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Of
Art
Self Management
Vedic Oasis for Inspiration, Vedic Oasis for Inspiration, Culture and Education (VOICE), Culture and Education (VOICE), Pune Pune
Modern Scenario…… American schools today are supplied with
surveillance and intruder devices, closed circuit TV, watchdogs, buzz-controlled doors, walkie-talkie, panic buttons and even weapon-screening devices
Recent study conducted by the California Department of Education, California Police…….
Typical school problems during the 1940s were : “Talking in class, chewing gum, making noise, running in the hall, getting out of place in line, wearing improper clothes, and not throwing paper in the wastebasket.”
Typical school problems in the 1980s were : “Drug abuse, alcohol, pregnancy, suicide, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, arson and bombings.”
Modern Scenario…… American schools today are supplied with
surveillance and intruder devices, closed circuit TV, watchdogs, buzz-controlled doors, walkie-talkie, panic buttons and even weapon-screening devices
Recent study conducted by the California Department of Education, California Police…….
Typical school problems during the 1940s were : “Talking in class, chewing gum, making noise, running in the hall, getting out of place in line, wearing improper clothes, and not throwing paper in the wastebasket.”
Typical school problems in the 1980s were : “Drug abuse, alcohol, pregnancy, suicide, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, arson and bombings.”
Srila Prabhupada calls the universities as
‘Centers of Nescience’Because modern
education is producing not a generation of
gentlemen but a bunch of perverted
intellectuals devoid of character.
A vulture may rise very high in the sky—seven or eight miles—and it is wonderful to see him fly in this way. He also has powerful eyes, for he can spot a carcass from a great distance. Yet what is the object of all these great qualifications? A dead body, a rotting carcass. His perfection is just to discover a dead piece of meat and eat it. That's all. Similarly, we may have a very high education, but what is our objective? Sense enjoyment, the enjoyment of this material body. We may rise very high with our spaceships, but what is the purpose? Sense gratification, that's all. This means that all the striving and all this high education are merely on the animal platform.
Youth is a time for the mind, body and
spirit to be nurtured and
developed through discipline.
Unfortunately today’s schools teach nothing of self-control. No
courses are offered in ethics,
philosophy or religion.
Practical examples of SELF- CONTROL from everyday
lifeHow would you behave ?
In your college mess, for a special dinner everyone is served only one gulabjamun per head and you want a second one. Then ?
You have just met your old school friend while reading in your college library. You are meeting him after 5 years; but there is a board SILENCE on the table. Then what would you do?
Teacher announces , ‘Today’s last period is free. But all of you can complete your homework and then go home’. As soon as she leaves, how do you think students react?
Practical examples of SELF- CONTROL from everyday
lifeHow would you behave ?
You’ve packed your bag for a picnic during vacation with your intimate friends and you come to know that your mother has high fever and there is no one else at home to take care of her. You have to stay back. How would you take it ?
You’re sitting in the window seat of a train and a semi-clad young girl comes and sits next to you, talking and joking with her friends. Or conversely if you are a girl, a cute looking fair boy just sits opposite to you. What would be your response ?
To learn restraint in all these situations is called Self Control.
Singers avoid ice cream, cold drinks and hot chilly items to have high pitch.
A man with typhoid avoids pooris and oily foodstuffs to get well.
A pilot avoids drinking alcohol in order to save the passengers from plane crash.
Without self restraint none of these can attain peace and happiness.
Self Control boosts Will Power, Concentration and Memory
The power by virtue of which you can make your mind do what you wish to do can be termed Will Power.
It seems easy to develop will-power, but it is not as easy as it is often spoken in seminars.
William Penn, was once advising a drunkard to give up drinking. “as easy as opening hand”
Sharu Rangnekar, a famous management consultant, offers a simple suggestion for reducing weight. He says anyone who can shake his head from left to right can reduce weight.
Self-restraint develops Will power
Human Mind is like a uncontrolled Flood 10,000 random thoughts/day, 7 per min
If you learn… to put restraints on your mind and learn to prevent it from wandering and give your entire attention to whatever you
do you will be able to achieve like a superhuman Remember how Bhima kept Bakasura in bay Archimedes Lever and Fulcrum
Mind : The Taskmaster of senses The mind is a friend when it is under the
control of the intelligence. Then it is serene, grave, self-controlled, simple and pure.
