UHV Material All Chapters PDF

Universal Human Values-II Understanding Harmony Sri. Ravi Varma Penmetsa Value Education – Basic Human Aspirations  Unit-1: Value Education Harmony is usually identified as a human value, referring to compatibility and accord in feelin...

Universal Human Values-II Understanding Harmony Sri. Ravi Varma Penmetsa Value Education – Basic Human Aspirations  Unit-1: Value Education Harmony is usually identified as a human value, referring to compatibility and accord in feelings, actions, relationships, opinions, interests, etc. It denotes a state of balance among forces influencing and even opposing one another “what to do” is “what is important” is “what is valuable” The value of an entity is its participation in the larger order of which it is a part. For example, the value of a pen is that it can write. Here writing is the participation of the pen in the bigger order in which it is present along with paper and human being For human being, this bigger order includes other human beings, plants, air, water, soil, animals, birds, etc., i.e. the entire nature/existence. The value of a human being is its participation in this entire nature/existence. Hence, to understand human values, we need to study the human reality along with all that is there in the entire nature/existence which constitutes the larger order. The role of human being is to understand and fulfil its relationship with each and every unit in the existence. The part of education that deals with the understanding of one’s participation in the larger order, and thus ensuring it in living, is called as Value Education. Levels of a Living Human Being Individual My value for myself (eg. ensuring happiness in the self and health in the body) Family My value in the family (eg. ensuring feeling of relationship and prosperity) Society My value in the society (eg. to participate in social systems for justice, peace and harmony) Nature/Existence My value in nature/existence (eg. mutual fulfilment with rest of nature) Living in Myself : We all have desires, thoughts, beliefs, imaginations and choices. This is the first level of our living. Before expressing ourselves in relations, we think, and whatever we receive from the other, it again passes through our internal processes. We refer to this as (our) Self. This inner world (or ‘myself ’) co-exists with the body and together we refer to this as a ‘human being’. Living in Family: All of us are born to our parents and this is the family we are born to. This is the first web of relationships for each one of us and subsequently we live in more relationships that include our siblings, our friends and classmates, teachers and others. These are the people we live with on a daily basis, and we call this ‘family’. Living in Society: Our family is part of a larger group of people we live with where there are interdependencies around food, clothing, housing, services, health, education, justice etc. We live as a part of this human system. This is our society. Living in Nature/Existence: We are on this earth: with the grass, plants and trees, birds, animals and other humans surrounding us and we live in this large eco-system that we call nature. Regardless of where we are, our village, town or city, is within this eco-system or natural habitat. Our planet is surrounded by a larger system of planetary bodies and that includes the moon, the sun and the infinite stars and planetary systems that surround us. Our earth is a part of the solar system that co-exists with all that there is in this entire ‘existence’. And then there is space between planets, even between you and the book right now! All these things present in space are together called as existence. ‘Existence’ means all that exists.  Value of a unit is its participation in the larger order  Identification of values is based on realization and understanding  Human values = Value of human being is its participation in the larger order  The participation of human being is in the form of behavior & work  Values of behavior are present as 9 parts in a relationship(Trust, Respect, Affection, Care, Guidance, Reverence, Gratitude, Glory & Love).  Working with material things, ensuring their right utilization, enrichment & protection is the human value.  The value of a human being is its participation that leads to harmony at all these levels  In human-human interaction, living in accordance with human values leads to mutual happiness  Your happiness  Happiness of the other human being  In human-rest of nature interaction, living in accordance with human values leads to mutual prosperity  Your prosperity  Prosperity of rest of nature. Understanding What to do Value Value Education Learning How to do Skills Skill Development Doing Use of Skills Skills guided by Values Practice Meaning of Value Education:Value Education is the education which enables to understand ‘what is valuable’ for human happiness. It is all about enabling a transformation in the human beings to help them move from Animal Consciousness to Human Consciousness.  Need for Value Education: 1. 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 fulfilment. It also helps to remove our confusions and contradictions and bring harmony at all levels. 2. Understanding universal human values to fulfill our aspirations in continuity: Values form the basis for all our thoughts, behaviours 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. 3. Complementarity 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 endeavor (struggle). This is known as domain of skills. Hence, there is an essential complementarity between values and skills for the success of any human endeavor. Ex: I want to lead a healthy life. Only wishing for good health will not help me keep my body fit & 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. 4.Evaluation of our beliefs: Each one of us believes in certain things and we base our values on these beliefs, be 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 our parents tells us, our friends talk about, what the magazines talk of, what we see from TV etc. Value Education helps us to evaluate our beliefs and assumed values. 5. 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.  Basic Guidelines for Value Education: 1. Universal:Whatever we study as value education has to be universally applicable to all human beings and be true at all times and all places. In addition, it need not restrict itself to a certain sect, creed, gender or nationality etc. So it has to deal with universal human values. 2. Rational: It has to be amenable to reasoning and not based on dogmas or blind beliefs. It cannot be a set of sermons or Do’s and Don’ts. 3. Natural and Verifiable: We want to study something that is natural to us. Being natural means, it is acceptable in a natural manner to all human beings. When we live on the basis of such values that are natural to us, it leads to fulfilment, leads to our happiness and also is conducive to other people we interact with, as well as with nature. We also would like to verify these values ourselves, i.e. we don’t want to assume something just because it is being stated here or written in a book, rather, each one of us will want to verify these to find out whether they are true for us. This has to be done by both checking for validity within ourselves, as being naturally acceptable as well as something which we can implement in our living and observe its outcome to be fulfilling. 4. All Encompassing:Value education is not merely an academic exercise. It is aimed at transforming our consciousness and living. Hence, it has to permeate into all dimensions of our living, namely, thought, behaviour, work and understanding/realization; as well as all levels, namely, individual, family, society and nature. 5. Leading to Harmony: Finally, value education has to enable us to be in harmony within and in harmony with others. Hence, when we live on the basis of these values, we start understanding that it will it will Contents of Value education: The contents should be Holistic (considered as a whole thing rather than a collection of parts) & All Encompassing (Including or covering everything or everyone) Covers all dimensions of human being, (as an Individual): 1. Understanding/Realization 2. Thought 3. Behaviour 4. Work/Participation in larger order Eg. In Thought – we want clarity (a state of resolution, solution) NOT confusion (a state of problem) In brief:  Content of Value Education: 1. To understand myself, my aspirations, my happiness 2. To understand the goal of human life 3. To understand the other entities in nature, their inter- connectedness and co-existence and role of human being in nature 4. To understand harmony at the four levels of human living 5. learning to live inaccordance with all the above understandings by being aware of one’s thought, behavior and work.  Scope of Value Education: Any course on value education must include 1. All dimensions- thought, behavior, work & and realization and 2. All levels of human living - individual, family, society, nature/existence of human living. Accordingly, 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 co-existence in the nature/existence and finally the role of human being in this nature/existence entirety. Hence, it has to encompass understanding of harmony at various levels, namely, individual, family, society, nature and existence, and finally, learning to live in accordance with this understanding by being vigilant to one’s thought, behavior and work.  The Process of Value Education: The Process of value education is through Self-Exploration  Self-Exploration: Self-exploration involves two steps: 1. Verification of the proposals on the basis of our natural acceptance 2. Experiential validation by living according to it. Natural Acceptance(Svatva): It is the process of seeing and observing everything and then using your inner conscience to get the answer from within. It is a way to bring out the goodness in everything naturally. It helps us to learn everything that is good from others and absorb it in our own way, but without changing our identity. Alternatively, Natural acceptance implies unconditional and total acceptance of the self, people and environment. It also refers to the absence of any exception from others. In other words, Natural acceptance is way to accept the good things naturally. Characteristics of Natural Acceptance:  It does not change with time/age: What is naturally acceptable to you today is the same as what was naturally acceptable to you yesterday, and what will be naturally acceptable to you tomorrow. For example, our natural acceptance for the feeling of trust, for the feeling of respect in relationship remains invariant with time: a child naturally accepts having the feeling of trust. Twenty years later, when (s)he becomes a youth, she still has a natural acceptance for trust; and when she grows into an old person, (s)he continues to have a natural acceptance for the feeling of trust – there is no change in the natural acceptance with time for any given person.  