The holistic approach for Self-Development

Hinduism has founded basic principles for self, family, society and universe. The principles help in attaining harmony and their holistic development.

I. Formation of life i.e. Panchbhoota

Life on earth is made of five elements viz. Jal (water), Vayu (air), Prithvi (earth), Agni (fire) and Akash (space).

According to Ayurveda and Yoga, Pancha Bhoota are associated with overall health of human being. Any disorder in human body indicates imbalance of one or more of these elements.

II. Stages of life

Life is divided four parts i.e. Ashrams viz. Brahamchariya (attaining knowledge), Grahast (marriage and developing children), Vanprasat (retirement age) and Sanyas (renunciation of material desires).

III. Debts of life - Brahma rin, Dev rin, Rishi rin, Pitra rin

Hindu philosophy prescribes four types of debts undertaken by the human being viz. Brahma rin (Supreme god debt), Dev rin (deities’ debt), Rishi or guru rin (debt towards teachers and sages) and Pitra rin (debt or obligation towards parents and ancestors).

Brahma rin is the debt towards god who gave life force i.e. atma or soul. At the time of birth, child is innocent and with good qualities. To repay the debt, we should shed all the negative habits and feelings before death.

We are being provided basic necessities of life (air, water, minerals, sunlight etc) by various deities. This dev rin is repaid by donating necessities to less fortunate ones.

Teachers and sages play important role to develop our mind and intellect. They impart different type knowledge which is important for material and spiritual gains. To repay the debt, we should share our knowledge and participate in spreading education.

Our parents have brought up us when we were weak and in developing stage. We also get name, fame and property earn by ancestors. We should repay the pitra rin by taking care of our parents when they need it and to perform annual shraadha and pind dan for ancestors.

IV. life after life i.e. Cycles of Births

Hinduism believes in re-birth. It is believed that after death of a person soul finds new born body. This concept is summarily described in the following verse of the Bhagavad gita:

“Just as a man discards worn out clothes and puts on new clothes, the soul discards worn out bodies and wears new ones.” (2.22)

According to Hinduism, a being has to live many lives and undergo many experiences before it attains perfection and becomes one with the Divine.

V. Purpose of life i.e. Sat-Chit-Anand

Yogapedia explains Sat-Chit-Ananda as under:

• Sat: truth, absolute being or existence– that which is enduring and unchanging
• Chit: consciousness, understanding and comprehension
• Ananda: bliss, a state of pure happiness, joy and sensual pleasure

A common translation of sat-chit-ananda is “truth-consciousness-bliss.” Sometimes sat-chit-ananda is considered to be a triple consciousness, where all three elements can be taken separately or considered as one because, in reality, each element is found in everything.

It is easier for people to achieve an illuminated mind, but sat-chit-ananda is a higher state even than that.

In the philosophy of Vedanta, sat-chit-ananda is used as a synonym for the three qualities of Brahman. It is the supremely blissful experience of pure consciousness, unity and ultimate reality. Sri Aurobindo considers sat-chit-ananda to be the eternal and unified concept of the soul, which is beyond space, matter and time.

Though it is a lofty goal that may not be achieved in the practitioner’s lifetime, practicing yoga can help move the individual closer to sat-chit-ananda. (Reference: www.yogpedia.com)

Vi. goals of life

It is to attain Dharm, Arth, Kam and Moksh.

Purusartha is a key concept in Hinduism, which holds that every human being has four proper goals that are necessary and sufficient for a fulfilling and happy life,[15]

As per Wikipedia:
Dharma includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and right way of living. Hindu dharma includes the religious duties, moral rights and duties of each individual, as well as behaviours that enable social order, right conduct, and those that are virtuous.

• Artha – signifies the “means of life”, activities and resources that enables one to be in a state one wants to be in.[19] Artha incorporates wealth, career, activity to make a living, financial security and economic prosperity. The proper pursuit of artha is considered an important aim of human life in Hinduism.
  
• Kama – signifies desire, wish, passion, emotions, and pleasure of the senses, the aesthetic enjoyment of life, affection, or love, with or without sexual connotations.
  
• Moksha – signifies emancipation, liberation or release. In some schools of Hinduism, moksha connotes freedom from saṃsāra, the cycle of death and rebirth, in other schools moksha connotes freedom, self-knowledge, self-realization and liberation in this life.
  

This objective is partly achieved by following principles of ashtagyog yog propounded by Pantanjali rishi (Scientist). Patanjali- Patanjali(yam-ahimsa, satya, annia/astia, brahmchriya,   aprigrah-not  collecting too much, niyam, aasan, pranayam, pratiyahar-chit ko akgar/introvart , dharma, dhyan,    samadhi).

Vii. Attaining Knowledge i.e Guru Tattva: Brings happiness in life

Guru is one who removes darkness and brings light. Tattva means element. Hence, Guru Tattva is the knowledge which clears doubts, help in self-realisation and bring happiness in life.

As per Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru):

“Guru (Sanskrit: गुरु. IAST: guru) is a Sanskrit term that connotes someone who is a “teacher, guide, expert, or master” of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, guru is someone more than a teacher, traditionally a reverential figure to the student, with the guru serving as a “counsellor, who helps mould values, shares experiential knowledge as much as literal knowledge, an exemplar in life, an inspirational source and who helps in the spiritual evolution of a student”. The term also refers to someone who primarily is one’s spiritual guide, who helps one to discover the same potentialities that the gurus already realized.”

Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu and Guru Maheshwara – Create, Execute & maintenance and Sacrifice, respectively, Ability to create, execute the company’s / life’s projects successfully.

Viii. Developing Proper Mind sets for happiness

• Mind set of Non Attachment: brings Balance in life
  

Normally, we aspire to get a particular result from the efforts made to achieve an objective. Individuals are attached to particular mind-sets, persons etc.  Similarly, organisations become attached to success of a particular product. However, it is noted that sometimes all your sincere efforts fails causing sorrows and fear. Likewise, companies fail when they do not recognize invasion of new technologies, products etc in the market. Kodak, box like TV etc vanished with advent of digital camera and LCD / LED respectively and consequently, respective companies failed.

Bhagwan Shree Krishna in Bhagwat Gita has written on removing attachment. When we perform any task with full dedication and without attaching to success or failure, the final outcome will not cause too much joy or sorrow. It is well known that too much joy or sorrow is harmful for health besides creates imbalance in mind. When we do a work as duty for sake of duty, it can scatter the bondage of karma and free us from attachment and hence sorrow or joy.

• Mind Set having Prasada Budhi: brings Peace in life
  

In Hindu philosophy, whatever we offer to god and taken subsequently is called as Prasada. When we offer all our actions to god and accept the results as divine blessings. The mind-set of accepting all the results as god gift is Prasada Budhi. Prasada Budhi helps in facing results, good or bad and alleviates misery or overjoy. It brings peace and happiness.

• Mind set of Arpan, tarpan, samarpan
  

In Hindu philosophy, Arpan, Tarpan and Samarpan have big role for purification of self. Self-less sacrifice for betterment of society / humanity is Arpan. Remembering and offerings made to demised forefathers and parents particularly during Shradha (around 15 days period prior to Navratri which comes in September / October / November), is called Tarpan. Surrender to oneself to god and lead life according principles of dharma is Samarpan.