Lecture -5 BUSINESS ETHICS & VALUES MBS 106 UNIT - 1

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1 Lecture -5 BUSINESS ETHICS & VALUES MBS 106 UNIT - 1

2 INDIAN ETHICS THE VEDIC ETHOS

3 Fountainhead Veda Upanishad Mahabharata Commentaries on scriptures by seers

4 Key Concepts Purushartha Asrama &Varna Vyavastha Rta -Dharma, Svabhava,Svadharma &Sanskar Purohita- dharma-danda-kshatriya

5 PURPOSE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE

6 Purpose of Human Existence is Purushartha-KADM KAMA - Life purpose reflected as desires ARTHA- Means to fulfill desires DHARMA- Achieve Kama & Artha ethically MOKSHA- To be liberated

7 Inference Purushartha makes human life enjoyable and purposeful and meaningful. It encompasses the entire scope of life at all levels.

8 Ashrama Vyavastha Brahmachrya Grihastya Sanyasa Vanprastha

9 Bhagavada Gita Yasmat trayo pyasramino Jnanenannena canvaham Grihasthaanaiva dharyante Tasmat jyesthasrami grhui The three ashramas are supported and nourished with knowledge and food by the grihasta alone ;whuch makes it the most excellent asharma In the grihastha stage the trivarga of dharma, artha and kama ensures the happiness of all.

10 Inference Every stage in life has its own dharma rights and responsibilities. We are ethical when we conduct our life as per the dharma of every stage in life.

11 PURPOSE OF AN ORGANIZATION

12 Organizations have two purpose To become a field for fulfillment of purushartha, Asrama and Varna Vyavastha Facilitates the fulfillment of dharma in the individual and social context

13 WHAT IS DHARMA?

14 Dharma is a multilayered concept with a commonality in its underlying essence.it implies doing what one should be doing, as only this will ensure the harmony of the universe and happiness of individual.

15 The cosmic laws RTA are the laws of actuality. Translated into laws of action to suit human affairs RTA becomes DHARMA

16 WHAT ARE COSMIC LAWS ( RTA )

17 1. UNITY UNDERLYING DIVERSITY The phenomenal manifest world (diversity)is the frontal aspect of the un manifest ground consciousness (unity ). This is Brahman.

18 ISHOPANISHAD:7 yasmin sarvani bhutani atmaevabhuda vijantah tatra ko moha shok ekat vamanup shayatah He who acquires the supreme consciousness by which the one self in him extends itself to embrace all creatures and realize the eternal act by which the one (Brahman) manifests itself in the multiple forms of the universal motion is enlightened.

19 Inference Interdependence is the law of life. All actions that support interdependence are ethical. Life is all about co creation

20 2.INVOLUTED PERFECTION Every part of creation is a particularistic aspect of Brahman called Guna- Svabhava The Brahman is anantaguna - containing all possible qualities.

21 KENOPANISHAD:1 keneshitam patati preshitam Kenpranah prathmah preti yuktah Kene shitam vachmimam vadanti Chakshu shotramka udevau yunakti By whom willed and directed the mind light on objects? By whom commanded does life first move? By whose will do men first speak the speech? What intelligence directs the eye and the ear? IT IS BRAHMAN

22 Varna-Svabhava Brahmin - Knowledge Generator Kshatriya- Knowledge Coordinator Vaishya- Knowledge User Shudra- Knowledge Server

23 Inference-1 The correct combination, proportion and proper functioning of all four varna collectively makes a society productive, harmonious.

24 Inference-2 Nature and human beings are programmed for perfection. Following our constitution is dharma as it is only this that integrates us with self and others.

25 ) 3.ORDERED CHANGE The phenomenal world is sustained by progressive recreation which is the simultaneous workings of BRAHMA- CREATER VISHNU- SUSTAINER MAHESH- DESTROYER

26 ISHOPANISHAD:5 Tade jatitane jatitadure tadantike Tada tarasya sarvasya tadu sarvasyaasya brahamatah It ( Brahman) moves.it is motionless. It is distant. It is near. It is within. It is without all this.

