universal human values

 

 

 

Unit1

Course Introduction: Every human being has two sets of questions to answer for his/her life:

a) What to do? and,

b) How to do?

The first set pertains to the value domain, and the other to the skill domain. Both are complimentary, but value domain has a higher priority.

Today, education has become more and more skill biased, and hence, the basic aspiration of a human being, that is to live with happiness and prosperity, gets defeated, in spite of abundant technological progress.

            “This course discusses the role of human values in one’s family. It, very briefly, touches issues related to their role in the society and the nature.”

 

Course Objectives: The objective of the course is four fold:

Ø  Development of a holistic perspective based on self-exploration about themselves (human being), family, society and nature/existence.

Ø  Understanding (or developing clarity) of the harmony in the human being, family, society and nature/existence

Ø  Strengthening of self-reflection.

Ø  Development of commitment and courage to act.

 

1. Need, Basic Guidelines, Content and Process for Value Education:

1.1. Meaning and Definition of Value Education:Character oriented education that instills basic values and ethnic value in one’s psyche is called ‘Value Based Education’. The subject that enables us to understand ‘what is valuable’ for human happiness is called value education. Value education enables us to understand our needs and visualize our goals correctly and also helps to remove our confusions and contradictions and bring harmony at all levels. It also helps remove our confusions and contradictions and enables us to rightly utilize the technological innovations.

            Values form the basis for all our thoughts, behaviors and actions. Once we know what is valuable to us, these values becomes the basis, the anchor for our actions. We also need to understand the universality of various human values, because only then we can have a definite and common program for value education. Then only we can be assured of a happy and harmonious human society.

1.2 Need for Value Education:

Ø  Correct identification of our aspirations: The subject which enables us to understand ‘what is valuable’ for human happiness is called ‘value education’ (VE). Thus, VE enables us to understand our needs and visualize our goals correctly and also indicate the direction for their fulfillment. It also helps to remove our confusions and contradictions and bring harmony at all levels.  

Ø  Understanding universal human values to fulfill our aspirations in continuity:  Values form the basis for all our thoughts, behaviors and actions. Once we know what is valuable to us, these values becomes the basis, the anchor for our actions. We also need to understand the universality of various human values, because only then we can have a definite and common program for value education. Then only we can be assured of a happy and harmonious human society. 

Ø  Complimentarily of values and skills:  To fulfill our aspirations both values and skills are necessary. When we identify and set the right goals and produced in right direction. This is known as value domain, the domain of wisdom, and when we learn and practices to actualize this goal to develop the techniques to make this happen in real life, in various dimensions of human Endeavour (struggle). This is known as domain of skills.  Hence, there is an essential complementarily between values and skills for the success of any human Endeavour.

                        For example, I want to lead a healthy life. Only wishing for good health will not help me keep my body fit and healthy and without having understood the meaning of health, I will not be able to choose things correctly to keep my body fit and healthy.   

Ø  Evaluation of our beliefs:  Each one of us believes in certain things and we base our values on these beliefs, are they false or true which may or may not be true in reality. These believes come to us from what we read, see, hear, what ourparents tells us, our friends talk about, what them magazines talk of, what we see from TV etc. Value Education helps us to evaluate our beliefs and assumed values.   

Ø  Technology and human values: The present education system has become largely skill-based. The prime emphasis is on science and technology. However, science and technology can only help to provide the means to achieve what is considered valuable. It is not within the scope of science and technology to provide the competence of deciding what really is valuable. Value Education is a crucial missing link in the present education system. Because of this deficiency, most of our efforts may prove to be counterproductive and serious crises at the individual, societal and environmental level are manifesting.

1.3 Basic Guidelines for Value Education: The Basic guidelines of Value Education course are as follows:

Ø  Universal: It needs to be applicable to all the human beings irrespective of cast, creed, nationalities, religion, etc., for all times and regions.  

Ø  Rational: It has to appeal to human reasoning. It has to be amenable to reasoning and not based on dogmas or blind beliefs. 

Ø  Natural and verifiable: It has to be naturally acceptable to the human being who goes through the course and when we live on the basis of such values it leads to our happiness. It needs to be experientially verifiable, and not based on dogmas, beliefs or assumptions. 

Ø  All encompassing: Value education is aimed at transforming our consciousness and living. Hence, it needs to cover all the dimensions (thought, behavior, work and realization) and levels (individual, family, society, nature and existence) of human life and profession.  

Ø  Leading to harmony: The value education ultimately is targeted to promote harmony within the individual, among human beings and with nature.

1.4  Content of Value Education: The content of value education will be to understand myself, my aspirations, my happiness; understand the goal of human life comprehensively, understand the other entities in nature, the innate inter-connectedness, the coexistence in the nature- existence and finally the role of human being in this nature/existence entirely.

1.5  Process of Value Education: The process for value education has to be that of self-exploration, which includes two things:

Ø  Verification at the level of natural acceptance and

Ø  Experiential validation in living.

 

2.      Nature and Scope of Human Values

2.1  Meaning and definition of Human Values: Human values are closely related with human life. No human life is possible without values. Human Values are those universal concepts, drivers of action which are found in all cultures, all societies, all times and in all places where human beings eke out their lives. Human values are a set of consistent behaviors and measures that guide human beings in doing what is right and acceptable by the society.

2.2  The five human values, which can be found in all cultures, all societies and in all religions, are

Ø  TRUTH: Learning to speak the truth is a first and vital step in the formation of strong character. Telling lies hurts ourselves as well as others in a subtle, but very real way.

Ø  RIGHT CONDUCT: Every action is preceded by a thought. If the thought is consciously seen and noted, it aims to assist and is unselfish, the action will be good for oneself and others.

Ø  LOVE: Love is not an emotion, affected by the subconscious mind, but is a pure reaction from the heart. • It is power of love which causes one person to wish happiness for another and take pleasure in their well-being. • “It is giving and unselfish”.

Ø  Peace: Freedom from disturbance. When there is peace in the individual, there will be peace in family, when there is peace in the family, there will be peace in the community.

Ø  NONVIOLENCE: Nonviolence is the personal practice of being harmless to self and others under every condition. It comes from the belief that hurting people, animals or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome. 

 

 

2.3.   Self-Exploration

3.1 Meaning and definition: Self exploration is the process to find out what is valuable to me by investigating within myself, what is right for me, true for me, has to be judged within myself. Through self-exploration we get the value of ourselves. We live with different entirety (family, friends, air, soil, water, trees, etc.) and we want to understand our relationship with all these.

According to Merriam-Webster: -“The examination and analysis of one's own unrealized spiritual or intellectual capacities.’’

3.2  Content of Self-exploration: The main focus of self-exploration is myself - the human being. Content of self-exploration is just finding answers to the following fundamental questions of all human beings:

A.) The Desire/Goal:

1.) What is my (human) Desire/ Goal?

2.) What do I really want in life, or what is the goal of human life? 

B.) Program:

3.) What is my (human) program for fulfilling the desire?

4.)How to fulfill it?

5.) What is the program to actualize the above?

3.3 Purpose of Self-exploration:

1.      It is a process of dialogue between “what you are” and “what you really want to be”

2.      It is a process of self-evolution through self-investigation.

3.      Process of knowing oneself and through that understanding entire existence.

4.      Process of recognizing relationship with every unit in existence.

5.      Process of knowing human conduct, human character & living accordingly.

6.      Process of being in harmony with oneself and with entire existence.

7.      Process of knowing innateness, & moving towards self-organization self-expression.

3.4  Process of Self-Exploration: First of all, we have to keep in mind that,

Ø  Whatever is being presented is a PROPOSAL. 

Ø  Don’t assume it to be true immediately, nor reject it without proper exploration. 

Ø  Verify it in your own right, on the basis of it being naturally acceptable to you, 

Ø  Not just on the basis of scriptures (Writings from holy Books)

Ø  Not on the basis of equipment/instrument data 

Ø  Not on the basis of the assertion by other human beings.

                              For self-exploration we need two expects: 

1.      Natural acceptance: Natural acceptance implies unconditional and total acceptance of the self, people and environment. It also refers to the absence of any exception from others. Once we fully and truly commit ourselves on the basis of natural acceptance, we feel a holistic sense of inner harmony, tranquility and fulfillment. 

2.      Experiential validation: Experiential validation is a process that infuses direct experience with the learning environment and content. It may be regarded as a philosophy and methodology in which the direct experience and focused reflection of the individual helps to increase knowledge, develop skill and clarify values.

                              “Self-exploration takes place in the self and not the body”.

 

Self-exploration helps us to identify our

Ø  Swatva: Innateness of self – the natural acceptance of harmony 

Ø  Swatantrata: Being self- organized – being in harmony with oneself 

Ø  Swarajya: Self-expression, self- extension – living in harmony with others 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Continuous Happiness and Prosperity- A look at basic human aspirations

 

4.1 Happiness: Happiness may be defined as being in harmony/synergy in the state/ situation that I live in. i.e., “A state or situation in which I live, if there is harmony in it then I like to be in that state/situation. The state of liking is happiness.”

            Happiness is a state of mind or feeling characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure or joy. Happiness may be described as consisting of positive emotions and positive activities. There may be three kinds of happiness: pleasure, engagement, and meaning.

            Happiness is the state of mind, where we feel good in most of the walk of life.  

4.2 Prosperity: The feeling of having or making available more than required physical facilities is prosperity. For prosperity, two things are required- 

1.      Identification of the required quantity of physical facilities, and

2.      Ensuring availability / production of more than required physical facilities. 

We can be prosperous only if there is a limit to the need for physical facilities. If there is no limit what so ever be the availability the feeling of prosperity cannot be assured.   

            We are trying to achieve happiness and prosperity by maximizing accumulation and consumption of physical facilities. It is becoming anti-ecological and anti-people, and threatening the human survival itself.  Some of the consequences of such trend are summarized below:  

At the level of individual – rising problems of depression, psychological disorders, suicides, stress, insecurity, etc. 

