KVE-401-Universal Human Values & Professional Ethics PDF
KVE-401-Universal Human Values & Professional Ethics PDF
KVE-401-Universal Human Values & Professional Ethics PDF
MBA-KVE-401
Universal Human Values and Professional Ethics
Understanding Harmony in the Human Being - Harmony in Myself
Human beings are complex creations of the elements of nature. Physically they are a
composition of minerals and water. At the next level human beings are capable of
movement and the ability to respond to stimuli. At the third level human beings are thinking
beings who have intellect and emotions. At the highest level human beings have a spiritual
aspect. They aspire towards the transcedental (spiritual). Thus human being is
co-existence of the body and the self ‘jivan’.
There is a familiar shape and structure of a human body that is immediately apparent to us
and we imagine someone with similar human body like features. But in addition to the
body, the entity that keeps the body ‘alive’ and make it operate in various ways. This
alivenss is called jivan or self.
Human being is co-existence of this body and self. This self is also called ‘I’ or
consciousness. All the feelings that we feel or the decisions that we take are govern by the
self only and not the body. Body only performs the activities decided by the self.
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Human Needs :
Suvidha :
It implies that it is looking for physical comforts and all the sources of attaining such
comforts. When our body gets used to a certain level of comfort then we will only feel
comfortable at that level. Ex. comfort in fan, cooler or air conditioner. Different people have
a different perception of suvidha and will seek a corresponding level of suvidha according to
their perceptions.
Sukh :
The beauty of sukh is that it is a holistic and all encompassing state of the mind that creates
inner harmony.
By nature man is fond off comfort and happiness so he goes on making desires and
ambitions one after the other to enjoy more in life. To lead a comfortable life he also
accumulates many facilities, so that his life may become full of comfort and happiness.
Sukh depends upon our thinking, so many times we are surrounded by materialistic
possessions but we feel unsatisfied. People think that their happiness depends upon
suvidha (facilities) but is it not so; happiness depends upon our thinking or our mental
satisfaction.
1. The self is the basis of everything we do. All the desires and expectations we have are
all there in self. For e.g. to be famous, to get good marks, get great job, having good
relationships in our family or wanting ‘rasgulla’. Hence, it becomes important to understand
these desires, thoughts, and activities in self, so that we know whether they are right.
2. To understand happiness better and the causes for unhappiness because happiness
and unhappiness are states in self.
3. It helps us have more clarity about how we are within. This helps us become self-
confident. It also helps in establishing proper synergy between the self and the body.
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5. The more we understand ourselves, the more we understand other person as well and
our relationship with them.
6. It helps us to better understand our program, i.e. what is valuable to us, or what do we
ultimately want and how do we fulfill them.
The self is conscious in nature while the body is physico-chemical in nature. The interaction
between the ‘I’ and the body is in the form of exchange of information. So the focus of
attention is on two categories of attributes of the self, namely, the powers of the self and the
corresponding activities as the manifest outcomes of these powers.
1. Power: This means the basic capacity in the self (‘I’). They are: desires, thoughts and
expectations
2. Activities: The activities are: imaging, analyzing, and selecting/tasting. The activity of
analyzing means breaking down the image into various parts or to open it up.
Selecting/tasting is with the expectation of fulfilling our desires with the expectation of
happiness. The activity of selecting/tasting is the basic level via which the self interacts with
the body.
There are two possible flows of the activities and both keep taking place :
1. Self receives sensations from body tasted in ‘I’ e.g. our self see a car through the
information via ‘eyes’.
2. Based on taste, thought could be triggered e.g. we start thinking about the car.
3. Based on these thoughts, desires may be set e.g. when we starts thinking about the car
it forms an image that we are leading a good life by using a car and this way a good life by
having a car becomes a desire.
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1. When desire is set we start forming thoughts about fulfilling this desire. E.g. with the
desire of a good life via the car, we start thinking about how to get the car, what is the cost
of the car, how can I have that car, etc.
