Sarvadharman Parityaja Maamekam Saranam Vraja,
Aham Twa Sarvapapebhyo Mokshaishyami Ma Suchah
(Surrender unto Me and perform all your actions as an offering to Me. I will destroy all your sins and confer liberation on you.)
“So long as man is immersed in body attachment, all types of hardships and misery
haunt him. Body attachment is the root cause of Sankalpas (thoughts). The inner
meaning of this statement is that man should experience unity in diversity. Without
Vyashti (individual), there cannot be Samashti (society). Without Samashti, there
cannot be Srushti (creation). So, first of all we have to recognize the role of Vyashti.
Only then can we understand the principle of Samashti, which will in turn lead to the
understanding of Srushti. One who understands Srushti becomes one with
Parameshti (God). In fact, the principles of Samashti, Srushti and Parameshti are
very much present in Vyashti. Hence, one has to make efforts to understand
Vyashti in the first instance”
-Baba.
(Divine Discourse, 10 Sep 2002)
In today’s business scenario, a great number of companies are promoting business activities that bring simultaneous, economic, social and environmental benefits. Apart from wealth maximization and legal compliance, Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) is being accepted by all, since managers have realized that this is the way forward for sustainable growth. Sai Ethics takes the threshold to the next level- living the principle of Vyashti, Samashti, Srushti, Parameshti, which means Spiritualization of Business.The Sanskrit saying, ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, means – ‘the one who comes to you for being served, should be taken as God, is considered as the highest order of responsibility, be it to individuals or to the society.
A Pond of Ripples
Swami says ‘Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma’. Imagine a pond into which each of us- 6 billion humans, is throwing his or her own personal pebble every second. The result will be a wave pattern formed by the interaction of all the waves created by our billions of personal pebbles. Assuming that our pebbles are our beliefs, emotions, words, actions and choices, we can imagine that we are all co-creators of that unique matrix pattern that we call reality. We are affecting the whole with every thought. Not one centimeter of that matrix is free from our input. Therefore, self transformation brings about universal transformation i.e., from Vyashti to Parameshti.
Stepping out from the safe heaven of MY MOTHER
When I stepped out into the corporate world, I was confident and exuberant, bursting with fresh ideas and also quite confused, scared and lonely. It took me time to adjust to the world outside. Coming from a rural background, and with my parents staying away from me, the change from paradise to the world was challenging. Is it possible to live up to the standards Swami has set for me? Why is there so much mistrust and manipulation? I began to introspect and develop a closer relationship with Swami and reflect on His teachings and living it moment to moment. Beginning from 1998, every year has been a roller coaster ride. I believe that whatever happened was the best for me. All through, Swami taught me the important lesson – to accept and manage change as part of life.
The Highs
This case relates to an export oriented unit which consisted of 15 employees and enjoyed a tax exemption benefit expiring in 2007. The promoter shut down the company without giving sufficient notice to the employees and terminated their contracts. The promoter started a new venture and recruited fresh candidates. One of the terminated employees approached me for a job since he was in desperate need of it. His experience did not match the job profile I had in hand. HR had budget constraints and was unwilling to take on inexperienced candidates on bank roles. At the time of the interview, the person was pessimistic and unimpressed about the job. Through a two hour interview, I tried to counsel, explain the pros and cons of the role. At the end, he was optimistic and self confident and willingly expressed his desire to try to learn and perform the job. His renewed confidence made me feel so happy. After convincing the HR and business head, this person was engaged on a temporary basis and is now one of the best performing members of my team.
In another incident, my boss called me at 10.45 p.m and asked me to solve a query of a client. This was part of the sales team and not under my purview. The client required to transfer funds internationally which required an access code. I went that extra mile, called the
The lesson was: is it possible to stay true to service without allowing ego to dominate, yet successfully function in an ego- dominated world?
The Lows
Turning to unpleasant incidents, while working in a business process team which handles anti money laundering, compliance and MIS, I have been tested many times. Strict regulations govern the banking industry and the consequences of non compliance are severe. Sometimes a transaction may make perfect business sense and legal too, yet they don’t meet Sai ethical standards. The constant feeling that I am Swami’s student has given me the confidence to do what is right. In these past 10 years of service, I was once threatened with dire consequences for failing to authorize an unethical transaction. That seemed like the end of my banking career. With inner conviction, I resigned and took up a job with a low compensation. Even then my mind was disturbed, because I feared they would put derogatory remarks on my relieving letter. Swami helped me in those dark hours and things took a positive turn after that.
And this brings me to the concept of mirrors. When I look at a mirror it reflects my body structure and the clothes. Similarly, when I view the world as my own mirror, every event, the people, society, and creation is my own reflection. Every experience especially the so called sad, testing moments had learning for me. I thank these persons for pushing me further on the path of self exploration, self acceptance and self empowerment, because self acceptance is self empowerment. When the change happens within, the outside changes to reflect that Change. It’s taking responsibility for all my thoughts, emotions and actions. From self to the world, in my own little ways, I add to the rich experience of this universal consciousness.
In problematic situations, sometimes patience is a great virtue. Even by powerful subconscious thoughts we can influence the situation and solve the problem. Positive thoughts / energy waves gather critical mass and can turn a negative into positive. Earlier I worked from a feeling of powerlessness, not believing in the Supreme Creation which has nourished us through aeons and aeons without even asking. Through the years, this poverty programming/consciousness has been substituted with abundance consciousness which is the natural state. It’s having, yet not possessing. As Swami says many threads make a strong cloth, but if the same is unwoven into threads there is no strength. The design of Srushti is interdependence and harmony. If our body carries a cancer cell, it will slowly destroy the host upon which it depends for survival. Switching to business; businesses have adapted this principle and they are slowly becoming environment friendly. The mindset of entrepreneurs is changing i.e., to go beyond profits to CSR. Many companies report the benefits of Corporate Stakeholder Responsibility and Corporate Stakeholder Management from better employee satisfaction and retention, to creating value for shareholders and the community. Students from our university have the advantage of being given a strong foundation of human values to contribute to the spiritualization of business. It takes effort to stretch that extra bit, but the effort is worth taking.
-Mr Mannu Shivaram, alumnus,
(Article as appeared in Insaight newsletter, issue 5, April 2008)
No comments:
Post a Comment