UHV Course Material-1

Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony
UNIT–I
VALUE EDUCATION
Value: 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 a paper and human being. Similarly, the value of a
human being is his/her participation in the larger order. The value of a unit is also termed as its
role.
Skill: It is ability or a technique by which one can perform an action to get the intended result or
materialize the things. For example, learning and being able to execute a computer program.
Education: Education is expected to address the following two questions: 1) What to do? and 2)
How to do?
Value education: The domain of education which addresses the issues related to ‘What to do?’ is
called value education. It gives us the clarity of our goal, our basic aspiration and the programme
to fulfil the basic aspiration.
Skill education: The domain of education which addresses the issues related to ‘How to do?’ is
called skill education. It helps us learn skills, methods and techniques to implement the
programme.
Complementarity of value education and skill education
Values and skills have to go hand in hand. There is an essential complementarity between
the two for the success of any human endeavour towards the goal of living a fulfilling life. For
instance, the technology for harnessing nuclear energy was developed. But, now, how much of it
has been used for welfare purpose and how much of it has been used for destructive purposes?
Take another example – suppose we get convinced that health of the body is essential. Then, we
learn skills to keep the body healthy. It falls under the domain of skills. But, along with it, it is
crucial to understand for what purpose, we shall be using our body, and it comes under the value
domain.
Values are required to decide “what to do”, while skills are required for “how to do”.
When we want to put them in priority order, it is easy to see that “what to do” has to be decided
first and then only we can think of “how to do”. However, the current priority in education has
become development of skill. We are developing new technologies, but we are unable to decide
on ethical use of them.
Need and important implications of value education

Following are the significant implications of value education.
a) Correct identification of our Goals: At present there is a lot of dilemma and confusion in
deciding our goals. As a result, deciding our goals with definiteness becomes difficult
task. As we go on focusing on various components of value education, we go on
understanding our participation, purpose and goal of human life.
b) Development of holistic perspective: The outcome of value education is a holistic
perspective with the clarity about human being, about the Nature of which we are integral
part, and our participation in this nature/existence. Through value education, we come to
know that we are interconnected, interrelated in this existence – from the smallest level to
the whole cosmos.
c) Clarity of programme to live with holistic perspective: Value education provides us the
vision which will help us to get answers to the questions like: what thoughts are naturally
acceptable to me, what food will keep my body healthy, what behaviour with my friends
will sustain our relationship, how can I contribute to my family, society and the entire
nature, etc. We can see that this clarity of programme is necessary for our own state of
happiness.
d) Evaluation of our beliefs: Our conduct depends on what we understand or believe about
ourselves, our family, the society and the nature around. Much of our behaviour and
working is based on our beliefs. Our beliefs somehow become the guiding factors of the
decisions of our life. Value education also helps us become aware of our own beliefs and
their correctness.
e) Solution for existing problems: When we have a holistic perspective and the clarity of the
programme to live by it, we are able to realize that most of the existing problems are
actually the consequences of our wrong beliefs. With right understanding of things, we
are able to define our role in different phases of life and work accordingly. Then, we do
not create problems for ourselves or others. We will also be able to resolve the existing
problems.
f) Development of ethical competence: The core purpose of value education is to develop
ethical competence among human beings. The problem of unethical conduct in various
professions present now almost everywhere, can be tackled effectively by focussing on
developing ethical competence through human value education.
Basic guidelines for value education

Following are the basic guidelines that will enable the introduction of value education in the
present academic system.
a) Universal: Whatever we study as value education, it has to be universally applicable to all
human beings and be true at all times and all places. That means, it should not change
based on sect, nationality, gender, etc. For example, the feeling of respect in relationship
is something universal, so it can be a part of value education.
b) Rational: It has to be amenable to reasoning and not based on blind beliefs. It should be
open to address the related questions. It cannot be a set of do’s and don’ts.
c) Natural and Verifiable: Being natural means, it has to be acceptable in a natural manner.
When we live with such values, it leads to mutual fulfilment, and is enriching for other
units in Nature. We also have to verify these values ourselves, and find whether they are
true and valid for us. We should not assume something just because it is being stated.
d) All Encompassing: The content of our education has to cover all dimensions of our being
(thought, behaviour, work and understanding) as well as all levels of our living
(individual, family, society and nature/existence).
e) Leading to Harmony: Value education has to enable us be in harmony within and in
harmony with others. Hence, when we live on the basis of these values, we start observing
that it leads to harmony in us and harmony in our interactions with other humans and the
rest of the nature.
Content of value education

The value of a human being is the participation of human being in the larger existential order.
Hence, to understand human values, we need to study human being along with all that is there in
the existence. So, the scope of study has to be all encompassing, i.e,
a) It covers all dimensions of human being – thought, behaviour, work and realization.
b) It covers all levels of human being – individual, family, society, nature and existence.
Accordingly, the content of value education has to be to understand human being, human
aspirations, happiness; understand the goal of human life comprehensively; understand the other
entities in nature, the innate interconnectedness, the harmony in the nature/existence and finally
the role of human being in this nature/existence, and learning to live in accordance with this
understanding by being aware of one’s thought, behaviour and work.
Process of value education

The process of value education is the process of self-discovery, because the values are
there inherently in every human being. Through value education, we are just exploring,
recognizing them, getting aware of them. There is already a natural acceptance for values in a
human being. Value education is never a set of do’s and don’ts. For example, if you are asked,
what is naturally acceptable to you: the feeling of relationship or feeling of opposition with your
family members? When we observe within for answer, the natural response is feeling of
relationship. This feeling is a value for us. In this discussion, this feeling was not created in you.
You already had the acceptance for it. It was only uncovered by drawing your attention through
the question for exploration. Hence, to study human values, the process has to be such that it
develops a process of self-exploration in you.
SELF-EXPLORATION
Self-exploration is the process of value education. It is a process of seeing the reality on our
own right, by our own investigation, observation and analysis. Whatever is proposed, it is to be
taken as a proposal and we have to decide on our own right whether it is naturally acceptable to
us or not. If it is naturally acceptable, we have a feeling of relationship and if it is not naturally
acceptable, we have a feeling of opposition.
a) It is a process of dialogue between “what you are” and “what you really want to be”.
b) It is a process of knowing oneself, and through that, knowing the entire existence.
c) It is a process of recognizing one’s relationship with every unit in existence and fulfilling it.
d) It is a process of self-evolution through self-investigation.
Content of self-exploration
The content of self-exploration basically has the following two parts:
a) Desire: What is our basic aspiration?
b) Programme: What is the way to fulfil this basic aspiration?
The desire is the basic aspiration, the aim, the objective, the purpose, what we want to achieve –
what is our goal. The programme is the process of achieving the desire, the action to achieve our
goal.
If we can get the answers to these two questions, practically all our questions are answered. In
fact, most of the questions that we have, are because of lack of clarity of these two. If we get the
answers to these two questions, we only have to act.
Process of self-exploration
Self-exploration involves the process of verification of the proposals by two ways, as depicted in
the following figure.
1. The first part of self-exploration is to verify the proposal on the basis of our natural
acceptance. Once we have verified that a proposal is naturally acceptable to us, we are
sure that it is something which we would like to live with.
2. The second part is experiential validation. It implies to try to live according to the
proposal. In living, there are two parts.
a) The behaviour with other human beings. If behaving with other human beings as per
the proposal leads to mutual happiness, the proposal is right.
b) Working with rest of the Nature. If working with rest of the nature, on the basis of the
proposal leads to mutual prosperity, the proposal is right.
When we are able to verify a proposal, both through natural acceptance and through experiential
validation, the outcome is “right understanding’. If we are sure that any proposal is not naturally
acceptable, then there is no need of going for the experiential validation.
(Example: Let us explore the proposal, “the feeling respect is natural in relationship”. We can
explore whether feeling of respect is naturally acceptable to you or feeling of disrespect is
naturally acceptable to you. The second part is living according to the proposal. That is you have
the feeling of respect in you, and now, you are expressing this feeling in your behaviour with the
other human being. Let us find out, whether it leads to mutual happiness or not. If it does, the
proposal is a right proposal, otherwise it is not.)
Natural Acceptance – The basis for Right Understanding

Natural acceptance is the innate capacity of every human being to see the intrinsic purpose, to see
what is natural, what is right and thereby conclude what is not right.
a) Natural acceptance does not change with place and time.
b) It does not change with individual and, it is universal.
c) It is uncorrupted by likes and dislikes or assumptions or beliefs.
d) It is definite and invariant.
e) It is part and parcel of every human being.
There is a lot of difference between our acceptance and natural acceptance. Acceptance is
something we assume to hold good in a given situation. Sometimes, we accept things forcefully
in a given situation, even though we do not want to accept. Acceptance comes from our likes and
dislikes, assumptions, preconditionings and beliefs. But, natural acceptance comes from within,
not affected by our likes and dislikes, etc. For example, if I want to have a sweet, it may look
acceptable to have it based on my acceptance (likes and dislikes), but it is not naturally
acceptable, if that sweet does not nurture my body.
BASIC HUMAN ASPIRATIONS

As human beings, we have many aspirations and goals. We go on aspiring for one or the other,
once we achieve any goal / aspiration. But, basic aspiration is one which upon fulfilling we do
not aspire or desire anything else. There are two basic aspirations as per the natural acceptance
for any human being.
a) Continuous happiness b) Continuous prosperity
Every human being wants to be happy continuously and no one wants to be unhappy even for a
moment. Similarly, everyone wants to be prosperous continuously.
Happiness: It is the state of being in harmony at all the four levels – individual, family, society
and nature/existence. When we are in the state of harmony, we experience no struggle, no
contradiction or conflict. We enjoy such a state of being and we wish to have its continuity. On
the other hand, when we experience feelings such as failure, disrespect, lack of confidence, being
doubtful in ourselves and about others, we cannot feel happy as they are the states of conflict and
disharmony. We never want to be in such states and try to change them.
Prosperity: It is related to materials things called as ‘physical facility’. Prosperity is the feeling of
having more than required physical facility. In order to ascertain prosperity, the most important
thing is to quantify the physical facility we require. We can be prosperous only if there is a limit
to the need for physical facility. In order to feel prosperous, we need to first decide how much
wealth/physical things is needed. Otherwise, it is like trying to fill water in a glass that has no
bottom; the glass will never be filled, howsoever, one may try.
PART-2
REQUIREMENTS TO FULFIL BASIC ASPIRATIONS
The basic aspirations of any human being are being happy and prosperous continuously.
Prosperity is related to physical facility. Animals require physical facility like food, water, etc.
Once they get the required physical facility, they become comfortable. Similarly, human being
also requires physical facility which makes human being comfortable.
 For an animal, the comfort through physical facility is necessary and sufficient.
 But, for a human being, physical facility is necessary, but relationship is also necessary.
Ensuring required physical facility does not make a human being happy and prosperous. Human
beings have a natural acceptance to live in relationship with other human beings. We do not want
to live in opposition with others. In spite of our willingness to be in relationship with others, we
do have conflicts and contradictions in relationship. In order to live in relationship with others, it
is essential to have right understanding about relationship. Further, right understanding about
oneself and rest of nature is also necessary in order to correctly assess our need for physical
facility and the correct method for making it available.
Based on the above, it may be concluded that, for fulfilment of human being – physical
facility, relationship and right understanding – all the three are necessary.
Priority order of the requirements

It is clear that all the three things, i.e., right understanding in the self, relationship with human
beings and physical facility, are required for the fulfilment of basic aspirations. One cannot be
substituted for the other. However, in the present days, the first priority became the physical
facility.
 When there is no right understanding, we are not able to identify our need for physical
facility. As a result, we go on accumulating and we never feel that we have enough. This
feeling of not having enough is the feeling of deprivation. When we feel deprived, we do
not try to nurture others, but we exploit others to get more and more physical facility.
Hence, right understanding about physical facility is more important than physical
facility itself.
 If we do not have right understanding about the feelings in us, or if we do not ensure right
feelings in us, we cannot ensure those feelings in the relationship with others. We cannot
share right feelings with others. For example, if we are not happy or harmonious within,
we cannot share it in the relationship with others. Hence, right understanding in the self is
essential to fulfil relationship with others.
Hence, the right priority order of the requirements for basic human aspirations is: 1) Right
understanding in the self, 2) Relationship with human beings and 3) Physical facility with rest of
nature.
Right understanding + Relationship = Mutual happiness and
Right understanding + Physical facility = Mutual prosperity
 Through right feelings in relationship, based on right understanding, we can ensure

mutual happiness – happiness for ourselves and happiness for others.
 With right understanding, we can identify the need for physical facility. We can also learn
how to produce using a mutually enriching production processes. Once we are able to
ensure the availability of more than required physical facility, we have a feeling of
prosperity.
Human consciousness vs. Animal consciousness

The basic aspirations of a human being are being happy and prosperous continuously.
They are fulfilled by right understanding, relationship and physical facility in the correct priority
order. Any human being working for all the three can be fulfilled. Hence, a human being working
for all the three requirements will be in harmony and is said to be living with ‘human
consciousness’.
Animals lead their life with required physical facility like food, water, shelter, etc. They
are in harmony with rest of nature. They are said to be living with ‘animal consciousness’.
However, when human beings try to fulfil themselves on the basis of physical facility
alone, they tend to be in disharmony within and in disharmony with others. It results in
opposition, struggle, war, etc. This is because physical facility is enough for animals, but for
human beings, it is not enough. In such cases, human being is said to be living with animal
consciousness.
1. Animals living with animal They are in harmony This is fine
consciousness
2. Human beings living with They are in harmony This is fine
human consciousness
3. Human beings living with They are in disharmony This is the problem
animal consciousness
HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT – ROLE OF EDUCATION

(Transformation from Animal consciousness to human consciousness)
The world at present is largely focused on physical facility as the sole of primary measure
of progress and development. Nations measure GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and its growth
rate as the key indicators for development. Families and individuals also have a similar notion of
their own well-being. They use job position, net-worth, bank balance, house, cars and other
physical facility as the indicators of progress, development and success.
However, with right understanding, we can clearly indicate holistic development as the
transformation of consciousness – from animal consciousness to human consciousness. For this
transformation, it is essential to work on all the three – right understanding, fulfilment in

relationship and physical facility; in that order of priority.
Education-sanskar enables transformation to human consciousness. Education is developing the

right understanding (holistic perspective). Sanskar is the commitment, preparation and practice of
living with right understanding. This preparation includes learning appropriate skills and
technology.
Education provides thought leadership and direction to the society through the preparation of
individuals. The long-term potential of human education-sanskar is:
a) Right understanding in every child – by facilitating the development of right
understanding, that leads to human consciousness.
b) The capacity to live in relationship – by facilitating the capacity to live with mutual
happiness or justice in relationship with other human being. It will ensure harmony in the
family; and that harmony will extend to the larger family, and ultimately go up to the
world family, leading to an undivided society.
c) The capacity to identify the need for physical facility, developing the skills and practice
for sustainable production of more than what is required leading to the feeling of
prosperity; it will ensure harmonious family order, extending up to universal human order.
Thus, the role of education is essentially to facilitate holistic development. i.e., individual
transformation to human consciousness, and society transformation to universal human order.
Prevailing notions of happiness & prosperity