2. Based on this we make selection to fulfill these thoughts e.g. we choose the car its
shape color etc and then end up buying it.
We make choices with the external world based on our imagination today.
This activity of imagination in ‘I’ is continuous and not temporary. The power may change
but the activity is continuous. The object of the taste may change but the activity of
selecting/tasting is continuous. Also what we analyze may keep changing the activity of
analyzing is continuous. E.g. my object of taste may change from rasgulla, to engineering or
nice looking bike, etc. similarly I may analyze about my personal life at one moment and
about my surrounding at the next moment and may start thinking about my relationships.
These activities keep going on in us irrespective of whether we want them or not. This is
what happens when we say “I was going to the exam and that song kept repeating itself in
me, it was so distracting”.
Desires, thoughts and expectations are largely being set by pre-conditioning and sensations
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Suppose we had seen the bike and not associated it with ‘greatness’; rather we only liked
the way it ‘looked’ – then this is based on the sensation.
This is largely the case with us today: either we are operating on the basis of preconditioned
desires (set from outside) or on the basis of sensation (coming from the body).
1. Wavering aspirations: Our goals keep shifting as the inputs from the outside also keep
changing. Our desires thus keep shifting, because their source is outside and these
preconditioned desires may come from what we read, see, hear, from media, friends,
society, etc. hence, we are always wavering in what we want; we are not able to be certain
about it.
2. Lack of confidence: Since our desires are shaky, we are not sure about them. As a
result, we lack self confidence, in the true sense. Our confidence seems relative i.e. we
keep comparing ourselves with others in order to feel confident.
4. Lack of qualitative improvement in us: We focus largely on fulfilling the needs of the
body. As a result, we live with a sense of lack of fulfillment. We are doing many things,
accumulating a lot, progressing on paper, but we don’t feel that we have improved, that we
have become better. It seems that only the things around us are changing!
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To sum up, if our desires, thoughts and expectations are based on pre-conditionings, we
are generally in a state of great confusion. This leads to confusion, unhappiness, conflict
and stress. We have lack of clarity about the self, relationships, society, nature and
existence. We have lack of confidence. We have a feeling of being unfulfilled, unsettled. We
operate largely on the basis of the environment, driven from the outside – either from
sensations, or based on pre-conditionings.
B. Short lived nature of pleasure from sensations: The pleasure obtained from sensations is
short-lived. We are driven by five sensations (sound from the ears, touch from the skin,
sight through eyes, taste from the mouth, and smell from the nose) and most of the time we
are busy trying to get pleasure from sensations, from the senses. We have so much
dependent on sensations that instead of giving us some sensory pleasure, it becomes the
source for our happiness. Then what is the issue with this is? This can be understood as
fellows:
The external object is temporary in nature the contact of the external object with the body is
temporary in nature. The sensation from the body to ‘I’ is temporary. And at last the taste of
the sensation from the body in ‘I’ is also temporary.
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.
No matter how much we try to be become happy via the senses, or via bodily sensation, it
does not last. This does not mean that we stop these sensations from the body, or that we
stop tasting from the senses. It only means that we need to understand the limitations of
happiness or pleasure got from the sensations from the body and need to understand what
is there use or purpose. If we confuse this purpose with the happiness, we are in trouble,
since something that is temporary can’t be the source for our continuous happiness.
We can thus understand that living on the basis of preconditioning (“good life means having
a nice car”) or sensations (happiness out of taste from the body) means being in a state of
being decided by the others or outside, i.e. enslaved (partantrata). We are at the mercy of
the preconditioning and the sensation. Whereas, we want to be in the state of
self-organization of being decided by our own self, in our own right (svantrata).
The solution is to start verifying our desires, thoughts and expectations on the basis of our
natural acceptance. So how does the accessing of natural acceptance resolve this solution?
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• It becomes possible for us to have the right understanding of the harmony at all levels of
our living.
• When we have the right understanding, we are able to see our “true nature”, and what
we truly want. Our desires thus start getting set on the basis of this right understanding –
instead of being driven by preconditioning/ sensations.
