श्री गणेशाय नमः

Concept Note for Workshop on Bharatiya Ideas in Management Education, BPS Women’s University, Sonepat

Towards Ethos, Beyond Ethics: A Bharatiya Perspective for Value Education

Ankur Joshi
Assistant Professor,
Faculty of Management Studies -WISDOM,
Banasthali Vidyapith, Bharat
Email: prime@banasthali.in

 

The need in today’s time is to empower the young generation with ethical decision making ability. In the current approach, mostly it has been enforced from outside (by “teaching” and “preaching” ethics). The Bharatiya approach is of inductively nurturing value education through ethos. The premise, in case of teaching ethics is that there is something to be “imparted” while, in case of inductive nurturing, the premise is that conscience does not need external stimulus, rather needs right environment which can let it develop. Thus, for infusion of Bharatiya ideas in management approach, success and failure stories, anecdotes, situational cases based on Bharatiya shastra need to be included in the curriculum. These would provide tools and framework for developing ethical decision making capabilities and students will be able to think beyond ethics.

 

Transformation at what level?

 

Through Bharatiya ideas in management, the outcomes that we wish to achieve should be clear. Are we seeking “individual transformation” or “mass transformation”? If the aim is to bring change through individual transformation, the courses as being taught in various management institutes are sufficient only some pedagogy and objectives need to be modified. If the aim is to bring mass transformation in the management education system, then the need is to bring change from the corporate end. The management education (un)fortunately follows the corporate world. Thus to bring mass change, corporate practices and approaches need to be made Bharat centric and Bharatiya in their functional approach.

 

Better understanding of Western Philosophy and Contemporary Challenges

 

A large number of efforts in making education as per Bharatiya foundation face problem because of the lack of understanding of the western philosophy and the contemporary challenges they are facing. Rajiv Malhotra has done commendable work in this field. His works can be included in the syllabus. This would help the students appreciate the inherent ideas and implications of not following Bharatiya ideas.

 

उद्देश्य > भाव > क्रिया   |  Purpose > Intent > Action

This core idea for Bharatiya civilization could be framework for decision making. Kindly allow me to take a different stance on ethics as it has been taken in  public discourses through infusion of Gandhian ideas. If the ultimate purpose and intent are dharmik in nature, actions don’t matter. The need is to go beyond right and wrong or good and bad, whatever path we follow, becomes irrelevant if the purpose and intent are righteous in nature. There are numerous online casino reviews example from life of Shri Ram and Shri Krishn to justify this stance. If the purpose is “to do for Bhagwan, to dedicate it to Bhagwan” even horrific criminal actions have no impact. Eg. of Sajan kasai who used to weigh the flesh of animals with bhagwan’s moorti, got liberated.

 

From incidences in Ramayan and Mahabharat, here are some more points that can be considered

  • Bhagwan Krishn asked Arjun to fire arrow at Karn who was not on his rath. Arjun said it is unethical to do so
  • Similar is case of Dronacharya (Ashwathama maara gaya), Duryodhan (hit below waist) etc
  • Bhagwan Ram shot arrow at Bali from back.
  • Bhagwan Krishn adopting the approach to run way from battle and accepting the title of रण-छोड़
  • Similarly vadh of various Rakshas during vanwaas, Kumbhkarn’s vadh, interruption in Meghnad’s yagya
  • Hanuman ji traveling to Lanka – overcoming rakshas during journey, destroying ashok vatika and other ammunition and observing women in search of Mata Sita
  • Subhash Chandra Bose’s strategy of independence

 

Today many people believe all these were unethical. But question is – whatever Bhagwan says or asks or does, can it be unethical? So again it’s the purpose that matters.

 

Vision of Self liquidation

Prof. T V Rao, gave an important concept for the vision that HR managers should adopt. The idea of self-liquidation suggests that HR division should work itself to liquidate itself within the organization, in such a manner that it empowers the HR within the functional managers, so that there is no need of HR. Similarly, our work for infusion of Bharatiya ideas need to be of the nature, so that Bharatiya ideas get liquidated in all the management disciplines. Example – PRIME at FMS-WISDOM, Banasthali Vidyapith.

Some other ideas

  • Re-defining the purpose of education – is it only for employment?
  • Bhakti Movement 3.0 – de-intellectualizing the Bharatiya Management Traditions
  • Bridging practice-theory gap – आचार्य (जो आचरण से शिक्षा दे)
  • Bharatiya lens / Research approach – Developing the requisite lens for new ideas

 

To conclude

In current times, if we teach students to do right thing, follow good moral principles, dont cheat, dont bribe…it will necessary create dissonance in their minds. Given the current scenario, in majority of places they will have to either chose job or ethics. Without jobs they dont be able to survive and will continue job with a feel of “guilt“. This will be far more dangerous situation. So better would be to teach them about nishkam karm (offering the results to Bhagwan, whether good or bad). So that their actions get purified through grace of Bhagwan.

 

The below shlok from Gita would be very apt to conclude.  

न द्वेष्ट्य कुशलं कर्म कुशले नानु षज्जते।

त्यागी सत्त्व समाविष्टो मेधावी छिन्न संशयः॥१८- १०॥

जो मनुष्य अकुशल कर्म से तो द्वेष नहीं करता और कुशल कर्म में आसक्त नहीं होता — वह शुद्ध सत्वगुण से युक्त पुरुष संशय रहित, बुद्धिमान और सच्चा त्यागी है !!