It doesn’t depend on place: Naturally acceptable feelings, like trust, respect, affection, etc. remain invariant with place. These feelings are naturally acceptable to me when I am in India, in America, in Africa, in Europe or in any other place. Like that, my natural acceptance to keep the Body healthy does not change with place. No matter where we are, we have the same natural acceptance at all the places.  Natural acceptance is uncorrupted by likes and dislikes or assumptions or beliefs: We have taken the examples of this above also. When we ask the right questions, we can see our natural acceptance and it is there. Natural acceptance remains unaffected by our likes and dislikes, our belief systems and our preconditioning even if they are very deep and influence our thoughts day and night. For example, even if we are preconditioned for years ‘not to trust anyone’, if we ask the question as to what is naturally acceptable ‘trust or mistrust’, the answer is in favor of trust.  Natural acceptance is innate; we don’t need to create it: Whatever be the background of a person, this faculty is very much there. For example, the moment we think of disrespecting someone, how does it feel within? Comfortable or uncomfortable? Similarly, the moment we think of opposing anyone, how does it feel? Are we at ease or we feel uneasy? Of course, uneasy. Why is this happening? Because we have the faculty of natural acceptance as a part and parcel of our being and it keeps hinting that what we are feeling, thinking or doing is in harmony with our own natural acceptance or not. We can start referring to it at any time, it is always there.  Natural acceptance is definite: It is for relationship, harmony and co-existence which is universal. This we can directly verify by asking, what is naturally acceptable to us – relationship or opposition, harmony or disharmony, co-existence or struggle? When we look into the details of relationship, harmony and co-existence, in chapters to follow, we will ask these questions again regarding each and see that these three – relationship, harmony and co- existence, ultimately provide the guidance for our living in harmony, happiness  Self exploration Exploration = Observing Outside Self-Exploration = Observing Inside  It is the process to find out what is valuable to me by investigating within myself. What is right for me and true for me and has to be judged within myself. Once we start paying attention towards investigating into our present beliefs and aspirations, we get to know whether our aspirations and what we really want to be (i.e. what is naturally acceptable to us) are one and the same or not. If they are the same, then it’s no problem. But if the two are different, it means that we are leading a life against our natural acceptance. Such a life cannot bring us happiness. or  Self exploration is a process of discovering that there is something innate(existing in, belonging to), invariant(never changing) and universal in all human beings. This enables us to look at the confusions and contradictions within us and resolve them by becoming aware of our natural acceptance. Once we start observing inside, we can achieve harmony at all levels of our living. Content of self exploration involves finding answers for the following fundamental questions of all the human beings: 1. The Desire/Goal/Aspiration: What is my (human) Desire/ Goal? What do I really want in life, or what is the goal of human life? 2. The Program: What is my (human) program for fulfilling my aspirations? How to fulfil it? What is the program to actualize the above? Purpose of Self-Exploration: 1. It is a process of dialogue between “what you are” and “what you really want to be”: We will look into ourselves and find out what we are today, and how this contrasts from what we really want to be. If these two are the same, then there is no problem. If on investigation we find that these two are not the same, then it means we are living with this contradiction (of not being what we really want to be) and hence, we need to resolve this contradiction, this conflict within us. 2. It is a process of self evolution through self-investigation: By self-investigation, we shall work towards being what we really want to be. Hence, the self-exploration leads to our own improvement, our own self-evolution – we will become qualitatively better. We can be more in harmony within ourselves. 3. It is a process of knowing oneself and through that, knowing the entire existence: Thus, self-exploration leads to us knowing ourselves better. Today, we are largely unaware of our own characteristics, our own assumptions, beliefs and pre-conditionings. We will go beyond these beliefs to know ourselves. Once we have known ourselves, and we are sure of it, we can then also know all the things around us correctly. This way, we can be sure of these things in our own right, we can be authentic about them. We don’t have to continue to live merely with assumptions about these things. 4. It is a process of recognizing one’s relationship with every unit in existence and fulfilling it: Once we start knowing ourselves and everything beside us, we shall understand our relationship with them i.e. we shall understand our relationship with other humans, animals, plants and matter etc. We shall then know how we have to live in harmony with all these things. 5. It is a process of knowing human conduct, human character and living accordingly: None of us wants to live with uncertainty. If our state of mind, our own behaviour keeps changing, we are not comfortable with ourselves. We all desire for certainty and stability. Once we know our own true nature, we will also understand what is our participation with the other things we live with – this is the ethical human conduct or the humane conduct. This is what characterizes a human being. When we know this true human character, we start moving towards it in a natural manner. 6. It is a process of being in harmony with oneself and in harmony with entire existence: Through the process of Self-exploration, I establish a dialogue with my natural acceptance. This enables me to be in harmony within myself. Through the same process, I am able to explore into the harmony in the entire existence. We slowly come to realize (and we will keep talking about this in the entire book) that there is an innate harmony in the existence. I only need to discover this. And once I do this, I can learn to live in harmony with the entire existence. Thus the process of Self-exploration helps me live in harmony within myself and in all my interactions with the worldaround. 7. It is a process to identify our innateness (Svatva) and move towards Self Organization(Swantantrata) and Self-Expression (Swarajya): When I identify my innateness, what I really want to be and establish a dialogue with it, it enables me to become Self-organized, i.e. I attain harmony in myself. This is Swatantratã. When I start living with this harmony, it starts expressing itself through my harmonious behaviour and work, and it naturally extends to my participation with the surroundings. This is working towards Swarãjya.  Svatva: (Existing in, belonging to, or determined by factors present in an individual from birth) To know your Natural Accepatnce & what you want to be.  Swatantratã : Being self-organised : Being in harmony in oneself  Swarãjya : Self-expression, Self-extension : Living in harmony with others, and thus participation towards harmony in the whole existence  The proposals stated are verified on the basis of our natural acceptance and tested it out in our living, which ultimately results in “realization” and “understanding” in us. This means, knowing something to be “true”, for sure, within ourselves.  The answers we get on having realization & understanding are: (a) Assuring: “I am assured of the answer or understanding in myself” (b) Satisfying: “I am satisfied that the answers are fulfilling for me. (c) Universal: “I know or realize that the answers I have got are the same for everyone. They are invariant with respect to: (i) Time: These answers are the same at all times: past, present and future (ii) Space: These answers are the same at all places or locations (iii) Individual: The answers are the same for every human being If the answers we get do not fulfil any of the criteria of being assuring, satisfying and universal, it means the answer is most likely coming from your past beliefs/conditioning and not from your natural acceptance. Hence, we need to re-verify the answer. Basic aspirations of an human being All human beings basically aspire for/ want the following in their life: i. Continuous Happiness ii. Prosperity Happiness: Happiness may be defined as being in harmony/ synergy(the added success, energy, or power gained by two people or organizations working together, which is better than the result achieved by them working separately) in the states/ situations that we live in. Happiness is being in a state of liking. Unhappiness is a lack of this synergy or harmony. To be in a state of disliking is unhappiness.  Happy situations comprise of feelings such as trust, respect, confidence etc. All these feelings carry an element of harmony in them. Hence they make us feel relaxed and happy.  On the other hand, feelings like failure, disrespect, lack of confidence, doubt etc. lack the element of harmony and hence make us unhappy.  Happiness Continuous Happiness The state or situation, in which I live, State / Situation in which I live or expanse(great extent) of my being: if there is harmony / synergy(The added 1. As an Individual Human Being success, energy, or power gained by two 2. As a member of a Family people or organizations working together, 3. As a member of Society which is better than the result achieved by them working separately) in it, 4. As an unit in Nature/Existence then it is Naturally Acceptable to me to be in Continuity of Happiness that state / situation = Harmony at all levels of being i.e. (and I want to continue to be in that state / 1. Harmony in the Human Being situation) 2. Harmony in the Family 3. Harmony in the Society To be in a state / situation which is Naturally 4. Harmony in Nature/Existence To be in a state of Harmony / Synergy is Happiness Happiness = To be in Harmony Prosperity: In addition to happiness, we also aspire for adequate fulfillment of our bodily needs i.e. the need for physical facilities. These Physical Facilities are the material things we use in order to fulfill the needs of our body. Having enough physical facilities gives us a feeling of prosperity.  