Self-knowledge. At a relative level, spontaneous thinking reflects the degree to which universal values have become my personal and assimilated values. In essence, spontaneous thinking is complete atmavinigraha. It is only knowledge of Self that can completely destroy the hold of the likes and dislikes that compel and condition the way of thinking. Complete mastery is characterized by spontaneity.

Sama, dama, and samadhana are Sanskrit terms often used to indicate different aspects of atmavinigraha. Sama is understood to mean discipline over thinking at the level where the thoughts arise, dama indicates choice exercised over thoughts and actions at the level of sense organ expression. Samadhana.means cittaikagrata, which literally indicates single pointed -ness of the mind. Cittaikagrata is the art of applying the mind consistently to a given pursuit for a length of time. The art of Samadhana. , or cittaikagrata can then be learned by beginning to apply the mind with a sharpened awareness of distractions. The whole of atmavinigraha is a matter of alertness and awareness. If I am alert and conscious of what my mind is doing, I always have choice over my way of thinking . With choice, I can change and can conform my behaviour to values, learn from mistakes, and can hold to commitments in the face of distraction.
A Mmanager should necessarily have the complete mastery of his/her mind by imbibing this golden value of atmavinigraha. Being endowed with spontaneous thinking (where universal values become personal and assimilated values) he/she is shorn of personal likes and dislikes to have a dispassionate view of all the emerging situations and deal with the problems effectively. If his judgment is clouded with personal prejudices without atmavinigraha, his decisions may become arbitrary, affecting the overall functioning of the organization adversely. Aatmavinigraha may be candidly relevant to the manager at corporate level while facing ethical dilemmas.

VALUE 10: “INDRIYARTHESU VAIRAGYAM: State of Dispassion towards the Object of Sense Organs:

As explained by Dr. Parthasarthy INDRIYARTHESU VAIRAGYAM means a ‘state of dispassion towards the objects of sense organs’ or the absence of compelling drive for worldly pleasures and possessions’. Raga is more than just a fancy or preference; it is craving for something. One who is free from such cravings is called vairagi and his bhava – the state of mind – is called vairagyam. Dispassion is, however, not a state of inner suppression. It is (rather) a serene state of mind characterized by total objectivity towards the things of the world, the objects of the senses. Dispassion is gained by clearly seeing objects for just what they are: by seeing, without subjective distortion, just how objects relate to me , to my happiness and welfare.

Basically, a human being seems to find himself to be a wanting person, with all compelling desires turn upon this human sense of want. That I want to be a complete person and which, I am not(as I am), is the common human experience. Seeing myself as incomplete, unfulfilled, inadequate, insecure, I try to bring completeness to myself by the pursuit of pleasures and acquisition of things. I devote myself to two of the fundamental human pursuits – the struggle for kama and that for artha. . Kama in Sanskrit stands for all forms of sense pleasures. Kama indicates not just eating, but gourmet eating; not just drinking, but drinking as a compelling pleasure. Artha stands for all the things which I think will bring security in life to me: wealth, power, influence, fame and name.
As a human being, there will be no end to my longing and struggle for artha and kama, so long as I feel both insecure and incomplete and think that artha and kama can make me complete and end my insecurity. Till then I will not be able to gain Indriyarthesu vairagyam, dispassion for sense objects. To become free from the compelling drive of raga, the desire for artha things, and kama pleasures, I must by analysis and discernment recognize that no number of things would ever make me secure nor could any amount of pleasure fill my sense of emptiness. I must discover that my struggle to fulfill my sense of want is endless. No accumulation of wealth is ever enough to silence the inner anxiety, no pleasure sufficient to bring lasting fulfillment. Moreover, gain of any kind of wealth also involves loss: a loss through the expenditure of time and effort required; a loss through responsibility assumed; a loss through some other alternative abandoned. No gain I obtain through effort is ever absolute. A lasting sense of security is never achieved through artha.
Similar is the result when I analyze pleasure. Human struggle for pleasure does not produce lasting contentment. In the subjective world I see objects as desirable, undesirable or neutral (neither desired nor undesired). What I desire, what brings me pleasure, is subject to constant change, depending upon three factors: availability of object of pleasure, availability of the appropriate effective instrument for enjoying the object, and presence of the proper frame of mind for enjoying the object. Analysis of pleasure shows that it , like other possessions, fails me in my effort to find fullness and completeness. Pleasures proves to be momentary and capricious, while possessions, no matter how many, do not equate with security, and I clearly see that the best I can hope for in the aggregation of wealth is the exchange of one kind of anxiety for another.When I don’t place my security, my fullness, my happiness in these things, they gain an objective disposition for me. I quit giving them extra capacity which they do not have in reality. Then, I am objective about them. I am dispassionate. This is the mental state of vairagya, which is an important value. Vairagya is a state of mind brought about by understanding, not compelled by a commitment to self-denial or deprivation. Things do not catch and hold me. I catch them. When I see the things as they are; that state of seeing is called indriyarthesu vairgyam.
In the management
context, a manager with a serene state of mind characterized by total objectivity towards the things of the world, including the objects of the senses, can have the dispassionate view through non-attachment with artha and kama, to steer clear of all the ethical dilemmas faced by him. If he/she get swayed by the worldly objects of the senses, disregarding indriyarthesu vairgyam, there is no end to his ethical dilemmas, as recently faced by Mr. Paul Wolfowitz, who had to resign as the World Bank President, having favoured his companion lady employee for her high paying promotion. Such examples at the corporate level, both within India and abroad, abound to show how passions of the senses have brought bad name both to the individuals and the institutions concerned.

CONCLUSION
Thus, the attitudes and ways of thinking called jnanam values, as specified above, have relevance for every one, including the present day manager. Reflecting upon them will certainly provide a keen insight and a profound grasp of the working of the mind, to make it more contemplative and steady. These basic values, if sincerely developed, shall usher a mind, which is beautiful, proactive as objective instrument, quiet alert, and effective. It is a mind ready for any study or pursuit. Such a mind unsplit by internal conflict, undismayed by external adversity, has the best possible preparation for daily life as well as for facing the ethical dilemmas faced by the manager. Such values enhance the quality of life , whatever one’s activities may be. Daily life gains efficiency and cheerfulness-even radiance- when these values are personally assimilated norms. One becomes a cheerful person, both saintly and effective. True saintliness makes one the most effective person possible in any situation or transaction, as he/she is totally objective. His /her appreciation of given circumstances is not clouded by subjective conditioning. Like a saint, such a manger sadhak clearly sees the facts for what they are and can make and act upon a fact-based judgment free from subjective interpretation or need. We may conclude this humble attempt with:

Vihaya kaman yah sarvan pumams carati nihsprha
nirmamo nirahankarah sa santim adhigacchati (BG 2.71)
“A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego – he alone can attain real peace.”


Ved Prakash

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