In the current scenario, we are trying to achieve happiness and prosperity by maximizing
accumulation and consumption of physical facilities. This is an attempt to achieve happiness
through pleasant sensory interactions. The physical facilities are not seen in terms of bodily
needs, but as a means of maximizing happiness. We are mistaken our wants for physical
facilities. Neither can we hope to achieve continuous happiness through sensory interactions nor
can we have prosperity, as it is just trying to fulfil unlimited wants through limited resources.
Some of other confusions/notions are listed:
a) I will be bored of happiness if I am always happy.
b) Happiness and unhappiness go together, they cannot be separated.
c) My happiness depends on others. What can I do about it?
d) I need to be unhappy to recognize that I am happy. Etc.
Most of such notions are true, if we believe excitement is happiness. Similarly, confusions arise
when we try to get happiness from i) bodily sensations and ii) favourable feelings from others.
The most prevailing notion about the prosperity is that: a wealthy person is prosperous. It
is assumed that the richer you are, the more prosperous you are; the more you have accumulated,
the more prosperous you are. The major focus in the society today is on accumulation of physical
facility, particularly accumulation of money.
Due to the wrong notions about the happiness and prosperity we have, our efforts to attain
them are causing dangerous consequences at all levels:
a) At the level of individual: Rising problems of depression, psychological disorders,
suicides, stress, insecurity, psychosomatic diseases, loneliness, etc.
b) At the level of family: Breaking of joint families, mistrust, conflict between older and
younger generations, insecurity in relationships, divorce, dowry tortures, etc.
c) At the level of society: Growing incidences of terrorism, naxalism, communalism,
spreading casteism, racial struggle, wars between nations, etc.
d) At the level of Nature: Global warming, pollution of air, water, soil, noise, depletion of
resources of minerals, deforestations, loss of soil fertility, etc.
Need for right understanding (of happiness and prosperity)

As long as we live with wrong assumptions, we shall continue to have problems in
ourselves, prolems in relationship, will exploit nature, and do not feel happy and prosperous. We
can never fulfil our basic aspirations. Hence, it is necessary to explore for the right understanding
of happiness and prosperity.
 In order to be happy we need to understand about the relationships and see that there are
right feelings in them.
 Similarly, in order to be prosperous we need to understand the requirements of physical
facilities and also harmony in nature.
 Basically, we need to have right understanding about ourselves.
Today, we can see two kinds of people in the world:

1. Those that do not have physical facility/wealth and feel unhappy and deprived: They can
be said materially deficient, unhappy and deprived.
2. Those that have physical facility/wealth and feel unhappy and deprived: They can be said
materially affluent, but unhappy and deprived.
Both these are the states we don’t want to be in. We all want to move to the category of:
3. Having physical facility and feeling happy and prosperous: They can be said to be
materially affluent, happy and prosperous.
To ensure that we are of the 3rd category, we need the right understanding.
Program to understand and live in Harmony at all levels of living

There are many aspects or levels of living for human beings. It is an increasing expanse
that starts with ourselves and expands to include things around us: namely, the people we live
with on a daily basis i.e., our family, the larger society we live in, the nature we are dependent on,
and then everything else, which we can call as existence (existence means all that exists).
We are aware of some of these levels and not aware of some others. But, regardless of our
awareness, we are in this ‘totality’ and live with this ‘totality’. Hence, we can be happy only
when we understand and live in harmony at all the levels of our living. There are four levels of
living and neither can we ignore any of them nor should we think of anything else other than
these levels.
a) Living in myself: We all have desires, thoughts, imaginations, beliefs and choices. This is
the first level of our living. Before expressing ourselves in relations, we think, and
whatever we receive from others, it again passes through our internal processes. We refer
to this as ‘Self’. This inner world co-exists with the body and together we refer to this as a
human being. So far, we have ended up assuming things without really investigating into
ourselves. We were busy to know about ‘how to live!’. We have to begin ‘knowing’
ourselves and test our beliefs by passing them through our own natural acceptance.
b) Living in family: Our family is the first web of relationships for 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’.
How I see myself, decides how I see the other in my relationships. If I can understand
myself better and clearer, I am able to see the other clearer and better. This understanding
becomes the basis of my relationship with others. In addition, for ensuring harmony in
family and society, we need to understand the expectations in human relationships and the
process for their fulfilment.
c) Living in society: Family is the building block of society. Our family is part of a large
group of people we live with, where there are interdependencies about food, clothing,
services, health, education, justice, etc. This is ours society. As we understand ourselves
and our relationship with our family members, we also understand the other in society,
and are able to fulfil our relationship with them.
d) Living in nature/existence: We are on this Earth, with the plants, 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 including moon,
sun and the infinite stars and planetary systems that surround us. Our earth co-exists with
all that there in the entire existence. When we understand nature, we are able to engage
with it in a relationship that leads to mutual fulfilment.
*****
Model Questions from Unit-I
1. Define value. How does it differ from skill? Explain with suitable examples.
2. Differentiate between value education and skill education with suitable examples. How
are the values and skills complementary?
3. Describe the content and process of value education.
4. Explain the basic guidelines for value education. Also, discuss the important implications
of value education.
5. What is self-exploration? Explain process of self-exploration with a neat diagram.
Describe content of self-exploration.
6. What do you mean by natural acceptance? Differentiate between acceptance and natural
acceptance.
7. What are the basic human aspirations and what are the requirements to fulfill them?
Indicate their correct priority.
8. Distinguish between ‘animal consciousness’ and ‘human consciousness’.
9. “Right understanding in relations and in physical facility leads to mutual happiness and
prosperity respectively” – Justify with explanation.
10. When do you say that the development is holistic? What is the role of education in it?
Explain.
11. What are the basic requirements to fulfill human aspirations? Explain.
12. “Physical facilities are necessary and complete for animals, while they are necessary but
not complete for humans.” Comment.
13. Critically examine the prevailing notions of happiness and prosperity in the society. What
are the consequences of these notions?
14. Explore the need for right understanding of happiness and prosperity.
15. What is the program to understand and live in harmony at all levels of living. Explain.
U N I T – II
UNDERSTANDING HARMONY IN THE HUMAN BEING – HARMONY IN MYSELF
Human being as co-existence of the Self and the Body: On carefully observing the activities
like thinking, feeling happy, enjoying, etc. we can conclude that human being is not just body,
but something more than that. The proposal is that human being is the co-existence of the Self
and the Body.
Co-existence
Human being = Self Body
We keep saying things like ‘I am happy’, ‘I feel bored’, etc. We can see that it is the Body that is
tall or short, fat or thin, healthy or sick, but who is deciding it to be so. It is ‘I’ or ‘Self’, not the
Body. It is the self that recognises the relationships, that decides what to do and that feels happy
or sad. When we say, “I ate delicious food”, we can see that the food was consumed by the body
and I enjoyed the taste of the food.
Needs of the Self and the Body: We can distinguish the Self and the Body based on their needs.
The Self requires happiness. If someone respects us, we feel happy. The feeling of respect is one
of the needs of the Self. Body requires physical facility. For example, it requires food, water, etc.
We can see that both food and respect are required for human being. One cannot be replaced by
the other. By providing food only, one cannot ensure respect. Similarly, just by giving respect,
food is not ensured. They are different types of needs and both should be fulfilled separately.
In terms of time, the needs of the Body are temporary. Body cannot take food
continuously. It wants food only when it is hungry. If we are forced to eat when the stomach is
full, we find it uncomfortable and intolerable. But, the needs of the Self are continuous. It wants
to be happy continuously. Hence, it requires right feelings, like respect continuously. If there is a
break in the feeling of respect for us, we feel uncomfortable.
Co-existence
Human Being Self Body
Need Happiness (e.g. Respect) Physical facility (e.g. Food)
In Time Continuous Temporary
In Quantity Qualitative (It is feeling) Quantitative (Required in
limited quantity)
Further, the needs of the Body are measurable and quantitative. We can have food in
limited quantity; we require clothes, shelter, etc. in limited quantity. But, the needs of the Self are
not quantitative, rather they are qualitative. They cannot be measured. It is possible to have a
feeling or to not have a feeling. We cannot have more respect or less respect. Either we have
respect or we don’t.
Fulfilment of the Needs of the Self and the Body

All the needs related to the Body, which are in terms of physical facility, are fulfilled by some
physico-chemical things. All the needs related to the Self are in terms of feelings and they are
fulfilled by right understanding and right feeling. Body needs cannot be fulfilled by the right
feeling and Self needs cannot be fulfilled by material things. Both of them should be fulfilled
separately. For example, we cannot feed Body with feelings. It requires materials, like food.
Similarly, we cannot make the Self happy by material things like food, water, etc.
Co-existence
Fulfilled by Right understanding & Right Physico-chemical things
feeling
The needs related to the Body depend on age, health condition and size of the Body. For example,
an adult may need 1 kg of food in a day, while a child may need only 100 grams. On the other
hand, the needs of the Self are definite. A child needs happiness as much as an old person. Thus,
right understanding and right feeling is the need of any Self and every Self, irrespective of the
state and condition of the Body.
For a human being, the needs of the Self are more significant than the needs of the Body.
However, at present, we are largely focussed on Body and neglecting the needs of the Self.
Activities of the Self and the Body

The activities of the Self are desire, thought and expectation. They are continuous in time. For
example, the activity of thought takes place continuously. When we are bored of thinking about
one thing, we start thinking of something else. On the other hand, any work that we take from the
Body, like eating, walking, etc. is temporary in time. After some time, the Body gets tired and we
need to give it rest. We cannot make it continuous.
In fact, the activities of the body, like eating and walking are not the activities of the body
alone. They involve the Self also. The Self makes the decision to walk and the Body is walking.
Similarly, Self makes the decision to eat and the Body is eating. The body is getting the nutrition
and Self is getting the taste. However, there are activities of Body alone (without involvement of
the Self), like heartbeat, blood circulation, etc.
Co-existence
Activity Desire, Thought, Expectation... Eating, Walking...
Response of the Self and the Body

The response of the Body is based on recognizing and fulfilling whereas the response of the Self
is based on knowing, assuming, recognizing and fulfilling.
Co-existence
Response Knowing, Assuming, Recognising, Fulfilling
Recognising, Fulfilling
Let’s consider an example. If someone is piercing a needle in your body, the Body has a definite
recognition and fulfilment. If the needle is harder than the skin of the Body, it will go inside. If it
is softer than the skin, it will not go inside. This recognition and fulfilment of the Body with the
needle is definite. Consider the response of the Self in the above example. We can either allow
the needle to go into our skin or deny it. That depends upon the situation and our assumption
about that person. If the person piercing the needle is a doctor, we cooperate. If the person is an
enemy trying to inject poison in the Body, we oppose him.
It means, the recognition and fulfilment of the Body will be same in both the cases, and
hence the response of the body is definite. But, recognition and fulfilment of the Self depends on
the assumption in the Self. Since assumptions keep on changing based on the circumstances, peer
pressure, society, media, etc.; our recognition and fulfilment, our conduct also keeps varying.
This is the source of indefinite conduct of human being.
Most of the human beings exhibit indefinite conduct because of different sets of
assumptions they have in them. The same person can exhibit affection one time and full of
jealousy another time. These assumptions may bring contradiction in the Self or between two
different persons.
As long as we are just operating based on assuming, recognizing and fulfilling, we are in
problem. Our conduct is indefinite as our assumptions keep changing. Knowing means
understanding the reality as it is, in its completeness. Since reality is definite, knowing is also
definite. When assuming (accepting) is based on knowing, the acceptance is set right. Then our
recognition of relationship is set right, and therefore, when we make effort to fulfil the
relationship, it becomes definite and humane. It is called definite human conduct. The shift from
operating only on the basis of ‘assuming without knowing’ to operating on the basis of ‘knowing’
is facilitated by human education-sanskar.
The Self as the Consciousness Entity, the Body as the Material Entity
Co-existence
In Quantity Qualitative (It is feeling) Quantitative (Required in
limited quantity)
Fulfilled by Right understanding & Right feeling Physico-chemical things
Activity Desire, Thought, Expectation... Eating, Walking...
Response Knowing, Assuming, Recognising, Recognising, Fulfilling
Fulfilling
Consciousness entity Material entity
The need, fulfilment, activity and the response of Self and Body are completely different. They
are two different types of reality – self is the domain of consciousness and body is the domain of
material. Happiness is the need of the consciousness and it is fulfilled by right understanding and
right feeling which are the activities of the consciousness itself. Body is the material entity and its
needs are fulfilled by physico-chemical things only. In order to understand human being, both the
domains must be understood. Needs of both the domains must be fulfilled separately.
Gross Misunderstanding – Assuming Human Being to be only the Body
The needs of human being are happiness (for the Self) and physical facility (for the Body). But,
when we assume that ‘the human being is just the Body’, all the human needs must be fulfilled by
physical facility. It means, we are trying to fulfil the continuous need for happiness, like respect,
through physical facility like clothes and food. Since the need of happiness is continuous, we
have to put our efforts continuously to acquire more and more physical facility so that we can be
happy continuously. Hence, the need for clothes, food and any other physical facility appears to
be undefined and unlimited in quantity.
For example, we can observe people who are trying to get respect out of clothes. They
keep on buying and wearing new clothes just to draw the attention towards themselves, thinking
that attention is same as respect. In such a case, what about continuity of respect on this basis? So
they have to continue to acquire and accumulate materials. It never leads to either happiness or
prosperity.
It is known that all the things related to physical facility are materials and they must be
provided by Nature. But, the resources existing in Nature are limited. Hence, it is not possible to
fulfil the unlimited physical facilities with limited resources of Nature. It leads to competition and
people try to acquire physical facilities by any means. It leads to exploitation of resources of
Nature and also exploitation of other human beings. Thus, there is a contradiction or conflict
arising due to assumption that human being is only the Body.
Body as an Instrument of ‘I’

Human being is the co-existence of Self and the Body. The Self is a unit of consciousness and it
is in co-existence with material Body. It is the Self that makes all the decisions and uses the Body
to execute them, as and when required. The self sends the instructions to the Body and the Body
follows those instructions. All the sensations taking place in the Body are available to the Self
and it reads the sensations it considers significant. For example, when we read a line in a book,
the eye is able to see the entire page and the table on which the book is placed. But, Self pays
attention to that which it wants to read. The same is true for every sense organ. These sensations
are provided to the Self by the Body. But, the Self accesses them only as and when it considers it
necessary.
For example, when you (Self) want to eat a sweet, the Self instructs the Body to walk to a
shop, pay the money to buy the sweet, put the sweet in the mouth, etc. When the sweet comes in
contact with the tongue, it creates a sensation at the tongue and the Self reads that sensation as
taste. Once the sweet goes down the throat, the sensation of taste is not available to the Self any
more, and the sweet is in the process of digestion by the Body. The transactions taking place
between the Self and the Body are in the form of information. No material transaction is taking
place.
Information
Self (I) Consciousness Instructions Body (material)
Sensations
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, is my program of action for of physical facility is a part of my program
continuous happiness (<1/4th)
I am the: Seer, Doer, Enjoyer (Experiencer) I use the body as an instrument for
fulfilment of my program
Self wants to live with continuous happiness and it is fulfilled by right understanding and right
feeling. The program of the Self is to be in harmony at all the four levels. In this process, the
Body is used as an instrument. For nurturing, protecting and rightly utilizing this instrument,
physical facility is required from time to time. A part of my program is to produce this physical
facility, to protect it and to rightly utilize it. This protection, protection and right utilization of
physical facility is only a part of my entire program. A rough estimate is that the program related
to physical facility is less than one fourth of my entire program. Thus, the need of the Self is the
primary need of human being and Self plays major role in in the fulfilment. In the entire program,
the Body is a useful tool, a useful instrument.
The Self as the Seer-Doer-Enjoyer