If one has more than required amount of physical facilities then a prosperous person thinks of right utilisation, nurturing the other using the extra physical facilities Prevailing notions of Happiness and Prosperity: In the modern world, the desire for physical facilities has become unlimited. The physical facilities are no longer seen as objects fulfilling bodily needs but as a means of maximizing happiness. This unlimited desire for physical facilities has become anti-ecological and anti-people endangering human survival itself. The false notions of happiness and Prosperity have affected human living at all four levels:  At the level of Individual: Problems of depression, psychological disorders, suicides, stress, insecurity, psycho-somatic diseases, loneliness etc.  At the level of family: Breaking of Joint families, mistrust, conflict between older and younger generations, insecurity in relationships, divorce, dowry tortures, family feuds, wasteful expenditures in family functions etc.  At the level of Society: Terrorism, naxalism, communism, casteism, racial, ethnic struggles, wars between nations, genocide, nuclear genetic warfare.  At the level of Nature: Global Warming, pollution, depletion of mineral resources, deforestation, loss of soil fertility. The three basic requirements to ensure happiness and prosperity for human beings are – 1.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 Final goal of Human aspiration is  To live in harmony with all four levels 1. Myself 2. Family 3. Society 4. Nature/Existence (including space) Wealth: Wealth is a physical thing. It means having money, or having a lot of physical facilities, or having both. Prosperity Vs Wealth: Wealth means possessing more number of physical things while Prosperity is a feeling of possessing more than required physical facilities. Following are the possibilities:  A person may not possess required physical facilities, so he may not feel prosperous.  A person may accumulate more and more wealth but still he may be deprived of the feeling of prosperity.  A person may have required wealth and feel prosperous. Sri. Ravi Varma Penmetsa Harmony in the Human Being Sri. Ravi Varma Penmetsa  Human being is the co-existence of the Self, a consciousness unit and the Body, a material unit. The two are in co-existence with each other.  The needs of the Self and the Body are of two different types  The need of the Self is happiness, and this need is continuous and qualitative.  The need of the Body is physical facility and this need is temporary and quantitative.  The needs of self are fulfilled by the activities of consciousness only and through the activities of the Self like desire, thought, expectation, etc. are continuous in time which should be done on the basis of right understanding and right feelings.  The needs of body are fulfilled by activities of the Body like eating, walking, etc. are temporary in time.  The response of the Body is definite, and in terms of recognizing and fulfilling.  The response of the Self is definite and humane if it is in terms of knowing, assuming, recognizing and fulfilling.  The response of the Self is indefinite if it is based on assuming, recognizing and fulfilling.  KNOWING: To see the reality as it is, in its completeness, by direct observation It is definite, continuous and universal  ASSUMING :What I accept about that reality, which may or may not be same as the reality as it. (acceptance can be on the basis of knowing the reality in completeness or acceptance can also be without knowing the reality in completeness, i.e. one has not seen the reality or not seen it in its completeness but assumed something about it)  The indefinite response and indefinite conduct are a source of problem.  With knowing, the response becomes definite and leads to definite human conduct. This is a state of solution.  This transformation from a state of problem to a state of solution is facilitated by human education-sanskar.  Harmony in the human being means ensuring the fulfilment of the need of the Self, fulfilment of the need of the Body and ensuring harmony between the Self and the Body.  Feeling is basically my acceptance of relationship, affection for example. This is certainly in the self. It might reflect at the level of the body, if self sends some instruction to the body on the basis of it consciously or unconsciously. Feeling that is naturally acceptable to us is the right feeling  Happiness is sought through  sensation (through the body)  getting the right feeling (like respect…) from the other  As a result  The body is harmed due to excessive consumption or overindulgence to get favorable sensation  Continuity of happiness can not be ensured  There is a major impact on family, society, nature  A common mistake today is that we mix these two sets of needs: happiness (sukh) for I and physical facilities (suvidha) for the body and we assume that “All we need is physical facilities and that it will automatically ensure happiness”  Self Body INFORMATION Instruction Consciousness Sensation Material I am My body is I want to live My body is used as an instrument I want to live with continuous happiness Physical facility is required for nurturing, protection and right utilization of the body To understand and to live in harmony at all Production, protection and right utilization levels of being (from self to entire existence) is of physical facility is a part of my program my program of action for continuous happiness I am the: I use the body as an instrument for Seer, Doer, Enjoyer (Experiencer) fulfillment my program Human Being is co-existence of Self and Body The need of the Self is continuous happiness The Self is the seer, doer and enjoyer – it is central to human existence For this, the program of the Self is to understand harmony & to live in harmony at all levels of the being Production, protection and right utilization of physical facility is a part of my program. The Body is an instrument of the Self The transaction between Self and Body is only in the form of information  “Seer” means the one that sees / understands  Ex:- If you are given something in your hand and you conclude that it is a pen, it is not your eyes that concluded this, it is you that concluded this. The Self sees via the eyes – the eyes don’t see themselves.  All the 5 senses are just the instrument that enable the Self to see something outside  Just like you see outside, you can also see ‘within’, without using the body for sensation ex:- You can ‘see’ that you are feeling happy, getting angry...  Thus, the Self ‘sees’ or understands, sometimes with the help of the body, sometimes without the help of body  The Body is used as an instrument  “Doer” means the one that does, who takes decision to do  I am the one who decides. I decide what to do, what not to do...  I may or may not use the body to do – what I think of is my decision. I do that thinking within myself (there is no role of the body in this)  If required, the body is used to express my decision  The Body is used as an instrument  “Enjoyer” means the one that experiences happiness / unhappiness  I am the one that feels enthused or depressed. I am the one that feels angry or delighted...  I am the enjoyer, the experiencer  The Body is used as an instrument  The Self “I” is conscious in nature while the “Body” is physio-chemical in nature. The interaction between ‘I’ and the ‘Body’ is in the form of exchange of information. There are two categories of attributes of the Self, namely the powers of the Self (Sakti) and the corresponding Activities (Kriyas) as the manifest outcome of these powers. POWER(Sakti): This is the basic capacity in the Self “I”. This includes:  Desire (Ichchha)[Desire is a strong feeling, worthy or unworthy, that impels to the attainment or possession of something that is (in reality or imagination) within reach.  Thought (Vichara / Vichar)  Expectation (Asa / Asha) ACTIVITIES: These are the outcomes of the power of Self. They are-  Imaging (Chitrana / Chitran)  Analyzing (Vishleshana)  Selecting / Tasting ( Chayana / Asvadana) Example:  We may have a desire to have respect by being the owner of a big house. This desire exists in the form of imaging i.e. we have an image in us of fulfillment of our need of respect via a house.  Based on this desire our thoughts start working out on the details (design) of the house like rooms, balcony etc. This splitting up of the image of “wanting respect from the house” into various parts is called analyzing.  After working out the details of the house, we go about choosing the size, colour etc. of the rooms. The power associated with these choices is Expectation and Selecting. Tasting is the activity which leads us to the fulfillment of these expectations.  Selecting and Tasting keeps going on in us continuously, throughout the day, all the time although many times we may not be aware of it.  Selecting and Tasting are complimentary i.e. Selection changes whenever our Taste changes. a Imagination: It is the sum total of our Desires + Thoughts + Expectations  The choices which we make with the external world are based on our imagination.  When your imagination is in harmony with your natural acceptance, it leads to harmony within and therefore, a state of happiness. If this imagination is in contradiction with your natural acceptance, it leads to disharmony and unhappiness Possible Sources of Imagination: i. Preconditioning:  A dominant source of imagination is preconditioning. Preconditioning means the beliefs, notions, norms, ideas, views, assumptions, dictums, goals, etc. picked by oneself, or prevailing in the family, in the society which may influence our imagination. For example, if parents say ten times you have to come first in the class, your desire gets conditioned, and you have the desire to come first in the class. If your friend also says you have to come first in the class, if your teacher also says you have to come first in the class, you get a strong desire to come first in the class. We tend to pick up whatever preconditioning is there around us in society, in family, in school without verifying it for ourselves.  If you ask yourself whether you want to come first in the class or you want to understand what is being taught, what is the answer that you get? What is your natural acceptance? Given all the choices, you will like to understand what is being taught in the class, provided it relates to your happiness and prosperity – that is your natural acceptance. However, you desire to come first in the class because somehow you have now started relating it to your happiness or under the pressure (or influence) of your parents, your teachers, your friends or the society around. It may not be your natural acceptance, but you have made it your desire without verifying it for yourself. ii. Sensation  It is the information we get from the Body through the five sense organs – of sound (through ears), touch (through the skin), sight (through the eyes), taste (through the tongue) and smell (through the nose).  