Negotiate the World better with a Success Mantra....
Imagine
waking up one morning and realizing that we had quiescent phenomenal power
waiting to be unleashed and once these abilities are kindled we could manifest anything
we mortals desire - a meaningful and worthy life, dare to dream, realize our
dreams, be in command of our body and be a socially healthy being, in other
words bridge the gap and establish a link with our inner self. We are talking
of expansion and connection with our life-force - ‘Our Spirits’.
In
this point in time it seems more important than ever to experience our own
spirituality right in the middle of the world we live in. Spirituality is no
longer something only to be experienced by a dedicated few who are willing to
abandon family and society in order to find spiritual enlightenment away from
humanity. On the contrary it is within reach of one who desires to embark upon
this path anytime anywhere. In fact a large number sincerely have begun to
inculcate this as their life sentinel.
In
this day and era, spirituality and the physical material world are finding a
new balance. No longer coexisting at a distance, but more and more flowing
together, merging and weaving a new and different fabric of society. Picture a
situation where we could actually change our blueprint of life, our DNA
chromosomes to enable us to expand our creative potential, provide access to
our subconscious mind and become intuitive, being able to connect to our
purpose in life - that is augmentation of our latent power leading to ‘Spiritual Growth’.
In our daily lives the basic understanding of the word ‘Spiritual’ has so often been misconstrued
as connecting with some divine power in a highly religious manner. Hence to common man Spirituality and religion are still
confusing entity. In realism ‘Spirituality’ is a broader concept and
refers to non-material matters that concern the spirit which is our soul which lies deep within us. Spirituality
does not require a divine authority whereas religion usually deals with the
existence of a divine power and some accompanying system of beliefs, faith
leading to devotion. We are asked to believe this divine power as an
explanation for what we otherwise cannot understand. Not going into much
controversy, it still remains
popular even today among a few who hold the Marxist belief that "religion
is the opium of the people"! That does seem true for some sects of the
more strident variety, who bump all spiritual and religious systems together
without closer examination. This does neither appeal nor strike as a truly
bright idea. By taking this critical attitude, I think that such school of
thought seem to throw out the baby along with the bath-water.
Something
that has changed throughout time. In the days bygone a person in search of
spirituality or “Nirvana” (a paradise),
moved away from day-to-day life, from society, in search of spiritual
reawakening. Nowadays, most spiritual people are productive members of society
and have busy families and social lives. For many, Spirituality has become the buzz
word - a mantra (sacred utterance) for self growth, to grow and change
into an enhanced human class.
Spirituality
as a ‘tool’ can help increase awareness, compassion, gathering acumen, sharing
knowledge in an unbiased manner and the conscious realization that the act of
giving can be as fulfilling as the act of receiving. Through spiritual
experiences we raise our awareness of ourselves and what we have to offer to
the world and also our awareness of the world around us. We understand the
concept of sowing the right seed, so that we have a confident harvest.
As
we become more aware of what is around us, we become better prepared to act
upon things that are happening in our environment. And the more we view the world we live in from a compassionate
perspective, the easier it is to see that a balance between giving and
receiving, between altruism and materialism is actually feasible. Learning to
empower our tomorrow with the right values and education other than life’s
savings, which to some in our society appear as an act of empowerment which in
reality is a shame. It’s instinctive and born out of low self esteem and a
feeling of insecurity.
Consider Human existence as a house with four rooms. Room number
one is the body; room number 2 is
the mind; room number 3 is the emotions and room number 4 is the spirituality. Which room would you bestow
your favor upon? Spiritual growth
is a part and parcel of building a strong personality. To grow in mind, body
and personality (consisting of emotions and spirituality), into a complete
human being! Spirituality thus, is connecting with your inner Self, arousing, caressing and feeling the presence
of your own power, your own soul and spirit. It has been with you
forever, laying latent waiting for you to unfurl. It is so easy to perceive its
presence and even easier not to.
On
introspection, honestly are we well equipped guardians to convey the essence of
this easy expression to the torch bearers of tomorrow – our children, youth of
our nation? The day to day
management jargon: Personality Development
- which in reality comprises of 20% IQ + 80% EQ along with spiritual
awakening has become a pre-requite for present day professionals to get
themselves hired with an uninterrupted climb up the ladder. The understanding
of right from wrong, the know-how: how to handle everyday life situations,
inter-human communication, learning the art of visualization without jumping
into a conclusion, uninterrupted and smooth business communication, the art of
working in a team; non-judgmental and so on and so forth. In a lay mans
lingo we may say the art of getting things done using a number of skills such
as knowledge, faith, courage, compassion, integrity, justice, tact and
wisdom. This uncomplicated personal enhancement is in reality, Spiritual growth
or Spiritual awakening, which shapes the personality
of an individual.
If
we rewind and look into the days bygone, we can see that an Indian ideally has
always been living life 100%, enjoying both material as well as spiritual
planes. And it is a fact that till two centuries ago, India was the richest
country in the world. The same Indians in the present era are soon losing their
identity unable to release their safety valves. The irony thus is lost on me.
Spirituality
is an important or even can be summed up as foundational aspect of human
existence. The Sanskrit dictum says svarat
samrat bhavati. It means one who can rule and govern oneself can also lead
others. That is a model where the art of practicing self leadership on oneself
is encouraged. This entails bringing forth the hidden spirit in the forefront
of his personality thus empowering the leader to lead from the front. Indian
civilization is based on such ground work laid by such leaders called
Rajarshi’s which literally means a king and a sage. In today’s model the schism
and secular vanishes (the king is the secular aspect while the Rishi is the
sacred aspect). Rajarshi leadership from Indian history such as emperor Ashoka (220
-300BC ), Jamshedji Tata ( 19th Century), Mahatma Gandhi (20th
century)are a few exemplar.
Gandhi's
life is a lesson that one person can change a whole country, at least
temporarily. An individual whose beliefs are spiritually rooted can bring about
welcome change within the organization's work culture. The bookstores have a
whole range of materials from Jesus Christ being viewed as CEO to lessons on
management from the Bhagavad Gita. Prof.
Chakraborty of Indian Institute of Manangement(IIM), Calcutta has developed a series
of concepts and programs to inculcate Indian ethos into organizations based on
principles derived from traditional Indian literature. He says-“If spirituality
in management is seen more broadly as a way of inculcating meaning into one. At
a personal level, it is also important for us to understand what kind of work
we enjoy, and what our values are and how we can engage in work that is
meaningful to us”.
Prof. Ramnath Narayanaswamy, IIM-e says it is often taken for granted that
business and spirituality have little to do with each other. He says, in
reality, however, there is a strong link between managing business, ethical and
personal issues. As a Professor of Economics and Social Sciences at the
Institute, he has been directing young minds onto a path of spiritualism,
self-development and self-discovery, so that they may `develop life skills and
negotiate the world better.' His elective called `Spirituality and Self
Development for the Global Manager' has gained considerable popularity.
Spirituality - the success mantra,
can thus be said as the core value system or the wisdom acquired by an
individual which in today’s IT language be best interpreted as the hardware, while the knowledge and
the procurement of professional skills as the software. Spirituality
the hardware, deals with the
core human values including faith,
courage, compassion, integrity, justice and wisdom. While the technical knowledge and the
professional know how is in reality the software!
Spirituality is
the backbone of a culture. And
just like each man, each nation has its own characteristics. And needless to
say, the characteristic of a nation is manifested through the youth of the
Nation. As responsible citizens of
this universe, on this day, let us take a vow to arm ourselves with this
invaluable ‘MANTRA’! Be the facilitators and lead from the front?
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