Balance Existence For Excellence And Effectiveness

1. Balance Existence For Excellence And Effectiveness Dr P. Govindarajan Associate Director PwC Chennai

2. Balanced Existence for Excellence Body Individual Family Mind & Intellect Soul Society

3. INDIAN ETHOS Culture is what is seen outside : The Trunk, leaves , flowers and fruits Ethos are the roots

4. Indian Ethos Aim of Indian Ethos: • To find out if India has a • distinctive note to play in • the world orchestra - not to • decry the scientific and • technological developments • made through western influence.

5. Indian Ethos Aim of Indian Ethos: • To discover unity in diversity - • universal values in diverse cultures • of nations. • Indian Ethos is about 5000 years old, according to the Westerners. • According to us, it is Anaadhi.

6. Indian Ethos Western Civilization is based on the Greek Model. It evolved in cities which were walled in by forts and surrounded by moats. Art of Greek - as close to reality as possible. Idealising the real is their goal.

7. Indian Ethos Indian Civilization evolved around riverbeds - in tune with nature. Indian Art - the goal is realising the ideal.

8. Indian Ethos Western Civilization - Outward, objective and aggressive. Example: Colonisation - Subjugation of Nature. East Asian / Chinese Civilization - Sideward, mutual and harmonious. Example: Gunpowder was developed in China & it was not put to destructive use by them.

9. Indian Ethos Indian Civilization: Inward, subjective and autonomy. Example: Balanced existence and Self-realisation.

10. Indian Ethos Transcendental Spiritual Values Individual Human Values Dharma, Arth, Kama & Moksh Dharma – Disciplined life - good for himself and others Arth – Wealth Kama – Desire Moksh – Liberation

11. Indian Ethos Doctrine of Karma 1) As a deterrent for wrong acts 2) As a incentive for good acts The theory of karma keeps our consciousness alive.

12. Indian Ethos Doctrine of Karma 1. An effect in the present must have had a cause in the past - smoke presupposes fire - vedanta. 2. A cause in the present is bound to produce an effect in the future. 3. Like Cause, like effect.

13. Indian Ethos Doctrine of Karma 4. The effect returns to the source of the cause. 5. Every cause will produce its own effect, there is no mutual cancellation. 6. The above set of laws is applicable as much in the case of an individual as in a family, society, the organisation and nations at large.

14. Indian Ethos Five - fold debts (RIN) 1. Deva rin - debt to god 2. Rishi rin - debt to Rishis or Sages or Saints. 3. Pitri rin - debt to parents 4. Nri rin - debt to Humanity at large or society. 5. Bhuta rin - debt to Sub-human living species.

15. Indian Ethos From Supra - Human to Sub-Human, we are indebted. We are a debtor par excellence. How to repay our debts ? 1. Sub-human level - caring 2. Society - charitable in thought, deed and caring. 3. Parents - Love and Service.

16. Indian Ethos 4. Rishi/Guru - repectful study and practise. 5. God - Surrender and work.

17. Indian Ethos The need to go beyond the Karma theory Ego is edging god out and putting I inside Actions with ego result in Karma We accumulate papa and punya Papa is like an iron chain and punya a golden chain. Both bind us here. Spirituality says we have to transcend both papa and punya

18. Indian Ethos We have to be in constant remembrance of Him to get away from the Papa and Punya. For this, we need the guidance of a Guru. Gu means ignorance. Ru means remover. The Guru removes our ignorance and puts us on the divine path

19. Indian Ethos Guru Swami Vivekananda He knows and he knows he knows, he is a leader - follow him. He knows and he knows not he knows, he is sleeping - wake him. He knows not and he knows he knows not, he is a child - teach him He knows not and he knows not he knows not, he is a fool - shun him

20. Indian Ethos We trace our ancestry to our Rishis - Gothrams. Indian Model of Leader - Rajarishi. Example: Raja Janak He was secular and balanced.

21. Indian Ethos Guru How to identify the Guru? If we sit by fire, we feel warmth If we sit by ice, we feel chillness If we meditate under the guidance of a Guru of caliber, we should feel the divinity in us.

22. WESTERN VIEW OF ETHICS • Four questions which provide a basic framework for assessing possible ways of resolving an ethical dilemma • Which course of action will do the most good and least harm? (Mill - Consequences) • Which alternative best serves others’ rights? (Jefferson – Rights) • What plan can I live with, which is consistent with basic values? (Aristotle – Integrity) • Which course of action is feasible in the world as it is? • (Machiavelli – Practicality)

23. LAWRENCE KOHLBERGS SIX STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT Level 1 : Stage 1 : Child – punishment and obedience orientation Level 1 : Stage 2 : Child - right actions that satisfy the childs own needs. The child is now aware that others have needs and desires similar to his or her own. Level 2 : Stage 3 : Loyalty to one’s own family, peer group. The person is motivated to conform to group’s norms and subordinates the needs of the individual to those of the groups. Level 3 : Stage 4 : The person questions the law and values that society has adopted and redefines them in terms of self-chosen universal moral values. The proper laws and values are those to which any reasonable person would be motivated to commit himself, whatever place the person holds in society and whatever society he belongs to.

