Synopsis of Contents
The article gives a broad outline of the project and its guiding
perception.
The article begins with a brief Introduction.
The second section of the article The New
Paradigm in Business provides a brief outline of the emerging
trends in business and management.
The third section, Towards the Next Step
Forward indicates the nature of the next evolutionary step which
the humanity will be called upon to take in the future and its implications
in terms of vision and strategy for business and management.
The fourth section, Business and Spirituality:
Can They Meet examines the emerging spiritual awakening in Business
and the new trends in spirituality and the possibility of meeting
of business and spirituality in the future.
The fifth section, The New World of the Future
very briefly touches upon the three major factors which will
shape the emerging world of the future.
The sixth section, The Need For Synthesis
briefly discusses the need for a synthesis of the East and the West
and the reason for basing our synthesis on the spiritual vision
of the East.
The seventh section, Science and Technology:
Potentialities and Limitations examines the limitations and
potentialities of Modern Science and Technology as one of the shaping
forces of the New World.
The eighth section, Science of Yoga: What
It Can Do examines the spiritual and pragmatic implications
of a strategy based on Yoga for the individual and corporate life.
The ninth section Towards a Management Paradigm
Based on Yoga discusses The basic principles of a new management
paradigm based on Yoga.
The tenth section, Our Approach to the Synthesis
outlines the attitudes, values and principle which determine our
approach to the enquiry as a whole.
The article ends with a brief conclusion.
After the article comes an annex which describes the four parts
of the research project and its subject-contents.
Introduction
Business is a representative institution of our times; it represents
the spirit of our age. The pre-modern humanity was governed by the
spirit of Religion and Politics; modern humanity is governed by
Business and Commerce. Modern business in general displayed remarkable
ability to change. In our modern age, business is probably the only
social institution which was never afraid of change or even loved
change. But the Change which is going to come in the future will
be something which never happened before in the known history of
humanity.
The world around us is in the midst of a massive and unprecedented
evolutionary upheaval. To cope with the future change which is coming
modern business needs an altogether new vision of man, life and
the world which was probably never conceived in the history of business.
What is the type of vision and strategy which will help business
as a social institution, and the organizations which are part of
it, to navigate successfully this evolutionary transition towards
the future? This is the main theme of a research project of Sri
Aurobindo Society. In this introductory article we give a broad
outline of this project and its guiding perceptions.
The New Paradigm in Business:
One of the most important developments in the philosophy of modern
Business is the realisation of the simple and obvious fact that
Business is a human enterprise, a living human organism, and not
merely an economic engine. An engine or a machine is a material
organism which can be "Managed" with mechanical techniques;
but a human enterprise is a living organism which has to be nurtured,
rather than "managed", with great care and attention so
that it blossoms freely towards its highest creative potential.
While maximising productivity and efficiency may be the right aim
for a machine, the aim of a human enterprise like business has to
be the fulfillment of human needs and aspirations and in the process
creates "value" for the society in harmony with the laws
of Nature. The nature of this value or social contribution may vary
for different types of human enterprises. It may be wealth for business,
social justice for politics, and knowledge for educational institutions.
This is, more or less, the drift of the new and emerging business
philosophy. This new thought is at present confined to a few perceptive
and progressive business thinkers. But the emerging trends indicate
that it is likely to be the business paradigm of the future.
Let us have a brief look at the views of some of the representatives
of this new paradigm in business. James Burke former CEO of the
well-known multinational Johnson & Johnson says, "I try
to talk philosophically of business, since young people have a tendency
to think of it in a narrow sense rather than as a dynamic organism
which satisfies human needs and to create wealth in the process".
Rolf V. Ostenberg another former CEO of a group of paper factories
writes "the raison d'etre for a company is to supply an environment
within which personal development of the human being involved in
the company can take place." Stephen Cowey in his best seller,
Principle-Centred Leadership, says "The aim of any human resource
development program ought to be to release the tremendous creative
power and potential of people by involving them in a meaningful
change and development process" and adds "Principle -
centred leadership suggests that the highest level of human motivation
is a sense of personal contribution. It views people as the most
valuable organizational assets - as stewards of certain resources
- and stewardship as the key to discovering, developing and managing
all other assets. Each person is recognised as a free agent, capable
of immense achievement, not a victim or pawn limited by conditions
or conditioning". And this well-known American leadership guru
suggests a shift from the present mechanical model of organisation
to an agricultural model: "organisations are not mechanical,
they are organic. To see organisations through the agricultural
paradigm is to see them as living and growing things made up of
living, growing people. Living things are not immediately "fixed"
by replacing non-working parts; they are nurtured overtime to produce
desired results". But the most positive feature of the new
paradigm is that many companies, big and small, from all over the
world are making the attempt to "Walk the Talk" with handsome
results in the bottom-line. Here are two companies which exemplify
the new paradigm values.
* In Brazil Ricardo Semler runs Semco, an equipment manufacturing
Company. Virtually every one sets their own hours. Some people
with particularly valuable skill make higher salaries than their
bosses without having to be in the management track. There is
no hierarchy to speak of, except titles like, counselors or associates.
Employees make most of the important corporate decisions. When
supervisory people are hired they are interviewed and evaluated
by their future subordinates. There is a complete openness of
information. The financial data of the company is shared with
the workers. Company provides classes to workers on financial
analysis so that they may understand the financial condition of
the company. Semco's combination of democracy, profit-sharing
and open information has created one of Brazil's fastest growing
companies. It was voted the best company in which to work and
it has a profit margin of 10 percent.
* An example of corporate democracy from Semco. Workers of the
Company, not real estate agent, found three prospective sites,
for one division of Semco. Then everyone from the division got
into buses to visit the sites. The employees voted for one building
that management didn't really want because it was across the street
from a plant with one of the worst labour records in Brazil. But
after the plant was purchased, the worker's productivity flourished
as they designed the factory for flexible manufacturing. Within
four years after moving into the new site worker's productivity
per employees jumped from $14,200 to $37,500.