When the mind is an enemy, it is controlled from within by desire and from without by sense objects. Then it is restless, frivolous, and impure.
If you have no control over your driver, your driver is your enemy, but if he acts according to your orders, he is your friend.
The yoga system is meant to control the mind in such a way that the mind will act as your friend.
“My dear Lord, You are so kind that You are giving me Your association in the form of Your holy name, and this
holy name can be chanted in any situation. There are no
hard and fast rules for chanting Hare Krishna”.
No Peace of mind without Sense control : Everyone in this material world is looking for peace, but they don't want to control the senses. For example, if you are diseased, and the doctor says "Take this medicine" or
"Follow this diet," but you refuse. You take whatever you want, against the instruction of the physician, so how
can you be cured? Similarly, we want to be cured of the chaotic condition of
this material world, we want peace and prosperity, but we are not willing
to control the senses. Srila Prabhupada Lect. BG 62-
72 Los Angeles 68
täni sarväëi saàyamya
yukta äséta mat-paraù
vaçe hi yasyendriyäëi
tasya prajïä pratiñöhitä
"One who restrains his senses, keeping them under full control, and fixes his consciousness
upon Me, is known to be a man of steady
intelligence." [BG 2.61]
Benefits of Self Control Self control yields all knowledge. It increases energy and purifies. A wonderful
entourage follows in its path : compassion, knowledge, forgiveness, patience, nonviolence, sincerity, mildness, modesty, determination, liberality, contentment, truthfulness, benevolence, and freedom from anger and malice.
Self control gives us the fortitude to withstand tribulation and endure great suffering in defense of what is right.
By self control, the mind becomes clear and discriminating.
In short, self control opens wide doors to material and spiritual peace and joy.
A ANGRY CEO in a board meeting
with
four Vice Presidents,
8 Board members,
14 Managers
and his Angry wife
Cool headed Socrates
Just as we have the courage to direct others as to what they should be doing, why they should be doing and how they should be doing, similarly, are we able to direct our sense organs with proper understanding of these aspects.
Management = Man + Age + MentManagement = Man + Age + Ment
Manage the ‘man’ within you before Manage the ‘man’ within you before managing ‘men’managing ‘men’
Gain ‘age’ (maturity) to know Gain ‘age’ (maturity) to know what, when, how to manage what, when, how to manage
Management with hands, heads and heartsManagement with hands, heads and hearts
Power to Listen - Patience
A mature Leader will have :
Good Listening - SOLE tech + attentive ear + open heartPower to withdraw and be a detached observer Ability to remain stable in difficult conditions
A immature Leader will immediately React, Judge, Assume(Loyal dog and the child)
Leaders who have no power to listen• want to surrounded by ‘yes’ men• want to just keep giving orders• cannot empathize or appreciate subordinates• consider suggestions as insubordination
Power to Listen - Patience
1) Failing to consider the position of another person, recognizing only one’s own motivations. HONDA CEO
2) People who lack Compassion for others
3) People who view themselves as centers can never pay any heed to others.
4) Highly mechanised impersonal structure of modern society leads to :
• impersonal and impatient behaviour• insensitivity to others and intolerence
Why does one not have Patience ?
Power to Listen - Patience
Constructive Discontent creates --• Awareness• Problem Exposure• Applied Empathy• Inclusion, Participation, Empowerment, Partnership• Learning in Action• Challenge, Engagement and even fun• Saves time, smoothens out differences
Creating a Favorable Debate Culture
Leaders of future extend Respect and Trust.They stay open -- curious, empathetic, constantly learning in the face of Resistance and Criticism
Discontent - a hotbed of Creative ideas - Motorola’s Debate culture
Power to Listen - Patience
Honda -‘Listen, Ask and Speak up’ cultureIdea Contests open to all employeesYoung engineers - given excep. Levels of responsibility, encouraged to questionStory of a young G.E.T. becoming C.E.O.
Philips -Town meetings - managers must stand before employees and answer questions posedPasting blank papers throughout office and factory for employee’s suggestions
Team Spirit - Cooperation
Team Spirit - Cooperation
A Leader can inspire team spirit only when he himself can cooperate well with others.
Empowering employees and creating healthy teams is based on almost entirely on people - feeling good about themselves, - feeling good about others, - feeling good about organisation they work for - feeling good about the mission and vision associated with both their leaders and the institutions for which they work
Team Spirit - Cooperation
Closer Relationships, Greater Success
When someone assumes a new leadership role today, he/she has a 40% chance of demonstrating disappointing performance
82% of them fail to build teamwork relationships with subordinates and peers58% are confused about what is expected of them52% lack the required skills and knowledge to be able to be successful.