I am the Seer: It is the Self that sees the reality; that understands the reality. You can observe
that while reading this book at this moment, you are seeing the words with the help of your eyes.
But, understanding the words and associating the meaning to the words is not done by eyes. The
eyes (or any other sense organs) are a tool. They do not see, the Body does not see. Rather, it is
the Self which sees through the eyes. It is the Self which associates meaning, which understands,
with the help of the Body as an instrument.
When you carefully observe within, you don’t even need to use the senses. For example,
to see your feeling, to see if you are happy or unhappy, you don’t require any sense organ. The
Self is directly able to see the feelings, desires, thoughts, expectations, etc. without the need of
the Body. Thus, the Self is the seer, it is the one which understands, and in the process, the Body
may be used as an Instrument, as and when required.
I am the Doer: Self is the doer. Doer means, one who decides, one who takes the decision to do
or not to do. For example, you are reading this book right now with the help of your eyes. Now,
observe who has taken the decision to read the book – eyes or you (Self)? Since you decide what
to do and what not to do – you (Self) are the doer. To execute your decision, you use the Body as
and when required.
Further, there are activities of the Self where the Body is not at all involved, like desire,
thought and expectation. Suppose a person wants to take revenge on another person. He thinks of
taking revenge for some time, say 2 hours. Later he drops that idea of taking revenge. Now, who
dropped the idea – Self or the Body? We can see that it is the Self that decides. In this way, I am
the Doer.
I am the Enjoyer (Experiencer): It is the Self that feels enthused or depressed, or angry or
delighted. The feelings are in the Self and not in the Body. Of course, there is an impact of these
feelings on the Body; so if you are enthused, your body is more energetic; if you feel angry, your
breathing may become faster and so on. It is the Self that experiences the happiness and
unhappiness. In this sense, I am the enjoyer.
PART-2
CHARACTERISTICS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE SELF (‘I’)
There are two categories of attributes of the Self: (i) the Powers of the Self and (ii) the
corresponding Activities as the manifest outcome of these powers.
(i) Power means the basic capacity in the Self to involve in an activity. It includes Desire,
Thought and Expectation.
(ii) Activities include Imaging, Analysing-Comparing and Selecting-Tasting.
The above two categories (power and activity) can be matched as in the following figure.
(i) Power is ‘desire’ and its activity is ‘imaging’: Desire is about what to do or what you want to
be. It is the name given to the activity of imaging. When we observe ourselves within, we do not
see the desire directly, it is seen in the form of activity of imaging. That is, presence of activity of
imaging in us indicates the presence of desire. For example, if there is a desire for a big house,
you want to become the owner of a big house. So, when you say desire for a big house, it means
you have an image of yourself being owner of a big house. The desires are in the form of images
and we are constantly trying to fulfil these desires. The image is not just a physical image but an
image that also contains some feeling and some purpose.
(ii) Power is ‘thought’ and its activity is ‘analyzing-comparing’: Thought is the power for the
activity of analyzing, trying to work out the details of ‘how to fulfill your desire’ i.e., how to do.
When you have a desire of becoming owner of a big house, you start working out the details of
the house. For example, how many floors, having a dining room, a bedroom, a verandah- is it
open verandah or partially covered one, a kitchen, totally how many rooms and so on. This is
called analyzing. You are trying to separate different parts of the image, trying to work out the
details of the image. The one that we finally choose depends on your basis for comparison. Thus,
thought is the activity of analyzing based on comparing various possibilities to fulfill your desire.
(iii) Power is ‘expectation’ and its activity is ‘selecting-tasting’: Expectation is the power for
the activity of selecting based on tasting. For example, when you are desiring for a big house, you
have an image of it, you are analyzing that image, trying to work out the details of it. Now you
will try to fill the minute details like nature of the walls, the colours on them, etc. This is the
activity of selecting, which is based on tasting. If you had visited some house in which the walls
are, say cream coloured, and you liked it. It becomes part of your taste. So when you are selecting
colours, you may select cream colour. Expectation is the activity of selecting on the basis of
tasting. This is the activity through which the Self interacts with the Body. The root of analyzing-
comparing and selecting-tasting is the desire.
Let’s consider one more example. You may observe that you have a desire to be a person
with a good job. That creates an image in you. Now the Self starts the activity of analyzing – how
to get a good job, shall I try for campus recruitment, shall I apply directly to the companies
related to my specialization, shall I consult my seniors and so on. You may be dropping some of
these thoughts when you compare with your criteria. Then, there may be many selections
depending on your taste – the set of companies based on the package, and so on.
Activities of the Self are continuous: The activities of the Self are continuous. We all have some
desire or the other all the time. For example, the desire to be happy – is that always there. We
cannot stop thinking. We have some thought or the other continuously. Also, we have expectation
all the time. For example, we always have the expectation to keep the Body comfortable.
Sometimes, we may not be able to see them to occur continuously, but they are continuous. We
are not aware that they are going on.
Activities together constitute Imagination: You may not immediately be able to observe your
desire, thought and expectation distinctly; however, you can easily say that something is going on
within. All these activities together is called Imagination. One imagination or the other is going
on in us all the time. Even if you observe yourself for five minutes, you will find some 10, 20, 30
imaginations taking place. All the decisions are made in our imagination, and imagination gets
expressed in behaviour with other human beings as well as work with rest of the Nature.
It is possible that you may select to express something outside as behaviour or work or
you may select not to express anything outside. That decision is also taken at the level of
imagination. In behaviour, you may use the Body to share your feeling of respect for your friend
by way of words. In work with rest of Nature, you may involve your Body to sow some seeds and
so on. Your behaviour or work is simply an expression of your imagination in which the Body is
involved.
State of imagination: At the initial level, we may find it difficult to observe our imaginations. If
you start looking at yourself, you will find that we have imaginations one after the other all the
time. The Self decides the content of imagination. You will find out that your imagination stays
on those contents that you consider valuable and that you consider important. You also can find
that the imaginations may be in harmony or in contrary with each other. The imagination is
significant because all the decisions are made here. Everything we feel, we think and we decide
here. If the imagination is well-organized and in harmony, the life will be happy. If the
imagination is random and confused, then there will be happiness sometimes and unhappiness
some other times.
Possible sources of Imagination
The seed or root of imagination is the desire. A small desire expands in thought and further
expands in expectation. If we can be aware of our desire, we can check if it is in line with our
natural acceptance or not before expanding it further in our imagination. We can find that there
are three possible sources of motivation for imagination.
a) Preconditioning b) Sensation c) Natural acceptance
Preconditioning as a source of motivation for imagination: A dominant source of imagination is
preconditioning. Preconditioning means the beliefs, notions, norms, ideas, views, assumptions,
etc. picked by oneself, or prevailing in the family, in the society which may influence our
imagination. For example, if parents or friends 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. 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, 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. If your desire is to
come first in the class because of pressure or influence of people around you and related it to your
happiness, it may not be your natural acceptance, but you have made it your desire without
verifying it for yourself.
A large percentage of your desires are motivated by preconditioning. They are not your
natural acceptance, but you have made them your desire under some influence or pressure.
Sometimes you may not even be aware of it. A little awareness shows that the way we dress,
what we select to eat, the way we talk,… most of these are coming from our preconditioning.
Sensation as a source of motivation for imagination: Another major source of imagination is the
sensation. Sensation is the information we get from the Body through the five sense organs. For
example, you are going by the road and you see a very shining red car passing by. Now your
imagination is dragged by the car. You start desiring for that car now, because you started liking
its colour, or shape, or speed. So, now you have a desire for such a car.
Sensation has a important role in our imagination. Many of our desires are governed by
the sensation that we get from the sense organs. We feel motivated to fulfil those desires without
being able to relate them to the continuity of happiness. Thus, we are accumulating desires just
like that, without any verification.
The above two are major sources of motivation for our imagination.
Natural acceptance as the most authentic source of motivation for imagination: The third source
of motivation is our natural acceptance, which is also called inner voice or conscience. Self-
verification on the basis of natural acceptance can be the third possible source. It is the real
source for deciding our desire, our imagination.
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.
Consequences of Imagination – Self-organization or Enslavement
If we carefully observe the source of motivation for Imagination, each imagination can finally
lead us to either self-organization or enslavement.
Desires from Preconditioning: As long as your desires are coming from preconditioning, you
cannot be sure whether they are in harmony with your natural acceptance or not. Therefore, you
are not sure whether you will be in a state of happiness or unhappiness within. Often, the desires
coming from preconditioning may not be yours. They may be borrowed from outside. For
example, what is the basis for you to decide to wear the torn clothes (to show others that you are
in tune with the latest fashion)? It is based on the preconditioning, rather than natural acceptance.
If it is based on natural acceptance, you would have selected clothes that protect the Body, and
also that are acceptable in the Society. It means – ‘what you have to wear’ is decided by others,
but not you. It indicates that you are dictated by your own preconditioning. It is a state of
enslavement.
Desires from Sensation: Desires originated from sensation also may not ensure harmony. When
we try to fulfill any desire from sensations of the Body, we get bored and shift to something else,
for example, shifting TV channels, shifting from sweets to salty snacks, etc. Similarly, favourable
feelings from others also may not ensure harmony within us. Taste of favourable feeling is also
short lived. If we decide to eat a food that is tasty but does not nurture the Body, it is the decision
taken based on the sensation, but not on our natural acceptance. If we carefully observe, the
sensations from the Body are overriding our natural acceptance. In this sense, the decision is
dictated by the sensations of the Body, but not natural acceptance. It is a state of enslavement and
we are enslaved by our own sensations.
Desires based on natural acceptance: Only when your desires are based on your natural
acceptance, you can be in harmony within. In such a case, your imagination (desire, thought and
expectation) is in line with your natural acceptance and that will lead to harmony and happiness.
Our behaviour and work are now in line with our natural acceptance. This is what we referred to
as definite human conduct. In fact, the desires based on our natural acceptance are truly our
desires. For example, if you decide to buy shoes in order to protect your feet and you selected
shoes of right size and shape of your feet, it is in line with your natural acceptance. Then, the
latest fashion, designs, exterior appearances, etc. do not have any influence on your decision.
Such desires would be in line with your basic aspiration for mutual happiness and mutual
prosperity at the base, so they will be acceptable not only to you, but to others as well. This is the
state of being self-organized.
Understanding Harmony in the Self
The activities of the Self have been marked in two blocks, B1 and B2 in the following figure.
Activities mentioned in block B2 indicate ‘What I am’, my imagination. They are governing our
harmony or disharmony within and outside in terms of our behaviour, work and participation in
the larger order i.e., in the family, society and nature/existence. The activities mentioned in block
B1 indicate ‘what I really want to be’, related to my natural acceptance. They are contemplation,
understanding and realization. Contemplation is the activity of seeing my participation in the
larger order, Understanding is the activity of seeing the inherent harmony in every unit in nature,
and realization is the activity of seeing the co-existence in existence. If I am awakened to these
activities, it is my internal guide for all my imagination. They ensure relationship, harmony and
co-existence.
At any point of time, our state of being can be articulated as the accumulation of our desire,
thought, expectation and ‘acceptances’ derived out of it. These ‘acceptances’ put together is
called as Sanskar.
Sanskar = Acceptances derived out of  {Desire (from all time) + Thought (from all time) +
Expectation (from all time)}
Sanskar is being updated over time. We have some sanskar at one moment ‘t’. At the next
moment (t+1), our sanskar can be mentioned as:
Sanskar (t+1) = Sanskar (t) + Environment (t) + Self-exploration (t)

Our sanskar at the next moment (t+1) is a result of our sanskar at present moment (t), the
environment we are in at the present moment and the self-exploration we do at present moment.
Sanskar may or may not be in line with our natural acceptance. If we do self-exploration based on
natural acceptance, sanskar generated out of it will be harmonious, and our sanskar at the next
moment will be more harmonious than that at present. Similarly, if we just assume things without
self-verification, even then our sanskar will be updated, but it may or may not be better than our
current sanskar. It can be worse if we are assuming things based on wrong preconditioning or
sensation.
For example, if we are getting inputs from social environment that ‘do not trust anyone’, again
and again, it becomes part of our imagination. As a result, at point of time, we may develop the
acceptance for it. Now, ‘do not trust anyone’ becomes part of our sanskar and it continues with
us. Many of our decisions will be based on this sanskar. If we explore ourselves based on natural
acceptance, we find that the feeling of trust is naturally acceptable. We develop the acceptance
for the feeling of trust. Hence, our previous sanskar ‘mistrust’ gets updated to the feeling of
‘trust’.
Ensuring Harmony in the Self
In order to ensure harmony in the Self, we need to:

a) Know our natural acceptance. Our natural acceptance is for relationship, not for
opposition; for harmony, not for disharmony; and for co-existence, not for conflict or
struggle. We should identify “what I really want to be”, “what is naturally acceptable to
me”.
b) Be aware of our imagination. i.e., our desire, thought and expectation, or the activities of
imaging, analyzing-comparing and selecting-tasting.
c) Find out how much of our accumulated imagination is motivated by preconditioning,
sensation and natural acceptance. This is essentially analyzing “what I am”.
d) Work out a way to sort out our imagination (desire, thought and expectation) till it is fully
in line with our natural acceptance. Thus, we move to relationship, harmony and co-
existence and make ourselves free of opposition, exploitation and conflict. This is
basically working out a way to line up “what I am” with my natural acceptance, through
the process of dialogue within, i.e., the process of self-exploration.
Harmony in the Self is achieved by ensuring that all imaginations are in line with our natural
acceptance through self-exploration.
Harmony of the Self with Body
Our responsibility towards the Body is in terms of nurturing, protecting and rightly utilizing the
Body. Nurturing is by providing the right air, water, food, sunlight, etc. Protection is from
unfavourable conditions. Right utilization would mean using the Body for the purpose of the Self.
The feeling of responsibility towards the Body is called as the feeling of self-regulation.
Feeling of self-regulation = Feeling of responsibility towards the Body (for nurturing,

protection and right utilization of the Body)
With the feeling of self-regulation in me, I make a programme to nurture, protect and rightly
utilize the Body, thus ensure the health of the Body.
Health of the Body = 1. The body acts according to the instructions of the Self
2. The parts of the Body are in harmony (in order)
The body is healthy if it is able to perform the instructions of the Self. For example, when you
ask the body to sit erect without back support for four hours, it is able to sit in that manner. This
is a healthy body. If the body is not able to run, jump or sit up straight when you ask it to, it is
called unhealthy body, or sick body. The second indicator of a healthy body is that different parts
of the Body are in harmony amongst each other. Every system in the body is doing something
and it is finely balanced with all the other systems of the body.
Self (I) Body (Instrument)

