Why Human Values?

Peace and Goodwill in Our Troubled World

A speech delivered by Former India Supreme Court Justice and Member of the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations, P. N. Bhagwati, at an ILO meeting in Geneva Switzerland, 9 July 2004.

Brothers and Sisters,

I am addressing you as brothers and sisters because we are all part of one common humanity. All religions – whether Christian, Hindu, Sikh or Muslim – recognize the essential unity of mankind and our ideal must be to break down all differences that divide us and to demolish all barriers that prevent us from coming together as human beings regardless of the language we speak, the color of our skin, the race to which we belong and the religion we profess and practice.

Today we see a paradoxical situation in the world. On the one hand, science and technology with the modern means of transport and communication have brought about a near revolution in our lives and the world has shrunk into a global village. While on the other hand, the world is being torn apart by strife and violence, hostilities and massacres. Men forgetting their in-dwelling divinity are engaged in killing one-another. We thought that after the holocaust of the Second World War, peace would rein on earth and there would be no hatred and violence, but this dream is shattered to pieces. We do not find peace anywhere and that is why we long for universal peace, peace not only in my country, not only in yours but throughout the world. How can we attain this universal peace which can be a blessing for humanity?

Everyone in this world has a system of values to guide his thoughts and action. Whether these values are articulated or not, they are always there, governing all that we do or think. To have the right value system is essential for our individual good as well as for the good of society and humanity. For that alone can bring peace and tranquility of mind, radiating joy and happiness to all. Under the ancient Indian value system, the values of truth, righteousness, love and respect for parents and teachers were instilled in the minds of our youth. But these values are unfortunately on the decline, and that is why we see hatred and violence around us. The social fabric is breaking up.

It is thus clear that there cannot be universal peace without a transformation in the lives of men and women who inhabit the globe. The emergence of narrow ethnic nationalism, religious fundamentalism and parochial loyalties, and the strife and violence we see around us are due to the absence of human values.

There are five human values which are permanent and which must always guide individual and social action. They are Truth, Righteous action, Love, Peace and Non-violence. These values alone can save humanity. It is only through inculcation of human values that we can change the attitudes of men and women, their mind-set, their behavior, individual as well as societal, without which there can be no hope for universal peace. It must be remembered that war and peace are born in the minds of men and it is the minds that have to be transformed and this can be done only by inculcation of human values.

Let us not forget what the Great Masters like Buddha, Jesus Christ and Sathya Sai Baba have said, namely that every human being is the embodiment of the Divine, and the entrustment which overlays this divinity has to be removed in order for the human being to shine forth in all his resplendent glory. This realization of the Divinity in every human being can take place only one if one practices the five human values of Truth, Righteousness, Love, Peace and Non-violence. Because then one can realize the essential unity of mankind which is the message which has been preached by all the Saints and Sages whatever be the faith or religion they practice. These human values help men to realize the basic Truth that it is the same Divinity which pervades the entire universe and animates the entire human race. These five human values are preached by all faiths and religions. They are universal and their practice in daily life by every human being, whatever be his faith or religion, is essential in order to bring about peace within and peace without.

The first human value which must be cultivated is Truth. Truth is something that does not change; otherwise it cannot be truth. If it is true today, it must be true tomorrow. If it is true today, it must have been true yesterday and, by the process of induction, it will be true on the day after tomorrow, and the day after that, and this goes on to infinity and also equally it goes back in time to infinity. So, truth is eternal, it cannot change. Otherwise, it cannot be absolute truth. But if we look around us and think for ourselves dispassionately and with discrimination we will soon realize that there is nothing that is really eternal in the world of object and perception. Science tells us everything is energy and that energy and matter are really the same thing. Everything is just energy full of vibration and the real truth is that everything is vibrating and changing. If there is nothing that is constant then, where is the Truth which is constant and never changing? We can realize this only by raising our consciousness upwards so that we discover within ourselves the cosmic consciousness which is the Truth underlying the entire creation.

The second human value is Dharma, i.e. Righteous action. Righteous action on the part of individuals in society is most essential for peace and harmony. It is also vital for the full development of the human personality. It is beautifully epitomized in the adage “See no evil, hear no evil, and do no evil.”

