Shouldn't governance, academia, preachers, be mentors who can inspire society to strive to ‘know thyself'?
Sunil Kumar is currently member, managing committee, Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi. An engineer and project manager trained at Vickers Armstrong Engineers and Babcox & Wilcox, UK, he is a former general manager of The Projects and Equipment Corporation of India, Ministry of Commerce and Consultant, NIDC, Ministry of Industry. Sunil has been member of a high-power government committee for value orientation in Planning Commission and In-charge of Value Education Programmes of Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi. He has written books on Vedanta, managerial effectiveness – Indian Insights, human values, etc. His passion lies in applying Indian wisdom & Vivekananda's principles to managerial situations. His vision and managerial expertise led to the setting up of a unique PGDBM Management Institute in Delhi, called SriSIM, of which he was a Founder Trustee and Professor and which offered education in Indian ethos based Management. He is currently taking the message of Vedanta-centric human development to public servants through programs on 'Ethics in Governance. LESS ... MORE
1) 'Know Thyself': Isn't it surprising that neither scientists nor ourselves have ever tried to study, look within, know ourselves, even though we are also an integral part of nature, the same nature, Jagat, we are ever busy investigating! Who and where are the Mentors who can inspire us to reflect on 'where and what is it within each of us', that always remains as the unchanging 'Subject', that consciousness, which enables us 'perceive' both the ever-changing 'Internal thoughts, feelings within' and 'external changing objects of the world'!
'Know Thyself' is an age-old quest for the West, but the West got busy with industry, technology etc. and the leaders forgot this critical inner quest, allowing the philosophers, societies, preachers, religions, nations, to fight amongst themselves for answers; and aping them our modern permanent govt. machinery and democratic govt. machinery still remain in total ignorance of the age-old question of 'Who I am' and where are we supposed to grow towards as teachers, bureaucrats, preachers, or as individual citizens!
Perhaps governance machinery, academia, preachers, could be trained to be mentors and made responsible and accountable to guide all citizens to seek inwards, to 'know the infinite potential already within our Self'. As governance they're in any case entrusted with policy formulation, implementation, etc. And because they are selected from and as the 'best' and are 'permanent', they must be recruited, selected, educated, trained to be Mentors who can make long-term good policies and can learn to work together as Mentors to take us towards the 'best'.
2) The Idea of Karma Yogi, KYi – Syllabus for being a Mentor: Being a KYi in fact is the Critical Path to 'Know Thyself' and be a Mentor! Now that GOI has instructed that all Govt servants must be trained to be KYi & has created an Online platform iGOT Mission KYi for it, it is incumbent on all of us to plan how the spirit of Work as Worship and as Service to God in Man, is brought into mainstream academia and preaching.
Instead of keeping Religions away from Academia, it is our duty as Mentors to request various Religious NGOs to plan how we can all focus on providing Daily One-Hour for Self-reflection; self-study; Self-development practices focused on Imbibing the Spirit of Fundamental Duties; Commitment to Kartavya-palan; Spirit of more and more Selflessness, etc.
Thankfully in 1985 GOI has nominated Vivekananda as a Youth icon and now GOI brochure on KYi mentions 'atmano moksartham jagada hitaye cha' & 'Yogaha Karmasu Kaushalam'. Vivekananda's talks in inspiring English to Western audiences in USA and UK and his ideas on Practical Vedanta and Karma Yoga, etc. provide us the best contents, based on which academia and preachers can create a Syllabus and action plan to guide each citizen and all students and teachers to build powers of mind to walk-the-talk to 'Know Thyself'.
3) The Problem & Challenge: Globally, no nation today has clarity on what exactly is the aim and purpose of a permanent academia and bureaucracy, and so has the emerged the idea of democracy, where political parties become the bosses and pull societies towards their respective vision and interests, and individuals are left to seek their own path and answers.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the entire Western culture has remained focused on 'Knowing' and 'Enjoying' the ever-changing universe that we can all 'perceive' with our senses. We have Schooling focused on 'knowing-earning-enjoying'. To know my-self, we get Passports with Photo of our body; but the riddle remains! Am I just 'Body' that dies?
4) Fortunately, the right Questions were asked and also Answered by our forefathers and so as Indians we have a choice to choose and harmonize the wisdom of West to excel in 'work' and the wisdom of East, to learn to selflessly work as worship of God in man and in all Creation (KYi). In simple words that even a child can appreciate, Vedanta says that a Jivatma, living-being, is a visible 'body' (which is but inert-matter, as we see in dead-body) somehow enlivened by 'Life' or Consciousness or Spirit or Atman' or something like it! As Body we're separate but as 'Life' we're all One.
So, even a Child may question, what is Life? From where does it come, where does it go? Our ancients, whom we think as superstitious, uncivilized, etc. sought to know what 'Life' was all about; whereas today we accept 'Life' as it is without knowing it but instead seek to know Jagat of infinite Variety!
Our ancients strove not merely to 'Know' but to instill and imbibe righteousness, selflessness, virtues, character. Then with a mind purified by selflessness, etc. they strove to 'see' and directly realized and experienced the 'Self'… And all Religions, therefore, ask and exhort us to be good and do good; be selfless etc. We say work as worship of God in mana and in all Creation, because the same God exists in Me, You, in all and in everything as Consciousness. And thru' righteousness, self-enquiry, etc. we are meant to realize this truth of Truths. Science is now looking for 'consciousness' but still as an object, not realizing that it isn't an object to be known. I am always that singular Subject, Consciousness and mistakenly I got identified with changing body-mind … and Vedanta discusses and logically explains this mystery in detail!
Now it should be the task of us all to consider how we can help 'To Be & Make Mentors' and strive to explore and discover our Un-changing Self, our Swaroopa, 'who I am'.
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