Self-regulation Health
Feeling of responsibility towards the body – 1. Body acts according to Self.
for nurturing, protection and right utilization 2. Parts of the body are in harmony
of the Body
With the healthy body, it is my responsibility to make right utilization of it. That is, I
utilize my body for the purpose of basic aspiration of being happy and prosperous. I will be able
to do this only when I have self-regulation (sanyam). When I have self-regulation in the Self, and
there is health in the Body, these two together ensure harmony of the Self with the Body. If I do
not have self-regulation, I may end up misusing the Body, using it to get excitement through
favourable sensation (for example, overeating tasty food), and in the process I make the Body
unhealthy.
Programme for Self-regulation (Sanyam) and Health
The feeling of self-regulation in the Self is expressed as the programme involving nurturing,
protecting and right utilization of the Body.
1. Nurturing the Body: Body is a wonderful self-organized system. Each part co-exists in
harmony with every other part. Nurturing means providing the necessary inputs to it. The
right inputs nurture the Body, without disturbing its harmony. The programme for nurturing
and maintaining health of the Body includes the following:
1a. Intake 1b. Routine
2a. Physical labour 2b. Exercise
3a. Balancing internal and external 3b. Balancing breathing of body
organs of the Body
4a. Medicine 4b. Treatment
1a) The intake includes the air, water, sunlight, food, etc. The air should contain necessary
oxygen, and water should be sufficiently pure and contain necessary minerals. Exposure of
the Body to sunlight provides vitamin D. The food should be nutritious, easy to digest and
should be tasty for the Self. Taste is a way the Body recognizes the food and secretes
appropriate digestive juices.
1b) A regular daily routine is necessary for health of the Body. The activities of the Body like
waking up, cleaning the Body, eating, physical work and sleeping should take place at
prescribed times. Further, based on the seasonal changes, some modifications are to be done
in the routine. For example, when seasonal changes occur, digestion becomes sluggish and
traditionally, fasting or intake of light food is suggested.
2a) The Body needs adequate movement and exertion to maintain its health. It also needs
physical facility for its upkeep. Labour is the effort a human being does on the rest of nature.
There are two categories of labour. One results in production of physical facility. Some 4-6
hours of labour a day provides sufficient body movements to keep the Body in good health. It
is interesting to note that with this much labour, more than enough physical facility can also
be produced. For example, daily 2 hours of labour in the field is enough to grow vegetables
for a family of 10 members. The second category is service in which maintenance and upkeep
of a physical facility or body is ensured; even though no physical facility is produced. For
example, repair/maintenance of instruments/equipment, etc.
A life style which includes appropriate intake, routine and labour, would be generally
sufficient to keep the Body in good health. However, if we are unable to do that, or in spite of
this effort, there is some disharmony in the Body, there are some more aspects of the
programme for self-regulation and health, below.
2b) Exercise requires exertion or physical effort; and it also ensures movement of the Body.
The major difference between labour and exercise is that in exercise no physical facility is
produced. Exercise is quite useful in maintaining the health and fitness of the Body. Various
means of exercise include walking, jogging, swimming, weight lifting, etc. Most of the
outdoor and indoor games also provide exercise.
3a) Due to any reason when internal or external organs get stressed, harmony of the Body is
disturbed. For example, due to repetitive nature of your work, inactivity due to lack of work,
or any accidental happenings. There is a need for keeping the internal and external organs in
harmony by appropriate means like specific postures, etc.
3b) If breathing is disturbed due to any reason, the harmony of the Body gets disturbed. In
that case, balancing the breathing is necessary, through appropriate breathing exercises.
In general, health of the Body can be maintained by these three (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b).
Despite these, if there is some problem in the health of the Body, then we take medicine and
ultimately, we also take treatment when all this does not work.
4a) The Body is self-organized and naturally in harmony. It is able to recover itself from
many disturbances. For example, if there is cut in the skin, the Body has the capacity to heal
it. Medicine is used only to assist the Body to return back to harmony. An antiseptic ointment
is medicine for helping the Body to heal a cut, while protecting the Body from potential
infections. In some cases, medicinal materials also become a part of our food. For example,
turmeric is a natural antiseptic. Such food is not only nurturing for the Body, but also protects
the Body from infections.
4b) In case, the Body is not in a state to recover itself back to a state of harmony, there is a
need for treatment. For example, dialysis in case of kidney failure. Similarly, in case of an
accident, a ventilator may be required to perform the breathing function, while the Body is
occupied in self-healing other aspects.
2. Protecting the Body: Providing a conducive physical environment includes clothing, shelter,
vaccinations, etc. is all a part of protection of the Body. Weather-appropriate clothing is
required to protect the Body from excessive heat, cold, rain, etc. Shelter is required while the
Body is resting. Vaccinations are necessary for developing antigens to protect the Body from
viruses, etc. Thus, various protective measures are required for the Body.
3. Right Utilization of the Body: It is well-known that the value of any entity is its purposeful
participation in the larger order. In the case of the human body, the larger order is the human
being. Hence, right utilization of the Body would mean that it is used in the process of
fulfilling human aspiration. The basic human aspiration is to be happy and prosperous, and it
is fulfilled by right understanding, right feeling and required physical facility. Hence, Body is
said to be rightly utilized only when it is involved in any activity leading to this fulfillment.
Correct appraisal of our physical needs – Meaning of prosperity in detail
The need for physical facility is essentially related to fulfillment of the feeling of responsibility
towards the Body. We need physical facility for nurturing the Body, for protecting the Body and
for right utilization of the Body. If we carefully observe, we can see that physical facility required
to ensure each one of them is in limited quantity. For example, food, water, shelter, clothes, etc.
are required in limited quantity. In the process of right utilization of the Body, we require some
instruments, equipment, etc. in a limited quantity. For example, when we have to address a large
gathering, we need a mike. It is an instrument which we use for the right utilization of the Body.
Similarly, all the means of transportation, telecommunication and television that we use are
instruments required for right utilization of the Body, and they are all required in limited quantity.
Unless we are able to identify that our need for physical facility is limited, we will never
realize that there is a possibility of prosperity. Prosperity is the feeling of having or producing
more than the required physical facility (for nurturing, protecting and right utilization of the
Body).
In order to ensure the feeling of having more than required, two things are necessary:
1. Identification of required physical facility, Ensured through right understanding

along with the required quantity
2. Ensuring the availability or production of Ensured through right skills
more than required physical facility
With the feeling of prosperity, you will think of right utilization, you will think of
nurturing others, you will think of production. A prosperous person thinks of nurturing the other
and right utilization of physical facility. A deprived person thinks of exploiting others and
accumulation of physical facility. Prosperity can truly be understood, only when one is able to see
that the human being is the co-existence of the Self and the Body.
*****
Model Questions from Unit-II
1. Human being is the co-existence of the self and the body. Explain.
2. Distinguish between Self and body with reference to their needs and activities.
3. “Body is an instrument of ‘I’ – Justify the statement.
4. Self is the seer, doer and enjoyer. Comment on it.
5. How can you say that “the Self is the conscious entity and the body is material entity”?
6. Gross misunderstanding is “assuming human being to be only the body”. Justify.
7. Explain characteristics and activities of the ‘Self’ with a diagram.
8. Describe understanding harmony in the ‘Self’ with a diagram and an example.
9. List various sources of imagination in the Self. Elaborate with a few examples.
10. Consequences of imagination are self-organization or enslavement. Comment.
11. Justify the statement: ”Self-exploration is the way of ensuring harmony in the Self”.
12. What do you understand by “Harmony of Self with Body”?
13. What are the three aspects involved in programme for self-regulation and health. Explain
in detail.
14. How does the feeling of Self-regulation facilitate the correct appraisal of our physical
needs?
15. What role does the feeling of Self-regulation play in understanding Prosperity? Elaborate
on the feeling of prosperity with the base of self-regulation.
U N I T – III
UNDERSTANDING HARMONY IN THE FAMILY AND SOCIETY – HARMONY IN
HUMAN-HUMAN RELATIONSHIP
PART-I: UNDERSTANDING HARMONY IN THE FAMILY

Family as the basic unit of interaction: Family is the basic unit or building block of human
organization. It is a practice ground for living in relationship and harmony. Every human being
starts becoming aware of relationship in a family. It is in the family where we pick up a very
significant part of our sanskar.
Understanding relationship – four aspects of relationship

1. Relationship is – between one Self (I1) and another Self (I2): The relationship between human
beings is already there. We all are related to each other – whether we recognize it or not. We need
not construct or create any relationship. All we need to do is to understand relationship. When we
understand relationship, it is naturally acceptable to accept it and live in it. Then, we work to
fulfil the relationship. Even if we don’t understand the relationship, it is still there. But, we cannot
fulfil it as we have not understood it.
Understanding relationship
Accepting relationship
Fulfilling relationship
Mutual happiness
We know the relationship is between one human being and another human being. Upon
having the right understanding that human being is co-existence of self and body, we can easily
see that the relationship is between one self and another self. It is the self which recognizes the
feelings in relationship, but not the body. It is the self that understands, accepts and fulfils
relationship. The body may be used as an instrument in the process of fulfilling relationship as
and when required.
2. There are feelings in relationship – in one Self (I1) for the other Self (I2): The important issue
in relationship is that of feelings. We can see that there are feelings in the Self, and Self can
recognize the feelings. In order to understand relationship, it is necessary to understand the Self
and the feelings in the Self.
The major crisis we are facing today in relationship is because of failure to understand the
Self. We are trying to assume relationship on the basis of body, trying to fulfil relationship on the
basis of body, and it does not work. When we don’t understand the Self, it is not possible to
ensure fulfilment of feelings in relationships. We cannot ensure feelings through physical facility.
Feelings are central to human relationship.
3. Feelings can be recognized – they are definite: There are nine right feelings in human-human
relationship. We can understand them, ensure them within ourselves, share them with others and
thus ensure mutual fulfilment in relationship. They are the feelings naturally acceptable to us, and
also to others. To have these feelings in me makes me comfortable, harmonious and happy.
Similarly, to have these feeling in others makes them comfortable, harmonious and happy. For
example, the feeling of respect in me is naturally acceptable to me and makes me comfortable.
Similarly, the feeling of respect in me towards others makes them comfortable. But, when I have
disrespect for other, it is not naturally acceptable to me. It causes contradiction within me, it leads
to unhappiness within me. This is true even if I do not express or share that disrespect to the
other.
The nine right feelings are:
1. Trust (foundation value) 4. Care 7. Glory
2. Respect 5. Guidance 8. Gratitude
3. Affection 6. Reverence 9. Love (complete value)
4. Fulfilment and evaluation of feelings leads to mutual happiness: When we have naturally
acceptable feelings in the Self, we share them with the other, and when we are both able to
evaluate the feelings rightly, it leads to mutual happiness. Evaluation is required to verify whether
we have these feelings or not, whether we have expressed these feelings to the other or not,
whether the same feeling has reached to the other or not and ultimately evaluation is required to
see if the result is mutual happiness or not.
The problems in relationship today are due to lack of understanding of one or more of the
right feelings in us. Consequently, we try to make up this gap by physical facility or by trying to
demand these feelings from others, rather than ensuring these feelings in ourselves and sharing
them with others. The larger issues of domination, exploitation, adultery, divorce, breakdown of
the family system, etc. can also be seen as symptoms of lack of understanding of relationship and
of lack of feelings in relationship.
Trust – The foundation value

This is the fundamental and foundation feeling in any human-human relationship. Trust is to have
the clarity that the other wants to make me happy and prosperous. If we are clear that the other
person wants to make us happy and prosperous, we feel assured of him. On the other hand, if we
have even a small doubt that the other person wants to make us unhappy or deprived, we will
have the feeling of mistrust for him. Consider the following statements in order to evaluate trust
between two individuals.
About your Natural Acceptance About your Ability
1a I want to make myself happy  1b. I am able to make myself always ?
. happy
2a I want to make the other happy  2b. I am able to make the other always ?
. happy
3a The other wants to make himself/  3b. The other is able to make himself/ ?
. herself happy herself always happy
4a The other wants to make me happy ? 4b. The other is able to make me ??
. always happy
Intention – Natural Acceptance Competence
What is Naturally Acceptable to You What You Are ( D, T, E)
Upon self exploration based on our natural acceptance, we can see that our answers for
the statements 1a, 2a and 3a are Yes. However, in case of the statement 4a, we are not sure. When
we explore the statements 1b to 4b, which are related to the ability (competence) to be happy / to
make others happy, we come to know that it is not happening always – sometimes it is happening
and sometimes it is not. We are not sure about their continuity.
Distinguishing between intention and competence
The common mistake in relationship is due to confusion between intention and
competence. It can be clarified based on a simple example of breaking a glass. If I break the
glass, even for many times, I never doubt my intention (natural acceptance). I say that the glass
was broken accidentally. I think that I am a good person as my intentions are good. But, when the
other person breaks the glass, I start doubting his competence. This doubt does not remain limited
to the competence, rather I start concluding about his intention, and I conclude that the other
person is bad.
This doubt on intention of the other has been a major source of problem in relationships.
It leads to feeling of opposition, irritation or anger. We might have lost so many friends and
relatives based on the confusion between lack of competence and doubt on intention.
Unconditional, continuous trust on Try to improve his/her competence Response
intention based on natural acceptance
Doubt on intention Get irritated, Reaction
Get angry, or
Have a feeling of opposition
Another common mistake that we keep making today is to have feelings and relationships
based on incidents. It does not work because these incidents depend on my competence and the
competence of the other, and these competences with change with time. Hence, it may lead to
lack of continuity in the fulfilment in relationship. On the other hand, if we are able to understand
the feelings and relationships based on natural acceptances, there can be continuity in the
fulfilment of the relationships.
Respect as Right Evaluation

