The Basis: The Notability of Understanding Oneself in Indian Thought
“Your self-realization is the greatest service you can render the world”, said Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. Even Sri Krishna said- “योगस्थ: कुरु कर्माणि“ which means one should first establish oneself in yoga and then act. Here, establishing oneself in yoga is realizing your nature of being in union with everything. Swami Vivekananda expressed the same principle differently. He said, “If I know one lump of clay perfectly, I know all the clay there is… When you know yourself you know all.” Thus, Indian ethos gives supreme importance to knowing oneself and, in fact, proclaims it to be the very purpose of life. Moreover, having this culture of inquiry and exploration led to expressing the knowledge of this fundamental truth in different varieties by distinct sages at separate times. This article aims to compile the salient features of human nature relevant to economics that emerged as a product of exploration by various Indian saints.
The subtle aspects of human existence are deemed to be of high importance. They are declared to be the seeds of what happens in the grosser elements. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev says, “The mind is a powerful instrument. Every thought, every emotion that you create changes the very chemistry of your body”. Even Gautam Buddha said- “The mind is everything. What you think you become”. That is why various Indian rishis have thoroughly studied the mind and considered disciplining the mind the most critical and challenging task. Disciplining the mind has been considered the most complex job since it is difficult to be objective towards what happens in one’s mind. J Krishnamurthy describes that the ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence. Moreover, everybody is considered capable of touching at least some dimension of these states of being.
Alligning with the Cosmic Force and working for लोकसंग्रह
This blissful state of being is described using different words. Some have called this love, whereas some others have called it silence. However, the essence of the description remains the same. There is a recognition of a higher force acting through all living beings in the Indian tradition. This higher force is responsible for the sustenance of the cosmos. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev says, “Whether you call it a stone, a beast, a tree, a Human, a demon or the divine- everything is the same energy, manifesting itself in a million different ways”. He further says, “You cannot exist without the universe. You are not a separate existence.” Therefore, this higher force binds us all together in an interconnected web. We are not isolated but are in constant relation to everything in the universe. For example, we can see that even though psychologically we might feel ourselves to be different from the trees, the air we breathe is a result of a transaction with the trees.
The state of bliss or love or silence or union requires us to be in tune with this higher force. Only when we are in tune with this higher force, there is no conflict in mind. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev says, “Cosmic will is like the gravitational force. It just is there always. It only acts that way because the very framework of life is based on the cosmic will…. You can use the cosmic force to make your will into a reality”. Therefore, to be in tune with this higher force, the sense of individualization needs to dissolve since the higher force does not act to preserve individuals but the collective whole. Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi said, “When one has realized, a universal life current takes possession of him and uses him henceforth.” Therefore, when the mind is free of duality or distinction between ‘me’ and ‘not me’, there is an objective outlook to life, and this objective outlook is described as love. This phenomenon is described as love since the actions generated from such mind will be free of distortions caused due to individual desires but will be for लोकसंग्रह.
Read More at https://rashtram.org/indic-approach-to-the-nature-of-human-behaviour/