* Anita Roddick, the founder of Body Shop bases her international
company on business ethics, environmental awareness, responsibility
for the community and respect for the employee and the customer.
Each Body Shop store has a community project that employees do
on company time. The Company has a third world trade department
that as Anita puts it "goes into areas of the Third World,
creating trade in an ethical way paying First World prices, making
sure that the environment is protected and making sure that the
social fabric of the environment is protected". They raise
large amount of money for rain forest people. When they had to
open a shop or production plant they put it in Glasgow "the
worst housing area in the whole of Europe". In addition to
cutting the unemployment rate dramatically, the company gave 25
percent of the profit of that plant back to the Glasgow Community.
The other unique value of Body Shop is the feminine touch "for
women" says Anita "its care. We have so many women in
our organization care becomes a very natural vocabulary".
These values of body shop have led to all the traditional signs
of growth in sales. The success of the Body Shop is so phenomenal
that Inc. magazine ran a cover story on Anita Roddick with the
headline. "This Woman is changing Business Forever."
So corporate democracy, empowerment, social and environmental
responsibility, creativity, quality, customer service, innovation-these
are the mantras of the new paradigm. But is this all or is there
a beyond? Is a benign humanism, environmentalism and social conscience
the last word in human evolution and development? Is this the highest
possibility in Man? What next? Is there a further step ahead? These
are the questions which we have to ask now in order to prepare ourselves
for the future.
We heartily welcome the New Paradigm in Business because it opens
the path for a decisive step forward in evolution from an authoritarian,
mechanistic, Taylorian era to a freer and a more humanistic ethos
in business. But even while the New Paradigm values are spreading
fast and getting established in business, we have to think ahead
and visualize the next stage in the evolution of business. The crucial
question we have to ask is what is the highest potentiality of humanism
or in other words what is the highest potential in man and how to
manifest it in the individual and corporate life, especially in
business?
We perceive this next step in the evolution of business in the
light of an evolutionary spiritual vision of man and the world.
Towards the Next Step Forward
Modern business philosophy has a certain viewpoint or perspective
on human potential based on the secular humanistic values of the
west and the scientific theories on the nature of man and his evolution.
We are presenting a complementing perspective based on the values
of spiritual humanism and the spiritual vision of the yogic sciences
of the East. Interestingly, Gary Hamel, an eminent management thinker,
pleading for a new and different perspective on business strategy
said "Among the people who work on strategy in organisation
and the theorists a huge proportion, perhaps 95% are economists
and engineers who share a mechanistic view of strategy, where are
the theologists and anthropologists to give a broader and fresher
insight". We do not know in what sense the words theology or
anthropology are used in the above statement. If theology means
concerning the Theos or the Divine then there are different forms
of theology. There is the religious theology most of which are based
on a trenchant duality between the divine creator, human creature
and the created world. There is also a spiritual theology which
perceives an organic and nondual unity between the divinity, humanity
and the world. There can also be a humanistic and secular theology
which erects some human secular ideal as the ultimate goal of development
and calls for a religious dedication to this ideal. Similarly, if
anthropology means concerning the anthropos, Man and his evolution,
here also there are different forms of anthropology. There is the
scientific anthropology which doesn't admit the spiritual dimension
in man or any teleological aim for human evolution. There is the
religious anthropology which views man as essentially a spiritual
being with a spiritual destiny but does not admit an evolutionary
process. There is a spiritual anthropology which perceives man as
a spiritual being or a spark of the divinity; evolving progressively
through a natural process of physical, psychological and spiritual
evolution towards a spiritual destiny in the Divine Consciousness;
and views this evolution of humanity as an integral and organic
part of the evolution of the world. Our perspective will be based
on such a spiritual theology and anthropology. Our strategic vision
will be based on the great Indian Science of Yoga.
The word "Yoga" is now a popular and well-known word
all over the world. But, as it usually happens when spiritual ideas
get popularized, the true and deeper significance of the concept
is lost in the process of mass-diffusion. Since Yoga is the strategic
core of our synthesis we will be discussing the principles and practices
of this great science of India extensively in our subsequent articles.
But a brief clarification of the true significance of Yoga may be
helpful in understanding our further discussions.
The central idea of Yoga is that the present organization of our
human consciousness, centralized around the Ego with the national
Mind as the highest faculty is not the highest summit of human evolution
and development. There are within our human organism higher layers
of consciousness beyond and exceeding the rational mind, with a
greater range of knowledge, power, action and feeling than our present
ego-centric mentality, and with an ability to raise beyond ego to
a universal or cosmic consciousness or a Unity-Consciousness in
which we feel one with all existence. To this higher consciousness
we may give the name "spiritual". Yoga as a path or a
science is the systematic psychological method or process by which
we can consciously raise beyond our ego-centric mentality or rationality
to this higher egoless, universal and intuitive consciousness. According
to most of our modern spiritual thinkers, realization of this higher
consciousness is the next step in human evolution. As Sri Aurobindo,
one of the greatest among the modern exponents of Yoga, points out,
"---in the next great stage of human progress it is not a material
but a spiritual, moral and psychical progress that has to be made"
and adds significantly "---whatever race, whatever country
seizes on the lines of that new evolution and fulfills it will be
the leader of humanity". The strategic path towards this higher
evolution, in whatever field it may be, has to be based on the principles
of Yoga.
This means whichever group or a nation takes the initiative to
make this higher evolution the central thrust of its development
strategy will be the leader of the future. We are asking why not
Business.
Business and Spirituality:
Can They Meet?
