Unit 1- Human Values
¨Understanding the need, basic guidelines, content and
process for Value Education
¨Self-exploration — its content and process; 'Natural
Acceptance' and Experiential Validation — as the mechanism for self exploration
Continuous
Happiness and Prosperity — A look at basic human aspirations
¨Right understanding, Relationship and Physical
Facilities —The basic requirements for fulfillment of aspirations of every
human being
¨Understanding Happiness and Prosperity correctly — A
critical appraisal of the current scenario
¨Method to fulfill the above human aspirations:
Understanding and living in harmony at various levels
1.1 Need for Value Education
¨All human beings continuously aspire for a happy life, a
fulfilling and successful life, and the purpose of education is to provide
adequate competence to actualize this aspiration.
¨For this, it is essential to understand- what is really
VALUABLE for human being, and, what is really conducive to a happy and
fulfilling life? - this is the VALUE domain.
Understanding Value Education
¨Then, one should know
- How to actualize it? How to make it happen? - This is the domain of 'SKILLS'.
¨Hence, 'VALUES' and 'SKILLS' are essentially
complimentary to each other for the success of any human endeavor.
¨The subject which enables us to understand 'What is
Valuable' for human happiness is called 'Value Education' (VE).
¨Thus, VE enables us to understand our needs and
visualize our goals correctly and also indicate the direction for their
fulfillment. It also hems to remove on' confusions and contradictions and bring
harmony at all levels.
¨The present education system has become largely
skill-based. The prime emphasis is on science and technology.
¨However, science and technology can only help to provide
the means to achieve what is considered valuable. It is not within the scope of
science and technology to provide the competence of deciding what really is
valuable.
¨VE is a crucial missing link in the present education
system. Because of this deficiency, most of our efforts may prove to be
counterproductive and serious crises at the individual, societal and
environmental level are manifesting.
¨Hence, there is a strong need to rectify this situation.
1.2 Basic Guidelines for Value
Education
In order to qualify for any course on Value
Education, the following guidelines for the content of the course are
important:
¨Universal: It needs to be
applicable to all the human beings irrespective of cast, creed, nationalities,
religion, etc., for all times and regions.
Understanding Value Education
¨Rational: It has to appeal to
human reasoning.
¨Natural and verifiable: It has to be
'naturally acceptable' to the human being who needs to be experientially
verifiable, and not based on dogmas, beliefs or assumptions.
¨All encompassing: It needs to cover all
the dimensions- (thought, behavior, work and realization) and levels
(individual, family, society, nature and existence) of human life and
profession.
¨Leading to harmony: The Value Education
ultimately is targeted to promote harmony within the individual, among human
beings and with nature.
1.3 Content of
Value Education
What are Human
Values?
¨Value of any unit in this existence is its participation
in the larger order of which it is a part, eg.
value of a pen is that it can write. Here writing is the participation of the
pen in the bigger order in which pen, paper, human being, all are present.
¨Value of an eye is that it can be used for seeing.
¨Value of a spinach plant is that it gives nutrition to
animals and humans.
¨What is the value of
a human being?
This question implies what is the
participation of a human being in the bigger order? That bigger order includes
human beings, plants, air, water, soil, animals, birds etc. The value of human
being is the participation of human being to ensure the continuity of harmony
in that order. In order to understand human values, we need to study human
being along with all that is there in the existence, and the role of human
being in the relationship with each unit in the existence.
1.4
The process for Value Education
¨The process for Value Education has to be that of Self-
exploration, and not of giving sermons or telling dos & don'ts. Whatever is
found as truth or reality may be stated as a proposal and every student is to
be encouraged to verify it on his/her own right.
¨This process of
Self-exploration has to be in the form of a dialogue - a dialogue between
the teacher and students to begin with and within the student finally.
2.1 Meaning and
Purpose of Self- exploration
1. It is a process of dialogue between
'what you are' and 'what you really want to be'.
It is a process
of focusing attention on yourself your present beliefs' and aspirations vis-a-vis
what you really want to be (that is to say, what is naturally acceptable to
you).
It is a process
of discovering that there is something innate, invariant and universal in all
human beings. This enables us to look at our confusions and contradictions
within and resolve them by becoming aware of our natural acceptance.
Self-exploration as the Process
for Value Education
for Value Education
2.
It is a process of self-evolution through self-investigation.
It successively
enables you to evolve by bridging the gap between 'what you are' and 'what you
really want to be'.
3. It is a process of knowing oneself and
through that knowing entire Existence.
The exploration
starts by asking simple questions about yourself; which gives you clarity about
your being, and then clarity about everything around you.
4. It is a process of recognizing one's
relation with every unit in existence and fulfilling it.
It is a process of
becoming aware about your right relationship with other entities in existence
and through that discovering the interconnectedness, co-existence and order in
the entire existence, and living accordingly.