27 Inference Constant change is the law of life. Change is nothing but recreation and should be facilitated and not resisted.

28 IMPLICATIONS FOR ETHICS

29 SIN Being in your SVABHAVA and acting it out SVADHARMA is dharma. To do anything opposite or less than this is sin. Sam darshan vishama vartana -View all things impartially by treating each differently ; only then we are fair and ethical to all

30 Gayatri Mantra Aum bhoor bhuwah swaha, tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasaya dheemahi dhiyo yo naha prachodayat.

31 Interpretation Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life, Remover of pain and sorrow, The Bestower of happiness, Oh! Creator of the Universe, May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light, May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.

32 The Play of Energy Dharma needs energy to be expressed as actions. It does this with trigunas- three ways of energy play SATWIC RAJASIC TAMASIC

33 ENERGY - Gunas SATWIC RAJASIC TAMASIC Equilibrium Support Essence Holism Happiness We Dynamic Focused Restless Seeking I Inertia Narrow Unchanging None

34 Excellence and Ethical actions The svabhava and Svadharma depend upon the gunas for expression The Satwic guna leads to clarity and perfection Rajasic and Tamasic gunas without the blessing of Satwic guna leads to steady deterioration and unethical action

SVABHAVA GUNAS & ETHICS When the svabhava

right things in a wrong way When we stop

35 SVABHAVA GUNAS & ETHICS When the svabhava is not discovered we do wrong things When the svabhava is discovered but not expressed via the appropriate gunas we do right things in a wrong way When we stop others from expressing their svabhava we are unethical

36 SANSKARS Impressions and mental coding acquired through interactions with the external world Sanskars predispose individuals to act in particular ways Sanskars are inevitable and govern actions Sanskar are both good and bad -good sanskars take us towards svabhava and bad sanskars away SANSKARS DO NOT DEFINE THE TRUE PURPOSE OF LIFE

37 ROLE OF LEADERS AND ETHICS

38 Order, Disorder & Leader Rta operates as dharma that is interpreted through human cognitions Obstructive habit tendencies - sanskars interfere with the implementation of dharma and thereby creates disorder Leaders are allies of dharma and work for its installation in society to create order.

39 Conjoint Principles of Vedic Ethos of Leadership Dharma Danda Purohita- Kshatriya Inner Sage- Outer King

40 Dharma Dharma is kshatrasya kshatram - controller of leader. Is king of kings -adhirajo rajnam Brihadararanyak Upanishad Dharma entails rights and responsibilities in different stages and station of life - sadharna- dharma,varna- dharma, ashrama-dharma, svadharma etc When dharma prevails there is order

41 Danda Danda is laws & policies; structural, social, organizational & institutional frameworks,that enable and not obstruct people from pursuing their self interest peacefully and collaboratively. Danda is the prop of dharma & established by leaders. Danda is customized to place( desh), time (kala) and agency ( patra). jati janapadan dharman Sreni dharmansca dharmavit/samiksya kula dharmamsea svadharmam pratipadayate.( Manu )

42 Purohita-Kshatriya Purohita is abhigantr ( knower ); leader is kartr (executer) The half self of Kshatriya ( ardhatmo ha va esa ksatriyasya,( Aitareya Brahaman VII.26);who comes before the leader at all times. Abhiseka is the rite of initiation by which the kshatriya is fathered by purohita

43 Inner Sage- Outer King Inner Sage has virtue established in self- dominant Satwic guna Outer King accomplishes great deeds in the world- Satwic Rajasic Highest ideal in leadership is to posses the virtues of both. Yasya nahadkrto bhavo bhudhiryasya na lipyate Hatvapi sa imallaukann hanta na nibhyate Bhagvada Gita XVIII.17 Doer,the psycho-physical ego is a false notion. Only when liberated from the false ego ( outer self ) that the real self comes forward, impersonal and universal and sees in its self vision and unity with universal spirit. ( Aurobindo)

44 Why is it so difficult to practice the laws of actuality in organizations? This because they are anirukta or abstract and thus need to be made concrete.

