Wednesday, March 17, 2010
क्या वास्तव में भारतीय संस्कृति सर्वश्रेष्ठ है??
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The Role of Passion and Aptitude: Difference between the Western and Indian Systems
One generally chooses one's profession according to one's aptitude. The experience of the West, especially of America, is that individual expression, creativity and excellence is the function of the passion or the degree of interest in the issue at hand. The 12th grade education in America is virtually an exposure to different streams. Children then ascertain, through examinations and competition, what they are most interested in, and then follow those streams. Theoretically as well practically, it is indeed wonderful for an individual to be given the opportunity to find out what they're designed for, and pursue that particular stream. This is indeed a properly designed system that accords full scope for an individual to excel.
But we also find that in this process of pursuit of individual professional excellence, the family system is disturbed. The single-minded pursuit of one's chosen career is often at the cost of one's family harmony. On the other hand, if we consider the Indian system of studies, profession and family, there are the tendencies based upon the caste system that play a major role in life. Caste in the olden days, to a major extent dictated the profession one would follow in one's life. People generally followed profession their parents followed. To a great extent, this is still the norm today; we see this in the fields of politics, entertainment (notably, the film industry), sport, business, etc. this was a practical system that has worked for thousands of years together.
A system that has worked for so long cannot be superficial. In this, even though a child may not possess the total aptitude or passion for a particular profession, the very fact that he chooses his father is based upon: 1) his likelihood or general tendency for that profession 2) the fact that he finds a worthy mentor right at home 3) his father gradually retires from that business or profession by transferring it to the son; and 4) the son receives a day-day-to learning experience and mentorship right in the family. This way, the family not only can continue living in the same home, but can also retain their ancestral business.
This system has worked for India very well, though it involves a slight sacrifice of the absolute identification of one's passion. But based upon the system of caste, parampara (tradition) and family, it is a balance between individual excellence and the continuity of the family system and other virtues that flow from the family, other than the profession itself. Therefore, even though absolute passion can produce absolute creativity, a general passion that is based upon caste, tendencies and family genealogy or lineage can offer a choice of a profession for a child that is fairly reasonable, unless it is totally opposite to that field of study. Briefly, this is how India's traditional system works.
"Prabhupad priti na samujhi neeki, tinhi katha suni lagi feeki" says the Ramayana. Those who do not have devotion towards the Almighty are also devoid of any interest in listening to his virtues and stories. One must truly be fortunate or blessed to possess such interest. This devotion alone leads to a passion for Him. Practically speaking, what does this mean in one's life? Considered in terms of one's profession, this question is easier to answer. The lack of passion in a particular line of work will automatically translate into lack of excellence in that field. Similar is the case with devotion. One who lacks this devotion will not benefit from the worship of divine, as he is unlikely to develop any interest in this regard. Hanuman is the prime example of supreme Bhakti or devotion to the Supreme One, one who was ever ready to serve Shri Ram and do his bidding, as also to listen to the glories of the Lord. A soul filled with passionate bhakti or devotion never tires of worship or eulogy of the object of that devotion. Such a bond of devotion may also be found between son and father. Those children, who listen to the stories of their ancestors with great interest and also narrate them to their next generations without tiring of them, are able to develop an interest in the virtues of their ancestors and also imbibe those virtues.
Just as a mind devoid of devotion to God will have no attachment to Him, a person who does not like to hear about his forefathers or their deeds also will not develop any respect or affection for them, nor be able to imbibe any of their virtues. It is therefore important that within our own family, we ought to measure whether we have a genuine interest in our ancestors, their virtues, deeds, achievements and manifestations. It is also important that we create this interest in our children. if we are able to achieve this, the entire family for three to four generations will be bonded together in a single bond and can focus itself towards a chosen goal. If the younger generations of the family are not interested in the traditions and achievements of their forefathers, then they shall be truly at a loss, just as one who is devoid of devotion to God is. Of course, we have to monitor whether our children are developing an interest in our ancestors or whether the bonds between father and son are strong.
