Why we must overcome mental apartheid

Why we must overcome mental apartheid Spirituality is the key which will set you free from the psychological shackles that ultimately leads to peaceful and happier a life The human mind is cannonaded with innumerable thoughts. It is estimated that around 60 thousand thoughts arise in our mind, on any given day. When the human mind is not at rest or lacks peace, this acts as an obstruction in the pursuit of spiritual growth. Such a mind is agitated and full of blockades and becomes a fertile ground to grow into a state of mental apartheid; lacking in a sense of discrimination and quite unable to bloom. Often it leads one to act in a manner that does not measure up to the highest standards. The Banana swing bowler Accuracy and rigour were the forte of the master swing bowler John Kenneth Lever. He was to play 21 test matches for England wherein he snapped 73 wickets at an average of 26.77 and a strike rate of 60.77. John Lever held the unique distinction of grabbing a five and ten-wicket haul against the former colony, the hapless Indians. This ubiquitous workhorse for Essex had the uncanny ability to prodigiously bring the ball into the right-handed batsman (universally termed the banana swing) with quotidian ability. The ball jumped at an awkward angle and entered the rib cage of the batsman, making him singular among contemporary fast bowlers. The infamous Vaseline incident However, in 1976, this consummate fast bowler was charged with applying Vaseline on the red cherry to produce English like conditions at the arid Feroze Shah Kotla grounds in Delhi. It was perhaps the first recorded incident of ball doctoring. The then Indian captain Bishan Singh Bedi vehemently opposed this blatantly unethical method deployed. Unfortunately and unfairly for the Indians – who lost the rubber three to zero –, John Lever was acquitted of all charges. History does repeat itself! So one is tempted to ask, have Cricket Australia and the international cricket administration metamorphosed over the years into irreproachable and unimpeachable bodies that they have banned Cameron Bancroft, David Warner and Steve Smith for nine months and a year each, respectively, for scuffing the ball in the recent series against South Africa. Nondescripts and paper had become a venomous arsenal. One can safely argue that had these very players and bowlers from Down Under resorted to such unethical tactics against the sub-continental teams of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh it is quite unlikely that this deservedly rasping punishment would have been meted out. This is a crystal clear case of mental apartheid. Throughout the history of mankind, the weak and meek have been oppressed at the hands of ripped and high-powered organisations and companies. Monetary figures from International economics It will be noteworthy to peruse the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures of two Asian giants, India and China as calculated by Professor Angus Maddison, Emeritus Professor at the University of Groningen, Netherlands and Honorary Fellow at Cambridge University. The esteemed economist has graphically estimated India’s and China’s wealth relative to world GDP for the years 1000 AD, 1500 AD, 1600 AD and 1700 AD. The figures are quite revivifying and inspiring. India’s share of world GDP was slightly more than a quarter of the total in the year 1000 AD, and just a little less than a quarter between the years 1500 AD and 1700 AD. Reclaiming a piece of the pie It is indeed revealing that the Oriental world, in particular, India and China had acquired a significant world share of opulence, wealth and economy. Thus, several European trading companies, following the doctrine of three Gs – Gold, Glory and God – adopted overt and covert methods to target these gargantuan economies. Over time they successfully subjugated and enslaved these economies. Today, India’s share of world GDP is an insignificant 3.65%. How did things come to such a state? The vastly superior Indian culture reached a plateau and began to stagnate and languish and was consequently imprisoned. The Indian economy and culture lost its chutzpah and became victims of vastly dynamic European powers. We were to become puppets in a system of economic and mental apartheid. Yogic power and spirituality: Our salvation However much Indians themselves condemn and denigrate it, no matter how much the youth disparage it, yet it is the Yogic power (Shakti), techniques of meditation and our spirituality which catapulted India to status of prima donna and helped the country scale exalted heights. The contribution of Maharishi Patanjali, our Vedic literature, the Puranas, the Upanishads, the Aryankas, the two exalted and splendacious epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana, various philosophical schools and the contribution of Jainism, Buddhism and subsequently of Islam and Sikhism had all made India the hub and cradle of mental invigoration and wondrous contribution. It is indeed the very same mental invigoration led to the discovery of the concept of zero or even the existence of galaxies in the universe. We were not fettered by the limitations of mental apartheid and the Indian mind was febrile enough to take the plunge deep into the unknown and explore infinity. Medieval Indian scholars, writers, artists and scientists contributed to the bedrock that they had gained in inheritance. Way out Today the world has become a yoga mat. Indians have to strive beyond Hatha Yoga and repose faith from within and work on certain cardinal principles that have stood the test of time. These are to lead a regulated life and endorse the belief that life is something sacred and precious, acquire immense spiritual wealth and understand the universal law of attraction. One should believe in a Guru and venerate our ancient and present teachers, participate in Satsangs and believe in universal love and humanity and believe in the omnipotent power of the Almighty. It would also be beneficial to view the universe through the prism of spirituality and sincerely surrender to the will of Almighty and develop the faith that prayer