45 When RTA laws are customized to Desh, Kala,Patra then it becomes DHARMA The leaders should possess the art of customization which only can make making dharma actionable and implementable in different contexts

46 Heroes of Mahabharata Bhisma Yudhisthira Dhritarashtra Duryodhana Dronacharya Vidura

47 Bhisma s Dharma Bhisma s interpretation of dharma was mechanical, and this vitiated the essence of truth and justice many times in Mahabharata. He was an Inner Sage and Outer king, but lacked the acumen to interpret and customize dharma. Draupadi s question Did the king put me as wager before he became a slave or after it? Amba s humiliation Vow of celibacy, abdication, & commitment was loyalty to Kauravas or Pandavas?

48 Dhritarashtra- The Blind King Weak in all three conjoint principles of Vedic Ethos of Leadership Driven by resentment he was not an Inner Sage As an Outer king he never used danda appropriately A kshatriya who rejected the advice of purohita (Sanjaya and Vidura ) and was weak on knowledge of Dharma

49 Yudhisthira - The Recalcitrant King Strong on dharma he was guided by purohitas like Krishna, Dhaumaya, Kunti and Bhisma As an outer king he was reluctant to use danda The Inner Sage in him was flawed by the gambling sanskara Dice game at Jayanta sabha Dwaipanya lake episode

50 Duryodhana- The Outer King Guided by people who were not Inner Sages ( Shakuni, Karna and Dhritarashtra) and fuelled by destructive emotions like hatred and jealousy he was not an Inner Sage. He was weak on Dharma. An Outer King he was strong on danda, with qualities of strategic leadership (as per contemporary research) eg acquiring allies for war &benevolence to Karna.

51 Dronacharya- The Confused Disconnect between Svabhava Svadharma Could be a good brahmin nor kshatriya Understood dharma but never exercised it (he was Sanskar driven) Dominated by Rajasic guna Eklavaya episode\ Ashwathama

52 Vidura The Outlier Inner Sage Dharma Purohita Without authority and position he was unable to use danda to establish dharma. But he did all he possibly could. He saved Pandavas lives, spoke in favour of Draupadi ; was fearless and spoke strongly against wrong actions.

53 Validity Duryodhana lost even though he was physically strong establishing that Rta corrects when there is deviation from ritasya pantha.. Rta supports the right leader. When leaders deviate from the three conjoint principles there is disorder. Shiva destroys before Brahma can create and Vishnu maintain. Battle of Kurukhshetra before Yudhisthira s reign of peace.

54 How might you be ethical while practicing dharma A clerical person would do his or her best quality work, even if no one were watching. A professional would tell the truth about errors or delays, even if it meant a temporary reprimand. An executive would continually strive to find creative new ways to deliver goods faster, without costly delays to his or her customers. A sales person would not over-promise what a product would do, or overcharge for them. 54

55 Interpretation Where ever there is Krishna,master of Yoga, and Arjuna,wielder of bow, in that society shall be found wealth, victory general welfare and unwavering justice and ethical senses.

56 Ethics of asrama vyavastha STAGE DUTY WANT Youth Study Pleasures Young adult Older adult Elderly Marry, raise a family& generate wealth Detach from family and begin spiritual journey Wander as a hermit and become spiritual Success, fortune, power is the only driver Unable to give up power and control Irresponsible and dissipated 56 existence

57 PERFECTION IS CONFLUENCE OF KRISHNA & ARJUN Krishna symbolizes vision, calm & righteousness- Svabhava Arjuna symbolizes intensity of efficient action- Svadharma

58 BHAGVADA GEETA Yatra yogesvarah krsno yatra partho dhanur dharah Tatra sri- vijayo bhutih dhruva nitir matir mama

Origins. Indus River Valley. When? About 4000 years ago Where?

Origins. Indus River Valley. When? About 4000 years ago Where? Origins When? About 4000 years ago Where? What modern day countries make up where the Indus River Valley civilization once thrived? Indus River Valley Origins How? Who? It is widely believed that there