But what spirituality or higher consciousness has to do with business
which pursues economic and material aims? At a first glance, these
two activities appear to be at the two poles of life and can never
meet. But as we have discussed already the new paradigm in business
is moving towards a liberal humanistic ethos and trans-material
values. We will not enter here into the underlying causes of this
trend. One of the main social factors could be that in most of the
western communities people's material needs are more or less fulfilled.
So they are seeking for a deeper and higher fulfillment beyond the
basic material needs. As a manager of DuPont puts it: "that
to a large extent the people that are involved (here) have gotten
to a point where their basic needs are met as far as a sound financial
basis for living and are looking to satisfy other internal needs".
So there is a growing search in the West for some sort of a moral,
psychological or spiritual fillment in work. For example "spirituality-at-work"
is a fledgling movement in US and the subject of spirituality in
business is openly discussed in professional business magazines.
As Pat Mctternry Sullivan writes: "When I entered the business
world in the late 1979's open discussion on spirituality at work
was taboo. Yet, while searching through a desk drawer for correction
fluid during one temporary assignment, I found held hidden books
on Buddhism and poetry. At a conservative commercial real estate
firm, almost all of the staff and the executives got me behind closed
doors or off-site to speak about spirituality". After giving
some more examples of such hidden and suppressed spiritual aspirations,
Sullivan adds "Today spirituality has come out of hiding throughout
the business world. Trade journal and magazines like Business Week
and Training Magazine regularly discuss the subject. Judi Neal's
website lists dozens of conferences and graduate-level classes where
participants discuss ideas from ancient Buddhist teachings to everyday
business management". So spirituality is no longer a taboo
in business. Many organizations are now openly talking about spirituality.
Let us look at some of the spiritual aspirations emerging in modern
organization.
* Boatmen's First national Bank in Kansas City regularly incorporates
"spirituality-oriented" material into their monthly
leadership conferences for the Bank's executive group.
* At the World Bank in Washington, D.C. a group of employees
that began to meet once a week at lunch time to discuss a variety
of "spiritual topics" grew to more than 500 when people
from other nearby companies streamed in. The Bank noted a change
in workplace climate from one of fear to one of cooperation, equality
and creativity.
* There is a network of several hundred small-scale businessmen
in the San Francisco Bay area who draw their inspiration from
Eastern philosophies and life-styles which emphasis on simple
living, mutual support and sharing with each other, service to
community, self-reliance and do it with all joy.
But much depends on the meaning given to the word "spirituality".
In general most of the conceptions on spirituality emerging in business
and management denote some form of moral, religious, social and
psychological fulfillment, like for example creativity, self-expression,
sharing, charity or community service. From the view-point of our
eastern spiritual perspectives these conceptions are inadequate
because they do not convey the true and highest meaning of spirituality
or the highest spiritual potential in man. But still we welcome
them as an initial mental approach to spirituality. But there are
a few organisations which seem to have a deeper and truer conception
of spirituality. Here are two such conceptions described by Kalburgi
M. Srinivas, Professor of Organisational Bahaviour, and University
of Regina, Canada:
"A second usage of the term spirituality is less religious.
There is acknowledgement of a divine or a beyond with which one
has a personal and emotional connection. Spirituality is an inner
experience of the individual when he actively attempts to harmonise
his life with the beyond. Here work would be viewed as one of the
profound ways of experiencing the presence in this world of the
divine or the beyond. Service Masters and Tom's of Maine subscribe
to this connotation of spirituality".
"A third meaning of spirituality is more secular. It refers
to an upward human striving, an urge to evolve, a desire for self-transformation:
from a lower level of consciousness to a higher level of consciousness-perfection,
a movement towards a personal transcendental state beyond one's
physical senses, mind and feelings, an inner feeling of being one
with others without any sense of separation. Here work is a means
to connect with others, a means to move to a higher level of consciousness.
Carlile Motors, Fel-Pro and Ben and Jerry's exemplify this connotation".
These two conceptions especially the second one, is very close
to our own eastern conceptions of spirituality.
But there is one major trend in the emerging corporate culture
which may not appear outwardly "spiritual" but much more
spiritual than some of the religious, moral and social trends which
are given the name "spiritual". It is the increase in
liberty or freedom. For Freedom is one of the fundamental values
of spirituality. As Sri Aurobindo points out "A large liberty
will be the law of a spiritual society and the increase of freedom
a sign of the human society growing towards the possibility of true
spiritualization". Interestingly, one of the latest books by
the well-known management guru Tom Peters goes by the name "Liberation
Management". In fact, the most striking differences between
the old and the new paradigm in business are the increase in freedom.
The main drift of the "empowerment" movement in business
is towards less rules, minimum supervision and maximum freedom for
the employees to initiate, plan, decide, think, create, innovate
and contribute to the organization.
But an eastern thinker may say that a mere outer freedom is not
enough. Eastern spirituality laid a much greater emphasis on inner
spiritual freedom. But in our integral perspective both inner and
outer freedom is essential for the spiritual growth of the individual
and the community. As Swami Vivekananda points out "The Greeks
thought political liberty. The Hindus always sought spiritual liberty.
Both are one-sided-To care only for the spiritual liberty is a defect,
but opposite is a greater defect. Liberty of both soul and body
is to be striven after". In fact one of the main causes for
the decline of the spiritual vitality of ancient India is that at
a certain stage, both religion and society got strangled by a mass
of strict and rigid outer rules. So the "Liberation Management"
when it is sincerely pursued to its logical conclusion may create
an important outer condition for the spiritual growth of the community.
Let us now turn from modern business to modern spirituality. We
can see here a life-embracing movement. The traditional Eastern
spirituality, historically, tends towards an other-worldly beyond.
