Corona Virus: Some lessons from Bhagavad Gita

In Part 2 of this series of thoughts on the challenges posed by the pandemic to business leaders, we had noticed that the same are being met by:

• Reposing one’s faith in the basic goodness of human beings,
• Responding to fresh challenges in a creative and innovative manner,
• Adopting a sunnier disposition,
• Preparing for contingencies in advance, and
• Reconfiguring operations with due respect to nature and mother earth.

One no longer has the luxury of treating these traits as being theoretical constructs. Leadership is always context-specific and top managements need to evaluate the seniors on the traits listed here. These are the transformative professionals in the organization who need to be brought into critical roles without delay.

Much like a befuddled Arjuna twiddling his thumbs at the beginning of Bhagavad Gita who is made to realize his true path of righteousness towards the end of this unique Manual of Motivation, the pandemic is telling leaders to wake up to a new reality and get their act right.

Lord Krishna does not directly refer to human values; instead, he places a premium on one following the path of righteousness, a concept which is all-encompassing. He exhorts us to work in a detached manner, to focus on our efforts and be clear that results are not in our control. He speaks of the virtues of higher resilience, equanimity and the extent of control we exercise over our desires. All these enable us to enjoy an inner sense of peace and joy. He also speaks of human behavior being governed by the mix of three ‘gunas’: Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic.

The qualities mentioned in Bhagavad Gita mostly match with the traits mentioned earlier. Businesses and traders downing their shutters and moving on to totally different activities surely have owners who are learning the art of detachment the hard way. Many have expanded their footprints, revealing their nerves of chilled steel and reflecting a high degree of resilience. Seeking inner peace and equanimity by adopting some meditative practices and doing yoga is helping professionals to switch over to a work-from-home mode, despite distractions caused by family matters. All these have made leaders discard their sense of pessimism and get cracking in the face of a pandemic, setting an example for others to follow.

It would be appropriate to revisit some verses of the scripture:

Whatever actions great persons perform, common people follow. Whatever standards they set, all the world pursues. (3.21) 

When the mind, restrained from material activities, becomes still by the practice of Yog, then the yogi is able to behold the soul through the purified mind, and he rejoices in the inner joy. (6.20)

 

 In that joyous state of Yog, called samādhi, one experiences supreme boundless divine bliss, and thus situated, one never deviates from the Eternal Truth. (6.21)

 

 Having gained that state, one does not consider any attainment to be greater. Being thus established, one is not shaken even in the midst of the greatest calamity. (6.22)

 

 That state of severance from union with misery is known as Yog. This Yog should be resolutely practiced with determination free from pessimism. (6.23)

 

 Completely renouncing all desires arising from thoughts of the world, one should restrain the senses from all sides with the mind. (6.24)

 

With the benefit of hindsight, those who have a positive attitude are not only surviving the virus but have also discovered newer dimensions in their lives. They are on the way to re-skilling themselves and learning other trades. For many, especially in countries like India, an abiding faith in a divine power brings about a sense of surrender, acceptance, patience and resilience. The result is that they end up following the key lessons of Bhagavad Gita, even though in a subconscious manner. This helps them to do well during the kind of churning that the pandemic has inflicted on us.

What the virus has thrown up is a challenge to human beings to live, work and become smarter; to respect nature and environment better and to focus on being sustainable. It has prodded us in the ribs to be more flexible in our thinking and to expect the unexpected.

It has brought home some basic truths: that human beings come first; also, that the key lessons imparted by Lord Krishna to Arjuna on a battlefield some 5,500 years ago continue to be relevant to this day.

(Inputs from Mr Ashok Narayan are gratefully acknowledged; translations of Gita verses courtesy https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org)

(The illustration is reproduced with permission from the illustrator, Arati Shedde, and Heartfulness Magazine – www.heartfulnessmagazine.com.)

 

(Part 3 of a series of articles on Corona virus and Leadership)

(Related Posts:

https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2020/09/05/corona-virus-and-an-early-onset-of-industrial-revolution-4-0

https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2020/09/08/corona-virus-leadership-traits-and-human-values)

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Pondicherry and the art of doing nothing

Just in case you ever feel that you have evolved into a headless chicken and have ended becoming a zombie chasing deadlines and goals with not even time to breathe, try coming over to Pondicherry.

For many of us, our lives are so much filled with stimuli, not to speak of the onerous responsibilities we carry on our slender shoulders. It is not possible for us to sit still and do nothing, much less relax, even for a few minutes. We have no time for meditation. Nor do we have time for some simple yoga exercises. We are always doing something or the other. How proud we feel in telling someone that we do not have time for this or that. Our fragile ego gets a much-needed boost. In place of being ‘human beings’, we have become ‘human doings’.

Often, relatives from distant parts of the world call up to check as to what they can do if and when they land up in Pondicherry. When they are told that the beauty of Pondicherry lies in the fact that they have the option of doing nothing here, one can either hear an astonished gasp or just suffer a long silence over the phone.

There are times when life becomes too exciting and one yearns to get a wee bit bored. The good news is that a brief spell of boredom does lead to a feeling of inner peace. And once we get used to it, with little practice, we could learn to really relax. Then we start enjoying our chance to have a real conversation with ourselves. We ask ourselves where our lives are really headed. We wonder as to what our goal in life is, and whether we are really working towards that or have we got trapped in the quicksand of our materialistic ambitions. The payback is tremendous.

Most of the times, our anxiety and inner struggle happen to be a product of a restless mind which is forever looking for some diversion, as if it is afraid to allow us to be calm and be with ourselves.

While rushing to office, we are wondering if we shall make it for that crucial meeting on time. When we enter the conference room, we are anxious as to which colleagues would be puncturing holes in our image by raising some obnoxious concerns. At lunch time, we shall be worrying about the maid who might be stealing something from the bedroom cupboard at home. Every ten minutes, we shall check our messages or mails, just in case that critical one we had sent to the big boss the other day has elicited any response.

By evening, we are a bundle of frayed nerves. Upon reaching home, we shove some morsels down the hatch so as to keep our body and soul together. Some phone calls get made. Then we slouch in front of the idiot box and try to improve our track record of being a couch potato. The day ends. The next one begins. The cycle gets repeated ad nauseam. We end up becoming a zombie.

You can be said to have attained the exalted state of zombie-ness when you go through the motions of life in a lifeless manner; when you have surrendered your free will to your guardian angels, who have been allowed to take decisions for and on your behalf; and, when instructions received from the boss during your working hours make you spend sleepless nights in the comfort of your bed.

The beauty of doing nothing is that it teaches us to clear our mind and relax. When the mind is rested and stilled, it becomes sharper and stronger. It becomes more focused. Creative juices start flowing freely.

The art of nothingness does not make sense logically. But when practised, it propels us on the path of spirituality. The resulting bliss is something to be personally experienced.

Let all this not scare you off. Pondicherry has a lot on offer – sea breeze, exotic food, tissue restoratives which lift your spirits temporarily, cultural events, book launches, off-beat movies, dance classes, horse riding, scuba diving, heritage walks…….the list goes on. But if you simply wish to give your life a break, it is the place you would do well to head to!

 

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