Stanford University research about American and Japanese industrial situation
Team Spirit - Cooperation
Closer Relationships, Greater Success
Lateral service - art of making good on somebody else’s mistakes.
In Vedic times, Kings were saintly and had no concern beyond the welfare of the citizens :
Some of the duties of a divine monarch are :
Tosana : to see that there is sufficient food to feed all of the citizensPrinama : distributing gifts to satisfy themUpalalana : calling meetings and speaking sweet thoughtful words to satisfy the peopleAnusasana : giving instructions on how to become good citizens
Team Spirit - Cooperation
Celebrating Diversity andInterdependence for Team Spirit
Four “cancers” that are detrimental to synergy : Criticism, Complaint, Comparison, Competition
Too much dependance - stunted creativityToo much independence - instabilityInterdependence - best option - emotional bonds eg Krishna-Sudama
Corporation & Corporation & CommunityCommunity
‘Corporation’ elicits feelings and images of authority, bureaucracy, competition, power, rigid rules, machines and military chain of command.
‘Community’ evokes feelings of volunteers helping others out, co-operation, town meetings, democracy, personal responsibility, commitment, teamwork, creative magic and fun.
Community gives a richer, more involved sense of people opting to be part of the relationship to a large whole.
The Proper Role of LeadersBy Bhakti-tirtha Swami
In ancient times, communities expected from their political leaders to have a spiritual connection. A society did not choose a king who was merely a good warrior or politician, but one who also understood the science of caring for the people and who could communicate with higher spiritual realms.
Righteous kingmakers or priests would monitor such leaders to ensure proper behaviour. But today, we are surrounded by cheaters and the cheated, and everyone is running for sense gratification.
Because ALL leaders - not just spiritual leaders - serve as representatives of God, the actions of those who take unfair advantage of others can have enormous impact. In our families, for example, parents should be channelling divine energies to their children. Unfortunately, all too often this does not happen.
Leaders should never consider themselves as proprietors of those in their charge. Ownership implies that we have a right to do with our property as we will, and it can serve as justification for all kinds of exploitation and abuse. But if we view ourselves as caretakers, coordinators, catalysts or carriers of the vision, and if we treat others in loving, supportive ways, we will not engage in such exploitation.
Legitimate Power
Based on spontaneous attraction to an exemplary authority that commands respect through his qualities and example.
Expected Qualities of the Leader :
King Pruthu oversaw his citizens as father cares for his children - Srimad Bhagavatam
A Leader should know his people just as a mother knows her children and should care for them with the same affection.
(eg) A Caring Leader wins the heart - President of University Business school
The Art of Management
by Srila Prabhupada
Our leaders should be careful not to kill the spirit of enthusiastic service, which is individual and spontaneous and voluntary. They should try to always generate some atmosphere of fresh challenge to the devotees, so that they will agree enthusiastically to rise and meet it.
That is the art of management: to draw out spontaneous loving spirit of sacrificing some energy for Krishna. All of us should become expert managers and preachers.
Living entity is meant for self-discipline
by Srila Prabhupada
Our students should be fit for teaching Krishna consciousness. By their character, by their behaviour, by their knowledge, that is wanted.
Since you are now leader, therefore Krishna is forcing you to become very responsible and advanced devotee. This is Krishna's special favour upon you. So now you must see that all boys and girls who come to the temple are given all facility to perfect their lives in KC, and you must give them good advice and instruction.
(1) Power to Listen - Patience
Interview with Tulasi Priya dasa, Temple President of Inis Rath ISKCON Temple in Northern Ireland
Leadership Excellence: How do you see is your role in Inis Rath Temple?
Tulasi Priya Dasa: My focus is on spiritual aspect, on sadhana and encouraging devotees in Krishna consciousness. It's not the managerial role. It's more of a spiritual director than manager. My role is to facilitate devotees, so that they can find what they want to do for Krishna. That they can find a satisfying engagement and understand that this comes as a result of following spiritual principles.
LE: Will patience with individuals bring good long term results?