But most of the modern spiritual teachings in the East are moving
towards a healthy this-worldly ethos by which we mean an all-inclusive
spirituality which does not reject life and world but aims at a
spiritual fulfillment of life and world. The greatest and the most
comprehensive exponents of this all-inclusive spirituality in modern
India are Sri Aurobindo and Mother. Sri Aurobindo writes in his
book Human Cycle:
"In Spirituality then would be our ultimate, our only hope
for the perfection of the individual or of the communal man; not
the spirit which for its separate satisfaction turns away from the
earth and her works, but that greater spirit which surpasses and
yet fulfill them. A spirituality that would take up into itself
man's rationalism, aestheticism, ethicism, vitalism, corporeality,
his aspiration towards knowledge, his attraction towards beauty,
his demand for power and fullness of life and being, a spirituality
that would reveal to these ill-accorded forces their divine sense
and the condition of their godhead---".
And J.Krishnamoorthy, another great seer of our present age speaking
of Meditation says, "Meditation is not an escape from the world;
it is not an isolating, self-enclosing activity, but rather the
comprehension of the world and its ways". So Meditation according
to J.Krishnamoorthy is not an escape from life but a part of life.
"Meditation is not something different from daily life"
declares this modern seer "do not go off into the corner of
a room and meditate for ten minutes and be a butcher-both metaphorically
and actually---You can do it all day, in the office, with the family,
when you say to somebody 'I love you', when you are considering
your children".
In ancient India, the science of Yoga was preserved mainly in the
Ashram and monasteries and taught mostly to full-time spiritual
seekers striving for spiritual liberation. But in modern India,
the main trend among Yoga teachers is to propagate the science of
Yoga, not solely as a path towards spiritual liberation for a few,
but as a science for a better management of life to all people.
As Satyananda Saraswati, the founder of Bihar School of Yoga writes:
"Yoga has a special role to play in the world of today. Its
practice alone can remove mental and physical afflictions. It can
bring joy to our hearts and homes---Those who sincerely practice
Yoga remain undisturbed like an ocean which receives the turbulent
waters of in-rushing rivers. While enjoying sense gratification
a Yogi is careful not to allow them to overpower him. It does not
help to despise life. There is no virtue in retiring to the woods
and sitting enchanted in Samadhi. Heroism lies in remaining steadfast
in the tumult of life even when the scales are heavily loaded against
us and attaining the Samadhi of equilibrium in the midst of all
odds".
Here comes the possibility of coming together of Business and Spirituality.
The upward surging aspiration for spirituality in modern Business
and the life-and-world embracing urge in modern spirituality creates
the possibility of a synergic alignment between these two activities.
But in our synthesis, spirituality will be the foundation, and the
expression of spirituality in every activity of human life is the
aim. We are here considering the expression of spirituality in business.
But why particularly Business? Whatever we have said so far applies
also to other organs of the society like for example education,
culture, science and technology. But our studies and research in
modern business brought us to the conclusion that among the social
organs in their present condition, contemporary business has the
highest potential to become the experimental laboratory for an endeavour
in collective spiritual transformation. Our conclusion may appear
surprising to many readers. But our conclusion is based on the perception
that business, especially the emerging new world in business has
some unique strengths which taken together and viewed in a holistic,
psychological and evolutionary perspective gives it an evolutionary
advantage over other organs.
The advantage we perceive is that the organ of business is probably
better equipped than other social organs to take the next step in
human evolution. We cannot substantiate our hypothesis on the evolutionary
advantage of business within the scope of this introductory article.
We will explore this perception in greater detail in our subsequent
discussions. But we would like to indicate here the central rationale
behind our perception. We believe that the evolutionary destiny
of humanity lies neither in a world-denying spirituality nor in
a spirit-denying materialism. The future of humanity lies in a synthesis
of Spirit and Matter, which means spiritualization of the material
life of man. To realize this aim, the spiritual power for inner
realization has to ally itself with the material power for outer
realization. While Indian Yoga represents the spiritual power, modern
business represents the material power, by which we mean, the power
or capability for the material realization of an Idea. If Business
can change its Idea, and lend its material power for the realization
of a spiritual idea and vision, then it can become a great power
for the fulfillment of the evolutionary destiny of humanity. This
is the evolutionary advantage we perceive in Business.
The New World of the Future:
But business cannot be abstracted from the society in which it
exists and functions; it is an integral part of the human society.
This "holistic" view of business is another perception
emerging in modern business philosophy. For example, a report of
the British Institute of Management says, "Industrial Organisation
should be seen as an integral part of the overall social system,
not isolated and independent but essentially responding to a variety
of pressures and influences, meeting material needs and providing
the work environment to a large portion of the population".
And business happens to be the most dominant and representative
organ of the modern society. So in an organic vision of business
it has to be viewed as an integral part of the economic, technological,
social, political and cultural environment in which it functions.
And this environment, and the forces of the environment, at once
influences and is influenced by the social organs which constitute
it. But our focus will be not on the environment that belongs to
the past, but of the new world of the future which is struggling
to emerge from the ashes of the past and the facts of the present.
There are three major factors or forces which, we believe, will
shape the New World of the future. First is the urge for a new synthesis
in thought and action; second, in the external world, Science and
Technology; the third in the inner world, a new Science for the
development of Consciousness.
The Need for Synthesis:
We have named our project an "Eastern Synthesis". In
the emerging globalised world, an ethno-centric approach to life
based exclusively on the beliefs and dogmas of a particular culture
is obsolete. We need a new synthesis based on the integral wisdom
of the East and West. We will be seeking for such a synthesis, a
synthesis of the predominantly outer dynamism of the secular and
scientific culture of the modern West and the predominantly inner
dynamism of the ancient spiritual culture of the East. But the synthesis
can be approached from many angles or viewpoints depending on our
primary sources of inspiration. It can be based on the insights
of modern Science and the secular humanistic philosophies of the
West. This is the main source of inspiration for most of the modern
western attempts towards synthesis. Or else the synthesis can be
based on eastern spirituality. Each group or nation has to base
its synthesis according to the natural affinities, temperament and
genius of itself and its cultural environment. We belong to India
which is the immemorial fountain-head of eastern spiritual wisdom.