This is the second most fundamental feeling in a human-human relationship. Respect can be
defined as Right Evaluation. When we are rightly evaluated, we feel respected. When we are not
rightly evaluated, we feel disrespected. In present days, we are mostly disrespecting in the name
of respect. It is mostly:
i) Over evaluation – evaluating for more than what it is.
ii) Under evaluation – evaluating for less than what it is. Disrespect
iii) Otherwise evaluation – evaluating for other than what it is.
Let’s try to understand the above types of evaluations by an example. A family consists of
parents and three children. When a gust would come home, the parents would introduce their
children.
Child Studying Introduced as Type of evaluation
Elder daughter B.Sc. final Parents did not wish to introduce Under evaluation
year her as she was studying a normal
degree course
Younger B.Pharm. She is pride, the shining star of our Over evaluation
daughter first year family
Youngest son 7th class He is a donkey, very poor in school Otherwise evaluation
studies
The wrong evaluation (disrespect) will lead to either depression or ego, whereas the right
evaluation (respect) will lead to self-confidence. To do the right evaluation, we have to do it on
the basis of Self. If we don’t understand the Self, the right evaluation is not possible.
The minimum content of respect is: The other is similar to me. The right evaluation is possible
only when we have the clarity of human being to be co-existence of Self and Body, and
evaluation should be on the basis of Self and not the Body. Based on the Self, we have three
things:
a) Our purpose is the same: On the basis of natural acceptance, we have the same purpose of
living with continuous happiness and prosperity.
b) Our program is same: The purpose can be achieved when we understand the harmony and
live in harmony at all the levels. This is true in case of me and also others.
c) Our potential is same: I am endowed with natural acceptance and the activities of desire,
thought and expectation are going on continuously in me. This is my basic potential. The
other is also endowed with the same. So our potential is also same.
The complete content of Respect is: We are complementary to each other. Based on the above
three things, we can see that we are all similar, the other is similar to me. However, there is one
factor that is differentiating one from the other, and it is competence. Competence means how
much of the potential has been realised. One Self may have realised more of its potential, while
another may have realised less of its potential. So, in terms of competence we are not the same.
When we understand this, we tend to help each other in further developing our competence. So
we are complementary to each other. This is the complete content of respect.
i) If the other has more understanding, is more responsible than me, I am committed to
understand from the other.
ii) If I have more understanding than the other, I am more responsible than the other, I live
with the responsibility with the other, unconditionally, unperturbed by the behaviour of
the other. I am committed to facilitate the understanding in the other, once the other is
assured in relationship and not before that.
Disrespect arising out of Differentiation
Instead of trying to see both the similarities and differences, we most of the times focus on the
differences and we try to discriminate on the basis of these differences, which is disrespect.
Interestingly, this differentiation and discrimination is going on in the relationships in the name
of respect. The following flow chart indicates some of the factors based on which differentiation
is being done.
1. Based on Body: It is because of gross misunderstanding that human being is only Body,
whereas human being is co-existence of Self and Body.
a) Age: We keep saying, “respect elders”. What about younger people? What about children?
They also need respect.
b) Gender: Many societies give higher priority to the male as compared to female or vice-versa.
c) Race: Giving priority to white as compared to brown or black.
d) Physical strength: Giving respect to the people who are physically strong.
2. Based on Physical Facility: It is because of gross misunderstanding that physical facility is
happiness, whereas happiness is to be in a state of harmony, relationship and co-existence.
a) Wealth: One who has more wealth is given respect over the one who is not wealthy.
b) Post: One with higher post is given respect over the one who does not have higher post.
Again, this leads to discrimination which is disrespect. So, there is always a fight between rich
and poor.
3. Based on Beliefs: It is because of gross misunderstanding that if the preconditioning of the
other matches with mine then the other is like me, otherwise he is not like me, while the reality is
every human being is like me.
a) Isms: There are different isms (thought systems like socialism, capitalism, etc.). For example,
if I belong to communism, then I will respect people who belong to communism and not respect
people who belong to capitalism, and so on.
b) Sect: If I belong to one sect, I respect people who belong to the same sect and not respect the
people who do not belong to the same sect.
c) Information: If I have one set of information, say as an engineer, I will be respecting engineers
and not, for example, doctors and vice-versa.
This leads to discrimination, which is disrespect.

In fact, a majority of the problems that we are facing in the society today have to do with the
issue of disrespect in the name of respect, but not respect and disrespect. Majority of movements,
revolts, etc. are due to the lack of understanding of the feeling of respect. Simple incidents of
discrimination (in the name of respect) cause so much of fight, disagreement, opposition and
troubles. If we are able to do the right evaluation on the basis of Self and see that other is similar
to me, many of these issues can be resolved.
Differentiation Respect on the basis of Self
I evaluate on the basis of body, physical I evaluate based on my natural acceptance.
facility or belief (preconditioning).
I compare, compete and differentiate. Our purpose, program and potential are same.
I am different or superior to the other. The other is similar to me.
We are in competition. We are complementary to each other.
I make effort to accentuate the difference, to If the other has more understanding, I learn
manipulate and exploit the other. from him, or if I have more understanding, I
facilitate understanding in other.
3. Affection: It is the feeling of being related to the other. When there are the feelings of trust on
intention and right evaluation of competence in a relationship, I am able to define my
complementarity with the other. In this way, I am able to accept the other as my relative.
 Affection is the feeling of acceptance for the other as one’s relative. For example, parents
generally have a feeling of affection for their children. Similarly, children also feel related
to their parents.
 It is a naturally acceptable feeling and it is desirable in every relationship.
 This feeling can be in continuity only when the relation already has the feelings of trust
and respect.
 The feeling of affection naturally bring responsibility and commitment for mutual
fulfilment – at the level of both Self and Body.
 Lack of affection can be seen in the form of opposition or jealousy.
4. Care: The feeling of affection naturally bring the responsibility and commitment for mutual
fulfilment. It starts reflecting in terms of the feeling of care and guidance. They are natural
outcomes of the feeling of affection. Care can be defined as the feeling of responsibility and
commitment towards (nurturing and protecting) the Body of my relative.
If I have this feeling of responsibility, I would think in terms of nurturing the Body and
protecting the Body. For example, parents having the feeling of affection towards their child,
naturally take care of the child’s Body. Parents do not worry about their inconveniences while
taking care of the child’s Body. They nurture the child regardless of whether the child is able to
reciprocate or not, in terms of feeling and fulfilment. It is unconditional. Care is equally
important for elderly and sick family members who need assistance to take care of their bodies.
Care is the feeling of the Self, associated with the Body and physical facility. In order to
nurture and protect the Body, we require physical facility, like food, water, shelter, etc. The
actions out of care are done with responsibility and happiness. For example, mother cooks food
with a feeling of care for her family members. The work is joyous. However, when a hotel
employee is cooking the food, perhaps with a focus on his salary, the work may not be joyous.
5. Guidance: Guidance is one of the natural outcomes of the feeling of affection. Guidance can
be defined as the feeling of responsibility and commitment for ensuring the right understanding
and right feeling in the Self of my relative.
In families, we do try to guide the children to the best of our ability. Parents and other
family members pass on what they know or assume to the children. If parents have understanding
of harmony, and they are living in harmony, they are able to provide guidance to the children in
the true sense. Through it, the children also understand harmony and live in harmony. On the
other hand, if the parents themselves are not very clear about harmony, about the co-existence of
Self and Body, about right understanding and right feeling, etc., then in place of providing
guidance, the parents’ preconditioning gets passed on to the children. Guidance is the need of
every human being, not just the children in the family.
If we come to know the difference between care and guidance, we see that our focus is
mostly on care at present, because we generally assume that human being is Body. We should
have equal responsibility and commitment towards our Self. For example, many times, mother
tends to over-feed child or even force-feed the child. The child may cry and complain, as the
force-feed make the Self of child unhappy. But mother keeps on frighten the child, or give
lucrative incentives like chocolates to succeed in her action. This is surely neglecting their Self as
well as it does not nurture the Body of child.
6. Reverence: Reverence is the feeling of acceptance for excellence. Here excellence is to be in a

state of continuous happiness. This calls for understanding harmony and living in harmony at all
the four levels. Once we achieve excellence, it continues. Excellence is definite and absolute.
Understanding Harmony & at all levels of being

Living in Harmony 1. As an individual human being
2. As a member of the family
Continuous Happiness 3. As a member of society
4. As a unit in nature/existence
We all aspire for continuous happiness. In that sense, we all aspire for excellence. The revered
person has realised harmony within and also outside world. Hence, we would naturally accept
him/her and take inspiration from the person. When we put effort for excellence, it is called
worship. A person who has achieved excellence has nothing to do further for himself. Such a
person naturally likes to help others to achieve excellence. This process is a joyous effort for the
revered person.
7. Glory: Glory is the feeling of acceptance for those who have made effort for excellence. We
have a feeling of glory for people who have made effort or making effort for excellence. We call
all those people great because they invested themselves to achieve excellence. When we can
accept the effort made by them, to whatever extent they are able to achieve it, we naturally have a
feeling of glory for them. We want to have this feeling for our family elders and teachers too. We
have a natural expectation that they would make sincere efforts for right understanding and right
feeling.
8. Gratitude: Gratitude is the feeling of acceptance for those who have made the effort for my
excellence. It is the feeling for those who have helped me, in any way, in my own effort to
achieve excellence. It is a significant feeling in development of relationship. We can see such
people particularly in family. Parents and others have affectionately brought us up, provided us
with necessary physical facility to nurture and protect our body. Some of them might have helped
or are helping in the process of my understanding harmony and living in harmony. There will be
so many people outside the family too who have been helping us for our development. We have a
feeling of gratitude for them too.
In terms of continuity of the feeling of gratitude, it is naturally possible in case of help
received for improving my understanding and feelings, that is at the level of Self. On the other
hand, if the help is received in the form of physical facility for nurturing and protecting our body,
the feeling of gratitude is not generally continuous. But it is possible to make it continuous only
when we develop right understanding. We generally have this feeling for those who helped us for
our excellence, however, there will be people who could not do anything for us in spite of having
the intention to help us. We should not have remorse for what they could not do.
9. Love – the Complete Value: Love is the feeling of being related to all. Verifying on the basis
of natural acceptance, we come to conclude that we want to be related to one or many, but
ultimately to all. The feeling of being related to one or many is called affection, and the full
possibility of feeling of being related to everyone is called Love. It is not confined only to human
beings, but extends to all other units of Nature. We start with the feeling of Affection and we
complete it with the feeling of Love. Hence, it is called complete value. If there is feeling of love
in a relationship, it implies that all other eight feelings are already there in that relationship.
Love is born out of understanding (and not based on sensation) that I am related to each
and every human being and every unit of Nature. The feeling of love is expressed in the form of –
kindness, beneficence and compassion. Although the feeling of love is for all but it is expressed
for those who come in contact. It is the feeling of love which paves the way for an undivided
society. Till then, we have divided society.
The basic difference between love and infatuation is that love is born out of understanding
and infatuation is born out of sensation. Love is continuous and unconditional, while infatuation
is temporary and conditional. Sooner or later, when the effect of infatuation wears off, the long-
term issues of feelings become prominent. But, when you have the feeling of love on the basis of
understanding, you are rising in love, you are no longer falling in love.
Response and Reaction in Behaviour

Reaction Response
You decide how to behave based on the You decide how to behave on your own right.
behaviour of the other.
It depends on whether you like or dislike the It is based on right understanding and right
baheviour of the other. If the other behaves feeling in yourself which are definite. Your
properly, you also behave properly. If the behaviour is always for mutual happiness.
other misbehaves, you also may misbehave.
Your behaviour is decided by other (i.e., You decide your own behaviour.
remote control is with others).
You are enslaved. You are self-organized.
You have doubt on the intention of the other. You are clear about the intention of the other.
You get excited or hurt by their behaviour. You are neither hurt nor excited by the
behaviour of the other.
Your priority is not mutual happiness. Your priority is mutual happiness.
Your conduct is indefinite. Your conduct is definite.
Understanding Justice: Justice is the recognition, fulfilment and evaluation of human-human

relationship, leading to mutual happiness.
Recognition:
 Accepting the relationship unconditionally.
 Accepting the other with their full possibility (potential) and with their current level of
competence.
Fulfilment:
 Ensuring the naturally acceptable feeling in oneself and sharing it with the other.
 Living with responsibility with the other unconditionally, due to which the other is
comfortable and assured.
 Making effort for mutual development, i.e., developing one’s own competence and
helping the other in developing their competence.
Evaluation:
 Verifying that the right feeling has reached to the other and the other is able to see that it
is the right feeling.
One has to gain competence to live with justice in the relationships in continuity.
Developing competence sometimes may be instantaneous and sometimes it takes time. If neither
of the two is competent, justice will not take place. If one is preconditioned or is trying to draw
happiness through sensation, neither will be able to ensure happiness for himself in continuity nor
will the other.
Many times, justice is not possible due to our wrong recognition of feelings. For example,
if we assume “there is struggle for survival”, we start with a feeling of opposition (jealousy).
With this wrong feeling, howsoever hard we try for fulfilment in relationship, it will lead to
competition, opposition, fights and war. There could be many such wrong assumptions leading to
wrong feelings in us that retard the possibility of justice.
Deep within, our natural acceptance is for justice from family to world family – justice in
the family as well as justice with every human being. We have a natural acceptance for an
undivided human family, i.e., an undivided society.
PART-2
HARMONY IN THE SOCIETY – Understanding Universal Human Order
The third level of living is Society, after the two levels – Self and Family. It is known that human
families do not exist in isolation but are always in mutual co-existence with other families in a
family cluster. The family relations naturally get extended far and wide. Also, we usually need to
frequently interact with human beings and this forms our immediate society. The base of
harmony in Society is the harmony in the Family for which the base is harmony in the Self. Only
people who have harmony within will be able to ensure a harmonious family. Families which
have harmony within can give rise to a harmonious society. Thus, the building block for harmony
in society is the harmony in Family. There are three aspects to be focused on for understanding
harmony in society.
1. The goal of human being living in society (Human goal)
2. The system required to achieve human goal
3. Scope of this system
Understanding Human Goal
The goals of human being living in a society are presented in the following figure.
We can understand the human goals by exploring the following questions.

 Right understanding in every human being or only a few to have right understanding and
others to follow them?
 Prosperity in every family or few families to have accumulation, and others to be deprived
and dependent on the few?
 Fearlessness, based on trust and affection, in the society or a state of fear, based on
mistrust and jealousy in the society?
 Co-existence (mutual fulfillment) in nature or exploitation and domination of nature?
A little exploration will show that all four goals are desirable and required. Hence, we can
recognize a definite human goal and it can be common to everyone living in society.
 Since individual human being is a basic building block for the family which is the
building block of society, ensuring right understanding and right feeling in every
individual is the first and foremost thing to do. It is the base for the other three.
 Families of such individuals (with right understanding and right feeling) only can identify
their need for physical facility, produce more than that and ensure prosperity in the
family.
 Prosperous families living together in a relationship of mutual fulfillment can ensure
fearlessness based on trust amongst themselves.
 Such a society can ensure mutual enrichment with the rest of the nature and it can lead to
co-existence in nature. This fourth goal is the natural outcome of the first three.
Appraisal of the Current Status