The third human value which is the bedrock of all the others is Love. What the Great Masters of the past and the present are asking us to follow is the path of Love – pure and undemanding Love. Love not only for the near and dear ones, but for the entire humanity. It is the same message of universal Love which was given to us 2500 years ago by the Great Buddha and some 2000 years ago by another Messiah, Jesus Christ. And it is the same message which is being given in the 20th and 21st Centuries by Sathya Sai Baba who has said, and I am quoting him “Start the day with love, Fill the day with love, End the day with love. That is the way to God!”

The fourth human value is Peace. When I talk of Peace I do not mean mere absence of war. Peace is a state of mind where there is no anger, no jealousy, no craving and no disturbance. There are enemies of Peace which are described in all scriptures and they are lust, anger, greed and jealousy etc. These enemies disturb the Peace of mind and it is only if we can conquer these enemies that we can attain the real Peace of mind. This Peace where the mind is serene, un-disturbed and un-agitated is one of the five great human values which every human being must try to attain if there is to be real happiness in individual as well as societal happiness.

The last value is Non-violence. Let me again make it clear that Non-violence does not mean merely non killing of human beings. It has a much wider meaning and significance. It includes not only not hurting others physically but also not hurting the interest of another except where larger societal interest is involved. Non-violence also includes not causing injury to the environment. If we start killing or harming animals then the environment and the whole process of life in the world are up-set because all life is interrelated and there is a delicate balance maintained by nature. At the Earth Submit in 1992 all the countries signed a Convention on “Bio-Diversity” to look after all the living things in the world. By disturbing the environment, we upset the balance of life on the earth. It can harm us and can eventually destroy human life. So, Non-violence means not only not hurting other people but also not harming other living things and not harming the nature.

These five human values are essential for peace and harmony and indeed for human happiness. I may also point out that at the base of these human values lies character, individual as well as societal. Character in fact forms the bedrock of human values in as much as it confers the power of discrimination between good and evil, guides mankind along the path of virtue, and brings about peace within and peace without. It is necessary to cultivate character in order to instil the five human values in every human being. There is a beautiful saying of Sathya Sai Baba which I would like to quote before you:

“Where there is purity of heart there is beauty of character.
Where there is beauty of character there is harmony in the home.
Where there is harmony in the home there is order in the nation.
Where there is order in the nation there is peace on earth.”

The whole concept of purity of heart and beauty of character could not have been more epigrammatically described then in these words of Sathya Sai Baba. These beautiful words indicate for the benefit of mankind the path to universal peace and brotherhood where there will be no wars or conflicts, no hatred or bitterness but everyone will be suffused with love and happiness.

From these human values of Truth, Righteous action, Love and Non-violence springs humanism which is so vital to the realisation of universal peace and happiness. Humanism is an essential attribute of enlightenment where one human being recognizes and regards every other human beingas like himself, with the same hopes and aspirations, with the same feelings and emotions, with thesame indwelling divinity, and identifies himself with the trials and tribulations, with the happiness and suffering of the other human being, irrespective of his caste, colour, race or religion. This is the spiritual basis for another saying by Sathya Sai Baba: “Help ever, hurt never.”

This humanism is possible to be achieved by the common man only if he realizes that humanism lies at the basis of human rights. Humanism is nothing but human rights in action for it is only the practice of human rights which can bring about the true and genuine feeling of humanism. I would, therefore, like to emphasise very strongly that if we want to change the world and bring about transformation in the minds and hearts of men and make of them real human beings imbued with humanism, it is absolutely essential that a human rights regime should prevail throughout the world and inspire every action of human beings.

The concept of human rights is not a new concept. It has come down to us through the ages. Even in ancient Hindu law human rights were prized very high because they are inherent in every human being and are essential for human happiness. Human rights have existed ever since humanity was born but its importance came to be highlighted only after the devastation of the Second World War when people all over the world realized that we cannot have peace without implementation of human rights.

Today human rights have become a subject of animated discussion not only at the international level but also in national jurisdiction. Every country, whether developed or developing, expresses concern for promotion and realization of human rights and strives to attain their realization and fulfillment. We have several international instruments on human rights adopted by the United Nations, and worldwide discourses on human rights are going on. But at the basis of all the discussions and discourses lies the fundamental principle of preservation and maintenance of human dignity and basic human values. I may point out as a Member of the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations that I firmly believe that all the human rights instruments which have been adopted by the United Nations are intended to ensure the dignity of every human being throughout the globe and the establishment and maintenance of human dignity is not possible without instilling humanism in the hearts and minds of people. Can there be a true and genuine regime of human rights in action without human values guiding and motivating the thoughts, words and deeds of all people?

