An Appropriate Psychology can guarantee a united, peaceful life for everyone without ever feeling disoriented and deprived, says BATURAM NAYAK
Being in the world is all about having a relationship. Being in a relationship is all about understanding. Understanding is all about having an appropriate psychology. In this sense, the building up of an appropriate psychology has remained the focal point of human culture and civilisation, to foster a healthy relationship both outside and within.
What is a relationship but a meaningful equation between different entities, which relates and binds them in a synergy. A relationship is the equilibrium of the parts of a whole at an optimised level of functioning. The higher the level of this equilibrium, the stronger the relationship, and the smoother its functioning.
Man’s highest endeavours reflected to a large extent in his spiritual quest is to understand, uphold, and establish a symbiotic relationship; it is an endeavour to invent a simple, easily comprehensible, and workable principle to foster the interdependence and unity of life, and to optimise human progress, coupled with peace.
It is no less than a practical philosophy, following which we can share a healthy coexistence among all the entities. It is like living with an understanding that we are not parts apart from one another, but we share a common genesis. This basic understanding can only help us actualise our highest authentic possibilities.
Difficult though, there is no option other than this to achieve our personal as well as collective homeostasis. Our great seers had this profound sense of unity of life when they declared these bold words in the ‘Shanti-Mantra’ of the Upanishads:
ॐ पुर्णमद:पुर्णमिद:पुर्णात:पुर्णमुद्यच्यते ।
पुर्णस्य: पुर्णमादाय: पुर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥
We are all the organic part of a bigger whole, and share together the wholeness of the whole, in our smaller selves as well. All that makes it meaningful is realising it and living by it in the true sense.
Andrew Cohen, the renowned thinker of our time shares this insight very convincingly in his wonderful book, Evolutionary Enlightenment, in these words:
“…we could say that at the very beginning, at the moment when the initial leap from formlessness to form took place, you and I were there. Think about it for a moment. Is there anywhere else that you could have been at the moment when the universe was born? We are told that all matter, time, and space was once a great singularity ― compressed into one fine point. When something came from nothing, that one point was the only place to be.
So we were all there. We were there…but we were there as I. Before the universe was born, the One had not yet become the many. So there was only you, and you were alone. And since you were the only one, the only reasonable conclusion is that you made that choice to do this: To create the universe. As that creative principle, you/we/I chose to take form…”
How does such a big sense of oneness make sense for the conduct of our everyday life?
Bhavin Turakhia, a successful young entrepreneur and the CEO of Directi, an Indian multinational company where my son worked, shares such wisdom, though in a different context, in these words: “When all the employees understand the dynamics of business, everyone can feel, think and act like management.”
Taking this line of thinking a little further, we can fit it into almost all human situations and very possibly see wonderful results. Let us see how it fits: “When all the members in a family understand the dynamics of the family, everyone can feel, think and act like the head of the family.”
And, very possibly, “When everyone understands the dynamics of the oneness of life, everyone can feel, think and act God-like!”
This in fact is the belongingness, which we are really longing for, so unaware, yet failing to actualise in real life. The profound sense of such belongingness can only make us reciprocally responsible to one another, in a way which could be very democratic and liberal, placing everyone in utmost ease.
Perhaps, that way only we can live Truth, realising the unity of all life. And it ought to be, appropriately perhaps, that very way…An Appropriate Psychology, which can guarantee a peaceful life for everyone without feeling ever disoriented and deprived.
Baturam Nayak, a postgraduate in economics, joined the banking sector in 1983 and retired in June 2020. He is a firm believer in simplicity and minimalism. “My faith is Oneness, एकत्वम्; that’s the way I would express myself and live in harmony with everything,” he says.
Beautiful article.
“When everyone understands the dynamics of the oneness of life, everyone can feel, think and act God-like!”…..sums up nicely the need to understand this unity that exists in the part we are of the whole.
If we could all perform as part of whole rather than as different and un connected from each other then we can make our world more harmonious.
Yes Nita ji, such has to be the way to live a fulfilling & blissful subjective life and living with such a mindset only we can live and foster an all encompassing, peaceful collective life.
The mindset, at the centre of which lies the sense of Unity of All Life as such is The Appropriate Psychology.
Thanks and Pranam
Wonderful topic sir!
Appropriate psychology is indeed most important to make this World a better place. Each one’s thinking pattern matters. Education and knowledge shouldn’t be just for information but something more meaningful means for man-making, life giving and character building.
You have beautifully expounded… “it is an endeavour to invent a simple, easily comprehensible, and workable principle to foster the interdependence and unity of life, and to optimise human progress, coupled with peace.
Thank you
Regards
Yes Shashi, it is very much in our hand to nurture a right mindset, an appropriate psychology to live not merely a peaceful subjective life but a blissful interpersonal life so that world becomes a better place to live in.
Thank you Shashi
“Perhaps, that way only we can live Truth, realising the unity of all life.” Baturam, surely this is the blueprint of the acorn present within the blossoming tree, one that “guarantee(s) a peaceful life for everyone without feeling ever disoriented and deprived.” This surely the highest psychology, the goal of psychology. One with spiritual vision and universal application, whose need has never been greater than now! Thank you for such a thoughtful meditation on a psychology capable of bringing not only individual, but world, peace. Beautiful, sir!
Thank you Chana Meddin Ji for your beautiful rejoinder to this musing.
Spiritual vision with universal application is indeed all that is required for this day. An mystic delight when culminates in actualisation as an activist’s ethic…ah! Then nothing like it!
Thanks again & Pranam ??
Yes a thoughtful meditation, as Chana describes your post.
When there exist plentiness of positivity, naturally mind sinks to silence.
For me the first part stood clear and strong.
Life is a silent flow. Like a Brooke it comes down from the source and flows. Touching shores on both sides, meeting rocks on its way, and thus curves and fix its path silently.
Silence is its essence, and through that it conceives everything. That everything contains its nature, it’s fights, it’s choices and it’s goal.
Life also assumes everything naturally only in silence one empowers oneself to hear and follow the tips.
Beautifully written Baturam Babu. Ekatwam.
Yes brother, it’s in the womb of silence that all great revelations gracefully happens.
Life & living right thereafter becomes completely different!
May God lead us to that state of gracefulness so that the ultimate metamorphosis, for subjective & collective well-being happens!
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“एको अहं द्वितीयो नास्ति” Yes, oneness principle is all encompassing. The vibrant colours in a ray of light of different shades yet so cohesive signifies this aspect so beautifully. I loved reading your article after a long gap. Please keep sending the links. Regards.
Thank you Anand ji for your inspiring words. Regards.