There are two ways by which we can measure this aspect. One, what is the intensity of the younger members' readiness to carry out any work that elders ask them to do? Do they do it willingly and with enthusiasm and reverence for the elders? Secondly, how often do we describe the deeds and character of our forefathers and how much we listen to their stories with devotion? Possibly one or two children may lack these feeling, but many children wish to inculcate such feelings. These are good yardsticks by which they can measure their progress. The children, for their part must make a sincere effort to do their father or grandfather's bidding willingly and enthusiastically, and also listen to, read about, hear, remember, and if necessary put down in writing about their forefathers' character and accomplishments, discuss about them within the family, so that interest is created.
If we can achieve these two things, i.e. enthusiasm carry out our family elders' bidding and interest in our ancestry, we can easily connect ourselves to the tradition of which we a re a part of. This connection, whether it is to God, tradition, family or our ancestors is the same. This alone will lead to an individual's progress and a firmer foundation of his life.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
क्या महिलाओं और पुरुषों में अंतर है??
आजकल पाचात्य संस्कृति एवं महिला के सशक्तीकरण के नारों के बीच महिला एवं पुरुष में समानता की बहस उफान पर है। कई संगठनों द्वारा महिला अधिकारों को लेकर जागरूकता अभियान चलाते हुए यह साबित करने के प्रयास भी किए जा रहे हैं कि भारत में महिलाओं को युगों-युगों से प्रताडि़त किया जाता रहा है। अतः अब महिलाओं को न्याय मिलना चाहिए। इस परिप्रेक्ष्य में सीता, द्रौपदी एवं मीरा आदि से लेकर तमाम उदाहरण दिए जाते हैं। जहां तक भारतीय संस्कृति का प्रश्न है तो उसमें नारी को लक्ष्मी का दर्जा प्रदान किया गया है। नारी के सम्बन्ध में मनुस्मृति का लोक काफी चचिर्त भी हैः यत्र् नार्यस्तु पूज्यंते, रमन्ते तत्र् देवता अथार्त जहां नारी का सम्मान किया जाता है, वहां देवता निवास करते हैं। भगवान शिव के अर्धनारीश्वर रूप में भी स्त्री एवं पुरुष को समान महत्व दिया गया है। भारतीय संस्कृति में कहीं भी नारी के प्रति असम्मान का भाव नहीं प्रदर्शित किया गया है।जहां तक प्रोफेशन की बात है तो आज महिलायें जीवन के प्रत्येक क्षेत्र् में सफलतापूर्वक वह सभी कार्य कर रही हैं जिसे कुछ वर्ष पूर्व सिर्फ पुरुष ही किया करते थे। तो क्या इसके आधार पर यह कहा जा सकता है कि स्त्री एवं पुरुष में कोई अंतर नहीं है। अब क्या वास्तव में प्रत्येक प्रोफेशन में स्त्री-पुरुष को समान अवसर प्रदान करके ही उनको सम्मान एवं न्याय प्रदान किया जा सकता है? सवाल यह भी है कि क्या? घर- परिवार की देखभाल करना महिला का प्राथमिक दायित्व है या पुरुष के समान घर से बाहर निकलकर अपने कैरियर को ऊंचाइयों पर ले जाने में ही उसके जीवन की सफलता है?