works like a magic potion. It is only then that we Indians can unshackle mental apartheid and gain ascendancy in various spheres of human life. Why organisations should ‘understand’ their employees It would be a worthwhile activity to disambiguate the word ‘devotion’ with respect to an organisation as we unravel the dilemma of human resources development in an organisation. An organisation is a structure (either formal or informal), established to achieve the prescribed goals or objectives as laid down by the top management. As such there ought to be no ambiguity in the minds of the employers or the employees about the targets. Devotion and organisation Devotion in a human being is the commitment to fulfil the parameters which are outlined. It is here that the skill of the top brass will be tested. The challenge is for them to upgrade and enhance the degree of commitment among the workforce, such that they do not get distracted or confused by perceiving their growth to be distinct from that of the organisation. Exalted devotion amplifies the performance of the individual simultaneously augmenting the capacity of the organisation. This cycle empowers both the individual and the establishment and in turn, provides a fillip to human resources development. Gargantuan organisations In this age of rapidly and furiously changing technology, a question that would naturally pique the curiosity of the average person is, ‘How do huge, monolithic organisations function? What makes them tick?’ Let us attempt to answer the questions taking the examples of the Indian Railways and the Indian Defence forces. The Indian Railways is rightly called the lifeline of the nation; seamlessly connecting all corners of the country. In the last fiscal, 1146 million tonnes of cargo was loaded and carried across the length and breadth of the country by various freight cars. Further, on any given day on an average of around 24 million people travel by various trains, from the suburban to high speed Gatiman Express. We incessantly face challenges from within and without. Encircled by hostile neighbours, challenging geo political situation, inhospitable terrains, not to mention the numerous terrorist, radical and Naxal organisations which have struck root within the country and outside and espouse the cause of dismemberment of the republic. The Indian Armed Forces maintain vigil and protect our frontiers against the visible and the invisible enemy. Chain of command and discipline There is a single directive and chain of command from the General Manager to the gangman patrolling the tracks of the Indian Railways. Similarly, in the armed forces, it is their coherent chain of command which ensures their smooth functioning, their very survival. Inbuilt in the system is a discipline which guarantees that both the organisations work 24*7, 365 days a year. Without this regimen of discipline and a direct chain of command which dispenses directions, these two organisations will cease to exist as we see them today and would plunge into anarchy. Cogent communication Discipline and devotion get ingrained in any organisation in case the ideas of the leaders are successfully conveyed to the rank and file of the institution; seeping into every nook and cranny of the network in an uncorrupted manner. Any idea, no matter how great, would be inutile if it is not transmitted effectively and understood by organisational members. The process of uninterrupted communication singularly serves four major functions. It enables control, motivates the employees, ensures emotional expression and transmits information. Communication can also be perceived as a process or a flow of information. However, misadventures are encountered when there are deviations or when blockages occur in that flow and the derivable lie unaccomplished. Leadership styles There are as many definitions of leadership as there are leaders and their philosophies. There are democratic, participative, delegators, dictatorial, compassionate, stubborn, wager, imaginative, think out of the box and also coercive leaders. It is indisputable that the leader in order to be effective ought to acquire qualities of empathy with the workforce, effective communication. It is also imperative that he or she possesses greater information and knowledge than the foot soldiers. Lastly, a leader must be an inspirational figure and lead from the front. As an old adage goes, lead or get out of the way. Empathy and devotion Successful leaders hone their skills and learn the craft through various processes and often through trial and error. Some strategies pay immediate dividends. Results are expeditiously visible to members of the organisation and various stakeholders. At other times strategies take time to ripen. However, the leader should be singularly focussed to achieve the milestones, always ensuring devotion to the organisation even if immediate benefits to the individual are not apparent. The ‘patriarch’ of the organisation should empathise with the employees, appreciate their problems and correctly assess their strengths and weaknesses; but with an eagle eye look for recalcitrant employees to crack the whip at an appropriate juncture. Leadership is ultimately all about the ability to influence the organisation, the stakeholders and various formal and informal groups and mobilise the human resources of the company to achieve the corporate goal. Understanding organisational culture An important angle in human resource development in any organisation is to discern the riddle of its organisational culture. Organisational culture primarily means a system of shared meaning held by the employees. This is what distinguishes it from other organisations and establishments. The organisation, its men and material are innovative and risk takers, engage in detail tasking, embrace the philosophy of outcome orientation, appreciate people orientation, the cynosure is on team orientation, over a period of time develop an inbuilt aggression which exudes positive energy to accomplish corporate goals, exult self-confidence and keep at bay antipathetic and gloom-ridden tendencies and maintains stability to scale the summit. These