For example, you are going by the road and you see a very shining red car passing by. Now your imagination is dragged by that car. You start desiring for that car now, because you happened to like the colour, or you happened to like the shape, speed or something else. So, this sensation has made an impact on you. So, now you have a desire for the car. Does it happen?  Sensation has an important role in our imagination. See, if that is how it has been happening. Many of our desires are governed by the sensation that we get from the sense organs and we may feel motivated to fulfil those desires without being able to relate them to the continuity of happiness.  You happen to eat some exotic food, and the taste motivates you to visit the restaurant again and again. You listen to some music and the tunes, the singer’s sonorous voice engrosses your whole thought. You now feel like listening to the music again and again. Your friend purchases a very soft woollen cloth, and the very touch makes you think how to get one for you too. Your neighbour uses some kind of perfume which you happen to like and you start locating that perfume in the mall. You like the way someone looks – now you want that person as your intimate friend. Now, you will see that you have been accumulating desires just like that; without verification and without being aware of how it came about. iii. Natural Acceptance  Some people also refer to it as the inner voice or conscience.  Self-verification on the basis of our natural acceptance can be the possible source of motivation and can be the real source for deciding our desire, our imagination. Try to find out what your natural acceptance is:  To respect or to disrespect others?  To protect your Body or to damage your Body?  To eat food that nurtures your Body or to eat food that harms your Body?  It is as simple as that. If we are aware of our natural acceptance, and we are aware of our imagination, we can make the choices that are in line with our natural acceptance.  Activities of recognizing and fulfilling in the body All material entities interact with each other in a definite manner, in a well-defined manner – so we can say that all the material entities recognize and fulfill their relationship with each other. We saw that Breathing, Heartbeat, Digestion, etc. were activities in the body. The activities of the body can also be understood as recognition and fulfillment. In fact, the mutual interaction between any two material entities can be understood as recognition and fulfillment of their relationship. Any two material entities thus interact with each other in a definite way  Activities of knowing, assuming, recognizing and fulfilling in the self (‘I’)  Understanding the self (‘I’) as the conscious entity, the body as the material body When imagination is fully guided by right understanding then the Self is in harmony in continuity; and therefore, in a state of continuous happiness. This is the state of self- organization. In this state, the conduct is definite and human. When the imagination is motivated by preconditioning or sensation, the Self may be in harmony or disharmony/contradiction; and thus, in a state of happiness or unhappiness. This is a state of enslavement. In this state, the conduct is indefinite, and the conduct may be human or inhuman. Present Scenario Today, our thoughts and expectations are largely being set by pre-conditionings and sensations which are causing unhappiness, stress and discomfort in our lives. Such expectations can lead to contradictions in us as we cannot be sure of ourselves. Scenario 1: Desires set on the basis of pre-conditioning:  Pre- conditioning means to assume something about anything on the basis of a prevailing notion without self-verification.  For e.x.: While seeing advertisements, we pay attention to it and start thinking about it and associate some greatness with it and slowly the thought becomes our desire. It is a pre- conditioned desire and we don’t know what we are going to get out of the fulfillment of this desire. Sometimes we are not even aware of the existence of such a desire in us. Scenario 2: Expectations set on the basis of sensation:  Sensation is a feeling resulting from something that comes into contact with the body.  For e.x.: We may develop a desire for a bike based on the way it looked (sensation) or the taste associated with it.  Conflicts or Contradictions in ‘I’ as a Result of Pre-conditioned Desire Results in 1. Wavering Aspirations: When our desires are set by pre-conditionings, our goals keep shifting quite often, depending on what we read, see, hear from media or friends or society. our goals keep shifting as the inputs from the outside also keep changing 2. Lack of Confidence: Since our desires are wavering, we don’t have a clarity of what we ultimately want. This affects our self-confidence as we feel confident only as long as our opinion/ taste is appreciated or we keep comparing ourselves with others in order to feel confident 3. Unhappiness/ Conflict: since our desires, thoughts and expectations are in conflict, it becomes the cause for our unhappiness, leading to stress and tension. Moreover, such desires will also be in conflict with our natural acceptance, thus guaranteeing our own unhappiness. For example: we may strongly believe that the only way to succeed is by cheating the other person – and thus, have a program of cheating for our entire life. But when we try to cheat, when we try to exploit, it creates conflict in us at that very instant – since exploiting the other is not naturally acceptable to us, thus leading to conflict and unhappiness in us. 4. Lack of Qualitative improvement in us: when we live based on the pre-conditionings, we focus largely on the needs of the body and ignore the needs of the “I”. As a result, in spite of accumulating a lot, we don’t have a feeling of improvement or betterment. The development is merely Quantitative and not Qualitative 5. State of resignation: Many of us try to understand the meaning of life, and our place and purpose in the scheme of things, as we seek solutions to the problems that concern us, be it social problems, or environmental problems, or regarding the purpose of life. However, because we do not understand ourselves properly and have contradictions within, we slowly start getting disillusioned. We feel that there are no solutions to these issues, and end up ina state of resignation. Solution: The solution is to start verifying our desires, thoughts and expectations on the basis of our natural acceptance. We have already seen that this natural acceptance there in each one of us, and it is invariant and unchanging. It is the basis for us to verify what we really want to be. As we start verifying our desires, thoughts and expectations, if we find that they come from pre-conditioning or from sensation and they are something we don’t really want, they get dropped by themselves. On the other hand, if we find them naturally acceptable, then we know they are right for us. These are the two activities in the Self. 1. Realization: Means to be able to ‘see’ the reality as it is. 2. Understanding: Means to be able to understand the self-organization in all entities of nature/existence and their inter-connected organization “as it is”. We are able to see the harmonious interconnectedness at all the levels of our living. When we do not have the right understanding, our desires keep shifting, and this indefiniteness is reflected in our thoughts, and selections we make, and finally in our behavior and work. Thus, while on the one hand, we talk of protecting nature, and on the other, we have a way of life that depletes natural resources and pollutes nature. ‘Operating on the basis of our natural acceptance’ thus leads to ‘operating on the basis of our ‘Realization’ and ‘Understanding’. So long as activities (1) and (2) are not activated, we have conflicting desires, thoughts and expectations and they are in conflict with our natural acceptance, and this results in what is called unhappiness. In the figure above, there is an external object, the sweet, there is the body and there is the Self (‘I’). The sweet comes in contact with the Body. There is sensation from the Body to ‘I’ and then there is tasting in ‘I’. We can note that The sweet is temporary in nature, it does not last for ever The contact of the sweet with the body is temporary in nature (you can’t keep the sweet in your mouth for ever!) The sensation from the Body to ‘I’ is temporary in nature The taste of the sensation from the Body in ‘I’ is also temporary Hence, this whole sequence of events in taste from the body is temporary. The need of the ‘I’ is continuous, i.e. we want to have happiness, and its continuity. 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.  If Desires, Thoughts and Expectations are definite and have a clear flow then there is no contradiction.  Then we will have clarity about ourselves, our basic aspiration and the way to fulfil the basic aspiration.  We will have an understanding about all the levels of our living, and we live accordingly.  We will live in a state of svatantratã, we are self-organized in our imagination behaviour and work.  This results in continuous happiness and prosperity Summary:  Human being = co-existence of Self (consciousness) and Body (material)  Self is central to human existence, the Body is used as an instrument  The nurturing, protection and right utilization of the Body is the responsibility of the Self  Physical facility is required to fulfil that responsibility towards the Body  Physical Facility is required, in a limited quantity, for Nurturing, Protection & Right Utilisation of the Body  Prosperity = Feeling of having / producing more than required physical facility 1. Identification of required physical facility (including the required quantity) – with right understanding 2. Ensuring availability/ production of more than required physical facility – with right skills  The Self and the Body are in Harmony when there is a feeling of Self-regulation in the Self and Health in the Body  Self-regulation(Sanyam) = Feeling of responsibility toward the body – for Nurturing, Protection and Right Utilization of the Body  Health(Svasthya)= The body acts according to Self and parts of the body are in harmony (in order) Self-regulation(Sanyam): Once I realize that the Body is my instrument and that the body needs nutrition, protection from the environment and proper utilization to work as an efficient tool for the right purpose, I naturally develop a feeling of responsibility towards my Body. This feeling of responsibility developed in “I” is Self-regulation. When I live with Self-regulation there is harmony among the different parts of the Body and the Body becomes my useful instrument. Svasthya (Health): It is the condition of the body where every part of the body is properly performing its expected function. This leads to harmony within the body, and the body become perfectly fit for use by the “I”. There is a strong coupling between “I” and the “Body”. Disharmony in any one of them adversely affects the other. Example:  If I am in disharmony (anger/stress/despair etc.), it starts affecting the “Body” adversely leading to psychosomatic diseases like allergies, diabetes, hypertension etc.  