At the level of family – breaking of joint families, mistrust, and conflict between older and younger generations, insecurity in relationships, divorce, dowry tortures, etc. 

At the level of society – growing incidence of terrorism and naxalism, rising communalism, spreading casteism, racial and ethnic struggle, wars between nations, etc. 

At the level of nature – global warming, water, air, soil, noise etc. pollution, resource depletion of minerals and mineral oils, etc.        

            All the problems are a direct outcome of an incorrect understanding, our wrong notion about happiness and prosperity and their continuity – this is an issue for serious exploration. 

 

1.      SVDD: Sadhan Viheen Dukhi Daridra – Materially Deficient, Unhappy and Deprived.

Those that do not have physical facilities/ wealth and feel unhappy and deprived. 

2. SSDD: Sadhan Sampann Dukhi Daridra:       Those that have physical facilities/ wealth and feel unhappy and deprived. i.e. – Materially Affluent, Unhappy and Deprived. But these are states we don’t want to be in. We want to move from this to third category i.e.

3. SSSS: Sadhan Sampann Sukhi Samriddha:  Having physical facilities and feeling happy and prosperous i.e – Materially Adequate, Happy and Prosperous.

            Presently, as we look around, we find most of the people in the above two categories called SVD and SSDD, while the natural acceptance of all human beings is to be in the category of SSSS.

5. Right understanding, Relationship and Physical Facility:

The basic requirements for fulfilment of aspirations of every human being

Three things needed to fulfill basic human aspirations:  Our basic aspirations are happiness (mutual fulfilment) and prosperity (mutual prosperity). Happiness is ensured by the relationships with other human beings and prosperity is ensured by working on physical facilities.

Ø  Right Understanding: This refers to higher order human skills – the need to learn and utilize our intelligence most effectively.

Ø  Good Relationships: This refers to the interpersonal relationships that a person builds in his or her life – at home, at the workplace and in society.

Ø  Physical Facilities: This includes the physiological needs of individuals and indicates the necessities as well as the comforts of life. It means the feeling of having or being able to have more physical facilities than is needed.

            In order to resolve the issues in human relationships, we need to understand them first, and this would come from ‘right understanding of relationship’. Similarly in order to be prosperous and to enrich nature, we need to have the ‘right understanding’. The ‘right understanding’ will enable us to work out our requirements for physical facilities and hence correctly distinguish the difference between wealth and prosperity. With nature as well, we need to understand the harmony in nature, and how we can complement this harmony.

6. Understanding Happiness and Prosperity correctly: A critical appraisal of the current scenario

Transformation from Animal Consciousness to Human Consciousness: Giving all priorities to physical facilities only, or to live solely on the basis of physical facilities, may be termed as ‘Animal Consciousness’. Living with all three: Right understanding, Relationship and Physical facilities is called ‘Human Consciousness’.

From the diagram we can say that:

• For animal, physical facility is necessary as well as complete – whereas for human beings it is necessary but not complete.

• Working only for physical facilities is living with Animal Consciousness.

• Working for right understanding as the first priority followed by relationship and physical facilities implies living with Human Consciousness.

• There is a need for transformation from Animal Consciousness to Human Consciousness. It can be accomplished only by working for right understanding as the first priority.

• This transformation from Animal Consciousness to Human Consciousness forms the basis for human values and values based living.

            The content of education is the understanding of harmony at all the four levels of our existence –from myself to the entire existence. Right living or sanskar refers to the ability to live in harmony at all the four levels of living. This dimension of society works to ensure ‘right understanding’ and ‘right feelings’ in individual. Or all-encompassing solution called samadhan in every individual and ensures that our succeeding generation have both the content and the environment available to work towards achieving their goal of continuous happiness and prosperity.

 

7. Method to fulfil the human aspirations: understanding and living in harmony at various levels.

            We can understand Happiness as: “ to be in state of liking is happiness.” and “ the situation in which I live, if there is harmony in it, then I like to be in that state or situation”. Continuous happiness is being in harmony within one self, being in harmony with others and being harmony with nature.  The three basic requirements to ensure happiness and prosperity for human beings are –

i. Right Understanding           ii. Relationships           iii. Physical Facilities

            In the modern times, we are mostly not paying attention to(i) and (ii) and are focusing largely on (iii) most of the time. As human beings, all the three are needed for us.

 

Importance/ Need for Right Understanding:Right Understanding helps to create harmony at all four levels of human living. Right Understanding enables us to –

• Resolve the issues in human relationships
• Be prosperous
• Enrich Nature
• Work out our requirements for physical facilities
• Correctly distinguish between wealth and prosperity
• Understand the harmony in Nature
• Right Understanding forms the basis on which we can work for relationships and also acquire Physical Facilities.

Living with wrong assumptions (Our state today): Today, if we look into it, we can see that this levels of living are full of conflicts, opposition and contradictions. We are unable to be at peace with ourselves.Most of the time, we are under stress unhappy about something or the other, and are worrying about things.We are increasingly having more diseases, are unable to live properly in relationships in the family and are disturbing and destroying the very planet we live on. In short we are unable to live harmoniously in every aspect of our living

 

Living in Harmony at all levels of living with the help of Right Understanding:

1. At the level of Myself: Self-Exploration with the help of Natural Acceptance and Experiential Validation helps to develop a sense of Right Understanding. This right understanding helps me to understand myself clearly, and helps me to develop a feeling of Satisfaction, Prosperity and Happiness(Harmony) in Myself.

2. At the level of Family: Right understanding helps me to understand others feelings and expectations in a better way. This ensures harmony in family.

3. At the level of Society: Our family is a part of a large group of people called the Society. As we understand our relationships with others in our family, we also start understanding others in the society and can maintain fulfilling relations with everyone.

4. At the level of Nature/ Existence: We live in a large eco-system called Nature. Existence refers to all the things that exist in Nature. Once we learn to maintain harmony with the society, we also develop a feeling of concern towards the plants, trees, animals etc. in Nature. Hence right understanding leads to mutual fulfilment with Nature.

 

 

 

Unit 2: Understanding Harmony in the Human Being - Harmony in Myself!

 

2.1 Understanding human being as a co-existence of the sentient ‘I’ and the material ‘Body’

Introduction:There is the familiar shape and structure of a human being that is immediately apparent to us and we imagine someone with similar human body-like features. But in addition to the body, there is also the aliveness of the person – the entity that keeps the body ‘alive’ and makes it operate in various ways.

            We perceive this aliveness in the activities demonstrated by the person like their seeing, talking, listening, walking, and eating, etc. This aliveness is called Jivana. Thus, a human being is coexistence of the body and jivan. This jivan refers to itself as ‘I’ (self). Thus we say “I am so and so” or “I feel tired” or “I am happy” and not “my body is happy”. This I or self is also called ‘consciousness’ and is the sentient constitute of the human being.

‘Human being is the co-existence of the Self (I) and the Body’: The human being is the co-existence of ‘I’ and the body, and there is exchange of information between the two, i.e. ‘I’ and body exist together and are related. There is a flow of information from ‘I’ to the body and from body to the ‘I’. We can make this distinction between the self and the body in three ways in terms of the needs, activities and the types of these two entities. All the needs of I, say respect, trust, etc., can be called as Happiness (such), while the needs of body are physical facilities (suvidha) like food. The two things are qualitatively different. There is no relevance of quantity for the needs of I as it is qualitative, while the needs of body are quantitative, and they are limited in quantity.

            The activities of ‘I’ are activities like, desire, thinking, selection, while the activities of body are activities like eating, breathing etc. The mode of interaction of ‘I’ includes knowing, assuming, recognizing and fulfilment. The fulfilment depends on recognition depends on assumptions and assumptions depends on knowing or not knowing (beliefs). If assuming is based on knowledge, then recognition will be correct and fulfilment will be correct. If assuming is not based on knowledge, then things may go wrong. The mode of interaction of body is only recognizing and fulfilling. Self is a conscious entity and the body is a material entity, or physic-chemical in nature. Thus we can say:

To conclude we can say that the human being can be understood in terms of a co-existence of two entirely distinct entities, namely sentient ‘I’ and material body. Their needs and activities are quite different and have to be understood accordingly. But these two constituents of human being are to act in close synergy with each other.

2.2 Understanding the needs of Self (‘I’) and ‘Body-’happiness and physical facility

            Needs of body are physical facilities. Physical facilities are needed for the body in a limited quantity. When we try and exceed these limits, it becomes troublesome for us after some time. Let’s take the example of eating. As far as, physical facilities (say rasgulla) go, they are necessary in the beginning, but if we keep consuming, it becomes intolerable with the passage of time. This applies to every physical facility. We can only think of having unlimited physical facilities, but if we try and consume, or have too much of physical facilities, it only ends up becoming a problem for us. When we try to perpetuate physical facilities, the following pattern results. With time it successively changes from:

Necessary and tasteful

¯

Unnecessary but tasty Þ

¯

Unnecessary and tasteless Þ

¯

Intolerable!

             If we look at the variety of activities that we are engaged in commonly – we see that we can put them in three categories:

1.      Activities that are going on in the self

2.      Activities that are going on in the body

3.      Activities involving both the self and the body

Knowing, assuming, recognizing and fulfilling are the activities involving both the self and the body.

1. Activities of recognizing and fulfilling in the body: Apart from the activities of Breathing, Heartbeat, Digestion etc., the activities of the body can also be understood as recognition and fulfilment. In fact, the mutual interaction between any two material entities can be understood as recognition and fulfilment of their relationship. For example when we are thirsty and drink water, the body absorbs the water to the extent needed and uses for the nourishment of the various organs. Here, body recognizes its relation with water and fulfils it.