24. Level 3 : Stage 5 – The person believes that all values and norms are relative and that apart from democratic consensus, all should be tolerated. Level 3 : Stage 6 - Right action is defined in terms of universal principles, chosen because of their logical comprehensiveness, their universality and their consistency. These ethical principles are not concrete like the ten commandments but abstract universal principles dealing with justice, society’s welfare, equality of human rights and respect for the dignity of the individual human beings. According to Kohlberg, these six stages are sequential. The study of ethics should enable the individual to acquire the more critical understanding of right and wrong and moral development.

25. Total Satisfaction • What we have is Life’s gift to us • What we do, with what we have, is – • our gift to Life!

26. Proficiency: What we Have • Skills • Talents • Knowledge • Qualification • Healthy emotions

27. Efficiency: What we Give • Performance • Effectiveness • Results • Touching the others’ hearts

28. Fulfillment: our Choice • More years in our life? • More life in our years?

29. Three Obstacles • Inertia, laziness • Mind runs away into the past or future • Resistance to team work

30. Inertia: Two Kinds • Not moving • Moving in grooves Habits die hard!

31. Well Begun Is Half Done • Arise, awake • Arouse, awaken • Do important things first • Give timely directions

32. Inspiration and Perspiration • Satsangatve nissangatvam: Inspiration removes inertia • Uddharet aatmanaa aatmaanam: we are our best friend

33. Time Is Precious • Fruits of labour are sweeter than the rewards of fortune. • Laghu-moolam mahodayam: Give importance to importance, not to urgency

34. Mind in Balance • Yesterday is history • Tomorrow is mystery • Today is life’s “present” to us

35. The Flight of a Bird • Let the past leave no scars on our heart • No footprints on air

36. Be Efficient • Through team work • Empower, but monitor • Train people • Share work • Share glories

37. Act, achieve: karma jyaayo hi akarmanah • Be in the present moment yudhyasva vigata-jvarah • Think ‘we’: sangham sharanam gacchaami

38. MINIMUM REQUIREMENT Observance of at least some of the ten maxims like essentials of good behaviour, good brotherliness and sisterliness among abhyasis and not to harm or hurt others by talk or by deed are part of normal daily ethical practice.

39. Ten Maxims of Sahaj Marg • Rise before dawn. Offer your prayer and puja at a fixed hour, preferably before sunrise, sitting in one and the same pose. Have a separate place and seat for worship. Purity of body and mind should be specially adhered to. • One of the Niyamas of Sage Patanjali is Saucham which talks of cleanliness. • Practicing this Maxim makes us disciplined in our habits. This discipline comes from within and is not imposed from outside.

40. Ten Maxims of Sahaj Marg (2)Begin your puja with a prayer for spiritual elevation, with a heart-full of love and devotion. (3)Fix-up your goal which should be complete oneness with God. Rest not till the ideal is achieved. Sage Patanjali’s Niyamas tapah, swadhyaya and iswara prani dhaanam and yama brahmacharyam (Meditation, self-study about one-self and devotion and surrender to God without any expectation and to remain in the constant remembrance of the brahman). Practicing the above Maxims leads us to our goal.

41. Three levels of discipline: • Discipline for mutual understanding (like we have grammar in language) • Discipline for mutual protection • Discipline which we formulate for ourselves which we obey by ourselves, not subjugated to any external authority. • When we are alone, behaving as if we are being watched by everyone else.

42. 4. Be plain and simple to be identical with nature. Sage Patanjali’s yama astheya – non stealing and aparigraha – non-covetousness 5. Be truthful. Take miseries as Divine Blessings for your own good and be thankful. Sage Patanjali’s yama sathya Exceptions (1) to save life (2) to save honour of a woman 6. Know all people as thy brethren and treat them as such.

43. 7. Be not revengeful for the wrongs done by others. Take them with gratitude as heavenly gifts. Sage Patanjali’s yama - ahimsa 8. Be happy to eat in constant divine thoughts whatever you get, with due regard to honest and pious earnings. Sage Patanjali’s Niyama – Santhosham – contentment Story of bone – gold – desire Desire only for oneness with God

44. 9. Mould your life so as to arouse a feeling of love and piety in others. 10. At bedtime, feeling the presence of god, repent for the wrongs committed. Beg forgiveness in a supplicant mood, resolving not to allow repetition of the same.

45. The highest form of ethical practice is to follow One Master practice One Method and have One Mission We are fortunate to have our Master our Method and our Mission

46. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am thankful to Rev. Master, Dr Balasubramanian (Br.Kannan), Swami Chidananda, Prof. Chakraborty and Vaijayanthi Govindarajan for providing inputs for this presentation.

47. Thank You