Similarly, if there is any strong disturbance in the Body in the form of severe pain, illness etc., it distracts “I” from its normal functions. Hence Self-regulation is vital for good health. If there is Self-regulation, a good health can be ensured. If there is no Self-regulation, a good health can be lost. Feeling of Self-regulation: The Body is an orderly system (a harmony). It has definite conduct. The cells in the body work together, in harmony with each other, participate in the larger order to form tissues, organs and organ systems… I (Self) must ensure the continuity of that harmony (at least not disturb it). If I have a feeling of responsibility toward the body, I do what is required for fulfilling that responsibility. This will ensure health in the Body Our state today (due to lack of Self-regulation):  Lack of responsibility towards body Reasons: busy life styles, eating at odd hours, eating junk food, reduced physical work or labour, craving for pleasant body sensations like tasty food, drinks etc. Result: falling sick repeatedly  Tendency for medication to suppress ailment Reasons: Our sickness is a signal of some disorder in our body. But instead of attending to it, we try to suppress it through medication and then forget about it. Hospitals and sophisticated equipment's are providing diagnosis and cure and are not concentrating on prevention of diseases. Instead of using simple, common medication, we are ending up consuming a lot of harmful substances in the name of medicines which are intoxicating our body.  Polluted air, water, food …. Reasons: Air pollution is being caused by industries, vehicles etc. Water is being polluted by industrial effluents, sewage etc. Various industrial effluents, chemical fertilizers, pesticides etc. are polluting the soil and by consuming the yield of crops grown in such soil, all kinds of toxic contents are entering our body through our food. The way out / Solution to our present state: 1. To understand and live with Self-regulation a) Nurturing the body(Posana): Proper Food, Air, Water etc. (Ãhãr*): digesting it and throwing out the unnecessary part are all important. Thus the following also become a part of our program: Ingestion: The first thing we do after taking the food in the mouth is that we chew it. There are certain elements in food that get digested only after it is chewed well. This also helps to simplify the work of the organs further down in the digestive system. Digestion: Once swallowed, the digestion of the food starts. For this, proper rest and the exercise of the Body is also essential. On the basis of understanding of the harmony of the Self with the Body, we can see that the food needs to be eaten only when we feel hungry. The choice of 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 the right quantity. Excretion: Once the food is taken and the nutrients are absorbed, the unnecessary or undigested part needs to be thrown out. This is also very important. If not done properly, it starts to adversely affect the body and causes multiple problems in the Body. b) Protection of the Body (Sanrakshana): The second issue is the protection of the Body. The clothes and shelter 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) Ãhãra-Vihãra, (ii) Shrama*- Vyãyãma*, (iii) Asana-Pranãyãma and (iv) Ausadhi- Chikitsã Ãhãra (Food) is discussed in Nurturing the body i. Proper upkeep (Vihãra) 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. ii. Physical Labour (Shrama) and Exercise (Vyãyãma): Requisite amount of physical labour and exercise are essential to keep the body healthy. Labour means employing the body physically for production and maintenance of physical facilities. iii. Asan-Pranãyãm: Yogãsana and Pranãyãma are well-designed exercises to keep the body healthy and to ensure the synergy between Self and the Body. These are exercises involving specific postures and regulation of breathing. iv. Treatment of the body (Ausadhi-Chikitsã): 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 are required 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. In certain situations, it becomes necessary to take proper medicine to aid this process of healing; however, the treatments needs to be in consonance with the harmony within the body as well as between the Self and the Body. 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. Thus, appropriate systems of treatment need to beadopted in specific situations. 2. 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 also not right utilization.  It is important to realize that the human body is an instrument to facilitate right understanding and its actualization in life. This is an important issue. I need to ensure that I use my Body for right behavior and work. When I do so, there is harmony in the Self and it has favorable effects on the Body.  On the other hand, if I use it for acting in opposition with other human beings or nature, like quarrelling, fighting, stealing etc., there is disharmony in the Self which has adverse effects on the Body.  I also need to arrange for appropriate equipment's/instruments for right utilization of the body. They increase the efficiency and capacity of the body and also help to avoid hard and boring work.  The quantity of physical facilities required to fulfil these needs can be determined appropriately in the light of Self-regulation and Health. The correct appraisal of needs constitutes the first step towards ensuring prosperity. Physical Facilities required for nurturing, protection & right utilization of Body are limited and can be assessed. Then, ensuring the availability in excess of the required quantity leads to the feeling of prosperity. For example, In Nature, the availability of facilities like water, oxygen etc. is more than our needs. Once we realize that the needs of our Body are limited and can be easily fulfilled, there emerges a possibility of prosperity in our minds. Sri. Ravi Varma Penmetsa Harmony in the Family Sri. Ravi Varma Penmetsa  The family is the basic unit or building block of human organisation The major issue in the family is relationship… fulfilment in relationship To live in relationship, for fulfilment in relationship, it is essential to understand relationship Without understanding relationship, it isn’t possible to fulfil relationship… e.g. Not speaking to each other… for days… opposition, divorce…  These are the four aspects to understand about relationship 1. Relationship is – between one self (I1) and another self (I2):In a family, we do not create relationships. Instead we are embedded into relationships that are already there and all that we need to do is to recognize them and understand them. 2. There are feelings in relationship – in one self (I1) for the other self (I2):In any relationship, it is the person’s Self (I1) that is related to the other person’s Self (I2). The body is only a means to express our relationship. For example, in a mother and a child, it is the Self of the mother and the Self of the child who feel connected. Their bodies are incapable of understanding or having feelings. 3. These feelings can be recognized: The feelings in a relationship between “I” and “I” such as Trust, Respect, Affection, Care, Guidance, Reverence, Glory, Gratitude &Love etc., can be identified with clarity and so they are definite. These feelings are the values which characterize any relationship 4. Their fulfilment, evaluation leads to mutual happiness: Once we recognize the values essential for any relationship, we start working and behaving according to these feelings. We begin evaluating ours’ and others’ feelings in the relationship. Thus living with these values leads to mutual fulfillment and happiness in all our relationships.  Feelings(Values) in relationship: 1. Trust (Visvasa ): The feeling of Trust in relationship is defined as: “To be assured that each human being inherently wants oneself and the other to be happy and prosperous. It is considered as the foundational value in Relationship. There are two aspects in trust: I. Intention (wanting to – which is our natural acceptance) II. Competence (being able to do) 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. With trust on intention, I feel related to the other, and with that at the base, I make a programme based on our current mutual competence. I make effort to assure the other. Trust is the starting point of relationship, of mutual development. 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.  Intention vs Competence: Anger arises, when we are not able to differentiate between the intention and competence of the other. Based on lack of competence of the other, we doubt over their intention. Once, we have a doubt on the intention of the other, then instead of relating to the other, we feel in opposition to the other. Thus, any small unfavorable incidence may lead to irritation or even anger, particularly when our desire does not get fulfilled and we perceive that it is due to the other. If I understand the human being correctly, then I am able to see that the other is a human being like me (self and body). The other self has the intention, i.e. natural acceptance (to be happy and make other happy) just like me. The other may be lacking in competence to fulfil their intention, just like I am lacking in competence. If I can see that the other has the same intention as me, but lacks competence, then instead of getting angry, I re-examine my desire/expectation and action:  Is my expectation right or not?  Is the program to fulfill the desire is correct or not?  Have I developed the necessary competence myself?  