Impart Spiritual Strength to Business and Management

[Ramaswamy T]

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Impart Spiritual Strength to Business and Management
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By​

T Ramaswamy​

In the pursuit of economic progress and higher standards of living nations often lose sight of the quality of life of citizens. There are various quality of life indices like the state of education, health, housing infrastructure etc. However, wide inequalities in income and privileges exist resulting in strife and squalor. Though the human being is recognized as an important resource, human excellence is rarely achieved except in fits and starts. The lack of a concerted institutional approach by organizations to attain human excellence, focusing on the individual, brings about a cumulative impact pulling down the quality of life, though other quality of life indices show a positive trend. Pockets of poverty alongside oases of wealth still exist. It is here spirituality comes to our rescue imparting strength to economics and management with lasting beneficial results. Absence of spiritual content manifests through lack of positive value systems in economic planning, business and management. The adverse effect of this omission is reflected in massive corruption, criminality, frauds, embezzlement, unhealthy personnel policies, cheating, leakages and wastages in the economy. There are also unethical practices like profiteering based on greed and dilution of quality of products and services. Often even the most competent professional who has potential to contribute to enhance the quality of life succumbs to temptations. This damages the reputation of the product and the organization he serves. Why does this happen? Management which welcomes knowledge from all disciplines rarely seeks and applies knowledge from spiritual sources. Many consider such knowledge as inconclusive and non verifiable in terms of results. This is a fallacy. There has been no determined effort to give a fair trial to the spiritual content of the knowledge and its application to economics and management. We manage all resources through man. The organs of action together with the faculties of mind and intellect constitute the human resource. Very little is done to manage effectively the tangible and intangible resources within man. When we buy a home appliance or gadget we are supplied with a booklet of instructions to guide us to use it for getting the best results. Without following the contents of the booklet we are very likely to operate the gadget wrongly or damage it. While this approach is appreciated in the case of material goods and devices like VCD, TV etc., we forget or are indifferent to use a handbook already in existence for using the faculties of the human being. Man is the most complex of all creations on this planet. Individual efforts at his improvement in some cases do take place. But many including organizations and institutions do not try seriously about it probably for the simple reason they believe such a manual does not exist. In reality a well considered time tested set of guidelines for human excellence and happiness does exist. We don't call it a manual. It has been in existence for thousands of years in India which has a great heritage and wisdom. The scriptures contain this quintessence of guidelines for excellence. They contain principles of human conduct based on the realization of great sages who had nothing but the welfare of humanity at heart. Of such scriptures the most important is the Bhagavad-Gita which holds the key to lift man from the worst type of depression to great heights of achievement in a convincing manner. The Gita helps to effect a total transformation in his outlook and attitudes and capacity to overcome challenges of life. It explains in sufficient detail how to overcome depression, avoid stress, do one's duty with dedication, and attain human excellence. It stipulates beyond doubt what should be done and what should not be done to attain excellence. It also clearly indicates the influence of food on the quality of decision making and the thinking process to be developed. It gives the tool of meditation to avoid stress. It makes man a treasure worthy of making great contribution to the welfare of society and to himself. Gita discusses various aspects of the art of man making. Management will benefit and grow if consistent efforts are made to imbibe the principles of human conduct and excellence laid down in this great scripture. If this is ignored, even if we producing probably a million Nobel laureates, economics and management will undoubtedly fail to ensure human happiness and prosperity with sustainability in all walks of life. It is a welcome sign, a silver lining, that a few business schools have started realizing the relevance of this ancient scripture for human excellence. The world will witness faster and substantial progress if all business schools and institutions teach and imbibe the art of man making. The focus has to be on the individual. Then the family, society, nation and the world will definitely progress. The benefits will be high quality of life, human happiness and prosperity with sustainability. The truth of this assertion is as certain as death. May the grace of the Lord be showered on all citizens and institutions of the world to imbibe this great, wonderful art of man making. Then we will have business and management in the real service of man.