• This put us at ease (freedom from anxiety and pain, conflicts). We are no longer
struggling or are in conflict at the various levels of our living.
Operating on the basis of our ‘natural acceptance’ thus leads to operating on the basis of
our ‘realization’ and ‘understanding’.
When we have (1) realization then (2) understanding becomes according to the realization.
When this happens, then (3) imaging or desires get set according to this understanding.
Consequently, (4) analysis or thoughts become according to the imaging/desires and
hence, the (5) expectations or selection/taste are according to the thoughts/analysis. This is
called self- organization or svantrata. This leads to happiness and its continuity.
In realization and understanding, we get the answer to “what is the reality?” This, for each
one of us, translates into the answers to “what to do?” and “why to do?” Then what remains
to find out is “how to do?”, which comes from imagination (activities 3, 4, and 5). Is we see
today we are focusing on “how to do?”, without trying to first verify “what to do?” and “why to
do?”! It is just like traveling in a comfortable AC vehicle on a smooth road without knowing
where we have to go!
The problem today is that our activities of (1) realization and (2) understanding are inactive,
we are unaware of them. As a result, we are not able to operate on our own right and keep
operating on the basis of preconditioning and sensations i.e. we are operating only at the
levels of (3) desire, (4) thought and (5) expectations today. This is not sufficient for us as
human being. We thus need to operate at the levels (1) realization and (2) understanding as
the basis on which (3), (4) and (5) get definite.
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Today our behaviour is highly unpredictable and changes with who we are interacting, our
state of mind and many other factors. It is a reasonably confused state of affairs, of conflict
and contradiction, of unhappiness. This is called as having an ‘indefinite conduct’. We don’t
find unpredictability acceptable – in ourselves and in others. We desire for definiteness.
When we do not have right understanding, our desires keep shifting, and this indefiniteness
is reflected in our thoughts, and selections we make, and finally in our behavioiur and work.
When we operate on the basis of our preconditioned imagination or our preconditioned
desires, thoughts and selections we are not self organized. On the other hand, when we
operate on the basis of realization and understanding, there is certainty in our behaviour
and our conduct. We are self organized. This self organization is acceptable.
The human body is a self organized and highly sophisticated mechanism. The body is made
up of several organs and glands and the different parts of the body keep working in a close
co-ordination. All the activities keep the body fit for the use of ‘I’ (self or jivana) so that ‘I’
and the body may work in synergy as a human being. The silent aspects of this harmony
b/w ‘I’ and the body are:-
4. There is a strong coupling b/w I and the body. If I am in disharmony e.g. in anger or
stress or despair. It immediately starts affecting the body adversely.
5. There are many diseases of the body that are caused or accentuated due to
disharmony in I. These are called psychosomatic diseases such as asthma, migraine,
hyper-tension etc. On the other hand, when there is a strong disturbance in the body
manifesting in the form of severe pain, it distracts I from its normal functions.
6. I have the feeling of sanyama for the body and the body has swasthya. Sanyama is
basic to swasthya.
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SANYAMA : Sanyama means the feeling of responsibility in the self (I) for nurturing,
protection and right utilization of the body. Self control or sanyama is the control of the mind
and its desires, urges, emotions and delusions. It is controlling the outgoing tendencies of
the mind and the senses and bringing them back to our self within. Self control is the key to
success in any field of life and it is an indispensable necessity for self– realization, the goal
of spiritual quest. Practice of self control is most purifying because self– control transform
the quality of our mind.
Aspects of Sanyama : Self control constitutes two main aspects of will power and self
discipline.
Will Power: Will power is an individuals’ activity to harness his or her energy. Energy may
be:-
• Physical
• Mental
• Emotional
• Spiritual energy
In order to achieve the goals and objectives, one aspires for such energy is necessary. If
one’s energy is a little deficient, then the individual makes up with another, so strong is the
will to achieve the goal. E.g. a marathon athlete may be tired and thirsty and every body
part may be aching but his mental strength drives him to complete the marathon and
achieve his goal.