We can see that the root cause of the problems we are facing at the level of society, like global
warming, climate change, terrorism, etc. is the wrong assumptions we have about ourselves,
about the nature, about our purpose, about goal of society and so on. With these assumptions, the
efforts are often leading to contradictions. They are only the indicators or symptoms of our wrong
assumptions. In the following figure, the comprehensive human goal is mentioned on the top, and
the predominant prevailing notions of societal objectives are mentioned in the bottom.
a) The first goal is to ensure right understanding and right feeling (leading to happiness) in
every human being. But, the prevailing notion is that accumulation of physical facility
(money) by any means, and getting feeling from others, leads to happiness. These false
assumptions are being propagated knowingly or unknowingly through parents, teachers,
friends and even through education.
b) The second goal of prosperity is similarly replaced by accumulating more and more,
without having the clarity of how much is really needed. It is because, we are not able to
identify our need for physical facility due to lack of right understanding. It is assumed that
one who has more money is prosperous. Due to these assumptions, people are living with
three kinds of obsessions:
i) Obsession for consumption: To consume more and more food, clothes, house,
gadgets, etc. for happiness.
ii) Obsession for profit: To take as much as possible from others and give as less as
possible to others, with an assumption that more profit means more happiness and
prosperity.
iii) Obsession for sensual pleasure: Trying to get happiness from sensation through
the body. For example, obesity is largely due to an obsession for taste.
Most of the crimes in society (corruption, rapes, murders, etc.) today are due to these
obsessions. We are trying to deal them with at the level of society, while their roots are in
the family and individual assumptions.
c) The third goal of fearlessness (trust) is replaced by domination, exploitation and fear in
society. This is due to lack of understanding that the other is like me with same purpose.
In the name of business and economy (profit and growth), we are trying to dominate,
which is not naturally acceptable. Expansion and growth can be possible in two ways –
either domination and exploitation or with right feeling in relationship. If domination is
involved, the other person resists and it ultimately results in opposition and mutual
unhappiness. It is the reason for today’s problems like struggle, terrorism and war. If right
feeling is involved, the other persons accept you and trust you. It becomes mutually
fulfilling existence.
d) The fourth goal is co-existence in nature and existence. But what we are mostly trying to
do today is mastery over nature and its exploitation. It results into resource depletion and
environmental pollution. We are using the resources at a much faster rate than what nature
can produce. We are generating so much of waste and pollution that it is beyond nature’s
capacity to absorb it. As a consequence, there is a crisis of global warming and climate
change.
Some of the challenges we are facing today at different levels are 1) use of lot of resources in
healthcare for combating obesity, frustration, depression, lifestyle disorders, suicides, 2) lot of
resources spent for defence, law enforcement and legal system to deal with problems in
relationships, 3) global warming and climate changes, 4) divorce and isolation. Even with all the
power and money, happiness seems to be elusive.
We are trying to address these challenges in bits and pieces. These efforts results into more
controls, more surveillance, more rules and regulations, more courts, police, defence and jails,
etc. We need to identify that these challenges are coming from individuals without right
understanding, people with wrong assumptions and living on the basis of gross misunderstanding.
The proposal is that only a holistic solution that takes care of all aspects and for all people as well
as rest of nature will work – Human Order.
Dimensions (systems) of Human Order

The programme to fulfill the human goal that lead to universal human order is proposed as the
following dimensions. There are five interconnected, complementary dimensions of human order
for fulfilling all human goals.
1. Education-Sanskar (leads to Right understanding and right feeling) [1]

2. Health-Self regulation (leads to health of the Body)
[2] and [4]
3. Production-Work (leads to Prosperity)
4. Justice-Preservation (leads to Fearlessness and Co-existence respectively) [3] and [4]
5. Exchange-Storage (leads to Prosperity and Fearlessness) [2] and [3]
Each dimension of human order is explained in detail.
1. Education-Sanskar
Education is to develop the right understanding of the harmony at all levels of being – from self
to the entire existence (individual, family, society, and nature/existence). Sanskar is to develop
the basic acceptance of the harmony at various levels.
These acceptances give rise to commitment to live with them. Our living is an expression of our
sanskar. Our world-view, attitude, tendency, etc. are all part of the expressions of our sanskar.
The role of education and sanskar is to facilitate the development of the competence to live with
definite human conduct by ensuring all three:
a) Right understanding: understanding harmony at all the four levels, and thus understanding
what to do as a human being at all the four levels.
b) Right feeling: the capacity to live in relationship with the other human beings – in family
and in society.
c) Right skills for prosperity: capacity to identify the need for physical facility, skills and
practice for sustainable production of more than what is required, and the feeling of
prosperity.
The current education mainly talks about skills, not really paying attention to values. Instead of
the right feeling, competition (feeling of opposition) is getting promoted. Instead of skills for
prosperity, skills for exploitation are getting promoted. The major focus seems to be on
accumulation of money, almost by any means. This is living with animal consciousness. People
living with this assumption give rise to an inhuman society.
The education system has a major responsibility for preparing the people and developing the
society into a living model of human society. This is an ongoing process. However, on a day-to-
day basis, the following things factors contribute to the making of an individual’s sanskar –
behaviour and systems in the family, messages through newspapers and media, various festivals,
functions, celebrations, significant events like birth, marriage, death, etc.
2. Health and Self-regulation

Self-regulation is the feeling of responsibility towards the Body for nurturing, protection and
right utilization of the Body.
Health of the Body is indicated by the fact that it is able to act according to the instruction of the
Self and the different parts of the Body are in harmony.
At the level of society, the societal systems required to support, protect and enrich this dimension
are:
a) Education system: It is necessary to prepare the child in all dimensions of health, so that
he/she develops the feeling of self-regulation and has appropriate practice to keep the
Body healthy.
b) Family system: A system of appropriate intake, routine and labour/exercise, etc. is a
natural part of the family system. It will also have the skills and means to deal with minor
ailments with home remedies.
c) Health system at the societal level: This societal system will focus on ensuring health and
on prevention of diseases, rather than on treatment of disease alone. It also promotes
labour, exercise and various means to keep the Body and breathing in balance.
d) Medicine and treatment system at the societal level: An evolved holistic system of
medicine and treatment which is based on the essence of different systems prevailing
today. It would be run as a service with a feeling of mutual fulfillment, rather than as a
for-profit business.
About 80% of health issues which are related to lifestyle could be prevented at the level of
individuals, families, schools and colleges. About 10% of the remaining could be handled by
home remedies leaving a very small percentage of communicable illnesses, accidents and genetic
disorders that would require medicine and treatment. With this understanding, a significant
portion of burden on the present health systems can be reduced. One essential outcome of all this
exploration on health and self-regulation is that we are able to identify the definite need of
physical facility. It also provides the necessary inputs for designing the production systems
required for generating physical facility.
3. Production-Work
Work is the effort a human being does on the rest of the nature and Production is the physical
facility derived from work.
For example, in the production of wheat, a field with fertile soil, water, air and wheat seeds are
required. All these are the units in the rest of the Nature. In addition to these, human effort is
required to till the soil, to sow the seeds, to water the field, to remove the weeds, to harvest the
wheat, and so on. All this is the work required. Thus, for any production to take place, two things
are required – Rest of the Nature (Natural Resources) and Human Effort.
There are two important issues related production-work:
1. What to produce?
2. How to produce?
Answering to the first one, we have to produce physical facility required to nurturing, protection
and right utilization of the Body.
There are two criteria to know how to produce:
1) The process must be cyclic and mutually enriching – it must be eco-friendly;
2) Justice must be ensured in relationship with human being – it must be people-friendly.
A process is cyclic when it is in accordance with the cycle in nature. In such a process, the
resources utilized can return to their original state in due course of their lifecycle. In such a
process, there is no waste – everything produced is either in the form of finished product, a by-
product or co-product which is used in some or other process.
For example, when you sow wheat, it germinates, grows into a plant, produces multiple
grains of wheat and goes back to the soil. Such cyclic processes are already taking place in
nature. We need to understand the existing cycles in nature and utilize them to fulfill our needs.
When it comes to production, we can add some activity in between to fulfill our needs without
disturbing the overall cycle. For example, the production of jaggery is a cyclic process.
Sugarcane is pressed to extract the juice. The leftover husk is dried and used as fuel to heat the
sugarcane juice. The juice reduces to thick sweet syrup and then dries to form jaggery. The
emitted carbon dioxide is absorbed by the leaves of the trees around. The released water vapour
mixes with air. The ash from the fired husk fertilizes the soil of the surrounding fields. A process
is mutually enriching when every unit that is participating in the process is being enriched.
Natural processes already have the two characteristics – cyclic and mutually enriching.
For example, cyclic and mutually enriching processes among (Plants), (Soil, water, air, etc.) and
(animals, birds). All these units of nature are enriching for a human being. But, we have to
explore if human being is enriching all these units.
Various production activities can be categorized as follows:

a) Primary production: Production of physical facility used for nurturing, protection and
right utilization of body, e.g. food, clothes, shelter, etc.
b) Secondary production: Production of physical facility used to facilitate primary
production, e.g. production of tractors, weaving machinery, etc.
c) Tertiary production: Production of physical facility used to facilitate production, services
and human interaction, e.g. train, TV, mobile, etc.
d) Services: To facilitate any of the above activities, e.g. maintenance of tractors, mobiles,
software development, so on.
We can observe that the priority order of production is (a, b, c, d). Primary production is of the
first priority as it is necessary for the basic survival of human being. Secondary production gets
the second priority as it facilitates the primary production, and so on. However, in the present
society, the importance given to these is just in the reverse order.
Pollution and Depletion of Resources: Resource depletion is the symptom of using a natural
resource at a faster rate than the rate at which it is produced in nature. For example, if we use
petroleum at a rate greater than the rate at which it is produced in nature, there will be a shortage
of petroleum. Similarly, pollution indicates that we are producing something which does not
return to the cycle in nature or it is produced at a faster rate than the rate at which it can return to
the cycle in nature. Thus, these issues of nature are the outcomes of not understanding the nature
as it is. For example, plastic does not degrade, it does not return to the cycle of nature for many
years. Carbon dioxide today is produced at a rate much higher than the rate at which nature can
absorb, and therefore, there is rise in the percentage of carbon dioxide, resulting into global
warming.
4. Justice-Preservation
Justice is recognition of human-human relationship, its fulfillment and evaluation leading to
mutual happiness.
Expressing right feeling to the other human being leads to happiness in the other. This
achievement of mutual happiness is called justice. For instance, if we are serving young children,
the sick/disabled or old people, with a feeling of care, both are happy. It serves the people in
need; at the same time gives satisfaction to those involved in the serving processes. If there is
justice in the society, it will lead to fearlessness (trust). In order to ensure justice in society, we
need to:
a) Stop the offender from doing further injustice as well as
b) Help him/her to develop the competence for ensuring justice.
In the present days, we mostly focus and restrict to the first one, and do not do the second one.
Hence, the vicious cycle of injustice continues in society, despite various laws, rules, regulations,
etc. With right understanding, we can see that all human beings are one family making effort for
a common human goal. Justice ensures fearlessness (trust) in society.
Preservation is the recognition of relationship of human being with the rest of nature, its
fulfillment and evaluation leading to mutual fulfillment.
The feeling of having or producing more than required physical facility is called prosperity. This
physical facility is produced by human effort on rest of nature. If it is produced in a manner in
which the rest of nature is also enriched, the preservation part is also ensured.
Precisely, preservation would mean enrichment, protection and right utilization of entire nature.
Enrichment: It means increasing quantity and quality of physical facility. For example, one grain
of rice gives rise to many grains of rice. Hence, cultivating rice and consuming rice as food –
ensures prosperity in human being along with enrichment of rest of nature.
Protection: It means ensuring the value of a physical facility for an extended period of time. In
the simplest way, protection is varnishing a wooden chair to keep it in usable state for a longer
time. Similarly, maintenance of physical order, mineral availability, consistency of the seasons,
weather, air quality, rainfall, and groundwater reserves, etc. come under protection of nature.
Right utilization: It is the use of physical facility for the purpose of the larger order. For example,
the right utilization of food grain is its use for nurturing the Body, not letting it spoil. Of these
three, the first priority is right utilization. Preservation ensures the co-existence in nature.
5. Exchange-Storage
Exchange means sharing or exchanging of physical facility with a view of mutual fulfillment. It is
sharing within the family, or to the extent one has been able to accept relationship. Beyond that, it
is exchange. Through sharing and exchange of physical facility, each family can have all that it
needs. When we are exchanging physical facility with a family or a community, the important
aspect is the feeling or view with which the exchange is done.
Storage is keeping physical facility with a view of mutual fulfillment and not with the obsession
for profit or for accumulation or exploitation. It is for protecting physical facility, so that it is
available, when required, for the purpose of mutual fulfillment.
Example:
Suppose there are two persons and they have two pieces of bread, which is not sufficient for both
of them. There are three possibilities:
1) Both try to take both the pieces of bread. They struggle and fight. Evantually, they decide
to take one each. Each decides separately that henceforth, they will make more effort to
grab more of the available food. This is the economics of “take-take”. Both are trying to
maximize their returns. Both are unhappy.
2) They logically work out that they can get only one piece each, so they divide it equally,
but neither is fully satisfied. This is the economics of “give-take”.
3) Both have a feeling of relationship, like a mother and child. They know that two pieces of
bread are not sufficient even for one person. Each offers both pieces to the other. They
discuss and eventually decide to take one piece of bread each. They also decide to work
together to make more pieces of bread in future, so that they can both fulfil their needs.
This is the economics of “give-give.
When there is acceptance of the other, it is always the give-give mode. We can see that this mode
is naturally acceptable. Only in such a case, mutual fulfillment is possible, and there will be
fearlessness in the society. But, when there is lack of acceptance of the other, or opposition with
the other, we think about the take-more-give-less (or give-nothing) mode. Here the view is profit
or obsession of profit or exploitation. It will cause deprivation and it is also a cause of fear in the
society.
Harmony from Family Order to World Family Order – Universal Human Order
A society is composed of families living together with a common goal. At each level, the
harmony contributes to harmony at the next higher level. Human beings individually in harmony
contribute to a family order that is in harmony. Families in harmony contribute to a harmonious
societal order; and all the way to a world family order. This is called Universal Human Order.
Upon exploration, we can see that it starts with the family order as it is the smallest unit
where all the dimensions of human goal start taking shape. We all have certain responsibilities at
home, for example, sharing views on various topics, production of food grains, shopping for
food, cooking food, etc. There is also some effort for development of life related skills – how to
interact with others, how to take care of others, how to live with the neighbours and so on. This is
all to do with sanskar. Health related aspects are also learnt while living in a family. Thus, there
is some effort in the family for each of the dimensions. This is called family order.
The scope is from this family order to world family order. After the family, we have
family clusters, the village, village clusters… the nation and ultimately the world family. We
move from family to the world family in ensuring all dimensions of human order and fulfill all
the human goals. Family order refers to the system in a family of responsible people living
together for the common human goal. In particular, family is making effort for:
 Mutual development of right understanding and right feelings in every family member,
including next generation, leading to mutual happiness.
 Participation in production of required physical facility in the form of labour, leading to
prosperity.
 Contributing to a human society by way of participating at the next higher-level order.
The next level is family cluster order. Consider a simplest example of a marriage in a home. The
associated families join in to make arrangements, take care of the guests and ensure that the
function is organized smoothly. We can see that there is synergy in the goals of these families –
all are making effort for the common human goal. At the base there is the feeling of relationship.
There is complimentarity at the level of skills and a natural division of responsibility in each of
the dimensions. It leads to fulfillment of human goal at the family cluster order. Such qualities are
operated in case of larger orders for achieving the human goal.
Family Order  Family Cluster Order  Village Order  Village Cluster Order  City Order
…  Nation Order …  World Family Order.
Thus, every human being has a voice and a role in one or more of the social systems, all
contributing meaningfully to the family order to world family order through the other orders
stated above. This is the scope of the systems in a human society.
*****
Model Questions from Unit-III
1. What are the four important aspects of relationship? Explain.
2. What is Justice? Explain its elements?
3. Explain the nine values in human-human relationship. How their fulfillment in
relationship ensures mutual happiness?
4. What do you mean by Trust? Explain with an example. Also, differentiate between
intention and competence.
5. Define respect. Distinguish between over evaluation, under evaluation and otherwise
evaluation with an example each. What problems do we face because of these wrong
evaluations?
6. Differentiate between respect and differentiation. How do we differentiate in relationships
on the basis of body, physical facility and beliefs? What problems do we face because of
such differentiation?
7. Distinguish the following pairs of values in relationship. a) Glory and Gratitude, b) Care
and Guidance.
8. What is the building block for harmony in the society? Explain.
9. Describe the human goal. Explain how this is conducive to sustainable happiness and
prosperity for all. What is the priority order of the human goals in which they can be
fulfilled?
10. Critically examine the goals of the present-day society with respect to human goals. What
is the outcome?
11. List the dimensions (systems) that comprise a human order. Explain how each dimension
contributes to the fulfillment of the human goal.
12. What are the two important issues to be addressed in the dimension of production?
Explain with examples.
13. Explain, giving examples, how pollution and resource depletion are both the direct
outcomes of not understanding nature the way it is.
14. Write a short note on the three aspects of preservation. Why is storage required in a
society? Suggest any two ways in which you can store the produce for right utilization in
the future.
15. What is the meaning of ‘universal human order’? What is its scope? How is the family
order related to universal human order?
U N I T – IV
PART-1: UNDERSTANDING HARMONY IN NATURE AND EXISTENCE
The four order of Nature
Nature is the collection of all the units – air, soil, water plants, trees, animals, birds, human
beings, etc. Some units like atoms and molecules are very small in size – so small that we cannot
see them with our eyes. On the other hand, some units are very large like earth, sun, other planets,
etc. Each unit exists as an individual entity. It occupies a certain volume and has a definite shape
and size.
These units are innumerable, and they can be classified based on their common intrinsic
properties into four groups called four orders. If we can understand the interaction between few
units of each order, we can understand the interconnectedness amongst all the units.
1. Physical Order: This includes units like air, water, metal and so on.
2. Bio Order : This includes grass, plants, trees, etc.
3. Animal Order : This includes animals and birds.
4. Human Order : This includes human being.
Interconnectedness and mutual fulfilment among the four orders