Recognizing ® Fulfilling

2. Activities of knowing, assuming, recognizing and fulfilling in the self (‘I’): When it comes to self (jivan or ‘I’), which is a conscious entity; in addition to ‘recognizing and fulfilling’, there is also the activity of assuming and that of knowing. In fact, recognizing and fulfilling in case of human beings will depend upon knowing and/or assuming.

a. We assume – We all make assumptions and our response (recognition and fulfilment) is dependent on the assumption. For ex.: If I see a snake and assumed it to be a rope, I shall respond differently to it, than if I take it to be a snake itself. We call this activity ‘assuming or mannana’.

b. We recognize – We all recognize things today, we recognize a variety of things. Like, we recognize water, our parents, friends, etc. We call this activity ‘recognizing or pahachaanana’. The recognizing in ‘I’ depends on assuming.

c. We fulfil –The response that follows recognition is called the activity of ‘fulfilling or nirvaha karna’. The fulfilment depends on the recognition. For ex.: Once we recognize water, we take it.Taken together we can write it as (in I):

Assuming  ®  Recognizing   ®  Fulfilling

            There is another activity that exists in us (in ‘I’). This activity is called ‘knowing’. Knowing means we have the right understanding – the understanding of harmony at all levels of our living. When we have the right understanding, when we have the knowledge of reality, it is definite, and then assuming becomes according to the knowing, and hence recognizing and fulfilling becomes definite, or according to knowing. Until then, it is subject to beliefs and assumptions, and this keeps changing. When we list these down:

2.3 Understanding the Body as an instrument of ‘I’ (I being the doer, seer and enjoyer)

          It has been stated earlier that body and “I” are two separate entities. It is “I” who has to take the decisions for the body to accordingly, e.g.., requirement of food. It is “I” who decides to eat and thus, passes the information to the body.

          For example, the moment “I” Choose to take food. the body shall eat food. With decision to take food, the food shall be picked by. Chewed and then swallowed by the body Similarly, “I” decide to take rest to ensure adequate regaining of energy, then body shall go to bed and will take rest. Thus body is used as an instrument of “I”.

 

I am seer: We are involved in the activities of seeing and understanding when reading a book, watching T.V., thinking, or when someone is explaining us. When we see something nice like scenery, then we say “I am Seeing” this will mean that our self (I) is seeing through eyes. Eyes are just used as instruments.

I am doer: When we are performing certain action, we are similarly engaged in the activity of “doing” something. For example, I am dialling phone to friend. If somebody asks me “who is doing this and that”, THE ANSWER SHALL BE “I am doing”. In fact, “I” consciousness is doing through the instrument of body and performs certain functions like picking up the phone, seeing the number and then dialling. This “I” consciousness is the doer or karta.

I am enjoyer:When I look the scenery and take picture. I am the one who sees and does so far. When I see the picture I like it and enjoy it. Thus, a flow is maintained of being seer, doer and enjoyer. In the same way when I eat, I get taste from the tongue.

There is a relation between the self and body that body act as an instrument of self. Whatever self thinks body performs it physically. Body does not decide itself. We can verify this by the following discussion.

I am the seer: When we are reading a book or listening, when someone is explaining something to us, when we are watching a scenery or when we are thinking – we are engaged in the activities of ‘seeing’ or understanding. Now when we see some nice scenery we say ‘I am seeing’ that means our self ‘I’ see via the eyes, the eyes don’t see, they are just instruments, that unable me to see something outside. Different images are formed in the eyes every time, but it is I who is able to relate it to the meaning of that image every time. Similarly, I can see inside ‘in me’ also – without the eyes. For example, I can see that I am getting angry. In this case I understand or know or am aware that I am getting angry. When I see outside the body works as an instrument.

I am the doer: once I have seen/ understood something, I am the one who decides what to do or not to do. I am the doer. For example, when I see the scenery I am the one who decide to take a picture of the scenery. I use my hands to pick camera and click a picture. The hands in the body are thus used as an instrument. In this way I work with my hands and legs.

I am the enjoyer: I saw the scenery and I took the picture. I am the seer and doer so far. When I see the picture I like it. I am the one that enjoys it. Thus there is a continuity of being the seer, doer and enjoyer. Similarly when I eat, I am the one that gets the taste – from the tongue

 

 

 

2.4 Preconditioning

            Preconditioning means we have assumed something about our desires on the basis of prevailing notion about it. They comes from what we read, see hear, what our parents tell us, our friends talk about what the magazines talk of, what we see on the TV etc. We have not self-verified the desires in our own right. As a result, we are not clear about what we will get out of fulfilment of that desire. The problem with that is, unless we verify our desires, we may not even know whether they are our. We may end up spending an entire lifetime accumulating desires that are not ours, and in running about trying to fulfil them.

Conflicts when our activities are not guided by our natural acceptance: When our activities are not guided by our natural acceptance, then they are guided by preconditioning and sensations. Preconditioning means we have assumed something about our desires on the basis of prevailing notion about it. We have not verified the desires in our own right. As a result, we are not clear about what we will get out of fulfilment of that desire. What is the issue with that? Unless we verify our desires, we may not even know whether they are our! We may end up spending an entire lifetime accumulating desires that are not our, and in running about trying to fulfil them!

            Sensation is a perception associated with stimulation of a sense organ or with a specific body condition: the sensation of heat; a visual sensation.We go into conflicts when our activities are not guided by our natural acceptance:

A. Conflicts and contradictions in ‘I’ as a result of pre-conditioned desire

We have not verified the desires, thoughts and expectations in us on the basis of our own natural acceptance. As a result, these desires, thoughts and selections are in conflicts. Since the desires are in conflict, the thoughts they give rise to, are also in conflict and in turn, the selection from the thoughts are also in conflicts. This conflict affects us in different manners:

1. Wavering aspirations: Our goals keep shifting as the inputs from the outside also keep changing. Our desires thus keep shifting, because their source is outside and these preconditioned desires may come from what we read, see, hear, from media, friends, society, etc. hence, we are always wavering in what we want; we are not able to be certain about it.

2. Lack of confidence: Since our desires are shaky, we are not sure about them. As a result, we lack self confidence, in the true sense. Our confidence seems relative i.e. we keep comparing ourselves with others in order to feel confident.

3. Unhappiness/conflicts: Since our desires, thoughts and expectations are in conflict, it becomes the cause for our unhappiness, leading to stress and tension. Such desires will also be in conflict with our natural acceptance

4. Lack of qualitative improvement in us: We focus largely on fulfilling the needs of the body. As a result, we live with a sense of lack of fulfilment. We are doing many things, accumulating a lot, progressing on paper, but we don’t feel that we have improved, that we have become better. It seems that only the things around us are changing!

a) State of resignation: Because we do not understand ourselves properly and have contradictions within, we slowly start getting disillusioned (pleasant but mistaken beliefs). We feel that there are no solutions to these issues, and end up in a state of resignation.

B. Short lived nature of pleasure from sensations: The pleasure obtained from sensations is short-lived. We have so much dependent on sensations that instead of giving us some sensory pleasure, it becomes the source for our happiness. This can be understood as follows:

 

            The external object is temporary in nature the contact of the external object with the body is temporary in nature. The sensation from the body to ‘I’ is temporary. And at last the taste of the sensation from the body in ‘I’ is also temporary. Therefore, if the source for our happiness is temporary by definition, then our need for continuous happiness will never be fulfilled. Hence, any sensation we have from the body can’t be the source for our lasting happiness.

            To sum up, if our desires, thoughts and expectations are based on pre-conditionings, we are generally in a state of great confusion. This leads to confusion, unhappiness, conflict and stress. We have lack of clarity about the self, relationships, society, nature and existence. We have lack of confidence. We have a feeling of being unfulfilled, unsettled. We operate largely on the basis of the environment, driven from the outside – either from sensations, or based on pre-conditionings.

 

2.5 Understanding the characteristics and activities of ‘I’ and harmony in ‘I’

            The self is conscious in nature while the body is physico-chemical in nature. The interaction between the ‘I’ and the body is in the form of exchange of information. So the focus of attention is on two categories of attributes of the self, namely, the powers of the self and the corresponding activities as the manifest outcomes of these powers.

1.      Power: This means the basic capacity in the self (‘I’). They are: desires, thoughts and expectations.

2.      Activities: The activities are: imaging, analyzing, and selecting/tasting. The activity of analyzing means breaking down the image into various parts or to open it up. Selecting/tasting is with the expectation of fulfilling our desires with the expectation of happiness. The activity of selecting/tasting is the basic level via which the self interacts with the body.

A simple example to understand these activities is a follow:

Ø  We may have desire to have respect by being the owner of a big house. This is in the form of imaging – we have an image in us of fulfillment of this need for respect via a house.

Ø  Based on this desire, we start working out the details of the house. Ex no. of rooms, storey’s, on which floor in will stay. The image of wanting respect from the house is split into many parts – this is called analyzing. The activity of analyzing means breaking down the image into various parts.

Ø  Now that we have worked out the details of the house, we go about choosing the size, colour etc. of the room. This is called selecting / tasting.

 

 

2.6 Understanding the harmony of I with the Body: Sanyam and Health

 

Introduction: Our present lifestyle and conditionings are not very conductive to keep the body fit and therefore it is important to understand sanyama and swasthya correctly and maintain proper harmony with the body.

Sanyama:Sanyama means the feeling of responsibility in the self (I) for nurturing, protection and right utilization of the body. Self-control or sanyama is the control of the mind and its desires, urges, emotions and delusions. It is controlling the outgoing tendencies of the mind and the senses and bringing them back to our self within.

Swasthya: Swasthya is the condition of the body where every part of the body is performing its expected function. The word swasthya literally means being anchored to the self, being in close harmony with the self. In other words, swasthya, in Sanskrit means self– dependence (swa = your own). Also, embedded in its meaning are health, sound state, comfort and satisfaction. So we can say that sanyam ensures swasthya.