TPD: Yes. Patience brings long-term results because it takes time for devotees to develop in their Krishna consciousness. And devotees need to develop faith in the process of Krishna consciousness. One of the six items for progress in Krishna consciousness is patience. So if I am patient with devotees then it gives them the space. It gives them the freedom and the time to develop their Krishna consciousness. If one is impatient then it becomes quite claustrophobic.
Humility TestHumility Test by HH Sacinandana Swamiby HH Sacinandana Swami
1. How eager am I to serve, or do I just 1. How eager am I to serve, or do I just want to be served?want to be served?
2. How eager am I to respect others, or do I 2. How eager am I to respect others, or do I rather strive to be respected?rather strive to be respected?
3. How much do I care for others, or do I 3. How much do I care for others, or do I mainly care for myself?mainly care for myself?
4. Am I glad upon seeing the advancement 4. Am I glad upon seeing the advancement of others, or do I envy them?of others, or do I envy them?
5. Am I fully dependent on guru and 5. Am I fully dependent on guru and Krishna, or rather on my own Krishna, or rather on my own arrangement? arrangement?
Etiquette in Management by Bhakti Caru Swami
ISKCON is a spiritual organisation personally established by Srila Prabhupada. We must to take care that it doesn't become material. Anything (husband-wife relationship, Deity worship, even prasadam) can turn material by one's consciousness. In any Society, there must be some organisation and management, otherwise there will be chaos. Even in the spiritual world, Krishna's friends are subdivided and supervised (Lord Balarama is group leader for his cowherd boy friends; Candravali and Radharani head up left-wing and right-wing gopis, etc). ISKCON is no different.
Etiquette in Management by Bhakti Caru Swami
In order for people interact in a harmonious fashion, dealings and activities must be regulated and orchestrated.
1. The material nature is the world of exploitation but the spiritual nature is the world of service.
2. ISKCON is a spiritual organization. Regardless of position everyone is first and foremost a servant of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada. No one should exploit his position for selfish interests.
3. Higher position means greater service. Position means an opportunity to purely represent Srila Prabhupada. Hence our management must be based on humility and tolerance.
4. Treat your subordinates as younger brothers.
5. Leadership is based on spiritual qualification, not on anything material. A mature, dedicated preacher makes the best leader.
Etiquette in Management by Bhakti Caru Swami
6. A leader's character must be spotless.
7. Leaders must feel for their followers, then the followers will naturally trust them.
8. It is important to lead with detachment and guide with a strong sense of duty.
9. Krishna conscious management is autocratic and democratic.
10. Talk to devotees and be open to new ideas.
Etiquette in Management by Bhakti Caru Swami
11. Don't hide anything from the Vaisnava's.
12. There should be more than one signer for bank accounts, buying of properties etc.
13. It is best if all incoming funds are declared before the Deities, Srila Prabhupada, and the Vaisnavas.
14. All incoming funds should be deposited in the bank and then spent from the account.
Action: Apply three of these principles each week in serving devotees as a Manager.
Bhismadeva's InstructionsBhismadeva advised for all human beings nine qualifications:
1. Not to become angry 2. Not to lie 3. To equally distribute wealth 4. To forgive 5. To beget children only by one's legitimate wife 6. To be pure in mind and hygienic in body 7. Not to be inimical toward anyone 8. To be simple 9. To support servants or subordinates.
Bhismadeva also advices this:
To get freedom from anger, one should learn how to forgive. To be free from unlawful desires one should not make plans. By spiritual culture one is able to conquer sleep. By tolerance only can one conquer desires and avarice. Disturbances from various diseases can be avoided by regulated diets. By self-control one can be free from false hopes. Money can be saved by avoiding undesirable association. By practice of yoga one can control hunger. Worldliness can be avoided by culturing the knowledge of impermanence. Dizziness can be conquered by rising up. False arguments can be conquered by factual ascertainment. Talkativeness can be avoided by gravity and silence. By prowess one can avoid fearfulness. Perfect knowledge can be obtained by self-cultivation. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.9.27 Purport)
If you Do your bestand……Leave the rest to GodGod will surelyHelp you.
To hear the unheard is a necessary discipline to be a good ruler. For only when a ruler has learned to listen closely to the people's hearts, hearing their feelings uncommunicated, pains unexpressed, and complaints not spoken of, can he hope to inspire confidence in his people, understand when something is wrong, and meet the true needs of his citizens. The demise of states comes when leaders listen only to superficial words and not penetrate deeply into the souls of the people to hear their true opinions, feelings and desires.