What effort have I made to help the other in improving their competence? In this way, we can reinforce the need for understanding It results into our own fulfilment (happiness) first and then the fulfilment of the other It also results into the resolution of our concerns 2. Respect (Sammãna):Respect means “Right Evaluation”, to be evaluated as I am. The sense of individuality is prime object towards respect. Once we realized that we are as an individual then only we can see our self different from others. When we evaluate the human being on the basis of Self, we are able to see that: i. Our purpose is the same – As I have a natural acceptance to live with continuous happiness and prosperity, it is same with the other. So, on the basis of our natural acceptance, we have the same purpose. ii. Our programme is same – As my programme to achieve continuous happiness and prosperity is to understand the harmony and live in harmony at all levels of my being (from human being to the entire existence), it is same with the other. In that sense, our programme to fulfil our purpose is also same. iii. Our potential is same – As I am endowed with natural acceptance and the activities of desire, thought and expectation are going on continuously in me, it is the same with the other. So, our potential is also same. Usually however, we make mistakes in our evaluation in the following three ways. Over Evaluation (adhi-mülyana) – To evaluate more than what it is. Under Evaluation (ava-mülyana) – To evaluate less than what it is. Otherwise Evaluation (a-mülyana) – To evaluate otherwise than what it is. Example of over evaluation: You are sitting at home and there are guests around. Your father says ‘my son is the greatest scholar in India!’ Check for yourself: do you feel comfortable, or do you feel uncomfortable? Example of under evaluation: You are still at home, but this time your father says ‘My son is a good for nothing. He must be the laziest person in all of India!’ You obviously feel uncomfortable, you don’t find this acceptable. Example of ‘otherwise’ evaluation: You are at home, and there are guests around, and your father says, ‘You donkey! Can’t you even understand this much?’ You feel offended bythis This is evaluating you otherwise, as you are a human being and not something else. Present scenario: Today, we are differentiating in the name of respect in the aspects of i. Body: I. Sex/gender: We ignore the fact that being male or female is an attribute of the body, and not an attribute at the level of ‘I’. And differentiate in giving respect on the basis of gender called male and females. In many countries, people even prefer a male child to a female child, and in some other societies, the other way round. II. Race: If the person is of the same race as oneself, then we treat them differently. For example, we differentiate on the basis of skin colour – white, brown, black etc. or on the basis of whether the person is of Aryan race, Mongolian race etc. or on the basis of caste. Again here, we don’t do the evaluation on the basis of ‘I’, but on the basis of the body III. Age: We have notions such as ‘one must respect elders’. There is no such notion as respect youngsters. Here, we see that we are again evaluating at the level of the body – age is related to the body, and not to ‘I’. IV. Physical strength: If someone is stronger, we again treat him/her differently. This is again at the level of the body. In fact, we think that we are respecting the other while it is fear; the fear that if we do not treat them like this, we will be harmed. ii. On the basis of physical facilities I. Wealth: We differentiate people because some have wealth than others. What we term as a “rich person” gets idolized. We don’t even bother to find out whether such people are feeling prosperous, or if they just have wealth. This way, we are over-evaluating physical facilities first, which are just meant to fulfil the needs of the body, and then on this basis, we are wrongly identifying our relationship. II. Post: We try to respect on the basis of a person’s position. The post is wrongly evaluated as the mark of a person’s excellence and differentiation sets in. The post is considered important either on the basis that it gives more physical facilities or on the basis that certain positions are assumed to be important. In our education, we are trained directly or indirectly to earn posts for us to fetch respect iii. On the basis of beliefs I. ‘Isms’: ‘Ism’ means any belief in terms of a ‘thought-system’ that we have, or that we have adopted. There are also many modern ‘isms’ such as capitalism, socialism, communism, etc. The people following these sets of beliefs are called capitalists, socialists, communists, and so on. The people that have adopted them or are following them have been exposed to them since childhood. Believing theirs to be the right belief. However, all beliefs, as we have seen are at the level of desires, thoughts and expectations (selections) in ‘I’. There is no definiteness at this level, and hence, this becomes a cause for differentiation. II. Sects: People of one sect only consider those with a similar belief system to be their ‘own’ and worthy of respect. Following a particular tradition, or what we call as religion, becomes the basis of respect and disrespect in relationship. The Problems Faced Due To Differentiation (Disrespect) in Relationships: Differentiation based on sex/gender: Issue of women’s rights, and women protesting and demanding for equality in education, in jobs, and in peoples’ representation. People are insecure and afraid of one another based on their gender. Differentiation based on race: there are many movements and protect against racial discrimination and demands for equality, racial attacks, movements against cast discrimination has people living in fear of such racism, racist attacks, casticism and discrimination. Differentiation based on age: Protests and movements demanding for equal rights for children on the one hand and for rights for elderly people on the other, generation gap Differentiation based on wealth: Class struggle and movements to do away with class- differentiation. Many people suffering from a lack of self-esteem and some even committing suicide, Differentiation based on post: Protests against high handed government officials. At the level of the individual, leads to depression, etc. Differentiation based on ’isms: Fights, turmoil, terrorism and war, people converting from one Ism to another in order to be able to get more respect. Differentiation based on sects: Countless religions and sects and each sect has its own movement to ensure that there is no discrimination against people of their belief and demands for special provisions in jobs and in education.  Respect Differentiation (Disrespect) 1 Respect means Right Evaluation Disrespect means Wrong Evaluation 2 During respect evaluation follows only During Disrespect evaluation follows- Over Right Evaluation or Under or Otherwise evaluation 3 If we are Respected, we feel If we are disrespected, we feel comfortable uncomfortable 4 Feeling of Respect is Naturally Feeling of Disrespect is unacceptable to us acceptable to us 5 Respect act as a bridge in Disrespect causes problems in relationships relationships 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. Then for the first time, I feel that I am related to the other that the other is a relative of mine. This feeling is called affection. This feeling of affection comes only if Trust and Respect are already ensured. Without Trust and Respect, you feel the other is trying to make you unhappy, does not wish well for you and hence you can never feel Affection for him/her. You always see the other as being in opposition. And that is why today in the family, you find that people have been living together for years and years and still don’t feel related to each other, because that basic Trust and Respect are missing. Today, there is a crisis in the state of our relationships. We are unable to accept the other as our relative, even members of our family. When we examine this deeply, we find that we have started to doubt their intentions. We wrongly feel that they are not for my happiness and prosperity. As a result of this lack of trust on intention, we are unable to rightly evaluate ours’ and the other’s competence and are hence not able to work towards improving competence in ourselves and in our family. Instead, we bring an attitude of blame and try and rest the responsibility on the other. When our relationships suffer, we suffer and the other suffers. No one feels happy when he/she has to struggle, to fight or live with a feeling of opposition. There is a lot of talk of competition today. You will find that competition results when there is lack of affection. When there is affection, I help the other grow. When I miss this feeling, I try to beat the other, act as an opponent 4.Care (Mamatã): The feeling of Care is the feeling to nurture and protect the body of our relative. We understand a human being as a co-existence of the Self (‘I’) and the Body, and the Body is an instrument of ‘I’. Based on this understanding, we take the responsibility of nurturing and protecting the body of our relative. 5. Guidance (Vãtsalya):The feeling of ensuring right understanding and feelings in the other (my relative) is calledGuidance.We understand the need of our 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. The other is also similar to me in the potential of Desire, Thought and Expectation. Right Understanding and feelings is also a need of the other and the other is related to me. As a result, I have the responsibility to help the other. Based upon this, I am able to recognize this feeling of ensuring Right Understanding and feelings in my relative. This is called Guidance. 6. Reverence (Shraddhã):The feeling of acceptance of excellence in the other is called reverence. We understand that we aspire for continuous happiness and to realize it, we have to understand harmony at all the levels of our living, and live accordingly. When we see that the other has achieved this Excellence-which means to understand and to live in harmony at all levels of living ensuring continuity of happiness, we have a feeling of reverence for him/her. This feeling of accepting the excellence in the other is called reverence. 7. Glory (Gaurava): Glory is the feeling for someone who has made efforts for Excellence. 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. We find that there have been people in the history, or even around us, who are investing their time, energy and their belongings to achieve excellence (to understand and to live in harmony at all levels of living ensuring continuity of happiness), to make others excellent. This gives us a feeling of glory for them. 8. Gratitude (Kritagyatã):Gratitude is the feeling of acceptance for those who have made effort for my excellence. We understand that each one of us has the same goal of continuous happiness and prosperity. Each one of us has to work towards increasing our competence to realize our intention and in this process, we are helped and guided by others that have the right understanding. When we understand this and begin to recognize the feeling in ourselves, we feel gratitude in our relationship. Today, we find that generally what we call as ‘gratitude’ is a feeling coming out of assistance at the level of physical facilities. This feeling is short lived since the physical facility and the sensation we get from it, is also short lived. But gratitude coming out of someone doing something for my right understanding is permanent since the happiness we get from the right understanding is permanent. 