Brining harmony between self and body by using Sanyama and Swathya:

            With right understanding, I get self-organized and take care of the body properly. With lack of right understanding, I am able to do it and the body becomes unhealthy. With right understanding and right feelings, the body gets favorably affected. For example; when I am happy, the temperature and pressure in the body are normal, when I am angry or tense, they get upset. It means if I am in disharmony, say in anger or stress or despair, it immediately starts affecting the body adversely. There are many diseases of the body that are caused due to disharmony in ‘I’. These are called psychosomatic disease, such as asthma, allergies, migraine, diabetes, hypertension etc. so we can say that sanyam has a strong effect on swasthya.

 

2.7 Programs to ensure Sanyam and Health

1.      Understanding and Living with Sanyama: Sanyama implies that the self takes the responsibility for proper nurturing, and right utilization of the body. For this it is essential to understand the functioning of the body instrument. It is also essential to understand that this instrument has a limited life span and undergoes a pattern of growth and decay. The interaction of the self with the body has to be in consonance with the above objectives which are achieved through sanyama.

2.      Understanding the self organization of the body and ensure health of the body:

a.       Nurturing of the Body: Proper Food, Air, Water, Etc.: In the process of selecting food for the body, I need to make out the elements which make a complete food so that it gives required nutrients and energy to the body. On the basis of understanding of the harmony of the self with the body, it can be said that the food needs to be eaten only when we feel hungry. The choice of the food has to be such that it is easily digestible and the food needs to be taken with proper posture of the body and in right quantity.

b.      Protection of the Body: The second issue is the protection of the body. The clothes we choose for protection need to be such that they ensure proper interaction of the body with the environment. The right amount of exposure of the body to the air, water, and sun is required to ensure its proper functioning. To ensure the heath of the Body, we need to take care of the following- i) Ahar-Vihar, ii) Shram- Vyayam, iii) Asana-Pranayam and iv) Aushadhi-Chikitsa. We have already discussed about Ahar (Food), let us now discuss about the others:

Ø  Proper upkeep (Vihar) of the Body: When we work, the Body gets tired. When we take rest, the Body becomes fit to work. But again, there is a limit to the amount of work and rest we need. We also need to ensure proper time, posture and ways to work and to rest. We need to provide hygienic conditions for proper functioning of the Body. These issues are included in the upkeep of the Body.

Ø  Labour: Labour is another requirement. It means employing the body physically for production and maintenance of physical facilities. The labour we do helps each part of the Body to function properly.

Ø  Physical Exercises: We are aware of physical exercises. While doing labour, some parts of the Body may get stressed much while others may not get employed to that extent. With exercises, we can employ all the parts of the Body in the desired way.

Ø  Asan-Pranayam: This is another way to keep the Body function properly. In Asanas, we give the body proper postures by sitting or lying, and in Pranayam, we ensure reguation of the breathing

Ø  Treatment of the body: When the Body gets hurt, or is in disorder by either misuse or because of the adversities of the environment etc., there is a natural tendency of the Body to heal and come back to its desired state of health. We only need to facilitate this process, and not suppress it. Thus, when unpleasant sensations come from the Body indicating disorder, they are to be properly interpreted and attended to.

            With all the care we take, the body may require treatment at times. There are several approaches to ensure this. It may be that just by going without food for some time, the Body gets cured. Right choice for food may also help. The treatment of the Body can be done by proper exposures of the Body to air, water or sun too. Use of herbs or medicines may also serve the purpose. Here one thing to understand is that, the system of the body works in a self-organized way and I only need to facilitate the self-organization of the body by arranging for material things. One thing to take care about is that while curing the Body of one problem, we need to choose ways which do not give rise to other problems.

c.       Right Utilization of the Body (Sadupayoga): Right utilization of the body as an instrument necessitates understanding the purpose for which this instrument is to be used. Normally, we tend to believe that the body is an instrument for sensory enjoyment, which is not correct. We also happen to use our body to exploit other human beings or rest of the nature which is not right utilization. It is important to realize that the human body is an instrument to facilitate right understanding and its actualization in life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unit-III

Understanding Harmony in the Family and Society- Harmony in Human- Human Relationship

 

3.1 Understanding values in human-human relationship:The feeling or sense of emotional bonding with others is known as relationship. Relationships are reality of our life. Relationship extends from oneself to the entire existence.

Family is a natural laboratory to understand human relationships:The family is the basic unit of human interaction. It anchors the roots of relationships in us.  It gives us both roots to hold and wings to fly. It is not surprising that children who grow up in happy families are more successful and well-adjusted in life.

            Family relations can give us strength to face the world. How wonderful it feels to return to a happy home after a hard day at work? Our family can be our sounding board to bounce off creative ideas, our greatest supporter during adversity and the source of unconditional love. Now imagine a situation where there are very unpleasant relations at home…bitter fights, jealousies and the blame game being played out! A person would actually hate going home of such an oppressive atmosphere. 

            Family disputes can cause depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, sadness, confusion and anger. No one wants to live like that! So we need to follow simple rules for turning family disputes into family fun.

 

3.2Nine Universal values in relationships: There are certain basic and important values in maintaining relationship. These values, we all know, are the backbone of health and happy family relations. The feelings, emotions, sentiments and respect all are of real importance. These values lead to elimination of friction and establishment of total harmony in relationship on long term basis. Values that are important in any relationship are

1. Trust- Vishwas (Foundational Value) : Trust or vishwas is the foundational value in relationship. "To be assured that each human being inherently wants oneself and the other to be happy and prosperous." If we have trust in the other, we are able to see the other as a relative and not as an adversary.

2. Respect - Samman:Respect means individuality. The sense of individuality is prime object. This is the first basic step towards respect (sammana). Once we realized that we are individual then only we can see ourself different from others. In other words, respect means right evaluation, to be evaluated as I am.

3. Affection - Sneha:Affection is the feeling of being related to the other. Affection comes when I recognize that we both want to make each other happy and both of us are similar.

4. Care - Mamata:The feeling of care is the feeling to nurture and protect the body of our relative. Or in other words a state of mind in which one is troubled; worry, anxiety, or concern is called care.

5. Guidance - Vatsalya:The feeling of ensuring right understanding and feelings in the other (my relative) is called guidance. We understand the need of self ('I') for right understanding and feelings. We also understand that the other is similar to me in his/her faculty of natural acceptance, desire of wanting continuous happiness and the program of living in harmony at all the four levels.

6. Reverence - Shraddha:The feeling of acceptance of excellence in the other is called reverence. When we see that the other has achieved this excellence- which means to understand and to live in harmony at all the levels of living ensuring continuity of happiness, we have a feeling of reverence for him/her.

7. Glory - Gaurav: Each one of us wants to live with continuous happiness and prosperity. Each one of us has the similar faculty of natural acceptance, has the same goal and program and we have the same potential to realize this. Glory is the feeling for someone who has made efforts for excellence.

8. Gratitude - Kritagyata:Gratitude is the feeling of acceptance for those who have made efforts for my excellence.

Gratitude is an emotion that occurs after people receive help, depending on how they interpret the situation.

9. Love- Prema (Complete Value) :Love is the emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In other words, love is a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend. This feeling or value is also called the complete value since this is the feeling of relatedness to all human beings. It starts with identifying that one is related to the other human being (the feeling of affection) and it slowly expands to the feeling of being related to all human beings.

            The above mentioned values are the core of all relations. One has to follow all to gain on the day to day problems. These values are intrinsic and available in every person. We need to find out in ourselves and implement. Without implementation, one cannot think of a strong family relation.

 

3.3 Meaning of Justice (Nyaya) and program for its fulfilment to ensure mutual happiness:

Ø  Justice is the recognition of values in relationship, their fulfillment, right evaluation and ensuring mutual happiness (Ubhay- Tripti).

Ø  Thus there are four elements of justice: recognition of values, fulfillment, evaluation and mutual happiness ensured. When all the four are ensured, justice is ensured. Mutual fulfilment is the hallmark of justice and justice is essential in all relationships.

Ø  We want harmony at all levels of livings. Harmony in the family is the building block for harmony in the society. Harmony in the society makes an undivided society, which is the desire of each one of us.

Ø  Justice starts from family and slowly expands to the world family. The child gets the understanding of justice in the family. With this understanding, he goes out in the society and interacts with people.

If the understanding of justice is ensured in the family, there will be justice in all the interactions we have in the world at large. If we do not understand the values in relationships, we are governed by our petty prejudices and conditionings. We may treat people as high or low based on their body (particular caste, or sex or race or tribe), on the basis of wealth one possesses or the belief systems that one follows.

            All this is source of injustice and leads to fragmented society while our natural acceptance is for an undivided society and universal human order. Having explored the harmony in the human beings, we are able to explore the harmony in the family. This enables us to understand the harmony at the level of society and nature/existence. And this is the way, the harmony in our living grows. We slowly get the competence to live in harmony with all human beings.

 

 

3.3  Understanding the meaning of Trust:  Difference between intention and competence

            Trust or vishwas is the foundational value in relationship. “To be assured that each human being inherently wants oneself and the other to be happy and prosperous” is known as trust. Having faith in others and believing them. Trust is the expectation of people that they can rely on our word. It is built through integrity and consistency in relationships.

            To keep the trust on ourself and others, we have to pay attention on the intensions and to understand if we or the other person is not able to do benefit, it is because we are lacking competence. Trust is the result of right understanding of the intention of all the human beings around us. This trust helps to improve our competence in others and in ourselves.

Intention Vs Competence

            Both intention and competence are the aspects of trust. Intention is what one aspires for (our natural acceptance) and competence is the ability to fulfil the aspiration. In intention every human being wants to do what is right, only the competence may be lacking which needs to be developed through proper understanding and practice. But what we are doing today is that when we are judging ourself - we are judging on the basis of our intention, whereas, when we are judging the other we are judging him on the basis of his competence.