So our synthesis will be based on the wisdom of eastern spirituality.
Science and Technology: Potentialities
and Limitations:
The second shaping factor of the New World in the external life
is Science and Technology. Science is probably the most influential
cultural forces of the modern age. What religion, philosophy or
art was to the ancient culture, science is to the modern culture.
The modern scientific culture has given to the human mind a distinct
way of thinking and enquiry. We believe that most of the essential
principles of the scientific method, like for example experimental
verification, testing and research are of permanent value to humanity
and will be retained in the new world. But one of the greatest contributions
of Science to the New World will be the insights and discoveries
of the New Scientific Paradigm - in physics, life sciences, and
psychology - which, by their convergence towards ancient spiritual
insights of the East, were instrumental in bringing the two cultures
closer in our modern age. These new insights of modern Science --
which points towards an eternal unity and interdependence as one
of the fundamental laws of life -- has important implications, in
theory and practice for global business.
When we move from pure science to the world of technology, we are
confronted with two important developments, Information Technology
and Biotechnology, with tremendous and awesome potentialities for
shaping the external world. This brings us to the question of the
potentialities and limitations of Technology. There are two schools
of thought in this issue. First is that of the die-hard technopath
with his indomitable faith in the omnipotence of technology. Second
is the ardent humanist who believes that technology is only an instrument
which has to be subordinated to human values, purposes and well-being.
We also believe, in total agreement with most of the humanistic
and spiritual thinkers, that technology by itself cannot bring any
radical changes in human conditions or the quality of life. As Peter
Senge, a perceptive management thinker points out, "many people
seem to believe that technology is the major driver of change -
that is a conventional cultural story in industrial societies. I
think that only the most superficial changes are being brought about
by technology". Technology can only bring improvement in the
outer life of man. These improvements, however "revolutionary"
it may appear to an externalized view, cannot bring any radical
change in the inner nature of the human being. Let us for example
look at the much hype and euphoria generated over the IT and internet
"revolution", that it will change "everything"
and the way we "think, act, work, live and love". This
may be true to a certain extent in the outer from of our life. But
has IT or the Net brought any radical or uplifting change in our
thought, feelings, desires or inner motives?
Guinness Book of Records, Millennium Edition, says that the most
frequently used search-word in the Internet is "Sex".
So the same old desires, as old as man himself, expressing it through
new tools. Our outer life is a mirror and expression of our inner
being. What we are within we enjoy or suffer without. Technology
can only express, magnify or diffuse in the outer life what is within
us. If we are beautiful within, technology will amplify it and help
us materially to create a beautiful life outside. If we are rotten
and depraved within, technology will magnify that also and help
us to throw the harmful rubbish within us outside into the mental
and material environment. The pollution and corruption we find in
our outer life is an expression of the pollution and corruption
within us. No amount of technology can help us to conquer the inner
pollutants like greed and lust, hatred and selfishness within us.
And no amount of technology can make us true, good and beautiful
within so that we may create a true, good and beautiful society
outside. Without a radical inner revolution in our consciousness,
there cannot be any true revolution in the society. Without this
inner change, a mere outer change brought about by technology or
any other external means can only be cosmetic. So the modern myth
that technology can transform the world or humanity is as much naïve
as the belief that an individual's character can be transformed
by plastic surgery or skillful make up. There is a great need today
to get back to the vision of ancient thinkers which viewed development
as becoming a better and better human being and not as possessing
more and more sophisticated gizmos.
So faith in the omnipotence of technology for transforming humanity
is a form of fundamentalism, as harmful as any religious fundamentalism.
But at the same time swinging to the other extreme and declaring
technology as evil and calling a halt to all technological progress
is a response which is reactive rather than creative. Technology
has come to stay as a powerful creative force for shaping the external
world. We believe that the transformation of the outer world is
part of the highest aim of human evolution and the future destiny
of the race.
But in our synthesis this great power of the modern age has to
subserve the ideals and values which leads to the inner transformation
of human consciousness. The core Idea which will guide our enquiry
in this will be the concept of spiritual evolution of humanity and
Yoga as the Science of consciousness for accelerating this inner
evolution of humanity. For the evolutionary demand of the future
is not an external improvement effected by Technology but an inner
change in consciousness. This inner change can come only through
a psychological science like Yoga.
The Science of Yoga: What it can do:
We have already discussed briefly the evolutionary significance
of Yoga. We would like to indicate here the spiritual as well as
pragmatic benefits of Yoga.
The methods and processes of Yoga can release our human consciousness
from the knots of ego and desire, which forcefully keeps it bound
to our lower nature, and raise it towards a higher level of consciousness
in which higher values like Truth, Beauty, Goodness, Harmony, Love
and Unity are as natural and spontaneous as breathing. Yoga can
lead us to the very source of well-being, creativity and values;
it can link our creative energy to the creative energy of the universe.
But these are the highest spiritual aims and end-results of Yoga.
But the practical results of Yoga can be felt even in the very beginning
of the path or at any stage of its progressive practice. Between
the highest spiritual consciousness beyond mind and the rational
mind there are intermediate layers of consciousness deeper or higher
than rational mind. These supra-rational layers of consciousness
may get activated at any stage and awaken new and higher faculties
with greater powers of knowledge, feeling, action than that of our
present ordinary mentality.
The practice of Yoga can bring to our human consciousness an inner
peace, strength, equanimity and detachment which can help us to
raise beyond the stress, anxiety and tension of life and go through
life with an undisturbed calm. If we have faith in the personal
dimensions of the higher consciousness - what is called as "God"
by religions -, and surrender to His Grace, it can bring to our
life the intimate inner presence and guidance of a universal Love,
Wisdom and Power infinitely greater than our human mind.