are tools which harness the underlying principle of human resource development. “We recruit for attitude and train for skill,” writes Atul Gawande the American surgeon and author of the iconic, Being Mortal. Indeed, words that sum up succinctly the role of human resources development. How the human mind develops psychological skills The human mind over a period of time becomes robust by assessment of individual differences, behavioural modifications and various guidance skills Maharishi Patanjali in the celebrated treatise Patanjali Yoga Sutra, wrote, “Tado drashtuhu swarupe avastham,” (Sutra 3), implying that the seer then rests or remains in his / her own nature. This exalted state can be achieved by a disciplined mind. Discipline is to unite oneself, to integrate all loose ends of one’s existence. It would be worthwhile to perceive and comprehend Sutra 4; “Vrutti sarupyamitarata,” that is, a seeker identifies oneself with the modulations of the mind all the time. Nature of the mind The human mind is perpetually cannonaded by innumerable thoughts and at the same time is engaged with the outside world all the time. With eyes wide open in a wakeful state an individual is ensnared by senses of sight, smell, hearing, touch and taste. Or else a human being revisits the world of sleep or inertia where the mind blanks out the sensory perception to delve deep inside itself; so much so that one may become the object being perceived in such a state. In such a state it empties and transfigures the mind; attains a tranquil state to metamorphose itself to achieve something atypical and unexampled. The quintessential character or chitta of the mind in such a stage is to purge itself of all antipathetic and Sisyphean thoughts and embrace efficacious ones and discipline the mind to develop and nourish psychological skills. Painter from Milan An estimable Italian painter was intrigued and fascinated by the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma and the epic Mahabharata. This consummate occidental artiste from Milan was overwhelmed with the celestial and divine portraits of Hindu deities by the legendary Indian painter. Raja Ravi Varma had successfully carved a niche for himself through dexterous fusion of European techniques with Indian sensibilities and made the paintings affordable for Indian art lovers through lithographs. Meanwhile, the proficient Italian painter embarked upon his odyssey to delineate the story of the epic Mahabharata on canvas. He visited several libraries, researched the subject and spent close to ten years to acknowledge, cherish and perceive various nuances, undercurrents and emotions of the saga penned by sage Veda Vyasa. He psychologically coached and up skilled his mind through techniques of looking back into various incidents in his life, understand the meaning of love and affection (since they act as a springboard to scale the summit), discovered bonding and togetherness among erudite scholars of Mahabharata and the fraternity of painters, empathised with the loneliness of every aspiring artist and with immense jollity shared their altruism besides the benignity of the painting community. He celebrated life with gratitude of his Indian friends and the subtlety of the chronicle seeped in his mind and he could then put paint to brush and made splendacious creations. Fundamentally and predominantly the Italian painter developed advanced psychological skills to achieve the laid down objectives. Discipline, identity and understanding The term psychological skill-sets can be broadly delineated as a degree of proficiency of faculties, or dexterity that a seeker acquires through vigorous training and vast experience in life. It is paramount and mandatory that the individual keeps the apertures of the mind open to various evolving concepts, propositions and abstractions. The human mind over a period of time becomes robust by assessment of individual differences, behavioural modifications and various guidance skills. Continuous and vigorous training disciplines and lays down what can be termed as a quotidian regimen to harness and upgrade skill-sets. The mind is then prepossessing and lustrous like fresh dew on rose petals, resonating with ideas. The mind demands proof An untrained mind perennially demands proof. It is not a disciplined mind and is still not open to develop psychological skills. Sutra 5 of Patanjali Yoga Sutra states that, “Vrutayaha panchtayyaha klishtaklishtaha,” meaning that modulations in the human mind are five-fold and could be agonizing or not painful at all. There are some vruttis or modulations of the mind which are unwelcome and unbidden. This has been further explained in Sutra 6, “Pramanaviparyayavikalpanidra-smrutayaha.” The human mind is either in quest of proof, on the path of wrong understanding, in a state of imagination, in a state of sleep or memory. Natural states They may well appear paradoxical but these are all natural stages in life. And it is perhaps essential that the human mind is exposed to such thought processes; for it is from doubts that solutions arise. And any scientist will vouchsafe for this trajectory of thought process. But it is essential to clear the dark clouds of doubt that envelope the human mind in order to seek clarity. This too can be achieved through developing psychological skill-sets of practice (abhyasa) and discipline to achieve the desired target. The examples of the Italian painter and ace archer Arjuna immediately figure on the list; how their minds could become robust by singularly pursuing the path through practise and discipline. As one develops psychological skills, individuals develop interpersonal skills too; cognitive skills, effective skills, personality and attitudinal skills, expressive and reflective skills grow. It helps one to grow in the knowledge of self, nature, acquire the ability to work with people various backgrounds, respect diversity and accept with sensitivity preferences of various individuals and their ideologies. “Knowing others is intelligence. Knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is a strength, mastering yourself is true power,” wrote the renowned scholar Lao Tzu.