            We trust our own intention while we are not ready to trust the others intention. It is the same for other as well. We find that while we look at our intention, we are sure of it, we are not sure of the other’s intention. We are actually seeing their competence, and making a conclusion on their intention. Hence, mistrust is born and we deny the relationship. We seldom look at our competence and other’s intention.

            To be assured that the other human being wants to make me happy & prosperous. Verify the following

1a. I want to make myself happy

2a. I want to make the other happy

3a. The others want to make himself happy/ herself happy

4a. The other wants to make me happy.

What is the answer

1a. I am able to make myself happy

2a. I am able to make the other always happy

3a. The other is able to make himself always happy

4a. The other is able to make me always happy.

            The first four questions are related to our natural acceptance i.e. intention and the next four to our competence. “To be assured that the intention of the other is always correct is trust” We generally evaluate ourselves on the basis of our intention and other on the basis of their competence. If we have trust on intention, we have a feeling of being related to the other & we start helping the other to improve his competence, if he does not have.

 

3.4Understanding the meaning of Respect, Difference b/w respect and differentiation:

Respect: Respect is right evaluation. Need of ‘I’ is that ‘I’ should be evaluated as I am, I should evaluate others as they are. If I don’t do this, it is disrespect.

                                    Respect = right evaluation

Disrespect: Over evaluation- To evaluate more than what it is Under evaluation- To evaluate less than what it is Otherwise evaluation- To evaluate other than what it is. The other is similar to me and the difference could only be at the level of understanding.

Difference between respect and differentiation

Respect	Differentiation
1. Respect is right evaluation.	1. Differentiation is lack of understanding of respect.
2. Respect for others is generated by the right evaluation and understanding which leads to fulfilment in relationships. This further creates a sense of respect among people	2. This differentiation can take the form of: o   Gender bias o   Generation gap o   Caste struggle o   Power play and domination o   Communal violence o   Clash of race, religion, etc. o   class struggle,
	3. This leads to the escalation in the problems of society which further lowers the respect shown to others in society.

 

3.5 Understanding the harmony in the society

Comprehensive human goals :In order to facilitate the fulfilment of the basic aspirations of all human beings in the society, the following human goal needs to be understood in a comprehensive manner:

1.      When one does not have the right understanding, one remains disturbed and also acts in a manner so as to create disharmony with other human being as well as with rest of nature.

2.      Prosperity in the family means that the family is able to identify its needs and is able to produce/ achieve more than its requirements.

3.      Trust in society means every member of society feels related to everyone else and therefore there is trust and fearlessness.

4.      Co-existence in nature means there is a relationship and complementarity among all the entities in nature including human beings.

 

3.5.1 Understanding meaning of Abhaya means fearlessness in society:

            It is a permanent state where there is no question of ever experiencing any fear. A person with abhaya is continuously aware if his own reality; for him to become subject to fear would be impossible.

            We should not consider this quality of abhaya as just the absence of fear. The fearlessness in the society begins from the individual. We need to ensure right understanding in the individual as the foundation of harmony in the society. With right understanding, the need for physical facilities in the family can be ascertained.

            By assessing our needs correctly and by producing more than required the family can be prosperous. Assurance of right understanding in the individuals and prosperity in the families, understanding of human relationships leads to harmony and trust (fearlessness) in the society.

            When every individual is able to live harmoniously in relationship, and the needs of all the families are ensured, fearlessness (mutual trust) in society will naturally follow. Thus the state of absence of fear at society level will only be achieved when we have right understanding at individual level and prosperity at the level of family.

3.5.2 Five dimensions of human endeavour in society conducive to ‘manaviya vyavastha’:

Comprehensive human goals are right understanding, prosperity, fearlessness and co-existence.  Programs needed to achieve the comprehensive human goals are:

1.      Education – Right Living (Siksha – Sanskar)

2.      Health – Self Regulation (Svasthya – Sanyam)

3.      Justice – Preservation (Nyaya – Suraksha)

4.      Production – Work (Utpadan – Kriya)

5.      Exchange – Storage (Vinimaya – Kosh)

1. Education – Right Living: Education refers to understanding hormony at all four levels of living. While right living refers to commitment and preparedness to live in harmony at all four levels of living.

Education – Right living leads to Right understanding: Having the process of education and right living leads to right understanding in the individual.

2. Health – Self Regulation: Sanyama refers to a feeling of responsibility for nurturing, protecting and rightly utilizing the body. When the body is fit to act according to the needs of the self (‘I’), and, there is harmony among the parts of the body, it is referred to as health or svasthya.

Health – Self-regulation leads to Prosperity: Having the program for health and sanyam leads to well-being of the body, and identification of need for physical facilities which along with production ensures feeling of prosperity in the family.

3. Justice – Preservation: Justice (nyaya) refers to harmony in the relationship between human beings, while preservation (suraksha) refers to harmony in the relationship between human being and the rest of nature.

Justice – Preservation leads to Fearlessness and Co-existence: Ensuring justice in relationship, or mutual fulfilment in relationship on the basis of values like Trust, Respect, etc leads to fearlessness in society, while Suraksha of nature – via enrichment, protection and right utilization leads to co-existence in nature.

4. Production – Work:  The Body needs material input. Human endeavor needs material input. The efforts we apply on the rest of nature to get material things is called Work. Production is a result of work. On understanding Coexistence, work follows the approach below:

Ø  We produce as much as is needed to fulfill and exceed the material requirements of the Family. Since the need of the Body is limited, production is also definable and becomes limited.

Ø  The method of production follows the inherent  laws of cyclicity in Nature – human production thus not only sustains Nature, but can also enrich it.

This in contrast to our current approach where production is unlimited, even behaving with people is considered work, and most of our reliance on energy and production techniques, not to mention consumption patterns are steadily eroding Nature.

Production – Work leads to Prosperity and Co-existence: Production and work are for physical facilities, and this leads to a feeling of prosperity in the family. Production is done in harmony with nature, and hence, this also leads to co-existence with nature.

5. Exchange – Storage: Exchange (vinimaya) refers to the exchange of physical facilities between the members of the society, while storage (kosa) refers to the storage of physical facilities that is left after fulfilling the needs of the family.

Exchange – Storage leads to Prosperity and Fearlessness: When we store and exchange for mutual fulfilment and not for exploitation, then it leads to fearlessness (trust) in society.

 

 

 

 

 

3.5.3 Visualizing a universal harmonious order in society- Undivided Society, Universal Order- from family to world family:

            The sarvabhauma vyawastha (Universal Human Order) is the state of realizing the freedom of individual in context of this universe. The respect towards mankind and nature is must to establish the universal order. Having understood the comprehensive human goal, we are able to be in harmony not only with human beings, but also with the rest of nature. We are able to see that we are related to every unit in the nature and ensure mutual fulfilment in that relationship. Working on the five dimensions of human endeavour in the light of right understanding, we are able to work for an orderly living of the human society, whose foundational unit is the family and the final destination is the world family.

Universal Human Order (Sarvabhauma Vyavastha) - feeling of being related to every unit including human beings and other entities of nature.

Undivided society (Akhanda samaja) - feeling of being related to every human being. An undivided human centric society is one of the higher human goals. Akhand samaj is the state of the society where all people of different religion and thought process live together and work towards betterment of the society.

Three activities can be performed to send the message of a holistic society:

1. Educating society through workshops, seminars and street plays: this is about organizing workshops, seminars and street plays at various levels in society. The activity may be carried out by N.G.O.'s but must receive the support of government organizations. These activities can be categorized into three types which include Knowing the self, Knowing the existence on basis of self, Knowing the definite human conduct which is contribution of self in existence.

2. Value education in educational institutions: value education should be introduced in current education system at all levels - primary school, secondary school, senior secondary school as well as college level.

3. Helping to apply values to the real world: organizations - both government and non-government should open up counselling centres which can help their employees or general public to apply values to real life situations. It is about realizing the alternatives in life. Various individuals are on the way of self-exploration, finding their natural acceptance towards holistic approach of life and realizing it at all levels starting from self (with knowledge) to family (with meaningful relationships), then to society (education - health - production - business - services). The idea is not to live in isolation or individualism but with expansion of SELF to higher levels in the social system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unit 4

Understanding Harmony in the Nature and Existence

4.1:Define harmony in nature: Nature is the collection of all the units – the air, soil, water, plants, trees, animals, birds, other human beings and even things that are at a distant from us like the sun, the moon, the other planets, etc.

            The aggregate of all the mutually interacting units – big or small, sentient or insentient together can be called nature. These units are infinite in number and we could easily observe that there exists a dynamic balance, self-regulation among all these units. This self-regulation is harmony or balance in nature. The law of nature has a unique cause and effect system which must be understood in order to be in harmony with the natural law of things.

Natural harmony is necessary for the following reasons:

1.      Natural harmony is necessary to solve the problem of global warming and depletion of non-renewable natural resource can be avoided.

2.      Natural harmony with trees cure all problems like – reduction of wind velocity, energy savings, doing companion planting, development of an eco-subsystem in terms of establishing a forest garden, reduction of building heat.

3.      It is possible to achieve natural harmony in the establishment, maintenance and management of educational institution like schools, colleges and universities.

4.      One can understand the depths of harmony and alignment in natural by contemplating and reflecting upon the natural order. It is possible to unravel the mystery of the natural synthesis in the midst of ongoing chaos at the material plane.

 

4.2: Innateness in the four orders of nature:

Innateness (dharana): Innateness means qualities which are innate to the unit. Each unit in existence exhibits an innateness, an intrinsic quality that cannot be separated from it. We refer this principle as innateness also called dharna of that unit. This is intrinsic to the unit.