To put it in a nutshell, Yoga can bring to our individual and collective
life, progressively with an increasing intensity, the light, power,
wisdom, creativity and love of a consciousness deeper, vaster and
greater than the rational mind with all its practical consequences
for the material, psychological, moral and spiritual development
of our self and life.
But this does not mean Yoga is a rose-petalled path to individual
and corporate Nirvana. It is a path full of perils, difficulties
and dangers. For the force of Yoga will exert a relentless pressure
on the consciousness of the individual and community to change -
not for an outer change but an inner change in consciousness. And
this pressure may bring to the front all that is unwilling or opposed
to the change so that they are clearly seen and eliminated. For
example, there will be a strong pressure to be honest, truthful
and sincere and this will expose and bring out all the hidden falsehood
in the individual and community.
So, as an Indian legend conveys with a striking image, churning
of the human consciousness by Yoga may initially release much poison
before the nectar is produced. But in this world no great achievement
or progress comes easy. We have to pay the price for every step
forward; greater the aim and the leap, more the price in the form
of effort and struggle and the risk of fall or failure. The path
of Yoga cannot be an exception to this inescapable law of Nature.
The aim and leap contemplated in Yoga is high, steep and radical.
So the sacrifice demanded may also be correspondingly higher. The
churning of consciousness effected by Yoga may initially raise up
much psychological difficulties, some of them new and unprecedented.
The pioneer who chooses the path of Yoga must be prepared to face
the challenge. All the positive results we have promised in the
path of Yoga can be realised only under this condition: the individual
or the community that chooses the path of Yoga must make the choice
consciously with a clear understanding of what lies ahead; - they
must have the spirit of the pioneer, which means the spirit of adventure
and the will to conquer.
But faith and surrender to a higher divine power can bring down
the wisdom, strength and guidance of a power beyond the human mind
and make the path less difficult.
Towards a Management Paradigm based on
Yoga:
This brings us to an important and integral part of modern business:
Science of Management.
In our research on Management and Yoga we have found many parallels,
correspondences and synergies between Management and Yoga. In fact,
they are complementary sciences. What Yoga does to the inner being
of the individual, Management does to the outer life of a community.
And also, each of them represents the essential pragmatic genius
of the culture in which it is born. If Yoga represents the essential
genius of the ancient East, Management represents the essential
genius of the modern western culture. So meeting of Management and
Yoga can lead to a creative synthesis of East and West in Business.
We will explore this subject in detail in our subsequent discussions.
We will not enter here into any discussions on the definitions
and principles of Management. But we would like to indicate briefly
the evolutionary significance of Management and its role in our
synthesis. Management is the Mind of Business. Management as a profession
and science is the major factor in the rapid evolution of business
from a purely economic organism into a more complex, conscious and
mental organism governed by reason, science, knowledge and values.
We believe that the next higher step in the evolution of business
will also be affected through Management when it begins to admit
the ideas and methods of Yoga into its fold. This will culminate
in a management paradigm based on Yoga.
The present management paradigm is based on the economic, social,
and technical and skill development of a community measured in terms
of some hard, bottom-line values like productivity, efficiency,
profit, or wealth-creation, and also some "soft" values
like quality, customer service, and innovation. But the management
paradigm based on Yoga will be based on the psychological and spiritual
development of the individual and the community measured in terms
of creativity, well-being and self-realisation. This does not mean
neglect of bottom-line values. We would like to emphasise here that
in the Yogic paradigm bottom-line aims like wealth-creation will
be taken seriously and not given a secondary and insignificant place.
For a business organization, aims like wealth-creation are not merely
an economic functions but a moral function, Dharma as it is called
in ancient Indian thought. To create wealth for the society is the
Dharma of business. So a business organization which doesn't create
wealth for the society or inefficient in creating wealth is indulging
in a gross dereliction of its duty. But in the Yogic paradigm the
spiritual aims of human development will be dovetailed with the
bottom line aims in such a way that the later is the result of the
former or in other words the inner development of the employees
and its results are channelised to realize the outer bottom-line
values. To do this the HRD Wing of organizations should have the
following objectives:
1. A work-culture which felicitates the psychological and spiritual
development of the individual and community.
2. To provide each employee with a work which is in harmony with
his natural temperament and capacities, which helps her to grow
inwardly, and a work-environment which helps and encourages her
to express her inner growth in her work.
3. Continuous enhancement of the creative potentialities of employees
in all the levels of their being - physical, emotional, intellectual,
pragmatic aesthetic, ethical and spiritual - and a motivation
system which helps and encourages the employees to express their
creativity in their work-life.
4. Help the employee to forge a seemless and harmonies integration
of their personal and professional lives.
5. Provide whatever training, educational and motivational inputs
for the free self-education, self-development and self-expression
of the employees.
6. Co-ordinate the free self-development of the employees and
channelise them harmoniously towards the realization of the common
business aims of the organization.
7. Create a cohesive community growing progressively in creativity,
well-being, self-realisation and inner and outer unity within
itself and with the stakeholders, environment, society, and humanity
as a whole.
Our approach to the Synthesis:
And finally, on our approach to the enquiry as a whole. Our approach
in our discussions will be based on one of the fundamental principles
of the intellectual culture of the ancient east; it is that to arrive
at true knowledge, first of all it has to be pursued for its own
sake without bothering much about its immediate practical results.
This does not mean the denial of utilitarian aims. Such a total
denial of the pragmatic aims may be admissible in pure academic
philosophy but definitely not in business and management. What we
want to emphasise is that our first task has to be to strive for
a clear perception of the deeper truth of things in its wholeness,
which means to see it in its relation with other things and the
totality of life. This is what we mean by true knowledge. Once we
have this "global" or "systemic" knowledge of
things, then we can apply this knowledge safely to practical ends.