 The units of physical order, like soil, water and air provide the basic materials for plants
to develop, survive and grow. Thus, the physical order nourishes the bio order. Similarly,
when leaves, flowers and fruits of plants fall and degenerate, they get converted back into
soil, making the soil fertile. Thus, the process is cyclic and mutually fulfilling.
 The interconnectedness can also be observed in case of animal order. The animals and
birds depend on plants for their food, and also on physical order for water and air. For
example, a cow eats grass as its food and the cow is also fulfilling for plants as well as
their dung acts as very good manure which makes the soil fertile.
 It is interesting to note that these processes are going on in the forest without any human
involvement. For enriching these three orders, we need not do anything from outside.
 It is clear that these three orders are enriching for human order also. Now, the question is,
is the human being fulfilling for the other three orders? Human being is not only
unfulfilling for the other three orders, rather human being is dominating and exploiting
them, to the extent of global warming and climate change.
 When we refer to our natural acceptance, we realize that we want to fulfil all the four
orders. The feeling of exploitation is not naturally acceptable to us. But, the lack of
fulfilment is due to lack of right understanding. When we have right understanding, we
too naturally work with rest of nature for mutual fulfilment. Right understanding can be
acquired through Education-Sanskar.
Recyclability and Self-Regulation in Nature

There is self-regulation in nature. It does not need to be regulated by human being to be in
harmony. With right understanding, human being will also be self-organized, in harmony within
and participate in the harmony in the larger order.
There are several cyclic processes in nature.
Example-1 water cycle: evaporation of water from surface, formation of clouds, rain, streams,
over-ground and underground water. Similarly, there are carbon, nitrogen, oxygen cycles in
nature.
Example-2: In a forest, the growth of trees takes place in a way so that the amount of soil, plants
and animals remains conserved and self-regulated. It never happens that the lions eat up all the
deer or the deer eat up all the grasses or that the plants grow to the extent that there is no space
for deer or that there is lack of soil for new plants.
Example-3: The temperature of human body remains at around 37 oC even though people may
live in an atmosphere with temperatures as much as +45 oC to -10 oC. It is by way of the self-
regulation in nature.
With right understanding of nature as it is and of how the nature is operated, human beings can be
the most fulfilling units in nature. They can fulfil all the other three orders. For example, we can
use solar power and plant-based fuels in place of petroleum and coal. By maintaining adequate
forest and grassland, we can ensure conducive environment for the birds and animals also.
Understanding the Four Orders

i) Activity in the four orders: Each order is characterised by certain activities.
a) The activity of physical order is formation-deformation. For example when hydrogen and
oxygen are combined, we get water. Here water is formed and hydrogen and oxygen are
deformed. Through the activity of formation and deformation, one unit of physical order gets
converted into another unit of physical order.
b) In bio order, in addition to formation and deformation, the activity of respiration also takes
place. In plants, we can observe several reactions taking place, which involve formation and
deformation – new molecules and cells are formed. Apart from this, exhalation and inhalation
also takes place.
c) In case of animal order, we can see that the units of this order have both body and self. Body
exhibits the activities of formation-deformation and respiration, just as the plants. In addition,
presence of self is evident from the response of assuming. Hence, animals have the activity of
selecting and tasting for their healthy body and comfort. For example, a cow eats only those
varieties of grasses which are nurturing for its body. The recognition of what to eat is based on
taste and these selections are to keep the body in good health.
d) Human order: Human being is the co-existence of Self and Body. Human body is also a unit of
bio order. Hence the activities of formation-deformation and respiration occur in human body.
The activities of self are imaging, comparing, analysing, tasting and selecting.
ii) Innateness of the Four Orders: Innateness is the definite self-organization of a unit. Through
this self-organization, the unit exhibits definite conduct/property. A unit and its innateness are
inseparable.
a) Physical order: The innateness of this order is existence. Every unit exists. It may convert to
another form or unit. But, it cannot be destroyed. It exists in a definite order with a definite
conduct.
b) Bio order: It has both existence and also growth. Any unit of bio order, like a plant, a tree, an
animal body and a human body, all of them exhibit their innateness to exist and to grow.
c) Animal order: The body of animal has the innateness of existence and growth just like plants.
The self of the animal order has a will to live – it wants to live.
d) Human order: Human being is co-existence of body and self. The body is similar to any animal
body or plant and its innateness is existence and growth. The innateness of the Self is will to live
with continuous happiness.
iii) Natural characteristic of the Four Orders: Natural characteristic of a unit refers to its natural
participation in the larger order (larger unit).
a) Physical order: Composition-decomposition is the natural characteristic of physical order.

They involve formation and deformation.
b) Bio order: It participates with the bio order in terms of nurturing or worsening the other. For
example, an apple fruit nurtures the human body. The belladonna plant worsens the human body,
but it nurtures the body of a goat.
c) Animal order: The body of the animal belongs to the bio order and its natural characteristic is
nurturing or worsening. The self of the animal participates by way of cruelty or non-cruelty with
other units of animal order.
d) Human order: The body of human being belongs to bio order and hence it has the natural
characteristic of bio order. The natural characteristic of self of human being is perseverance,
bravery, generosity, kindness, beneficence and compassion. A human being in harmony can
exhibit this natural characteristic.
iv) Inheritance of the Four Orders: Inheritance refers to the method by which the units ensure
the continuity of their definite conduct, generation after generation.
a) Physical order: As long as the constitution of a unit is preserved, it has a definite conduct.
Once the constitution of the unit is changed, the conduct will change. For example, iron exhibits a
definite conduct. But, when elements like carbon, nickel and chromium are added to it, the
constitution will be different and hence the resulting unit (steel) exhibits a different conduct.
b) Bio order: In bio order, continuity of the conduct is maintained by way of see. As long as the
seed is preserved, the conduct of the plant is preserved. Thus, the inheritance of the bio order is
seed based.
c) Animal order: The continuity of the conduct of a unit in animal order is ensured by its breed.
As long as the breed of an animal is preserved, its conduct is maintained. The calf of a cow is
bound to be a cow and its conduct will be like that of a cow.
d) Human order: As far as the body of human being is concerned, it is based on the breed, but the
conduct is not breed based. It is based on education and sanskar. The definite conduct of human
being is based on education and sanskar.
Order Units Activity Innateness Natural Inheritance
characteristic
Physical Soil, Formation - Existence Composition- Constitution
Deformation Decomposition
order metals, based
minerals...
Bio Plants, Formation – Existence, Composition- Seed based
Deformation, and growth Decomposition,
order trees, etc.
respiration Nurture-Worsen
Animal Animals, Formation – Existence and Composition- Breed based
Deformation, and growth in body, Decomposition,
order birds, etc.
respiration in Body Will to live in Nurture-Worsen
Self in the Body,
and Selecting and
Cruelty, Non-
Tasting in Self cruelty in Self
Human Human Formation – Existence and Composition- Education-
Deformation, and growth in body, Decomposition,
order beings Sanskar
respiration in Body Will to live Nurture-Worsen
with continuous in the Body, based
and Imaging,
happiness in Perseverence,
Analysing- Self brevity, etc. in
comparing, Self.
Selecting-tasting in
Self
Existence as Co-existence of mutually interacting units

Existence is whatever exists. Existence (= Exist + Essence) is ‘to be in harmony’. Existence is in
the form of co-existence which is in the form of units submerged in space. Thus, the units are not
in isolation. They are connected through the space. The characteristics of the units and space can
be summarised as follows:
The overall picture of existence as co-existence is summarized in the form of a flow chart below.
Holistic perception of Harmony at all levels of existence

At the level of nature, co-existence is expressed in the form of mutual fulfilment among all the
units. All the units put together are bound to be in harmony, i.e., nature as a whole is in harmony.
Harmony at each level can be detailed as below:
Level Relationship Details
4b. Existence Co-existence Units submerged in space
4a. Nature Mutual fulfilment Four orders
3. Society Right understanding and right Human-Nature relationship
feeling, Prosperity, Natural laws
Fearlessness, Co-existence Universal Human Order
Human Tradition
2. Family Feeling of co-existence Trust, Human-Human relationship, Justice,
Respect... Love Undivided society
1b. Individual Co-existence of Self and Body Self-Body relationship
Human Being
1a. Self Continuous happiness Realisation of co-existence, understanding
(happiness, peace, bliss) of harmony in nature, participation in larger
order
All that human beings need to do is

i) understanding co-existence: It involves both understanding (knowledge) and feeling
(resolution) of co-existence.
ii) living in co-existence: It involves both living in co-existence with human beings (family
to world family) leading to undivided society and living in co-existence with nature
(family order to world family order) leading to universal human order.
When these two are ensured by human beings, harmony and peace are very natural outcomes.
PART-2: IMPLICATIONS OF HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF HARMONY ON

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
Universal Values naturally emerging from the Right Understanding:
There is innate harmony and orderliness in existence. Human beings need to understand it and
they need not to create harmony. The universal human urge for happiness and prosperity is
actually the quest for understanding this harmony and being in tune with it. Thus, the universal
human values are manifestations of the truth of co-existence.
Only our ignorance, wrong preconditioning, our illusion about ourselves, etc. lead us to all the
difficulties and confusions in appreciating and inculcating these universal values. Continuous
self-observation and self-exploration enable us to realize this truth. Once we are able to get rid of
false preconditions and anchor ourselves to our natural acceptance, the inculcation of human
values becomes spontaneous.
 The universal values are the basic realities in existence and are always there.
 It is for us to discover these through self-exploration and learn to live in accordance with
them in order to be happy.
 The values need not to be enforced through fear of punishment.
 They need not to be enforced through greed.
 Self-exploration leading to right understanding is the way to serve the purpose. Any
attempt to cause fear or greed will fail to promote harmony in the society or organization.
Definitiveness of Ethical Human Conduct

We see that people are struggling to find what the ethical human conduct is. We also see the
confusion that what is ethical for one person may not be ethical for some other. The right
understanding gained through self-exploration enables us to identify the definitiveness of human
conduct which may also be called as ethical human conduct. It is the same for all human beings.
It is in consonance with the universal human values. The ethical human conduct can be grasped
in terms of values, policy and character as follows:
i) Human values – Understanding of role of human being in existence: Once we have right
understanding, we are able to see our natural participation or values at all the levels of being.
These values are definite and form the basis of our ethical human conduct.
ii) Policy – Thought of how to express (live with) human values: Once we identify the definite
human values, they become the guide to our imagination (desire, thought and expectation). Our
imaginations are in terms of how to fulfil this participation, how to live with these values. This is
the policy. These policies are, therefore, naturally conducive to human welfare and also every
unit in existence.
iii) Characater – Expression of human values in behaviour, work and participation in larger
order: With definite values guiding our imaginations, and means to live with these values, the
expression of these values or the interaction of human being with world outside is called human
character. This can be understood in terms of the following:
a) Chastity in conjugal relationship i.e., chastity in husband-wife relationship.
b) Rightful acquisition and utilization of wealth by way of labour, using cyclic and mutually
enriching production processes.
c) Kindness in behaviour and work – ensuring justice in behaviour and preservation of rest
of nature in work, leading to fulfilment of the comprehensive human goal.
Humanistic Education: Inculcation of the right understanding at all the levels and development
of the competence to live in accordance with it, forms the core of humanistic education.
Humanistic education will incorporate appropriate integration of values and skills so that human
beings are able to understand their physical needs correctly and adopt suitable techniques and
production systems to cater to these needs in an eco-friendly and people-friendly manner.
 It facilitates the process of self-exploration which will lead to continuous self-evolution.
 It enables the realization of one’s innateness, universality and definitiveness of ethical
human conduct.
 It develops the assurance that only value-based living can be conducive to continuous
happiness and prosperity to one and all.
Humanistic Constitution:
Right understanding also provides the basis for a humanistic constitution which is essential to the
development of an undivided society and universal human order. It is also conducive to the social
justice.
Since the parameters of human welfare are universal, i.e., commonly applicable to all human
beings, the efforts of human beings in order to achieve the common objectives cannot be
conflicting to the interests of each other. But, at present such conflicts are there because of our
ignorance, incorrect assumptions/beliefs. The systems at present are working to change behaviour
pattern of people by punishments. But, the things can only be set by developing human
consciousness and right understanding among people, and in no other way.
Humanistic education leads to human conduct, human constitution, universal human order, and in
turn, universal human order ensures humanistic education for the next generation. Here,
humanistic education is the entry point. That is why, educationists, teachers, education
administrators and policy makers are responsible to bring about this transformation.
Profession in the context of comprehensive human goal