Ø  Material order: When we burn coal and it has finished burning and only some ash is left and smokes have gone out, it is not that the basic material, the fundamental particles in coal, have ‘cease to exist’ or ‘disappeared’ from existence. They may not be visible to the eye at that moment, but they continue to exist, they still are in the form of other matter or in the form of gases, etc. This is there with all material units. We cannot destroy matter, we can only convert it from one form to the other. Thus, “to exist”, or ‘existence’ is intrinsic to all material, it is innate to it. We cannot separate the ‘existence’ of a thing from the thing itself.

Ø  Plant/bio order: Because the pranic order is a development of the material order, it also has the innateness of ‘existence’. In addition, it also exhibits the ‘growth’. This principle of ‘growth’ cannot be separated from any units of this order. If it is of pranic order, it will grow. For example, if you have a plant, you cannot stop it from growing. It will continue to respire and keep changing in this way. The only way you can stop it from growing is by cutting it, but when you do that, it ceases to belong to the pranic order, instead decays and then belongs to the material order. So, as long as you have a plant, it will grow.

Ø  Animal order: The animal body is a development of the pranic order and therefore this order inherits the innateness of the previous order namely ‘existence’ and ‘growth’. This is at the level of the body, which is physico-chemical in nature. In addition, all units in this order have the ‘will to live’ in ‘I’. Indeed no unit in this order can be separated from this ‘will to live’. It is intrinsic to every unit in this order.

Ø  Human (knowledge) order: When we look at the human being, we find that ‘existence’ and ‘growth’ are fundamentally present in the body, just as in the animal body. At the level of ‘I’ however, in addition to the ‘will to live’, a human being’s innateness is the ‘will to live with happiness’.

 

 

 

 

Order	Things	Innateness
Material order	Soil, water, metals, etc.	Existence
Pranic order	Plants and trees	Existence + growth
Animal order	Animals and birds	(Existence + growth) in body + will to live in ‘I’
Human order	Human beings	(Existence + growth) in body + will to live with happiness in ‘I’

 

4.2.1 Interconnectedness, Recyclability, Self-regulation and Mutual Fulfilment among the Four Orders of Nature: With the above discussion, we can conclude that there is interconnectedness and mutual fulfilment among the four orders in nature. One can also see that there is self-regulation in nature. In a forest, the proportion of soil, plants and animals of various species is self-regulated. It never happens that the lions eat up all the deer or the deer eat up all the grasses or that the plants grow to the extent that there is no space for deer or that there is lack of soil for new plants and so on. The forest does not need to be regulated by human being to be in harmony. With right understanding only, human being will also be self-organised, in harmony within and participate in the harmony in the larger order.

4.2.2 Recyclability and self-regulation in nature:  There are several cyclical processes that we can see in nature. For example, the cycle of water, evaporating, condensing and precipitating back to water giving the weather phenomena. The cycles keep these materials self-regulated on the earth. Breeds of plants and animals are similarly self-regulated in their environment. In a forest, the growth of trees takes place in a way so that the amount of soil, plants and animals remains conserved. It never happens that the number of trees shoots up and there is a lack of soil for the trees. The appropriateness of the conditions for growth of both plants and animals are self-regulated in nature keeping the population proportions naturally maintained. This phenomenon is termed as self-regulation.

            In a single breed of animals, the number of males and females generated through procreation is such that the continuity of species is ensured by itself. This happens with humans too, but inhuman practices have led to disproportionate numbers of men and women. These two characteristics namely, cyclical nature and self-regulation provide us with some clues of the harmony that is in nature.

 

 

 

 

 

4.3 Understanding Existence as Co-existence of mutually interacting units in all pervasive

Existence: Existence is nothing but the nature in space.

Existence         =         Exist    +         Essence,          whatever exists.

                          

To be               harmony

            There are two types of basic realities in existence – one is space and the other is units. The units are in space.

4.3.1 Understanding Units and Space:There are innumerable units in existence. There is air, water, soil, earth, sun, moon, plants, trees, animals, birds, human beings etc. These units are in space. The co-existence of the two is in the form of units submerged in space.

Units are Limited in Size; Space is Unlimited: We can observe units all around – they are limited in size. Coming to space, it is unlimited. It is spread all around. It is all-pervading. There is no limited size of space. It does not have any boundary.

Units are Activity, they are Active; Space is “No-Activity”:Every unit is an activity and it is active with other units. In itself, one or the other kind of activity isalways taking place in the unit. Further, the unit is interacting with other units, i.e. it is active in relationto other units. When it comes to space, it is no-activity. There is activity only in the units.

4.3.2 Understanding Submergence

Units are in space – they are submerged in space. It means units are in space, they are inseparable from space. Where ever a unit is there, space is also there.

1. Units are Energised in Space: Being in co-existence with space, every unit is energised, right from the smallest atom to the largest planet.

2. Units are Self-organised in Space

Being in co-existence with space, every unit is self-organised. It is in a definite order. By being in a definite order, it exhibits a definite conduct – that is how one can identify or recognise and study that unit.

3. Units Recognise their Relationship and Fulfil it with Every Other Unit in Space

Being in co-existence with space, every unit recognises its relationship with every other unit in space and fulfils that relationship.

4.3.3 Existence as Co-existence – Units Submerged in Space

Existence is co-existence. It is in the form of units submerged in space. In the light of above discussion on existence as co-existence, we can now visualise the overall picture of the whole existence.Co-existence is a state in which two or more groups are living together while respecting their differences and resolving their conflicts non-violently. Coexistence has been defined in numerous ways:

1.To exist together (in time or space) and to exist in mutual tolerance.

2. To learn to recognize and live with difference.

3. To have a relationship between persons or groups in which none of the parties is trying to destroy the other.

4. To exist together (in time or place) and to exist in mutual tolerance

4.4 The Holistic Perception of Harmony in Existence

            At the base of the whole existence is co-existence, which unfolds in terms of units submerged in space.

            Units are limited in size; they are activity and are active. Space is unlimited, all-pervading and is no activity. Being submerged in space, units are energised, self-organised and recognise their relationship with every other unit in space and fulfil it.

Units are of two types – material units and consciousness units. Material units are temporary in time,

while consciousness units (Self) are continuous. Material units recognise and fulfil their relationship

with other units– their conduct is definite. Consciousness units recognise and fulfil their relationship

on the basis of assuming without knowing or assuming based on knowing – the conduct of the human

being is definite if it is operating on the basis of assuming based on knowing; and it is indefinite if it is

operating on the basis of assuming without knowing.

 

           

All material units are composed of other (simpler) material units. The smallest or fundamental stable

material unit is the atom. An atom may combine with another atom to form a molecule. These molecules

further combine to form molecular structure. Molecular structures can exist either as lumps, or fluids.

Fluids provide nurturing of cells and such cells combine to form plants, the animal body and the human

body.

            Coming to the domain of consciousness, there is just one type of unit which we have referred to as theSelf. We can classify all the units in existence into four orders. Material units can be classified into twoorders – physical order and bio order. The animal order is the co-existence of consciousness (Self) andthe animal body (material). The human order is also the co-existence of consciousness (Self) and thehuman body (material).

 

4.4.1 Development in the Existential Sense

Now, we can see that everything is in co-existence. Everything that exists is basically the expression ofthis ever-present co-existence. It is expressing itself in the form of harmony and relationship. This

unfolding is something which is happening and has to be completed through human being.

            Whatever we do with the material world is cyclic. It will keep changing; keep going back to initial state,no matter what we do. In that sense, there is no development here. Only in the human order, there is apotential for development or transformation in the Self which is not cyclic. Development or permanentchange is possible only in the domain of consciousness. It is in terms of

1. developing right understanding (understanding co-existence) and right feeling (feeling of coexistence) in the Self. It means awakening to the activities of contemplation (of relationship,

participation in the larger order), understanding (of self-organisation, harmony) and realisation

(of co-existence), as discussed earlier, and

2.      living on the basis of right understanding and right feeling- part one is updating all our desires,thoughts and expectations in line with right understanding and right feeling; part two is the expressionin the form of behaviour, work and participation in the larger order.This development, this transformation in human being is facilitated by education-sanskar. There isevery provision in existence for this development.

Unit-5

Implications of the Holistic Understanding of Harmony on Professional Ethics

5.1 Natural acceptance of human values:

5.1.1 Basic human values: Schwartz has identified 10 basic human values. These include the core values recognized in cultures round the world and are mentioned in different cultures, religions and philosophical discussions of values.Each of the ten basic values can be characterized by describing its central motivational goal:

1. Self-Direction: Independent thought and action; choosing, creating, exploring. 2. Stimulation: Excitement, novelty, and challenge in life. 3. Hedonism: Pleasure and sensuous gratification for oneself. 4. Achievement: Personal success through demonstrating competence according to social standards. 5. Power: Social status and prestige, control or dominance over people and resources. 6. Security: Safety, harmony, and stability of society, of relationships, and of self. 7. Conformity: Restraint of actions, inclinations, and impulses likely to upset or harm others and violate social expectations or norms.

 

 

8. Tradition: Respect, commitment, and acceptance of the customs and ideas that traditional culture or religion provide the self.

9. Benevolence: Preserving and enhancing the welfare of those with whom one is in frequent personal contact (the ‘in-group’).

10. Universalism: Understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and protection for the welfare of all people and for nature.

            The conflicts and congruities among all ten basic values yield an integrated structure of values. This structure can be summarized with two orthogonal dimensions. Self-enhancement vs. self-transcendence: On this dimension, power and achievement values oppose universalism and benevolence values. Both of the former emphasize pursuit of self-interests, whereas both of the latter involve concern for the welfare and interests of others.

Openness to change vs. conservation: On this dimension, self-direction and stimulation values oppose security, conformity and tradition values. Both of the former emphasize independent action, thought and feeling and readiness for new experience, whereas all of the latter emphasize self-restriction, order and resistance to change. Hedonism shares elements of both openness and self-enhancement.