There is a close and intimate interrelation between human rights and human values. The observance of human rights cannot be secured only by judicial process, or only by national or international public opinion, or only by censure of international or regional organizations. These are the external compulsions which have limited efficacy. It is only by internal compulsions generated by adherence to human values that we can really bring about observance of human rights – by transforming the quality of the thoughts, words and deeds of the rulers as well as others. It is only through inculcation and practice of human values that human consciousness can expand and envelop the entire humanity as part of divine consciousness. Only by banishing and for ever putting an end to the violations of human rights of citizens by the State or of the nationals of one State by another, or the exploitation of the people in developing countries by the developed countries can we make human rights a reality and bring universal peace on earth.

Acknowledgement: Access this article on Global Dharma Website

Institute for Promotion of Human Values

Institute for Promotion of Human Values: A Framework

This is the first draft that I propose for a model institute for promotion of Human Values. Although, it looks self explanatory, I intend to keep writing about the various 'blocks' that it is made up of!

Humble Offering at Thy Divine Lotus Feet

Proposing an Institute for Promotion of Human Values in professional spheres

A humble offering at the Divine Lotus Feet

The project should serve as a blueprint for establishing an Institute for promotion of Human Values in professional spheres. It will basically talk about the following ideas:

1. What are Human Values?
2. Why are Human Values necessary today? [Discuss their importance, need in today’s world. Then, focus on the importance of Human Values in professional spheres ]
3. How do we promote Human Values? What are the various institutions involved in promotion of Human Values.
4. Propose a model institute for promotion of Human Values in professional spheres.

My First experience of How Human Values work!

The Annual Sports and Cultural Meet: Fostering Human Values

Offering ourselves at Thy Lotus Feet, Mother Sai

Fifteen hundred students, two hundred teachers, a host of administrators across the three campuses working in unison – caring not whether it is night or day –whether the limbs ache or the belly growls. ‘Challenging’ is not good enough for them - they have set their sight only on the ‘impossible’; they are out to testify the veracity of the power of faith – the adroitness that concentration can elicit and the will that knows not how to bend in defeat. And all this for just one moment of that one day for the smile on that one face whom we all know as THE ONE.

WHAT is it that inspires these SAI soldiers to march on triumphantly and display their mettle in a daring and dazzling display of prowess in spite of all odds?

The other day, we had a very interesting and insightful discussion in our Awareness class. It was about the amazing experience that we had gone through – Our Annual Sports and Cultural Meet. There were a lot of experiences to share and learnings to be made!

The first point raised by our teacher in the class was “KY, KPT & NK”. Given, that it was a class of MBA students and use of jargons is familiar in many management classes, but this jargon didn’t sound familiar! Well, it stands for Karma Yoga, Karma Phala Tyaga and Nishkama karma. So, what are we talking about?

Everyone in this world is always engaged in Action. Whether you are awake, sleeping, eating, thinking or walking; we are always doing action. But, everybody performs different kinds of actions, depending on the spirit with which he does it.

At the first level is ordinary action. Everyone acts, but for one’s own sake. These actions are for self fulfillment and thus of selfish nature. Before performing, we always ask, “What’s in it for me?”.

At the next level comes KPT, i.e. Karma Phala Tyaga. In this case, the doer of the action focuses his attention not on the results but on the process of the action. But it still remains very selfish in nature.

At the third level comes NK, i.e. Nishkama karma – You don’t have the rights to the fruits of the action but only the right to action and therefore it is selfless. The Bhagavad Gita also preaches the above, through the 25^th sloka of chapter 3:

“Saktah karmanyavidvamso yatha kurvanti Bharata;

Kuryat vidvan tatha asaktah cikirsuh lokasamgraham”

‘As the unenlightened, attached to work acts, so should the enlightened act, O descendent of Bharata, but without attachment, desirous of well being of the world.’

And finally, Swami adds the fourth level, which he calls the Pavitra Karma, which is, offering every action to God. This is the highest karma yoga.

Swami, through the sports day, gives all his students and teachers, a great opportunity to experience this Pavitra Karma. Whatever program we do and in whatever way we participate in these celebrations – we do it only for Swami and we offer everything at his divine lotus feet. It’s this very valuable lesson that Swami teaches us all, and it is up to us to live it up for all our lives!