यदि जीवन विज्ञान की दृष्टि से विचार किया जाये तो स्पष्ट होता है कि नारी का शारीर पुरुष की अपेक्षा कोमल होता है, उसके निर्णय मस्तिष्क की बजाय भावना से प्रभावित होते हैं। महिलाओं में पुरुषों की अपेक्षा अहं यानी इगो की समस्या कम होती है, पुरुष वह काम ज्यादा कुशलता से करता है जिसमें उसकी भूमिका आदेशात्मक होती है, महिला वह कार्य ज्यादा कुशलता से कर पाती है जिसमें उसकी भूमिका देखभाल (केपटिंग) एवं चीजों को सम्भालने की होती है। महिलाओं के मस्तिष्क की रचना इस प्रकार की होती है कि वह एक साथ कई कार्यों को कर सकती है जबकि पुरुष किसी भी कार्य को करते समय पूरी तरह उसी में तल्लीन होना पसंद करता है एवं उसमें व्यवधान उसे स्वीकार्य नहीं होता।इसके प्रमाण हमें बचपन में ही दिखाई देने लगते हैं। लड़कियां मुलायम खिलौनांे, गुडि़या इत्यादि से खेलना पसंद करती हैं जबकि लड़के भाग दौड़, मार-पीट एवं मेहनत वाले खेलों में ज्यादा रुचि प्रदर्शित करते हैं। स्त्री- पुरुष में शारीर विज्ञान की इस विभिन्नता के कारण ही भारतीय संस्कृति में घर ki देखभाल की जिम्मेदारी नारी को प्रदान की गई एवं घर की आवश्यकताओं की पूर्ति के संसाधन जुटाने का दायित्व पुरुषों को प्रदान किया गया।
अब सवाल उठने लगा कि घर की देखभाल करने की जिम्मेदारी महिला ही क्यों उठाये एवं पुरुष क्यों नहीं? यह सवाल उन लोगों द्वारा उठाये जाते हैं जो केवल स्त्री-पुरुष समानता की बात करते हैं, यह सवाल उन देशों से आयातित है जहां परिवार एवं बच्चों की देखभाल से ज्यादा व्यक्तिगत उपलब्धियों को महत्व प्रदान किया जाता है, यह सवाल उन समाजों में उत्पन्न हुए जहां पति-पत्नी सम्बन्धों में पवित्रता एवं ईमानदारी की आवश्यकता महसूस नहीं की जाती।यदि केवल समानता को ही लक्ष्य माना जाए तो स्त्री एवं पुरुष वे सभी कार्य कर सकते हैं जो आज सिर्फ महिलाओं अथवा पुरुषों द्वारा किए जाते हैं। एक जनन कार्य ही ऎसा है जिसे सिर्फ स्त्रियाँ ही कर सकती हैं। उदाहरण के लिए पुरुष घर में भोजन बना सकता है एवं महिला खेत में हल चला सकती है लेकिन सवाल यह है कि यह कार्य मजबूरी में करना पसंद करेंगे अथवा रुचि के साथ, तो जवाब आसानी से मिल जायेगा।
मानव समाज द्वारा जो भी जीवन मूल्य एवं सिद्धान्त बनाए जाते हैं उसका प्रमुख उद्देश्य प्रसन्नता एवं आनंदपूर्वक जीवन व्यतीत करना है इस उद्देश्य की पूर्ति स्त्री-पुरुष को समान अधिकार प्रदान करके नहीं बल्कि उनकी रुचि एवं योग्यता के अनुसार कार्य प्रदान करके ही हो सकती है।तात्पर्य यह है कि आवश्यकता पड़ने पर नारी कोई भी कार्य करने में सक्षम है। वह इंदिरा गांधी के समान देश का शासन भी कर सकती है एवं लक्ष्मीबाई के समान अपनी प्रजा को बचाने के लिए घोड़े पर बैठकर तलवार भी चला सकती है। नारी किसी भी रुप में कोई भी कार्य करने में पुरुष से पीछे नहीं है लेकिन इसके आधार पर समाज पुरुष एवं महिला को समान मानते हुए इसके मौलिक स्वभाव एवं रुचि की उपेक्षा नहीं कर सकता न ही समानता प्रदान करने के फेर में परिवार जैसी संस्था को बरबाद करने की अनुमति प्रदान कर सकता है। स्त्री एवं पुरुष परिवार रूपी गाड़ी के दो पहिए हैं एवं किसी भी पहिए के महत्व को कम करके नहीं आंका जा सकता। तात्पर्य यह है कि स्त्री एवं पुरुष के स्वभाव, आचरण, रुचि में जो अंतर है वह परिवार रूपी संस्था को संचालित करने के लिए अत्यंत आवश्यक है उसको समान सिद्ध करने अथवा समान बनाने के प्रयास नहीं किए जाने चाहिए।
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Satya Sanehu – The Significance of True Passion or Dedication
The intensity of a true passion towards something, or true desire of a cherished objective, goal or destination, is very important in life। The instance of the Ramayana, wherein Seeta ardently desires Lord Ram and wishes that He alone should become her consort, brings out the truth of this truism most aptly। The desire in Seeta's heart is so intense that it is a certainty that she would be united with Ram in filial bond, despite the very tough competition (that of stringing a might bow) fixed as test to win her hand, a competition for which many were eager to test their capabilities.