On the other hand, if we rush into action with an idea which is
not fully understood in it's totally, it may bring immediate practical
results but it may lead to serious problems in the long-term. For
those aspects of the idea or life which we have not grasped or ignored
may raise up later and create baffling, and sometimes insurmountable,
problems. In fact the industrial revolution era, which Alvin Toffler
named as the "Second Wave" or "smoke-stack era"
is an example of a hasty rushing into action with a practical and
exclusive idea. The western mind, cluthing at this idea of progress
through industrial and technological development, plunged headlong
into action without giving the least thought to the human and ecological
dimensions. And the damage done by such a "development"
to the environment as well as the human psyche is yet to be healed.
This is probably the reason why the more contemplative cultures
of the East laid a greater emphasis on the power of perceptive knowledge
than that of pragmatic action. As Sri Aurobindo explains this eastern
perspective on knowledge.
"When knowledge is pursued for its own sake, then alone are
we likely to arrive at true knowledge. Afterwards we may utilise
that knowledge for various ends; but if from the beginning we have
only particular end in view, then we limit our intellectual gain,
limit our view of things, distort the truth because we cast it into
the mould of a particular idea or utility and ignore or deny all
that conflicts with that utility or idea. By so doing we may indeed
make the reason act with great immediate power within the limits
of that idea or utility we have in view just as instinct in the
animal acts with great power within certain limits, for a certain
end yet finds itself helpless outside those limits".
So our approach to the synthesis we are seeking in business will
be more perceptive than prescriptive, with a greater emphasis on
"Vision" than on "Methods". But as we have indicated
already, this does not mean we will ignore strategic issues. That
will be going against the very nature or dharma of business. The
strategic core of our synthesis will be the Science of Yoga, which
is a very practical Science, and the Yogic vision of human development.
But to be truly effective, the Science of Yoga has to be understood
in its highest aims, laws and principles and applied to every activity
of the individual and corporate life. But this is not always the
way by which Yoga is getting introduced to the modern corporate
world. A few Yogic ideas and techniques like for example the physical
and breathing exercises of Hatha Yoga, Meditation or inner silence
are introduced in a superficial and adhoc way, mostly in short duration
crash-courses, and with a specific practical aim like stress management
or personality development. The danger of such an approach to Yoga,
-- making it into some sort of a fast-food or quick-fix remedy for
satisfying or curing the inner hunger or maladies of the jet-set
executive -- is that it leads to a complete dilution and degeneration
of the sprit, principles and aims of this great spiritual science.
And the net result will be that Yoga will pass out of the corporate
world like many management fads without making any deep and profound
impact.
So to release the full transformative potential of the Science
of Yoga into the corporate life it should not be viewed as another
management technique like six sigma or bench marking; it has to
be viewed in its totality as a way of life for raising the individual
and corporate life towards a higher consciousness beyond the rational
mind. For this the first step is to have the right view of the aims
and principles of Yoga and a clear vision of the Yogic approach
to human development. It is significant to note, even in an intensely
practical Yogic system like that of the Eight Fold Path of Buddha,
the first in the list is "Right view" and "Right
effort" comes a little later. So in the "strategic"
dimensions of our synthesis also, our emphasis will be on the strategic
principles and vision of Yoga and their practical implications for
business and management. The other important reason for stressing
more on principles rather than on methods is that while the essential
principles of Yoga are universal, the methods are not; they can
not be generalised; they have to be adapted to the unique needs
of people and the situations and circumstances of life. And the
details of the methods and systems of implementation have to come
from the pragmatic mind of the professional executive - who knows
the nuts and bolts of his business -- out of a clear perception
of the principles. But in an integral or synthetic perspective,
especially in a practical and result oriented field like business,
we cannot entirely ignore the methods or systems of practice. So
we will indicate or point out briefly the methods, systems or directions
of practice or implementation wherever we feel they are necessary
or helpful for understanding the practical implications of the idea
for business. But our primary approach will be anchored on principles
and not on techniques.
The other important aspect of our approach is that, in general,
we will focus our attention on the unique strengths of the different
cultures we will be dealing with -- East, West, Yoga and Business
-- and not on their weaknesses. In other words our approach moves
towards forging the strengths of the different cultures of the world
and we will avoid or minimise disruptive criticism of their shortcoming.
A critical approach to issues and problem has its validity; it helps
to bring-out areas which are ignored or neglected; to spotlight
corruption, exploitation, injustice, imbalance, dilution or distortion
of the ideal. For example, there was the need of a critical onslaught
on the traditional western cultural values at an early period in
our modern age, when western science, materialism and colonialism
were striding over the world with an overweaning somnolence. There
was a similar need for a critical view of business today when it
ignores or disregards its ecological, social and ethical responsibilities.
In fact much of the criticism leveled against the commercial globalism
may be necessary and valid. But we feel that the emerging trends
in business and society, in spite of many disturbing factors --
like for example the growing inequality or poverty -- is showing
a net positive movement.
There is in the west an increasing dissatisfaction with purely
material values, a growing aspiration towards a non-material fulfillment,
and a genuine appreciation and admiration for the eastern spiritual
values. And in the business world there is an increasing recognition
of the importance of ecology, ethics and social responsibility.
Our conviction is that in such changed condition, the right approach
is to forge our unique strengths and foster positive trends in such
a way that they are allowed to grow towards their highest potentialities.
When the light and power of these strengths and the positive tendencies
become sufficiently strong, then the weaknesses and shortcomings
will get neutralised or will disappear by themselves. For example
when the idea of Social Responsibility becomes one of the major
values of business, along with quality, customer service and innovation,
it will have a positive impact on minimising the inequality created
by globalisation. But in an integral evolutionary vision, we have
to see and understand the current reality as it is, with all its
pros and cons, and the obstacles to evolution. So we may not be
able to entirely avoid criticism. But our emphasis will be on fostering
the strengths and not on the criticism of weaknesses.