Relating this to my own experience, I remember so many times, when I have put this learning into practice. Truly, had it not been for Swami, I would not have got inspired and could not have performed so well on the final day.

I recall those cold mornings, when I would be nicely wrapped up in my cozy blanket and then it would be time to go for our morning warm up and practice sessions. There were so many times when I did not want to go but the very thought that we are doing it for our Beloved Swami made me get up and I would get going! Sometimes I would get bored, practicing the same things so many times a day and I would ask myself the need for doing so much practice. Instantly I would get an answer that we have offer this to God and it should be nothing less than perfect. Swami himself is the embodiment of perfection and he keeps teaching us to aim towards perfection through his ways. As they say, ‘Practice makes a man perfect’, so I would get back to my practice with full energy and enthusiasm. At times my health was not good and many times I would have body pains because of rigorous practice. But I would always think that this body, all my talents and whatever I am today is a gift from the Lord and this is an opportunity to offer my love and gratitude towards Him. So, I would pray to Swami to give me the strength to overcome these pains and to take care of me and thus forgetting all my troubles and pains, I would run for my practice.

Coming back to the Awareness class, next we discussed the Guna Dynamics. I quote here a few passages from Swami Prabhavananda’s book on Patanjali Yoga Sutras, describing in depth about the Guna Dynamics. “Prakriti is said to be composed of three forces, sattwa, rajas and tamas, which are collectively known as the three gunas. Sattwa causes our moments of inspiration, disinterested affection, quiet joy and meditative calm. Rajas brings on our outbursts of rage and fierce desire. It makes us feel restless and discontented, but it is also responsible for our better phases of constructive activity, energy, enthusiasm and physical courage. Tamas is the mental bog into which we sink whenever sattwa and rajas cease to prevail. In the state of tamas, we exhibit our worst qualities – sloth, stupidity, obstinacy and helpless despair.” The annual sports and cultural meet is the opportunity that Bhagawan gives all of us to convert this tamas into rajas which is a stepping stone to reach sattwa and thus our transformation.

In the process of evolution, sattwa is the essence of the form which has to be realized, tamas is the inherent obstacle to its realization, and rajas is the power by which that obstacle is removed and the essential form made manifest. For the sake of illustration, let us take an example of a sculptor. A sculptor decides to make an idol of say, Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba. The idea of this idol –the form of it which he sees in his imagination – is inspired by sattwa. Now he gets a lump of clay. This clay represents the power of tamas – its formlessness is an obstacle which has to be overcome. Perhaps, also, there is an element of tamas in the sculptor’s own mind. He may think, “This is going to be a lot of trouble. It’s too difficult. I am tired. Why should I make the effort?” but here the force of rajas comes to his aid. Rajas, in this instance, represents the sculptor’s will to conquer his own lethargy and the difficulties he is going to face; it represents, also, muscular exertion which he puts forth in order to complete his work. If a sufficient amount of rajas is generated, the obstacle of tamas will be overcome and the ideal form of sattwa will be embodied in a tangible clay idol. Similarly, the annual sports and cultural meet gives us an opportunity to generate sufficient amount of rajas by undergoing intense physical exertion and by increase our will power so that the obstacle of tamas will be overcome.

But here I would like to mention, just for the sake of completion, that reaching sattwa is not the ultimate goal. Chapter 14 in the Bhagavad Gita talks in detail about the guna dynamics. Verse 14.19 says:

“Nanyam gunebhyah kartaram yada drastanupasyati;

Gunebhyasca param vetti madbhavam so dhigacchati”

‘When the seer beholds no agent other than the gunas and knows that which is higher than the gunas, he or she attains to My being.’

Verse 14.20 further builds on the above saying:

“Gunan ethan atitya trin dehi dehasamudbhavan;

Janma mrtya jara duhkhaih vimuktah amrtam asnute”

‘The embodied one having gone beyond these gunas, out of which the body is evolved, is freed from birth, death, old age and sorrow, and attains to immortality.’

Swami Prabhavananda’s explains the above by saying, “Thus, a man is said to have transcended the gunas when he does not hate the light of sattwa, or the activity of rajas, or even the delusion of tamas, while these prevail; and yet does not long for them after they have ceased. He is like one who sits unconcerned, and is not disturbed by the gunas. He knows that they are the doers of all action, and never loses this power of discrimination. He rests in the inner calm of the Atman, regarding happiness and suffering as one.”