Self Discipline: Self discipline is the accompanying input that goes into self control. Self
discipline refers to the ability to train our body, mind, emotions and spirit to perform as per a
schedule or a routine. Self discipline makes a person strong enough to reject immediate
gratification towards a higher goal but it does require efforts and time to become self
disciplined. If a person has will power and is disciplined, he/she gains control over his/her
actions. Thus he/she can choose his/her behaviour and reactions, instead of being ruled by
them.
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6. Lack of confidence
8. Hedonistic life values - the attitude of ‘eat drink and be merry’ which may encourage
loosing control.
If we want to develop self control we can fellow the steps given below:
SWASTHYA :
Swasthya is the condition of the body where every part of the body is performing its
expected function. The word swasthya literally means being anchored to the self, being in
close harmony with the self.
In other words, swasthya, in Sanskrit means self– dependence (swa = our own). Also,
embedded in its meaning is health, sound state, comfort and satisfaction. In Hindi, the most
widely spoken language of India, it merely means health. In this case, using the Hindi
accent, it is pronounced “suasti”.
Health is the general condition of a person. It is also a level of functional and/or metabolic
efficiency of an organism, often implicitly human.
At the time of creation of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948, health was defined
as being ‘a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the
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absence of diseases or infirmity’. In 1986, the WHO, in the Ottawa Charter of Health
Promotion, said that health is ‘a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health
is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical
capacities’.
The English word “health” comes from the old English word hale, meaning “wholeness, a
being whole, sound or well”. Hale comes from the Proto-Indo-European root kailo, meaning
“whole, uninjured, of good omen”.
Aspects of Swasthya :
• Physical health
• Mental health
• Social health
Physical Health :
For humans, physical health means a good body health, which is healthy because of
regular physical activity (exercise), good nutrition, and adequate rest.
Physical health relates to anything concerning our bodies as physical entities. In other
terms, physical health is physical wellbeing. Physical wellbeing is defined as something a
person can achieve by developing all health– related components of his/her life style.
Fitness reflects a person’s cardio- respiratory endurance, muscular strength, flexibility and
body composition. Other contributors of physical wellbeing may include proper nutrition,
body weight management, abstaining from drug abuse, avoiding alcohol abuse, responsible
sexual behaviour (sexual health), hygiene and getting the right amount of sleep.
2. Take care of personal hygiene and cleanliness (brushes our teeth regularly, bath daily,
wear clean clothes etc.
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5. Breathe deeply. Take deep slow breaths. Our body needs the oxygen
9. Eat in moderate quantity – less is better than excess. But make sure what we eat is
nutritious
Mental Health :
Mental health refers to people’s cognitive and emotional wellbeing. A person who enjoys
good mental health does not have a mental disorder. According to WHO, mental health is:
“A state of well-being in which the individual realizes his/her own abilities can cope with the
normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a
contribution to his/her community”.
In other words sound mental health is that state of the mind which can maintain a calm
positive poise, or regain it when unsettled for progressively longer durations or quickly, in
the midst of all the external vagaries of work life and social existence.
Most people agree that mental health includes the ability to enjoy life, the ability to bounce
back from adversity, the ability to achieve balance (moderation) the ability t be flexible and
adapt, the ability to feel safe and secure, and self-actualization (making the best of what we
have).
Internal Causes : There are some major causes of impaired mental health. They are:
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• Anger : arise or originates from greed, jealousy, envy, egoism, impatience and
suspiciousness
• Frustration : arise or originates from greed, jealousy, envy and egoism and impatience
External Causes : These causes are often called ‘stressors’ and includes skill
obsolescence, job change, work-pressure, transfers, stock market crises, unemployment,
weak empathy, student agitation, problems with neighbors, militant unionism, and so on.