Summary and Conclusion
Our research project on "Business and the New World"
will explore two main themes. First is a new vision of business
based on an evolutionary spiritual humanism. Second is the possibility
of business becoming an experimental workshop for a creative synthesis
of Yoga and Management. This second possibility, if it becomes a
reality, can provide the insights, learning, experience and the
capabilities for a creative synthesis of East and West in Business.
References
1. "What Works For Me" edited by Thomas R. Horton, p.
34, Random House Business Division, New York
2. Rolf V Ostenberg, "A New Kind of Company with a New Kind
of Thinking", The New Paradigm in Business, p. 69, World Business
Academy, New York
3. Stephen R. Covey, "Principle-Centred Leadership"
4. ibid: p. 212
5. "The New Paradigm in Business" World Business Academy,
New York, p. 35
6. ibid.
7. ibid. 322
8. Quoted by Stuard Crainer "Business: The Juck Welch Way",
India Book Distributor (PUT) Ltd.
India, p. 74
9. Sri Aurobindo, SABCL., Vol. 1, p. 465, Sri Aurobindo Ashram,
India
10. Sri Aurobindo, SABCL., Vol. 27 p. 475 Sri Aurobindo Ashram,
India
11. Carol Sanford and Pamela Marg, "A Work in progress AT DU
Pont: The Creation of a Developmental Organisation", The New
Paradigm in Business, p. 148, World Business Academy
12. Pat Mcltenry Sullivan, "Spirited Work", Earth Light
Magazine
13. Kalburgi. M. Srinivas, "Spirituality-at-Work in the land
of the Dollar God", Journal
of Human Values, Jan-June, 1998
14. ibid.
15. Sri Aurobindo, SABCL.,Vol. 15, p. 214 Sri Aurobindo Ashram,
Pondicherry, India
16. Quoted by Santi L. Mukherji, "The Philosophy of Man-making"
p. 201, New Central Book
Agency, India.
17. Sri Aurobindo, SABCL, Vol. 15, p. 171, Sri Aurobindo Ashram,
India
18. J. Krishnamurthy, "Meditations", p. 24, Krishnamurthy
Foundation
19. Ibid: P. 10
20. Swami Satyananda Saraswaty, "Dynamics of Yoga", p.
2, Bihar School of Yoga, India.
21. Roger Hayers and Regined Walts, "Corporate Revolution:
New Strategies for Executive
Leadership" p. 11, Neineman, London
22. Peter Senge, "Rethinking Business", p. 124, edited
by Rowan Gibson, Nicholas Brealy
Publications, London.
23. Sri Aurobindo, SABCL., Vol. 15, p. 98, Sri Aurobindo Ashram,
India.
M.S.Srinivasan
BUSINESS AND THE NEW WORLD - AN EASTERN SYNTHESIS
The Project is structured into five parts:
The first part of the project will explore the possibilities of
synthesis of East and West in Business and Management.
The second part will examine the emerging new world in Business
and management in the light of our Eastern synthesis.
The third part will discuss the Yogic Vision of Human Development
and its application to Business and Management.
The fourth part will explore the Emerging World of Science and
Technology and its implication for Business and Management in the
light of eastern insights.
The fifth part will examine the Mission of Business in the Future
World in the light of Sri Aurobindo's vision.
We are working on all these five parts of sub-projects simultaneously.
We give below the details of the themes and contents.
PART - I
CAN THE TWAINS MEET?
1. Can East and West Meet in Business?
2. The Foundations of Eastern Synthesis.
3. Is Eastern Wisdom Scientific and Pragmatic?
4. Core competency of the Modern West Inc.
5. Spirituality as the Motive-force for Development.
6. Management and Yoga
PART-II
THE NEW WORLD IN BUSINESS -ITS UNIQUE STRENGTHS
7. Advantage Business.
8. The Strength of the Bottom-line.
9. Innovative Pragmatism
10. The Cult of Change
11. The Quality Movement
12. Religion of the Customer
13. The Knowledge-Factor
14. The People-Factor
15. The Moral Dimension
16. The Evolutionary Advantage
17. The Way Ahead
Part -III
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT - VISION OF YOGA
18. Human Development - An Eastern Perspective
19. Yoga and Human Development
20. The Science of Yoga - I, The Vision and the Goal
21. The Science of Yoga - II, The Path
22. Sources of Creativity - I, Its Nature and Contents
23. Sources of Creativity - II, The Ascent towards the Source
24. Sources of Creativity - III, Uniting with the Source
25. The Path of Knowledge - I, Growth of Consciousness
26. The Path of Knowledge - II, Growth towards Unity
27. Path of the Heart
28. Path of Works
29. Sources of Motivation and Values
30. Sources of Wellness
PART - IV
THE WORLD OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: PERSPECVTIVES FROM EASTERN
SYNTHESIS
31. Science, Technology and Business
32. The Emerging Confluence in Modern Science. It's Significance
33. The Vision of New physics
34. Consciousness in Matter; The Possibilities Ahead
35. The Vision of Life-Sciences
36. The New Technologies
37. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
38. AI, Cognitive Sciences and the Science of Language
39. New Psychology
40. Implications for Business
PART - V
THE EMERGING VALUES AND THE ROLE OF BUSINESS
41. The Social Organism and Business - An Organic Evolutionary
Perspective
42. Modern Business in the Flash-point of Evolution
43. The HRD Plan of Nature
44. The Values of the Future - I - In the Age of the Worker
45. The Values of the Future - I - Towards the Age of Light
46. Development of Labour-force in Business
47. Development of Women-power in Business
48. Social Responsibility of Business
49. Towards a Spiritual Regeneration of Business