Well, the learning’s from the sports meet are virtually endless. Everyone gets his own share of lessons; Lessons in team work, brotherhood, mutual cooperation, hard work, detachment, unity and harmony. One gets to learn how to get along and work with different kinds of individuals. Also, all of us are involved with various kinds of activities and we get to learn and showcase a variety of talents and skills. For example, the maintenance team does plethora of jobs. It is the back bone of all events. Whether it is stage decoration structure or building of the torch vehicle or the amazing dancing Ganesha structure that was built this year, all is done by the maintenance boys. One of them share’s his learning experience, “We learn detachment. We work for week’s altogether for making these structures, but after they are shown to Swami and offered to His Divine Lotus Feet on the final day, we no more associate with them. They are dismantled the very same evening. We also learn a lot of team work, mutual cooperation and unity. Boys don’t bother about food or sleep until the work concerned gets over. Once the work is over, all the boys go together to have food.”
There is a lot of team work that happens, but all with ease! Why? Well, using management jargon I would say, that the individual goal and the organizational goal is very well aligned, because it is only one – To please their most Beloved Swami.

Further, every event and especially the dangerous or shall I say the more adventurous ones, reinforces and strengthens everybody’s faith in Swami. There have been numerous instances when it was only for Swami’s grace that major accidents have been prevented. Even this time one of such accidents happened during the jeep stunts event. This is what the student who experienced this accident has to say: “It was during one of our evening practice sessions that Swami had come. We performed the criss cross (4 jeeps, from 4 opposite directions crossing each other at considerable speed, in the shape of a ‘X’). After this session, Swami commented, “there is enough space between the jeeps, good!” I just thought that Swami out of his concern for us was looking at how safe it was for us to perform the event. Anyway, things moved on. On the final day, as we were about to put up our performance, this comment passed by mind. I brushed it aside, took Swami’s name and started off. As we prepared for the head on swerve (two jeeps, at a speed of around 50 kmph, were moving towards each other), I got a little late in moving out from the path of the jeep coming from the opposite direction. As a result, it hit the back of my jeep. All this happened in a split second and there was a big sound. Anything could have happened, but our Mother Sai was there watching us and saved us from the accident. Only then did it strike me that Swami had already warned us during the initial practice session. We did not understand then but this has taught me a great lesson that every word uttered by Swami has profound meaning and significance for us.”

Like this, the sports meet gives us an opportunity to build up our self confidence, that is, reinforce our faith in ourselves and our faith in God. As the famous saying goes,

“Act as if everything depends on you,

Pray as everything depends on Him.”

Another brother shares his feelings, “Devotion to the Lord should get translated into action. Not ordinary action, but action that is prompted by a mind that is filled with love for God and is surrendered to His will. Though this seems to be a Herculean task in the spiritual path, I found that each one of us, while performing daring events during the sports meet, actually lived this ideal even without consciously realizing it. Oh, the beauty of it!”

Thus, the annual sports and cultural meet promotes the development of Human Values. As Swami says, “Self transformation in spiritual sadhana can be achieved by the 5 D’s, which helps us to take a ‘U’ turn in our lives.” These 5 D’s are – Dedication, Devotion, Discrimination, Discipline and Determination and all of these are aptly reinforced by the annual sports and cultural meet.

I would like to relate here another brother’s experience from the Institute Brass Band. He says, “

Life is not a race, do take it slower.

Enjoy its melody, before the song is over.

The members of the Institute Brass Band deem it their greatest fortune to perform in front of Swami and more importantly for Swami. What culminates as performance is the fruition of efforts spanning the whole of the semester. What inspires us? The answer expresses itself as easily as an approving smile from the Lord and the acknowledging gleam in His eyes observing ‘His boys’ perform. On numerous occasions, to various dignitaries, Swami has, with maternal pride, directed their attention to this group of students declaring –“These are My boys”. That is the leitmotiv of the bond the band shares with their Swami.”

The annual sports and cultural meet has been a tremendous learning experience for all of us. Swami has so playfully given us an opportunity to experience these wonderful learnings. We thank our Beloved Mother Sai for giving us this learning opportunity and also pray to him to give us the strength to put this into practice, all our life. I would like to conclude with Swami’s Quote:

“Dedicate yourself to every work without ego,

To take you to true Devotion and

Develop Discipline within.

Discriminate every work

And in turn move on with Determination

To experience Divinity”

-- Baba