Understanding of life through knowledge

CHENNAI : Are we obsessed with imperfect practical solutions for our problems? Are we accentuating the divide between worldly life and spirituality? This was the subject of a lecture delivered by Swami Omkarananda at Narada Gana Sabha on improving productivity, and the problems arising from a non-understanding of life in accordance with the scriptures.Is this the duality that plagues our society, and are we to choose one or the other? Nay, says Swamiji.With the recent technological revolution and paradigm shifts in management sciences, adherence to pursuit of knowledge is essential. The western world has no inhibition in transcending the duality of spirituality and worldly life to attain true prosperity. But here we fail to understand that happiness in life does not come from our work, but only from our attitude towards work. Happiness does not come from possession, but from appreciation of our possession.At the event, Swamiji listed out three attributes of individuals – ‘knowership’, ‘doership’, ‘enjoyership’. We give less importance to the first two and this leads to burdening ourselves with the materialistic approach. Swamiji was emphatic that the power of concentration was the only key to access the treasure house of knowledge, to avoid the complacency and avarice that would compromise our own ability. The scriptures should be understood in the right perspective, giving due importance to *shraddha (love), rhythm (learning process), *sathyam (implementation), yoga (focusing) and *mahat (expansion to society).While western management too often deals with problems and materials at peripheral levels in order to achieve higher productivity, tackling the problems at the grass-root level of human thinking is essential. I am now reminded of Swami Sivananada’s eighteen commandments and essential attributes for an individual to be successful: serenity, regularity, absence of vanity, sincerity, simplicity, veracity, non-irritability, fixity, equanimity, adaptability, humility, tenacity, integrity, nobility, magnanimity,  charity, generosity and purity.