 

5.1.2 Acceptance of Human Values:It is right to say that we naturally accept Human Values in the light of our understanding of Harmony and Co-Existence. Every Human being naturally expects to be purposeful and successful. Our wisdom is the true source for realizing these expectations.Recognition of a relationship in existence is essentially recognizing of its innate purpose or value. This is study in existence. Commitment in a relationship is a natural outcome of this recognition. Thereafter perfection in Harmony in that relationship becomes inevitable. Perfection naturally results in fruitfulness or success.

 

5.2Definitiveness of ethical human conduct: The right understanding gained through self-exploration also enables us to identify the definitiveness of human conduct which may also be called the ethical human conduct. It is the same for all human beings.

            So we are also able to understand the universality of ethical human conduct which is in consonance with the universal human values. Each one of us wants to have a definite conduct but presently we may not be able to ensure that. This is because we are presently living on the basis of our pre-conditionings or assumptions which are not in consonance with the truth or the right understanding. But, this situation neither gives satisfaction to us not to others. We do see the human beings struggling to find out what the right conduct is and in the process, exhibiting a wide variety of attributes. We also see people debating endlessly about what they consider to be ethical. But unless we have the right understanding, we are not able to identify the definitiveness of ethical human conduct. It can be understood in terms of the following:

1.      Values (Mulya): Competence of living in accordance with universal human values or the participation of a unit in the larger order- its natural characteristics or svabhava is known as values. Values are a part of our ethical conduct.

2.      Policy (Niti): policy is the decision (plan, program, implementation, results, evaluation) about the enrichment, protection and right utilization of the resources (self, body and wealth – mana, tana and dhana).

3.      Character (Charitra): The definiteness of my desire, thought and selection gives definiteness to my living. Definitiveness of character is the outcome of the definiteness of my behavior and work.

            If one has the above he will be organized and has self harmony. By understanding natural acceptance on gains self expression and self extension by participation in harmony at all levels of existence. This leads to right understanding which will result in a prosperous undivided society of high human order.

            This definitiveness of human conduct in terms of values, policies and character is termed as Ethics. The criterion to judge whether an act of human being is ethical or unethical, and a definite way to work for ethics in life and profession are varying. Ethics in the life of an individual can be imbibed only through inculcation of values, policies and character, and this is possible through the process of ensuring right understanding through self-exploration. At the same time, we can see that a human being with ethical human conduct coupled with requisite professional skills only can be a good professional, namely, a good engineer, a good manager, a good teacher and researcher, a good technocrat, etc.

            'Ethical conduct' implies that it is naturally acceptable and does not give rise to conflict within. Thus, the 'ethical conduct' is self-satisfying, people-friendly, eco-friendly and universal.

 

5.3 Universal Human order: It refers to the efforts of an individual to have a systematic arrangement of entire universe which initiates with the individual itself.

Visions of Human Order:The visions for human order includes three elements

i) Humanistic Education

ii) Humanistic constitution and

iii) Humanistic order

Ø   Humanistic Education: It refers to the education which transforms the animal consciousness in a human being to human consciousness. Animal consciousness has resulted in over exploitation of natural resources and has made earth a dreadful place to live. Humanistic constitution puts a check on our actions and enables us to justify them.

Ø   Humanistic Constitution: It refers to the set of rule which the human beings should follow. This is to ensure mutual fulfilment and coordination in the human order together with the other orders. Human constitution is the frame work of humans, living in harmony with himself and with the entire existence.

Ø   Human Order: The process of right understanding in the society and continuity of this process among human beings from generation to generation leads to human order. A human being having definitive answers for every how and why-spiritually, intellectually and materially alone can assure its living continuously with harmony and happiness.

 

5.4 Professional ethics:

5.4.1 Profession – in the light of comprehensive human goal:  Any profession is a channel for participation by human beings in the larger order in pursuance of comprehensive human goal. In the process, one is able to contribute towards the livelihood of one’s family and also participate in the larger order constituting the society and the nature around.

             All these activities do require a certain degree of skill and are expected to be performed in consonance with the comprehensive human goal. Then only, these will be conducive to the sustained welfare of the individual as well as the society. The excellence or the success of any professional activity is to be judged from this comprehensive point of view only and not in terms of just wealth generation.

            Accordingly, the profession is not only a means of earning one’s livelihood but a means of one’s evolution by appropriate participation in the larger order. It is an important activity to authenticate one’s understanding, whereby interact with other human beings and with rest of nature in a mutually fulfilling manner. Thus, profession is a ‘service’.

 

5.4.2 Meaning and definition of Professional ethics:Professional ethics means to develop professional competence with ethical human conduct. Ethical human conduct means definitiveness of human conduct. Ethical human conduct is the foundation of professional ethics. The only effective way to ensure professional ethics is through correct appraisal and systematic development of ethical competence in the professional (the human being).

            Ethical conduct of profession implies the right utilization of one’s professional skills towards the fulfilment of comprehensive human goal and thus, meaningfully participates in the larger order. Professional ethics may be defined as a form of applied ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment.

            Professional ethics concerns the moral issues that arise because of the specialist knowledge that professionals attain, and how the use of this knowledge should be governed when providing a service to the public.

5.4.3 competence in professional ethics:  Professional ethics means to develop professional competence with ethical human conduct.Developing ethical competence in the individual (profession) is the only effective way to ensure professional ethics. The development of ethical competence is a long term process to be achieved through appropriate value education. As profession is only a subset of the life activities, the competence in profession will only be the manifestation of one’s right understanding. The following are competence required in professional ethics: 

a. Ability to utilize the professional competence for augmenting universal human order

b. Ability to identify the scope and characteristics of people friendly and eco-friendly production systems,

c. Ability to identify and develop appropriate technologies and management patterns for above production systems.

The above will be achieved by proper understanding of the following:

1.      Clarity about comprehensive human goal: Samadhan – Samridhi – Abhay – Sah-astitva, and its fulfilment through universal human order.

2.      Confidence in oneself: Based on the right understanding of oneself and the rest of existence.

3.      Mutually fulfilling behavior: Clarity and confidence in ethical human conduct and its correlation with sustained personal as well as collective happiness and prosperity.

4.      Mutually enriching interaction with nature: Self-sufficiency in fulfilment of physical needs; ability to assess the needs for physical facilities for the family and their fulfilment through production systems ensuring harmony in the nature. In the light of the above, one acquires the ability to identify and develop appropriate (people-friendly and eco-friendly) technologies, production systems etc.

5. Competence of actualizing one's understanding in real life.

 

5.4.4 Unethical Practices in the Profession at Present

• Corruption in multiple forms at various levels

• Tax evasion, misappropriation and misuse of public funds

• Misleading propaganda, unethical advertisements and sales promotion

• Cut-throat competition

• Exploiting the weakness of consumers through various enticements

• Adulteration and spurious production

•Endangering the health and safety of public at large.

•Hoarding and over-charging etc.

 

5.4.5 Contradictions and Dilemmas in professional ethics:

•In today's society, the present ethos guiding all our activities is primarily profit-maximization; wealth maximization, comfort maximization and all the systems and efforts are influenced by it.

•Examples….

•Monsoon failure….Profit-maximization by business man selling at higher prices instead of lower prices.

•Pan Masala, Smoking….Glamorized advertisements showing one side……..other side printing Warning: Injurious to Health.

•Medical Profession….Profit maximization during epidemic breakout instead of doing service to people.

 

 

For each Profession the motivations of profit maximization eventually lead to unethical practices.

•With all these unethical process a continuous contradiction persists in the mind of such people as these unethical practices are not naturally acceptable to anyone.

•They create tension and anxiety at the personal level and one is tempted to adopt dual personality in terms of trying to appear to be ethical and in reality act indifferently.

Resolution:

 

            “The resolution of all these contradictions and dilemmas can only come through Right Understanding. The crux of all this Discussion is that….sincere effort towards building up the ethical competence of human beings in general and professionals in particular through proper Value Education is the only effective way to safeguard Professional Ethics”.

 

5.7 Holistic Technologies and Systems – Typical Case Studies

5.7.1 Holistic Technologies: The modern technologies and systems are all human inventions in response to the needs visualized under the influence of the prevailing worldview. Accordingly, they have been designed and optimized to the objective functions best suited to this world view. In order to facilitate the development of holistic technologies and systems, it will be necessary to visualize alternative objective functions and to formulate appropriate criteria for evaluation compatible with comprehensive human goal. Generally speaking, there are three broad criteria to guide the development of such technologies and systems, viz.

a.       Catering to appropriate needs and lifestyles,

b.      People-friendly, and

c.       Eco-friendly.

Criteria for Technologies

The above mentioned general criteria can be itemized into more specific form as follows:

1.      Catering to real human needs

2.      Compatible with natural systems and cycles

3.      Facilitating effective utilization of human body, animals, plants and materials

4.      Safe, user-friendly and conducive to health

5.      Producible with local resources and expertise as far as possible

6.      Promoting the use of renewable energy resources

7.      Low cost and energy efficient

8.      Enhancing human interaction and cooperation

Some of the renewable and decentralized energy technologies: -

a) Bio Mass based Energy Conversion Systems such as:

Ø  Systems for generation and utilization of Biogas obtainable from all kinds of moist biomass such as animal and human excreta, kitchen waste, moist agro-waste, sweage effluents etc.

Ø  This bio-conversion also results in production of valuable bio-manure in the form of slurry. A study of slurry handling systems is also required.

Ø  Systems for generation and utilization of Producer gas obtainable from partial combustion of all kinds of dry biomass such as wood, charcoal, rice-husk, sawdust, dry agro-waste etc.

Ø  Systems for decentralized production of Biodiesel obtainable from esterification of various vegetable oils.

Ø  Decentralizdd systems for production of ethanol as a liquid fuel for engines obtainable from agro-waste.

