GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT BASED ON VALUES – AN INTEGRATED APPROACH

“If wealth is lost nothing is lost, if health is lost something is lost but if character is lost everything is lost.” Human character has the most important and crucial role to play in the quality of life in this world. World or society is nothing but a group of individuals. Welfare of the world is the sum total of the individuals. Human character has the most important and crucial role to play in the quality of life in the world. World or society is nothing but a group of individuals. Welfare of the world is the sum total of the individuals. There is a saying “we build our own Heaven and so also our own Hell.” In Gita “Atma Atmanir Bandhu Atmanir ripu atma avecha.” Meaning soul is soul’s own friend and also soul’s own enemy. A soul who is knowledge full and have realization that I am the imperishable conseient energy, child of the supreme soul God, is its own friend, while a soul who do not even know that I am not the perishable Body or think that I am the perishable body is its own enemy. Introduction to Character Development Values in Life At a time of Crisis, we are again at a point of recognizing the need for values. An orphaned child feels insecure, unloved, and unwanted; one without a life of values feels the same. Values are our “parents” – the human soul is neutered by the values it holds. A sense of security and comfort comes through values in one’s life. Values are the treasure of life, making humans wealthy and rich. Values are friends, bringing happiness in life. A life tilled with values is a life of self respect and dignity. The soul is ale to come closer to God, and life becomes real and meaningful values bring independence and freedom, expand the capacity to be self sufficient, and liberate one from external influencers. The soul develops the ability to discern truth and to follow the path of truth. “Value offer protection and one who experiences this is able to share this protection with others. Values bring empowerment and it become possible to remove weakness and defects. As the innate goodness of the individual is concentrated on values. Values the link with God becomes strong and clear. Service is then rendered to others through thoughts, words, and actions. A soul with values is not trapped by any limited desires attractions, but remains stable in the unlimited. Values open the heart and transform human nature so that life is filled wit compassion and humility. As we develop values within the self, we share the fragrance of those values with the world around us, and in this way move forward to a better world.” B.K. Janki Administrative Head Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University Mt. Abu. Rajasthan “The values which we seek to promote must be basis for the work still to be achieved by the U.N. We are working for peace, freedom and democracy through tolerance integrity, respect for each other and responsibilities for one another. We want a world where there is happiness, honesty, love and humility. We seek co-operation between the races and the faiths so that we can build a sense of unity. As the Plaque says: “To the glory of God and in prayer for peace on earth” The Right Honarable Lord Ennals, House Lords, London, England. Co-chair person of global co-operation for a better world. The whole world is striving to achieve growth and development. The yard stick for measuring result of growth and development in today’s world is purely based on Materialism. It means to define everything in material terms. Today we generally are motivated by sense impressions and because of that are influenced by character weaknesses. Materialism means that we do not think our self as soul and our actions are not motivated by our original spiritual qualities of peace, love, purity inner power and bliss. The results of this type of materialistic approach are in front of all of us today. We now understand that whatever good intentions we start with are all totally compromised and practically we end up having conflicts after conflicts. Dissatisfaction, corruption and a sense of having achieved nothing which we intended in the beginning. The 2 G. spectrum case which is currently making News The Common wealth games incident in both these case, it seems we have been cheated and both have damaged the image of integrity and good governance. The whole thing when properly analysed in the light of revelation made by our spiritual father clearly brings out the fact that development without values and spirituality is blind. It defeats the purpose of brining harmony and peace in the society. The lack of values lack of spirituality which are the fundamental requirements of good character is absent. Good Character Good character is expressed through relationship and actions. Developing value and applying them in the context of today’s world is the only remedy to achieve real growth and real development. Real growth is achieved only when the development activity finally results in emerging people of exemplary character. To achieve this individual must pass many tests and know and apply the key to good character. To arrive at a satisfactory methodology in integrating values into professional and personal relationship which is a must for achieving “growth and development based on values,” we need data on importance of spirituality. Spirituality Bhagavad Gita Book 2. Version 62-63for a man dwelling on the object of senses an attachment to them is born. From attachment, desire is born; from desire, anger is born; From anger arises delusion; from delusion, loss of awareness of wisdom; From destruction of discrimination, integrity is lost. Desire is the term often used to refer to an inner force or energy that is intensified where a person is spiritually weak. This force is deceptive because in body consciousness the energy manifest itself as bodily urges and hungers. There is the feeling and conviction that the inner need would be satisfied by material things. Fulfilling physical desires is a substitute for quenching the hunger of the soul that needs to fill with the energy of the Supreme Being. The problem of spiritual emptiness remains regardless of how many material desires are fulfilled. Meditation on the divine fills your spiritual emptiness, increase your spiritual power, refines your ability to discern and facilitates the development of integrity. You free yourself from enmeshment through developing spiritual strengths. When you acquire spirituality you do not waste your time and energy in materialism. You live and act and behave according to spiritual principles because you recognize that you are a spiritual being. What you say and what you do are aligned. You don’t blame the forces of negativity for your own short comings, but remove them. You remain alert for learning new lessons and you cultivate your power of concentration. You are not arrogant and do not allow your own self will or the will of others to influence your judgment. Your decisions are based on the principles of integrity. You have the intelligence of wisdom but do not have intellectual arrogance. Good character includes the elements of braving danger, facing social censure and other difficulties in order to fulfill your ideals and convictions. Selfish motive are set aside for the good of others. Universal Values In general, universal values are accepted by all people at all times. They underlie all religions and philosophies and include aesthetic, ethical, moral and spiritual values. In particular: - Principles which reflect universal truths - Rooted in the intrinsic qualities of the human spirit - Considered to be reflected in and sustained by the divine - Stated described and discussed in scriptures and literatures from earliest recorded times. - Sought by the people of all religions and cultures. - Powers which sustain a civilization and give it longevity. - Impossible to legislate but voluntarily up held and cultivated. - Inner restraints that prevent an individual from causing sorrow or suffering to others. - Acknowledged, loved and cherished by all. Universal values are eternal, spiritual and do not change over time. They predate religion. They originate from divine. They are the aim and objective of the religions and that of all seekers of truth. The concept of 0 (zero) is the interface between science and spirituality and thus between the material reality and the spiritual reality. In spirituality, zero is silence and in science zero means no activity. Zero is the infinitesimal point in spirituality, ie. The point of light. Zero is the absence of matter in science, ie. no space, no time, no weight, no size etc. Universal values are the ideals and ideals and anchors for “growth and development based on value”. When they are integrated in the Day to Day life of individual the will become the ideal forerunners of a value based society. Human Values: They unlike universal values are subject to change, but it is gradual and the values may persist for several generations. Human values are the interface between universal values and temporal values; establishing a balance that gives meaning and purpose to the expression of spirit in the material world. Temporal values: 15 Temporal values are usually subject to rapid change, although some change quite slowly ranging from about 30 to 75 years and lasting for about one or two generations. They also vary through out the world. In a particular culture the highest value may be given to the decree of the ruling monarch where as in another it may be given to consensus among the populace. Based on material world the highest value in one place could be placed on information whereas in another on food and water. Temporal values are profitable when they occupy a secondary place after the universal values in our practical day to day existence.