5. It is a process of knowing ethical human
conduct, human character and living accordingly.
It is a process of
discovering the definitiveness of human conduct and human character and
enabling one to be definite in thought, behavior and work.
6. It is a process of being in harmony in
oneself and in harmony with entire existence.
This process of
self - exploration helps you to be in harmony with yourself and with everything
around.
7. It is a process of Swatantrata and Swariijya starting from
exploration of Swatva.
Swatva: Innateness of Self—
the natural acceptance of harmony
Swatantratii: Being self-organized
— being in harmony with oneself
Swarajya: Self-expression, Self-extension — living in harmony with
others
Swatva —> Swatantrata
—> Swarajya
The Swatva is
already there, intact in each one of us. By being in dialogue with it, we
attain Swatantratii enabling us to work for Swarajya.
2.3 Content of Self-exploration
¨
¨Desire/Goal: What is my (human)
Desire/Goal?
¨Program: What is my (human)
program for fulfilling the Desire?
The main focus of
self exploration is Myself- the Human Being. Basically, it should dwell on the
following two key questions
1. What do I
really want in or what is the goal of
human life?
2. How to fulfill
it? What is the program to actualize the above?
In short, the
above two questions cover the whole domain of human aspirations and human
endeavor. Thus, they form the content of self-exploration.
2.3 Process of Self-exploration
Whatever is being presented is a PROPOSAL.
¨Don't assume it to be true immediately, nor reject it
without proper exploration.
¨Verify it in your own right, on the basis of it being
naturally acceptable to you,
v Not just on
the basis of scriptures
v Not on the
basis of equipment/instrument data
v Not on the
basis of the assertion by other
human beings.
human beings.
3.1 Desire -
Continuous Happiness and Prosperity
¨Verify whether you want to be happy or
unhappy.
¨Verify whether you want to be
prosperous or deprived.
¨List all your desires
v
See whether the basic aspiration in that desire is happiness and/or
prosperity.
¨
Verify whether you want continuity of happiness and prosperity or
discontinuity of happiness and prosperity?
3.2 Happiness
The state/situation, in which I live, if
there is harmony/synergy in it, then I like to be in that state or situation.
¨To be in a state of liking is Happiness.
¨To be in harmony is Happiness.
Unhappiness
¨If there is contradiction/disharmony in it, then I don't
like to be in that state.
¨To be forced to be in that state of disliking is
unhappiness.
One needs to ask
oneself- whether I am happy in any given situation or when there is harmony or
disharmony?
Essentially, I
want harmony in me and in my interactions with everything else.
3.3 Prosperity
The feeling of having more than required
physical facilities is prosperity. For Prosperity, two things are required-
1.Identification of the required quantity of
physical facilities, and
2.Ensuring availability/production of more
than required physical facilities.
4.1 Basic Requirements for Fulfillment
of Human Aspirations
¨Add the model P-16
Right Understanding, Relationship and Physical Facilities
¨One essential requirement of every
human being is adequate
'physical facilities' which includes food, clothing,
shelter, etc. But is this all that we want? Or we want something more than
this? Can we find what else do we want?
¨Other than physical facilities, I want
`relationship'. I live with other human beings and relationship is an important
issue.
¨If we look at the problems in our
lives — what do I find? Are the problems more due to lack of physical
facilities or lack of relationship? This we need to explore in our family first
and then in society and in our professional lift.
¨Where are we putting in most of our
efforts? In acquiring physical facilities or in ensuring proper relationship.
This is a common irony in our lives that a large part ofour
problems are due to lack of relationships while most of the time, our
effort and attention are focused on
earning physical facilities.
¨How do I become competent to correctly
identify my needs for physical facilities? I am able to decide my need for
physical facilities by right understanding. Also, I am able to ensure right
feelings in relationship on the basis (fright understanding of myself and of
others. Thus, right understanding is the most basic requirement.
¨So, there are 3 requirements - Right
Understanding, Relationship and Physical Facilities which are essential for
fulfilling human aspirations.
4.2 The Correct
Priority
1.Right Understanding
2.Relationship
3.Physical Facilities
¨Is the above priority correct? Does it
appeal to your natural acceptance? Facilitate this exploration through
examples. Also, analyze what priority are we presently maintaining in our day
to day life?
4.3 Animal Consciousness vs. Human
Consciousness
¨Giving all priorities
to physical facilities only, may be termed Animal consciousness'
¨Physical Facilities:
¨Add table p-18
4.3 Animal Consciousness vs. Human
Consciousness
¨Giving all priorities
to physical facilities only, may be termed Animal consciousness'
¨Physical Facilities:
¨Add table p-18
¨There is a need for transformation
from Animal Consciousness to Human Consciousness. It can be accomplished only
by working for right understanding as the first priority.
¨This transformation from Animal
Consciousness to Human Consciousness forms the basics for Human Values and
Value-based living. This
is the prime objective of the present course.