Ø  Technologies for Briquetting to obtain a compact/smokeless solid fuel from all kinds of loose biomass.

Ø  Technologies for smokeless and energy efficient cook stoves.

b) Gadgets and Implements to facilitate efficient utilization of Human muscle power and Animal draught power such as:

Ø  Human operated agriculture tools and domestic appliances

Ø  Animal (bullock) operated irrigation pumps, tractors and other agricultural equipments.

Ø  Improvised designs of animal driven carts

c) Devices for efficient utilization of Solar energy such as:

Ø  Solar Water Heaters, Solar cookers, Solar driers etc.

Ø  Solar Photo-voltaic Systems

Ø  Decentralized Solar power generation and refrigeration systems.

d) Decentralized Wind power devices for water pumping, electricity generation etc.

e) Microhydel electro-mechanical power generation systems utilizing the hydro-energy of waterfalls, check-dams and flowing water in streams and rivers in a decentralized manner.

 

f) Systems for Water conservation and water shed management for efficient utilization of rain water and for eco-restoration.

g) Technologies and architecture promoting green building materials and energy conservation such as:-

Ø  Construction with compressed/stabilized mud-blocks and terracotta tiles

Ø  Bamboo architecture

Ø  Lawry-Baker low-cost brick work construction etc.

Ø  Solar architecture with energy conservation and passive heating/cooling of buildings.

h) Organic/natural farming techniques including technologies for vermi-composting, production of bio-manures and bio-pesticides

i) Eco-sanitation techniques for small scale decentralized sewage disposal and waste water recycling.

j.) Low cost and energy efficient technologies for small scale production systems such as:-

Ø  Systems for food processing.

Ø  Systems for production of herbal, forest-based and animal-based products

Ø  Systems for facilitating multiple crafts and artisanal work

 

 

5.7.2 Humanistic organizational/management models:

            If we really wish to gain an insight into the holistic systems, we have a lot to learn from systems of nature and from traditional practices. With modern developments in science and technology, and their widespread application, an impression has grown that the nature is primarily for exploitation as per the whims and fancies of human beings, the nature has to be tamed/controlled and exploited for human enjoyment. Further, it is believed that the systems in nature are all primitive and have to be replaced by man-made systems. This is how one looks at ‘development’. Similarly, it is also believed that the traditional practices are all obsolete and have to be rejected outright. This arrogant attitude towards nature and the traditional know-how has caused much damage to humanity in recent times. It is high time we critically examine these beliefs and rectify them in the light of right understanding. In reality, nature is not only our nourisher but also a learning ground. The human beings are an integral part of this self-sustaining nature and it is essential to understand its functioning and systems to live in harmony with it. After all, it is only by diligent study of nature that all the laws and principles governing various processes have been discovered by human beings. In a similar way, the systems and cycles of nature also need to be understood and emulated as required in man-made designs. Then only, we can correctly visualize and evolve the holistic way of living.

As for the traditional practices, it is true that with increase in knowledge and skills, and with changing needs, it is necessary to make improvisations in technologies and systems of human use, however, in order to do that it is essential to critically evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. It is important to identify the characteristics which have enabled the traditional practices to serve humanity for long periods. The eco-friendly and people-friendly characteristics of many traditional practices are very much worthy of our recognition and retention. Then we will be in a better position to utilize our present day knowledge to augment the systems and make them more effective, efficient and more suited to current needs. For example, we can learn a lot from the traditional practices of eco-friendly agriculture techniques, watershed management, eco-restoration, herbal formulations, preservation techniques, and artisanal practices and so on. It does not amount to going backwards but rather enables us to avail from the vast storehouse of wisdom and experience so that we become better prepared to take the leap forward in the right direction.

            The ability & criteria to develop Holistic systems comes through understanding of harmony at various levels along with the appreciation of comprehensive human goal. Following criteria need to be considered

Ø  Renewability

Ø  Preservation of natural balance

Ø  Utilising local resources and expertise

Ø  Decentralized and conducive to meaningful mass employment

Ø  Catering to real needs

Ø  Matching of production, distribution and consumption etc

 

 

 

 

 

SINCERITY

How to preserve professional sincerity?

We are responsible for our own destiny. Young professionals must be honest, responsible and respectable towards self and the role. Learn to stand for and be accountable for decisions, as Excuses and manipulations are not going to lead one anywhere. Taking complete charge and identify with the role. Never evade accountability because of the fear of failure or sense of feeling besieged by the influence around. one need to be straightforward at work with his own choices. Career building is much beyond mere maintenance of the job and there is no point blaming things around us.

 

Enriching fundamentals. It is important to incessantly renew conceptual knowledge base. Subject matter understanding is an essential element of professional triumph. Nothing can beat knowledge. One’s ability to apply himself at work will be directly proportionate to his self-sufficiency on fundamentals. Hence one has to plan a calendar to refresh core subjects, brush-up functional concepts and recent developments. One has to continuously transform repertoire of accessible information to attain wisdom. Reflective knowledge is like having deep pockets of wisdom. It lightens our insight.

 

Plan – Prepare – Participate. Do not be casual in professional life, every interaction is important and one has to be prepared well in advance to remain abreast. Any winning endeavour will require prioritizing, meticulous planning, and cautious preparation. Hence one needs to follow definite work discipline. At work place planning and preparations are an integral part of professional life. Elaborate preparation makes actual task much easier. Preparation and rehearsal will sharpen the edges. This can be a unique differentiating excellence in ones personality.

 

Do not run around to get spotted. No organisation can disregard a performer for long. One’s sincere performance will unquestionably surface above the rest. In certain circumstances, it may take more than requisite time, but finally he/she will shine-out in midst of mediocrity and manipulators. One has to bring sincerity in every effort. Endeavors at work place should not be predominantly encumbered with desires, malice and ignorance. In today’s life, we cannot just perform a duty without attaching rewards or benefits, but we can definitely avoid shaping our entire conduct around “what is there for me”. The top managers are not interested in ‘unfilled talks’. They value achievers. Deliver every work with commitment and do the hard work, definitely You will get noticed.

 

Negativity corrodes. Believe in purity and positivity of thoughts. Thoughts drive our actions. Our behaviour is largely governed by our beliefs and thoughts. With purity of mind and positivity in thoughts, our overall conduct and disposition becomes largely acceptable to all around us. Negativity takes away our entire energy and time. It corrodes us from within. Be aware about your negative thoughts and circumvent renting any space to such negativity in your mind.

Perhaps definition of sincerity itself has gone through a transition in professional world. But any compromise with professional sincerity is not going to take you far. Never be artificial with your sincerity. Sincerity comes from within and it will liberate us and brings purity in our conduct. It makes a person more observant and humble. Sincerity gives us foundation and solidity.

 

Step to cultivate sincerity:

1. Act the same way alone as you do when in the presence of others

2. Do things out of the goodness of your heart- don’t seek a reward or do things to acquire things from others

3. Understand that sincerity comes from heart- one cannot be sincerely if he simply says sorry just as a word or be untruthful.

4. Don’t do it or say it, unless you believe it from your heart

5. Realize that sincerity can expose you- i.e., opening up to others about your feeling, motives and aspirations can cause some people to react in insincere ways and to try dragging one down.

6. Use positive affirmations: use positive affirmations to override negatives and always sincerity thrives on effort to think the right way.

7. Don’t over-polish things- sincerely is about spontaneity at that moment with genuinely. Polishing responses using sugar coated words or attempting over perfection can remove sincerity. Never attempt to shift deadline for one’s own purpose as it will reveal our in capabilities.

 

Fidelity (faithfulness and loyalty)

Fidelity- This principle requires loyalty, fairness, truthfulness, advocacy, and dedication towards ones profession. It involves an agreement to keep our promises. Fidelity refers to the concept of keeping a commitment and is based upon the virtue of caring.

The engineers should serve with fidelity the employer and the public. At all time engineers must use their skills to advance human efforts, to increase his technical competence and to increase the prestige of their profession. The principle of fidelity, or promise- keeping, recognizes an obligation to honor agreements and to keep promises freely entered into and deliberately made.

One can use these to describe the ethical dilemma that is faced during engineering profession. They should honor the terms of the employment contract, which may also include assignments suited for his expertise. According to the principles of beneficence, a engineer has obligations to promote the good of others, including his employers, the people he works with and even his own family.

 

There are several reasons because of which loyalty is decreasing now a day:

1. People being more loyal to their careers that to their employers

2. Problems with upper management

3. Companies not caring their employers heath.

Workplace loyalty may be on the decline, but that doesn’t mean it will disappear forever

The following may be adopted by the employers to increase fidelity at work

1) Scheduling “face time” with the employee- Face - to – face interactions

2) Choosing appropriate communication channels

3) Offer acknowledgement and praise often

4) Be honest: tell even the fall backs and admit negatives

5) Walk the talk- true leaders who inspire are the ones who walk and work on the ideal of the company thereby they motivates the employee.

 

In fact, the more the employer communicates with people and acknowledge them, and be truthful with them, the more trusting and loyal will be the employees.

Here are five loyalty skills--and ways to improve proficiency

1. Support/assistance: Help a peer do a better job, struggle less, learn a new skill, impress the boss, or gain new respect with clients and coworkers.

2. Giving time/attention: Do take an interest in the workplace challenges and projects of peer group. Ask questions, listen well, and take the time to pay attention to the concerns of coworkers. Show empathy, and demonstrate that you understand their issues and really "get" their point of view.

3. Recognition/encouragement: Give sincere compliments to coworkers when they've done an excellent job on a task, or when they demonstrate superior skills, say, while leading a meeting or doing presentations and cheering them on.

4. Self-sacrifice/commitment: Offer to stay late, or help in tough tasks of your coworkers. Standup for a view point that may be controversial at work place and put yourself for them

5. Reliability/trust- Exhibit consistency and competency which will improve the reliability of the company and trust will help reach career goals.