Here are a few vital guidelines whose practice could restore our personal command over
mental health:
2. Identify with an inner core of self-sufficiency through “simple living and high thinking”
3. Nourish a sense of equilibrium strive for excellence through ‘work is worship’ – take
pride in our work
4. Build a stable and exalted inner reference point for the integration of contrary impulses,
emotions, etc
7. Develop the habit of radiating goodwill and harmony from the centre of one’s being- be
positive, to attract good things
Social Health :
Social health refers to the ability of a person to fit in with the social setup and maintain
positive and harmonious inter-personal relations. Social health contributes towards physical
and mental health which is why it must be given due importance.
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1. Learn to be tolerant
2. Learn to appreciate diversity and realize that people can be different from us and yet be
very capable in their own way
Determinants of health :
The health of individual people and their communities are affected by a wide range of
contributing factors. People’s good or bad health is determined by their environment and
situation– what is happening and what has happened to them, say WHO. WHO says that
the following factors probably have a bigger impact on our health than access and use of
health care services.
• Where we live
• Genetics
• Our income
• What we are and what we do (“The person’s individual characteristics and behaviour”)
As our good health depends on the context of our lives, praising or criticizing people for
their good or bad health is wrong. Most of the factors that contribute towards our good or
bad health are out of our control.
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What is our state today? Today we are facing different problems and they are lack of
responsibility towards the body, tendency for medication to suppress the ailment, and
polluted air, water, food. Let’s take them in detail:
Our lifestyle has become very busy and unnatural. We usually do not give priority to take
proper care of the body. We have increasingly stated eating at odd hours, eating junk food,
and are largely ignorant about the state of our body. We tend to look with contempt
(disrespectful) on any kind of physical work or labour. E.g., in an attempt to keep enjoying
tasty food, we ignore the fact that we are eating for the nourishment of the body and not to
perpetuate (continue, maintain) the happiness of ‘I’.
Whenever there is a pain in any part of the body, it is a signal of some disorder which needs
to be properly attended to. However, our common tendency has become to suppress this
pain by immediate medication and then forget about it. Our focus today seems to be more
on ‘fighting germs in the body’ than on helping the body restore itself to its natural state of
harmony.
In fact, today we are focusing a lot more on what to do if we fall ill rather then learning to live
healthy. It thus becomes important for each one of us to become aware of our own body
and its needs and how common, simple medication can be used to facilitate the body to
come back to health in care of ailments (slight illness).
We have polluted our environment today and it is directly or indirectly harming us. There is
contamination in the air, water, soil, plants and we are responsible for it. Our food has
become impure. Due to heavy use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and a lot of pollutions,
our food has all kinds of toxic contents in it. The air we breathe in, is polluted by various
chemicals released from industries and vehicles, while our water is also polluted due to
industrial effluents (liquid sewage), sewage etc. all this, surely, is not conductive to the
health of people.
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Our present lifestyle and conditionings are not very conductive to keep the body fit and
therefore it is important to understand sanyama and swasthya correctly and maintain proper
harmony with the body. As a proposal, we need to work for the following few things
2. To understand the self organization of the body and ensure health of the body.
Sanyama implies that the self takes the responsibility for proper nurturing, and right
utilization of the body. For this it is essential to understand the functioning of the body
instrument. It is also essential to understand that this instrument has a limited life span and
undergoes a pattern of growth and decay. The interaction of the self with the body has to be
in consonance with the above objectives which are achieved through sanyama.
a. Nurturing of the Body: Proper Food, Air, Water, Etc. : In the process of selecting food for
the body, I need to make out the elements which make a complete food so that it gives
required nutrients and energy to the body. On the basis of understanding of the harmony of
the self with the body, it can be said that the food needs to be eaten only when we feel
hungry. The choice of the food has to be such that it is easily digestible and the food needs
to be taken with proper posture of the body and in right quantity.
b. Protection of the Body : The second issue is the protection of the body. The clothes we
choose for protection need to be such that they ensure proper interaction of the body with
the environment. The right amount of exposure of the body to the air, water, and sun is
required to ensure its proper functioning.
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