The same principle and its accompanying methodology applies to our success in the material world, though this may sound astounding. Children or students, who truly desire success and put their heart into their chosen task and goal, begin perceiving 360-degree vision around themselves and are no longer confined by the shackles of a longitudinal view. In fact, they begin exuding success at the outset of their efforts; this in turn, increases their confidence and their shraddha – one automatically leads to another.
On the other hand, people of an uncertain disposition, who don't truly love their job, profession or activity, whether it be the corporate work, sports or music, sooner or later drop out and become weak followers। It is important to identify one's passion to develop it and give one's hundred percent to the activity that is the focus of that passion. Only by doing so can one be able to say that one truly loves one's job, profession or activity. People who cannot do that cannot give their hundred percent to whatever they do and therefore, cannot become successful.
A hundred percent dedication to any single virtue will bring in the rest of the virtues। On the other hand, ninety-nine percent pursuit of all virtues together will not yield success. it is only the total commitment to one virtue that embodies within it other virtues. For instance, always being on time, or always delivering quality output encompasses the surmounting of so many other obstacles, that one automatically learns and inculcates the importance of other virtues and qualities.
'Satya Sanehu' thus means the hundred percent dedication to the goal or purpose of life that one has chosen। When one achieves this level of hundred percent dedication to that particular virtue, the system around us automatically begins to co-operate with us in the achievement of our goal. Human history accords many examples of this. Kalidas, for instance, was not very intelligent at birth, nor exceptionally talented; Tulsidas, who never had a formal education or a degree, or Edison, who had to encounter one thousand failures before he could create the electric bulb, Abraham Lincoln, who was defeated in elections at least eight to nine times before he went on to become the president of the world's largest democracy, Gandhi, who was a very shy child before becoming the Gandhi the world knows, Swami Vivekanand, who went to America with no support or invitation and yet conquered the entire gathering of the world's first Inter-religious Conference in 1893 at Chicago. All these prove that they were truly committed to the cause or purpose they believed in. they had true passion for their chosen objectives. It is not one's smartness, instruments or resources that matter the most, but our absolute commitment and passion.
Experts (primarily, Dr Adya from Ahmedabad) have now begun to adhere to the "law of attraction of the sub-conscious mind।" The subconscious mind's energy aligns with your thoughts and commitment to success. for instance, pasting a currency note on your roof and looking at it for long, helps develop a passion for money that ultimately helps one long and work for material success, or placing a photograph of a Mercedes car on your desk, thus helping generate passion for that desired automobile generates the subconscious impulses that ultimately drive you to that desired objective. These are not mere dreams, but have actually been practically tried out.
The secret of success thus lies in our true passion or love, our true commitment to the pursuit of the desired virtue or goal, which ultimately makes the difference between goodness and greatness. Great people are those who have this true passion for the objectives they have chosen. This mantra of success is very precisely conceptualised in Satya Sanehu.