Religion divides, Spirituality unites!

Religion and Spirituality.

More often than not, we tend to use the terms religion and spirituality interchangeably. Is it the same? Well it can be debated, but one thing is certain. Religion divides and spirituality unites. Let us have a look a look at this short video by Shri. TT Rajan and think.

As rightly said, the basic human traits do not belong to any one religion. In fact religions were created to ensure that the basic human traits are not compromised by anyone.

Let us look into the past. Is it mentioned anywhere in the Holy Bible, Bhagavad Gita or the Quran that you must follow one religion only. Anywhere? I have not read them all, but I am sure they don’t. Is there any religion which does not mention about brotherhood, compassion, love, peace etc. I am sure none.  So who is responsible for the divide? It is we human beings over a period of time have formed this perception that we have to follow a religion by forgetting the basic intention why religions were born. Religion is a just a path, or a route to achieve our ultimate goal in life. So, when we know that the ultimate goal of all religions is the same, why divide ourselves. Why create hatred amongst ourselves? Why do we have to shoot from the shoulder of god in the name of religion? The numerous incidents that have occurred in the past, the riots, etc. has any one person been benefitted, any one! The caste, creed, sects etc. etc. has only divided us further.

In business, we always talk about an ideal “WIN-WIN” situation. May I ask who has won in this division? 

When natural disasters occur, they do not affect one religion or community. After millions of years of Human existence when our creator, the nature, does not know how to divide humans why are we even attempting to do the unfruitful. Think about it. Life is short; don’t spend time in doing something meaningless. Rather, let us all think of the bigger picture of life, let us look at the ultimate goal, let us see how many lives have we impacted. That will unite us. That will unite us since that is when we realize and appreciate the fact that all have a common goal in life.

Please feel free to share your thoughts. We all have faced several such situations, let us all benefit by each other’s existence. Let us all be better than ourselves alone!

Thought for the day!

Happiness is not chasing greater net worth – it’s about cultivating a greater self-worth. It’s not about having more money, but about finding more meaning. And it’s not about only being successful but about being truly significant – a person who creates lasting value in the world.

What is spirituality?

Spirituality is the concept of an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the "deepest values and meanings by which people live." Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop an individual's inner life. Spiritual experiences can include being connected to a larger reality, yielding a more comprehensive self. Spirituality is often experienced as a source of inspiration or orientation in life. It can encompass belief in immaterial realities or experiences of the immanent nature of the world. – Wikipedia    

What is spirituality in business?  

There’s a wide range of important perspectives.  Some believe it’s simply bringing values such as honesty, integrity, and good quality work. Others say it’s treating their co-workers and employees in a responsible, caring way.  For others, it’s participating in spiritual study groups, meditation, or intuitive guidance at work. Whilst others feel it is to make their business socially responsible, environmental impact and how to create a better world.

All the above thoughts have one thing in common i.e. having a selfless attitude towards life, thus gaining happiness and satisfaction by spreading positivity. Can a person with no hidden wrong intentions (again, the word wrong is subjective), and transparent be spiritual???? There is not right or wrong answer, but definitely worth thinking about.

What is the state of the body and the brain when one is in a spiritual state of mind?? Feel free to post your views on this.

Examples:

  In the Corporate Social and Financial Performance report, Mark Orlitsky of the University of Sydney (Australia) and Sara Rynes of the University of Iowa (USA) reviewed studies over the last 30 years and found a significant relationship between socially responsible business practices and financial performance that varied from “moderate” to “very positive.”

 Business Week magazine reported on recent research by McKinsey and Company in Australia that found productivity improves and turnover is greatly reduced when companies engage in programs that use spiritual techniques for their employees.

You may expect more examples on research done, MIT Sloan research etc. in the next blog post, but the above is definitely indicative of the fact that keeping the spirits high at work positively impacts the returns.

So, what are you waiting for, consciously decide to be happy and see the difference! :) 

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To sign off, as promised here is a PJ (Read at your own risk ):

Barack Obama, Live from the White House - "The Best is yet to come".

Birjukumar Bhardwaj, live from Jijamata Udyan Bus stop - "The BEST is yet to come".... :) 

 ????????!!!!!??????

"Live as if there is no tomorrow. Die as if there was no yesterday." 

Spirituality in work and business – Managing the inner force

When one talks about spirituality, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Religion? Penance? The Himalayas? A person with a long beard sitting on the banks of a river?

No, certainly this is not what spirituality is about.  Spirituality is nothing but a personal inner feeling about life. It is a realization of the larger purpose of life. Following the path of spirituality ensures that you get beyond the trivial aspects of life like ego, materialistic pleasure and lets you breathe free. There are many preachers of spirituality, life, purpose of life etc. But if you dig deeper into their approach, it conveys one meaning - that happiness is the core purpose of life.

In my blog here, I would like to re-emphasize the teachings of different preachers, encourage discussions on work life balance, and share experiences. You can expect tips on meditation, schedules of relevant talks on the subject, and links to websites/ blogs on similar subjects. Through this I am looking forward to engaging with you all and exploring a journey of contentment. 

Source: Economic times.

A recent survey by Cadbury Connect revealed that 66% of the working professionals feel lonely, 77% want to share their highs and lows with someone and 57% are losing touch with emotional side due to over dependence on technology. With the help of this blog, I would want to make an effort to ensure that we are not among the 66%, 77% or 57% of the people. In fact, the next time this survey results are published, we wish to see a decline in these percentages.

Also, due to public demand I will include a humour section with a wide range of PJs. After all, this is to spread happiness. J