Any profession is a mode of participation by human beings in the larger order in pursuance of
comprehensive human goal.
 The profession is not only a means of earning one’s livelihood, but also a means of one’s
evolution by appropriate participation in the larger order.
 The success of any professional activity is to be judged from comprehensive point of view
only and not in terms of merely wealth generation.
 Professional ethics can be seen as the code of ethical conduct of the profession.
Ensuring ethical competence
The development of ethical competence is a long-term process to be achieved through
appropriate value education. The competence in professional ethics will be one of the
manifestations of one’s right understanding. Following are the salient features that characterize
ethical competence:
1. Clarity about the comprehensive human goal: One should have the clarity about the
human goal at all the four levels. Any action has to be evaluated from the point of these
four-fold objectives mentioned in the comprehensive human goal.
2. Confidence in one self as well as confidence in the harmony, co-existence and self-
regulation prevailing in entire existence, based on right understanding of oneself and the
rest of the nature.
3. Competence of mutually fulfilling behaviour, clarity and confidence in ethical human
conduct.
4. Competence of mutually enriching interaction with nature and ability to appropriately

assess the needs for physical facility for oneself, family and society.
5. Holistic vision about technologies, production systems and management techniques.
6. Adequate realisation of one’s social responsibility. When people advance in their
profession and occupy higher positions of power, their decisions and actions affect a large
number of people in society and natural environment.
Issues in professional ethics – The current scenario
The general perception, in which the professions are presently looked at, is in terms of being able
to earn more and more money, getting more power, getting more perks or comforts, etc. This
view naturally comes in conflict with the expectation of professional ethics to ensure the
sustained welfare of all. As a result, the issues are becoming very complex in current scenario.
 The unethical practices are rapidly increasing and their impact is also becoming far-
reaching.
 As a result of this epidemic of unethical practices, we are frequently coming across
serious scams, major economic offences, etc.
 Some of the effects of these issues are corruption in multiple forms and at various levels,
misuse of public funds, political power, cut-throat competition, exploiting weakness of
consumers, adulteration, endangering the health and safety of public at large, etc.
 The misunderstanding of ‘profession excellence is wealth generation’ is leading to
exploitation of people and the rest of the nature.
The increase in unethical practices in various professions, the contradictions and dilemmas now
existing, are primarily due to prevailing worldview focusing on profit maximization. These can
only be resolved through right understanding of existential harmony at all levels and living
accordingly.
Holistic Criteria for Evaluation

Modern technologies and systems are all human inventions in response to the needs perceived
under the influence of prevailing worldview. For the development of holistic technologies and
systems, it is necessary to look for their compatibility with comprehensive human goal.
Following are the general criteria to be considered:
a) Catering to appropriate needs and lifestyles
b) Eco-friendly (cyclic and renewable and mutually enriching)
c) User-friendly – Safe, economical and enhancing human capability
d) Promoting local self-sufficiency and optimal utilization of local resources and expertise.
e) Preference for the naturally available processes and systems.
Criteria for Technologies

The general criteria can be itemized into more specific forms for technologies:
a) Catering to real human needs
b) Compatible with natural systems and cycles, and recyclable
c) Safe, user-friendly and conducive to health
d) Producible with local resources and expertise as far as possible
e) Promoting the use of renewable energy resources
f) Facilitating effective utilization of human body, animals, plants and other natural
materials.
g) Low cost and energy efficient.
h) Enhancing human interaction and cooperation
Criteria for Production Systems
Based on the needs that are found in accordance with the comprehensive human goal, the
production systems should have the following criteria:
a) Using eco-friendly and people-friendly technologies
b) Economic viability and sustainability
c) Priority for local consumption
d) Ensuring requisite quality of production
e) Harnessing recycling, conservation and reuse possibilities
f) Decentralised systems for meaningful employment of people in the community
g) Safe and conducive to the health of persons involved in production and others.
h) Matching the pattern of production with availability and the pattern of consumption.
Criteria for Management Model
The management has to focus at the fulfilment of the people involved in the production systems
and users of the produce, and it should not have profit-mania. Management models are to be
relationship-based, cooperative and ensuring justice in terms of mutual fulfilment and should not
exploit people. The following criteria can be chosen for a humanistic management model:
a) The whole unit working as a well-knit family
b) Cooperative, motivational and mutually fulfilling
c) Ensuring correct appraisal of human labour and skills
d) Sharing of responsibility and participative mode of management
e) Continuous value addition of the persons involved
f) Effectively integrating individual competencies and complementarity
g) Aiming at satisfaction of employer, employee and consumer, and not at profit
maximization.
Case Studies relevant to holistic technologies and systems

The topics for case studies on the following topics are beneficial to get familiarity with the on-
going effort towards holistic technologies and systems:
1. Renewable and Decentralized Energy Technologies
a) Biomass-based energy conservation systems like systems for generation and utilization
of biogas that can be obtained from anaerobic digestion of all kinds of moist biomass,
systems for generation and utilization of producer gas, systems for production of biodiesel
from vegetable oils, technologies for smokeless and energy efficient cook stoves, etc.
b) Gadgets to facilitate efficient utilization of human muscle power and animal draught
power. For example, human operated agricultural tools and domestic appliances, animal
operated irrigation pumps, tractors and other agricultural equipment, etc.
c) Devices for efficient utilization of solar energy. For example, solar water heaters, solar
cookers, solar driers, solar photovoltaic systems, etc.
d) Decentralized wind power devices for water pumping, electricity generation, etc.
2. Systems for water conservation and water shed management for efficient utilization of
rain water and for eco-restoration.
3. Technologies and architecture promoting green building materials and energy
conservation like bamboo architecture, construction with compressed/stabilized mud-
blocks and terracotta tiles.
4. Organic and natural farming techniques including technologies for vermin-composting,
production of bio-manures and bio-pesticides.
5. Low cost and energy efficient technologies for small scale production systems like
systems for food processing, production of herbal, forest-based and animal-based
products.
6. Humanistic organizational/management models.
Steps for facilitating the Understanding Harmony at various levels

In order to facilitate the journey towards harmony at various levels, it is necessary to
make available appropriate content and methodology as well as the necessary wherewithal for
value education which can effectively enable the process of transformation. The inputs in value
education need to be made an integral part of our education. This needs large scale effort to
a) Develop a rational and universally acceptable content and methodology for value
education
b) Preparation of appropriate resource material
c) Adequate training of teachers to carry out this task effective and at a large scale
The efforts for this transformation can be divided into the following four steps.
Step-1: Steps for Individual Transformation
The change of ethos involves a long-drawn effort for transformation at the personal level. It
involves three sub-steps:
a) To verify the proposals on our own right, i.e., on the basis of our natural acceptance and
our experiential validation. It leads to understanding of harmony. This in turn will guide
the behaviour, work and participation in larger order.
b) To be aware of our self, of your imagination (desire, thought and expectation) every
moment. With this awareness, it is possible to know the content of our imagination and
accumulated acceptances (sanskar).
c) Self-evaluation – to evaluate our sanskar and our natural acceptance. This is to be started
when we feel comfortable with first two steps above. The root desire behind every
imagination is to be identified and the corresponding feeling/purpose is to be checked
with natural acceptance. With continuous practice, the sanskar that is in line with natural
acceptance will be reinforced, while that which is not in line with natural acceptance will
become redundant, and will be dropped. Thus, the new sanskar will be more in harmony
with natural acceptance than the previous sanskar.
Step-2: Creating mass awareness towards holistic development
With right understanding and right feeling in us, we will develop the willingness and capacity to
share with others. This is a natural process. We facilitate and develop other people to have the
right understanding and right feeling. This step involves dialogue and discussion with a view to
facilitate self-exploration in others. The people to share with would include:
a) Family members and friends: This will enhance the harmony in the family and enable us
to participate more freely in the larger order.
b) People who have interest and readiness for purposeful social effort and social
development
c) Educators, teachers and education administrators: Once they can see the possibilities, they
will invest themselves to introduce human values in education. Also, they will be able to
refine the content and process of education.
d) People connected to governance: They will be able to introduce it in the policy level.
e) Colleagues at work: It can be a part of the learning activities at the workplace.
Step-3: Moving towards Humanising the Mainstream Education
As the awareness amongst the people grows, the main task will be to gradually move towards
humanistic education which involves the following sub-steps:
a) Integrating appropriate inputs of value education at various levels in the current curricula
from school education to higher education. Along with the present course, some new
elective courses like understanding the human being, understanding co-existence in
existence, universal human order, management by relationship, etc. can be introduced.
b) In order to make the above effort fruitful, necessary support and policy initiatives will be
helpful from MHRD, UGC, AICTE, ICMR, University academic councils and school
education boards.
c) Teacher orientation programs and development of resource materials.
d) Adequate thrust to R&D dedicated towards transforming the whole mainstream education
into humanistic education (value-based education). This is going to be a long-drawn
process, however, it is indispensable.
Step-4: Developing Models for Holistic Living in Educational Institutions and in the
Community
This steps helps in linking the educational institutions with local development programs in
collaboration with voluntary organizations and government agencies. Accordingly, the focus of
R&D in higher education institutions will need to be shifted towards various aspects of holistic
development. It results in the development of real-life models facilitating universal human order.
Although the above process is very long, there is no other way. We have to move forward
gradually with perseverance. Such a transition has become unavoidable to save humanity from
grave catastrophe. To ensure happiness and prosperity and their continuity for all human beings,
the transition to human consciousness and humane society is essential.
*****
Model Questions from Unit-IV

1. List the four orders in Nature with examples of units in each order. What is the basis of
this classification?
2. Discuss interconnectedness and mutual fulfillment among all the four orders with
examples.
3. Why is the human order, by and large, not mutually fulfilling for any of the four orders?
Explain.
4. Write a short note on the recyclability and self-regulation in Nature.
5. Explain natural characteristics, inheritance, activities and innateness existing in the four
orders of the Nature.
6. Comment on “Existence is Co-Existence of mutually interacting units”. Present the units
and orders of the existence in the form of a flow chart.
7. What do you mean by holistic perception of harmony at all the levels of existence?
Discuss in detail.
8. Explain how right understanding forms the basis of assimilating universal human values
in a natural way.
9. What do you understand by definitiveness of ethical human conduct? Why is this
definitiveness desirable?
10. What is the basis for humanistic education, humanistic constitution and universal human
order?
11. What do you understand by competence in professional ethics? Elaborate. How do you
ensure competence in professional ethics?
12. Explore profession in the light of comprehensive human goal.
13. What are the broad holistic criteria for evaluation of technologies, production systems and
management models? Explain them with typical case studies.
14. What are the strategic steps for evolution at the level of individual, family, society and
profession in transition to the universal human order?
15. What is the need of mutually enriching institutions and organizations for the transition to
universal human order?
Velegapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering College::Vijayawada
(Autonomous) VR20
II /IV B Tech Degree Examinations
Fourth Semester
20HS4105:UNIVERSAL HUMAN VALUES 2: UNDERSTANDING HARMONY
Time:3Hrs MODEL QUESTION PAPER Max Marks:70

Part – A is Compulsory
Answer one (01) question from each unit of Part – B
Answers to any single question or its part shall be written at one place only
Cognitive Levels(K): K1-Remember;K2-Understand; K3-Apply; K4-Analyze; K5-Evaluate; K6-Create

Q. No Question Marks Course Cog.
Outcome Level
Part - A 10X1=10M
1 a “A rich person need not be prosperous“ – Justify the 1 CO1 K5
statement with your answer.
b Mention the three basic requirements for fulfillment of 1 CO1 K1
aspirations of every human being.
c “Great people have superior natural acceptance”. Comment 1 CO2 K4
on the statement.
d Choose the correct statement : 1 CO1 K3
(i) Self is an instrument of Body
(ii) Body is an instrument of Self
e Identify among the following that does not change with time: 1 CO1 K3
– Desire, Natural Acceptance, Sanskar.
f Define Respect in relationship. 1 CO4 K1
g Mention the foundation value in relationship. 1 CO1 K1
h Society is an extension of family.- Explain. 1 CO3 K2
i Among the four orders, identify the constitution based order. 1 CO3 K3
j In order to establish harmony in Nature and whole existence, 1 CO4 K4
several new technologies must be developed. – Comment on
the statement.
Part - B 4x15 =60M
UNIT - I
2 a Illustrate the process of self-exploration. 7 CO3 K2
b Summarize living in harmony at different levels. 8 CO2 K2
(OR)
3 a Explore various aspects of happiness and prosperity. 7 CO1 K4
b Identify the basic requirements for fulfillment of human 8 CO1 K5
aspirations. Justify each requirement.
UNIT - II
4 a Distinguish between the needs of the ‘self’ and the ’body’. 7 CO1 K4
b Outline programme for self-regulation and health in detail. 8 CO4 K2
(OR)
5 a “I am the seer, doer and enjoyer” – support the statement with 7 CO1 K5
necessary explanation and examples.
b Compare the activities that are going on i) in the self and ii) in 8 CO2 K4
the body.
UNIT - III
6 a Distinguish between intention and competence. 8 CO3 K4
b Explain identification of comprehensive human goal. 7 CO3 K2
(OR)
7 a Compare the following values in relationship. 8 CO3 K4

(i) Affection and Love (ii) Care and Guidance
b Explain harmony from family order to world family order. 7 CO3 K2
UNIT - IV
8 a Discuss the four orders of Nature. Show that there exists 8 CO3 K2
interconnectedness and mutual fulfillment among them.
b Summarize basis for humanistic education and humanistic 7 CO4 K2
constitution.
(OR)
9 a Explain recyclability and self-regulation existing in Nature. 8 CO1 K2
b Discuss various steps for transition from the present state to 7 CO4 K2
universal human order at individual level.

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Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony

Need and important implications of value education

Basic guidelines for value education

Content of value education

Process of value education

Natural Acceptance – The basis for Right Understanding

BASIC HUMAN ASPIRATIONS

Priority order of the requirements

 Through right feelings in relationship, based on right understanding, we can ensure

Human consciousness vs. Animal consciousness

HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT – ROLE OF EDUCATION

transformation, it is essential to work on all the three – right understanding, fulfilment in

Education-sanskar enables transformation to human consciousness. Education is developing the

Prevailing notions of happiness & prosperity

Need for right understanding (of happiness and prosperity)

Today, we can see two kinds of people in the world:

Program to understand and live in Harmony at all levels of living

Fulfilment of the Needs of the Self and the Body

Activities of the Self and the Body

Response of the Self and the Body

Gross Misunderstanding – Assuming Human Being to be only the Body

Body as an Instrument of ‘I’

The Self as the Seer-Doer-Enjoyer

Possible sources of Imagination

Consequences of Imagination – Self-organization or Enslavement

Understanding Harmony in the Self

Sanskar (t+1) = Sanskar (t) + Environment (t) + Self-exploration (t)

Ensuring Harmony in the Self

In order to ensure harmony in the Self, we need to:

Harmony of the Self with Body

Feeling of self-regulation = Feeling of responsibility towards the Body (for nurturing,

2. The parts of the Body are in harmony (in order)

Self (I) Body (Instrument)

Programme for Self-regulation (Sanyam) and Health

Correct appraisal of our physical needs – Meaning of prosperity in detail

1. Identification of required physical facility, Ensured through right understanding

PART-I: UNDERSTANDING HARMONY IN THE FAMILY

Understanding relationship – four aspects of relationship

Trust – The foundation value

Respect as Right Evaluation

Disrespect arising out of Differentiation

This leads to discrimination, which is disrespect.

6. Reverence: Reverence is the feeling of acceptance for excellence. Here excellence is to be in a

Understanding Harmony & at all levels of being

Response and Reaction in Behaviour

Understanding Justice: Justice is the recognition, fulfilment and evaluation of human-human

We can understand the human goals by exploring the following questions.

Appraisal of the Current Status

Dimensions (systems) of Human Order

1. Education-Sanskar (leads to Right understanding and right feeling) [1]

2. Health and Self-regulation

Various production activities can be categorized as follows:

Interconnectedness and mutual fulfilment among the four orders

Recyclability and Self-Regulation in Nature

Understanding the Four Orders

a) Physical order: Composition-decomposition is the natural characteristic of physical order.

Existence as Co-existence of mutually interacting units

Holistic perception of Harmony at all levels of existence

All that human beings need to do is

PART-2: IMPLICATIONS OF HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF HARMONY ON