9. Love (Prema): The feeling of being related to all is love. This feeling or value is also called the complete value (Pürna mülya), 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 feeling of love leads to an Undivided Society, it starts from a family and slowly expands to the world family. Every human being has natural acceptance for relatedness up to the world family in the form of love. We start with trust, which becomes foundation for being related to one (Affection), and we reach the state of being related to everyone – Love. It is this feeling of Love, which lays down the basis of an Undivided Society. With Preconditioning: “I am special, unique, different from the other” Leads to differentiation Without Preconditioning: 1. Purpose I want to live with continuous happiness & prosperity The other also wants to live with continuous happiness & prosperity Our purpose is same (based on Natural Acceptance) 2. Program My program is to understand and to live in harmony at all levels of being The program of the other is also to understand and to live in harmony at all levels of being (Individual, family, society and nature/existence) Our program is same 3. Potential Desire, Thought & Expectation is continuous in me. I am endowed with Natural Acceptance Desire, Thought & Expectation is continuous in the other. The other is also endowed with Natural Acceptance Our potential is same Harmony in the Understanding Relationship Family In me – Right Acceptance of Relationship Role of unconditional, Understanding Education continuous Feeling of Relationship Happiness in Me Right Feeling Sharing the Feeling with Other Expression of feeling Fulfilment in (through Body, as and when required) Relationship – Recognition/Evaluation of Feeling Mutual Happiness in Other Happiness Mutual Happiness Harmony in the Harmony in the Family Family Comprehensive human Goal: 1. Right understanding is necessary for the human being, for all human beings. 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 is needed in every family. 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. All the above four are the basic requirements to ensure happiness and prosperity at all levels and achieving all those should be the comprehensive human goal. Programs Needed to Achieve the Comprehensive Human Goal (The Five Dimensions of Human Endeavour or Five Dimensions of Universal Human Order):In the light of the comprehensive human goal, let us visualize how the following five salient dimensions of human endeavour are to be shaped and implemented in society. It will be necessary to develop appropriate systems and programs to cater to the above goal in order to ensure human welfare. 1. Education – Right Living ( Siksha – Sanskar)  Education = To understand Harmony at all four levels of living  Right Living = Commitment and Preparedness to live in harmony at all four levels of living  leads to Right Understanding, Right Feelings and an all-encompassing solution called Samadhana. It is important to realize that understanding of harmony is accompanied by learning to live in harmony at all the levels and doing things that ensure harmony at all the levels. The competence gained from understanding enables us to live in harmony. We have to ensure the availability and continuity of Education-Right Living in our society. This dimension of society works to ensure ‘Right Understanding’ and ‘Right Feelings’ or ‘All encompassing’ Solution called ‘samãdhãna’ in every individual and ensures that our succeeding generations have both the content and the environment available to work towards achieving their goal of continuous happiness and prosperity.Thisis the goal and objective of education 2. Health – Self regulation (Svãsthya - Sanyama):  Health = Harmony among the parts of the body and having a fit body which acts according to the needs of the Self “I”  Self-Regulation = A feeling of responsibility for nurturing, protecting and rightly utilizing the body.  Self-regulation is the basis of Health.  leads to Prosperity 3.Justice-Preservation (Nyãya-Surakshã):  Justice = ‘Human-Human relation’ – its recognition, fulfilment, right evaluation = mutual Happiness  Preservation = ‘Human – Rest of nature’ relation - its recognition, fulfilment, right evaluation = Enrichment, Protection, Right Utilization of nature. = mutual Prosperity  leads to Fearlessness and Co-existence  Preservation involves ensuring the following three aspects: 1. Enrichment – (I cultivate wheat; this enriches wheat as the quantity grows) 2. Protection – (I protect it so that it is fit to eat) 3. Right Utilization – (I use it for the nurturing of the body and do not let it get wasted) 4. Production-Work (Utpãdana-Kãrya):  Work – Labour that human does on the rest of nature.  Production - Things obtained out of work  leads to Prosperity and Co-existence  There are two important questions that come to mind when we talk of production-work: i. What to produce: The decision of what to produce depends on the right identification of needs. For this, we have to identify the physical needs of the body, i.e. what is needed for the nourishment, protection and right utilization of the body. When we look into this, we can see that there is a need for: food, clothing, shelter, and various kinds of instruments (ex: means of transport, communication, remote viewing of images, etc.) for the right utilization of the body. ii. How to produce: When we come to the question of how to produce, we are referring to the technology or systems we use for production. On understanding of the harmony at all the levels of our living, it becomes evident that there is an inherent balance, a harmony in nature. So, it is only natural that any production system we design or implement is within the framework that is present in nature, i.e. it does not violate the framework/harmony in nature. When we look at the way in which nature is organized, the following becomes apparent a. The systems are cyclic and not open ended. b. The systems are mutually fulfilling and mutually enriching.  For example, When a seed is planted in soil and water is added, it grows to be a tree and in turn, bears leaves, flowers and fruits. The fruits ripen, leaves mature and fall to the ground and enrich the soil forming manure by decaying. Seeds are scattered from the fruit into the soil and once again these fruits form a plant and bear fruit. This way the soil gets enriched, seeds are multiplied and tree grows. Everything is regenerated. This is nature’s way of enriching the soil. We can see mutual enrichment in nature in this way. This process is also cyclic. It is not that the seed grows once, and then the whole process is over. This process continues. We can thus see that the processes in nature are both cyclic and enriching. Numerous such examples can be taken, between plants and soil, within plants, between plants and birds, and animals, etc. There is an inherent balance, in the species, in the entire cycle 5. Exchange-Storage (Vinimaya-Kosa)  Exchange = Exchanging of produce for mutual fulfilment and not for madness of profit  Storage = Storing of produce after the fulfillment of needs with a view of right utilization in future and not for hoarding.  leads to Prosperity and Fearlessness Each family has the capacity to produce more than what it needs for itself. Say, if a family produces wheat, it can produce for ten families together. The other family can similarly produce cotton for all its neighborhood. Summing up all the needs in the society, the families are capable to produce more than the need. And then we can exchange things. This exchange can take place in the form of commodities themselves, or through currency, wherever required. When we produce more than required, we exchange for our current needs and store for future needs. This storage is to be used when the production is not taking place, or some relative of ours needs it and not hoarding.  Undivided Society (Akhanda Samãja) – It is the feeling of being related to every human being.  Universal Human Order (Sãrvabhauma Vyavasthã) - Feeling of being related to every unit including human beings and other entities of nature. We are able to see that we are related to every unit in nature and ensure mutual fulfilment in that relationship. On the bases of understanding of harmony, we get the notion of an undivided society and universal human order. The universal human order will comprise of the five dimensions of human endeavor towards a fragmented society. The steps of organization from family to world family, each anchored in right understanding will integrated in the following way:  Family => family cluster => village / community => village cluster => => => world family Svatva: Swatva means innateness of self – the natural acceptance of harmony. The word "innate" is defined as originating in or derived from the mind. It is present in an individual by birth. When we identify our innateness, we realize the difference between what we are, and we really want to be. Swatantrata: Swatantrata means being self- organized – being in harmony with oneself. When we identify our innateness, we establish a dialogue with our conscience, and it enables us to become self organized, i.e. we attain harmony in ourself. This is called swatantrata. Swarajya: Swarajya means self-expression, self- extension – living in harmony with others. When we identify our innateness, what we really what to be and establish a dialogue within, it enables us to become self organized, i.e. we attain harmony in ourself. When we start living with this harmony, it starts expressing itself through our harmonious behaviour towards others and towards our work, and it naturally leads to a healthy participation with the surroundings. This is called swarajya. Thus, when we start exploring our svatva, in the process of self-verification and living accordingly, we are attaining svatantrata and svarajya. Exploring our svatva at different levels of our living helps us in getting rid of our preconceived notions, our dilemmas, contradictions and compulsions, either external or internal. The more, we attain swatantrata or the self- organized state, the more we can live in harmony with others, and we can also help others attain this state. This leads to our participation in swarajya. The effort towards ensuring orderliness in the society is possible and is sustained by ensuring orderliness in ourselves. Every mechanism to bring order in the society needs to be based on this. This is an important implication of right understanding when we go to make policies for nations and the world.  