5.1 Two Categories
Persons
Presently
we find Two categories of persons in terms of Happiness and Prosperity:
1.SVDD-Sadhan Viheen Dukhi Daridra-Materially deficient, Unhappy and
deprived
2.SSDD-Sadhan Sampann Dukhi Daridra-Materially affluent - Unhappy and
still deprived (so not prosperous)
While the natural acceptance of all human beings is to be
SSSS- Sadhan Sampann Sukhi Samriddha,
they also want to be materially adequate-Happy and prosperous
Let us explore the
above suggestion. Is it true?
In fact, one can
assess, in which of these three categories one lies, SVDD, SSDD or SSSS?
¨If we are working only for physical
facilities, the maximum achievement that one could have is that one could shift
from SVDD to SSDD. But the goal is to be SSSS. And this can be accomplished by
working for right understanding and relationship with high priority.
¨Currently our education is just
training as to shift from SVDD to SSDD.
5.2 What is the
Prevailing Notion about Happiness and its Continuity?
¨Explore and analyse
what is the present perception about happiness and its continuity. Indicate how
fulfilling the present perception has proven to be.
A common notion among people is that continuous happiness
can be achieved through maximisation of pleasant sensory interactions
Explore the
truthfulness of the above by verifying at the level of your natural acceptance.
Also, investigate it by studying the consequences of such a notion in the
present scenario. Is it possible to ensure continuity of happiness through
maximization of pleasant sensory interactions? Is it not self-defeating?
Analyze discuss
some case studies.
5.3 What is the
Prevailing Notion about Attaining Prosperity?
¨Analyze what is the prevailing notion
about prosperity
vmaximization of physical facilities?
vassuming that wants are unlimited and
then struggling to meet unlimited wants with limited resources!
¨In such a situation, is it ever
possible to be prosperous? Is it possible to maintain harmony with Nature, to
maintain ecological balance in this way?
¨And if the above balance is
increasingly disturbed, can human survival be at all sustained on this planet?
Then What is the way out? think!
¨Again, with assumed unlimited wants
and limited resources, does not exploitation and strife among human beings
become inevitable?
In such a
situation, is peaceful and harmonious co-existence of human beings ever
possible?
Then What is the way out? think!
5.4 Where do we
Stand Today?
Lets have an
appraisal of the current scenario:
¨At the level of the individual —
rising problems of depression, anxiety, suicides, stress, insecurity,
increasing health problems, lack of confidence and conviction etc.
¨At the level of the family — breaking
up of joint families, mistrust and disharmony in relationships, divorce,
generation gap, dowry deaths, neglect of older people etc.
¨At the level of the Society — growing
incidences of terrorism, violence, communalism, racial and ethnic struggle,
corruption, adulteration, sex-crimes, exploitation, wars between nations,
proliferation of lethal weapons etc.
¨At the level of nature —global
warming, weather imbalances, depletion of mineral and energy resources,
deforestation, soil degradation etc.
All the above
problems are a direct outcome of an incorrect understanding, our wrong notion
about happiness and prosperity and their continuity — This is an issue for
serious exploration! What is the way out?
5.5 Urgent Need
Under such a
situation, where basic human aspirations tend to become unachievable,
contradictions, tensions and insecurity at various levels are bound to
increase, hence peace and harmony among human beings are increasingly at peril
Further, the
global environmental imbalance is a serious threat to Human survival at this
planet.
Hence, there is an
urgent need to rectifies this situation
and the prime most step is to acquire the right understanding and learn to live
in accordance with it.
6.1 The Universal
Human Desire and the
Program to Fulfill it
Program to Fulfill it
¨Desire: To live with continuous happiness and prosperity
¨Program: To acquire the right understanding about oneself vis-a-vis rest of existence.
To identify the innate harmony at all levels of existence and to live in
consonance with it.
6.2 The Four Levels
of our Living
It is necessary to recognize the harmony at
the following four levels of our living/existence
1.In the self
2.In Family
3.In Society
4.In Nature (existence)
¨Observe that your expanse of living is
right from yourself to the whole existence.
¨Observe that you are related to each
and every unit in existence.
¨Observe that you want to be in harmony
at all the levels of your living.
To conclude,
¨All human beings want to live happily
at all times and are striving for this goal.
¨Continuous happiness is being in
harmony within oneself being in harmony with others and being in harmony with
nature.
¨There exists an inherent harmony and
co-existence in the whole existence and the prime goal for human being is to
gain the right understanding of this harmony at various levels and to learn to
live in accordance with it.
¨This is the way towards continuous and
collective human happiness as well as sustainable prosperity.
¨In the following modules, we shall
look at the harmony at the level ofthe individual, family, society, nature
and the existence as a whole.
End of Module/Unit 1
KAPIL SHIVHARE KKS
Kapil1796@gmail.com
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