The Basis of Undivided Society: The feelings(9 Values) of being related to every human being leads to our participation in an undivided society. By living in relationship in the family, we get the occasion to gain the assurance that the other person is an aid to me and not a hindrance. The family is a laboratory of sorts, in which we live our understanding and relationship. With the understanding of values in human relationship, we are able to recognize the connectedness with every individual correctly and fulfil it. On getting assured, it becomes easy to see that society is an extension of family and that it is possible to live in harmony with every human being- thus laying the foundation for an undivided society- from family to world family.  Visualizing a universal harmonious order in society: Visualizing a universal harmonious order in society involves imagining a world where people of all backgrounds and beliefs coexist in peace and prosperity, without discrimination or conflict. This harmonious order can be achieved through several means, including: Mutual respect: Respect for others, regardless of their background or beliefs, is crucial in creating a harmonious society. This can involve valuing each person’s unique perspective and treating them with dignity and kindness. Open-mindedness: Open-mindedness is essential in creating a harmonious society, as it allows people to see beyond their own biases and perspectives and understand the views of others. Empathy: Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. By practicing empathy, individuals can develop a deeper understanding of the experiences and perspectives of others, and work towards resolving conflicts in a peaceful and respectful manner. Inclusiveness: Inclusiveness involves creating a society where everyone is valued and included, regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity, or other differences. This can involve promoting policies and programs that support diversity and eliminate discrimination.  Cooperation: Cooperation is essential in creating a harmonious society, as it allows people to work together towards a common goal. This can involve promoting teamwork and collaboration, and encouraging people to put aside their individual interests for the greater good. Communication: Effective communication is crucial in creating a harmonious society. This can involve promoting open and honest dialogue, and encouraging people to listen actively to each other and understand their perspectives.  There are several theories that attempt to explain how a universal harmonious order in society can be visualized and achieved. Some of these include: Social Contract Theory: This theory posits that individuals enter into an implicit agreement with each other to give up some individual freedom in exchange for the protection and benefits provided by the state. This agreement creates a harmonious order where everyone has a shared understanding of their rights and responsibilities. Utilitarianism: This theory states that actions and policies should be evaluated based on their ability to produce the greatest good for the greatest number of people. By focusing on the well-being of society as a whole, utilitarianism seeks to promote a harmonious order. Libertarianism: This theory emphasizes the importance of individual liberty and limited government intervention in promoting a harmonious order. By respecting the freedoms and rights of individuals, society can function effectively and efficiently. Communitarianism: This theory emphasizes the importance of community and the common good in promoting a harmonious order. It holds that individuals have obligations to each other and to their communities, and that a focus on the common good is necessary for a healthy and prosperous society. Universal Human Order- Harmony from Family Order to World Family Order: It is achieved through Justice.Justice is the recognition of values (the definite feelings) in relationship, their fulfilment, the right evaluation resulting in mutual happiness. Justice concerns itself with the proper ordering of things and people within a society. There are four elements: Recognition of values, fulfilment, 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. 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. Resolution is the mix-up of Right Feeling and Right thought, or say the clarity of Right Understanding, Wisdom, Science, Behavior, Work, Participation in a large order, Undivided Human Society, Universal Human Order and Human Tradition in which Human goal is fulfilled. In this phenomenon, The Right Understanding, Wisdom (Identification of Human Goal) and Science (How to fulfil Human Goal) is in the Self (I). Behavior, Work, and participation in larger order work as a Human Being which is Self (I) and Body. Undivided Human Society, Universal Human Order, and Human tradition work as Outsider. Right understanding is essentially seeing the essence of the reality as it is, i.e., seeing the part that is definite, universal and continuous. Sri. Ravi Varma Penmetsa Harmony in the Nature Sri. Ravi Varma Penmetsa The Four Orders in Nature a. Material/Physical Order (padãrtha avasthã*) – e.g. soil, water, air, etc. b. Plant/Bio Order (prãn.a avasthã*) – e.g. grass, plants, trees, flowers, fruits, etc. c. Animal Order (jïva avasthã*) – e.g. Animals and Birds. d. Human (Knowledge) Order (gyãnaavasthã*) – Human Beings. The big land mass of the continents, gigantic water bodies like ocean and seas, mountains and rivers, the atmosphere above, the heaps of metals and mineral below, the dense gases & fossil fuels deep below the surface of the earth – all fall into the Material Order. In fact, if we look around beyond the earth, the material order is visible even in the form of stars, planets, moons and several astronomical bodies. Our land mass is covered with grass and small shrubs and they form the lining on the entire soil. Shrubs, plants, and trees form huge forests along with the flora in the ocean. All of this is the plant/bio order and it is the next big order on our planet. (The material order is far greater in quantity compared to the plant/bio order) Animals and birds form the third largest order and we call them the Animal Order. Here again, we see that the plant/bio-order is far greater in quantity than the animal order. Humans are the smallest order and they are referred to as Human Order.Animals are far greater in quantity as compared to the human order. Each one of us can recognize all these four orders around ourselves and see that together these four orders comprise of all the units that we see and understand around us. Interconnectedness and Mutual fulfilment between the four Orders  Material Order and Plant/Bio-Order: The material order provides nutrients to the plant/bio order in the form of soil, minerals, and so on, while the plant/bio order decays and forms additional nutrients, enriching the soil. The plant/bio order also decays to substances such as oil and coal, which are stored deep within the earth to protect against heat from the earth’s molten core as well as heat from the sun (today, this is the material we are removing and using as fuel). Plants aid in the movement of nutrients through the soil’s various layers. The roots of plants hold the soil together and keep it from eroding. Plants generate oxygen and carbon dioxide, which aid in the movement of the material order. We can see mutual interdependence and coexistence here.  Material Order, Plant/Bio- Order and Animal Order: The material order serves as the foundation for all animal, bird, and fish movement. Both plants and animals require water, oxygen, and other gases. At the same time, the animal order enriches the soil with its excreta, and these excreta provide nutrients to the plants. Animals, birds, and fish eat from the plant/bio order. The animal Order aids in the pollination of the Pranic Order’s flowers.  Material Order, Plant Order, Animal Order, Human Order: When we look at the connectedness of the three orders with human beings, we find that each of these orders is fulfilling to the human order. This we can verify looking at the multiple uses we are drawing out of these entities. We humans also have a natural acceptance to be mutually fulfilling to these three orders. The Material Order helps the Human Order by providing soil, minerals, metals, oxygen etc. but Human beings in return are polluting the Material Order and depleting the fossil fuels. The Plant order helps the Human order by proving food, oxygen and by absorbing Carbon dioxide. In return, the Human beings are destroying forests and many species of plants and herbs. The Animal order provides the Human order with food, wool, leather, means of labour and transport etc. Current scenario: We thus see that the three orders besides the Human Order are in harmony and are fulfilling to the human order. However, we as humans have not yet understood and learnt to live in relationship of mutual fulfilment with these three other orders. This is because we have not understood the harmony that exists between these orders. We have not even understood our own needs properly, nor have we understood harmonious ways to fulfil our needs. Consequently, we have disturbed ourselves and also the balance amongst the other three orders. This is evident when we see that we have pretty much plundered the body of the earth of all the heat absorbing materials like coal and oil and burnt these fossil fuels in our atmosphere causing a significant deterioration in the temperature regulation of our planet. We have significantly deforested huge forest masses and through it, altered the weather system of our planet. Our burgeoning cities and industries have spilled huge amounts of industrial and human waste into the water bodies and even drinking water has to be now chemically treated before it can be consumed by humans. The air we breathe has become polluted; the food we grow has become chemically affected. The effect of this disharmony is now affecting our lives in the form of diseases and maladies(serious problems). The way out: If we naturally accept that living harmony with nature through good relationship is important for our happiness and is undeniable then automatically, we can co exist with all the other orders in the nature through mutual fulfillment and harmony.  Recyclability In nature, we can see a number of cyclical processes. The cycle of water, for example, evaporating, condensing, and precipitating back to water produces weather phenomena. The earth’s cycles keep these materials self-regulating. Plant and animal breeds are similarly self-regulated in their environments. In a forest, tree growth occurs in a way that preserves the quantity of soil, plants, and animals. It never happens that there isn’t enough soil for the trees as the population of trees increases. In nature, the proper conditions for both plant and animal growth self-regulate, maintaining the proportions of the population as it would in the wild. Self-regulation is the name given to this occurrence. The quantity of men and females produced throu