Guest guest Posted March 2, 2002 Report Share Posted March 2, 2002 Duty in the workplace - 4<br><br>I find that whereas I have used the term Dharma and Dharmasankat in my messages, almost all the responses have been about Karma. Erica had raised a question of Dharmasankat. <br><br>Let us take Enron. I have been watching the congressional hearings on Enron. Better than any suspense movie. The most interesting hearing after Watergate. But the basic question is, did the top management know the risks associated with their actions and did they personally benefit from it? Juggling the balance sheet or the income predictions to manipulate the stock market is a very common business practice all over the world. Many books have been written about it and it is the duty of the investment advisors/analysts to find out whether the income has been over projected.<br><br>As an employee you may not know about what is happening in the top management. In that case I do not think you can hold yourself responsible for the action of the company. Until and unless you know for sure that your company is involved in some activities that are against the interest of its owners or society at large there is no need for being concerned. <br><br>I will take two examples<br><br>1.If your CEO is swindling money from the company and you have heard about it. The question is are you involved or can you do something about it.<br><br>If you are neither involved nor can do anything about it there is no reason to worry.<br><br>But only on the question of whether you can do something opinions differ. There are many who write to the shareholders, authorities, newspapers etc. These people are called troublemakers or principled people depending upon your own views.<br><br>2. There are people like Ralph Nader and Rachel Carson (Silent Spring) who have made our world a better place to live. They fought against the society and companies to achieve something for us.<br><br><br>I would pose a question to all members. If your Guru asks you to do something, which is unethical or unprincipled, will you do it?<br><br>There was a great Tamil poet called Ottakutthar. He was a Siva Bhaktha. But as the story goes when Lord Siva himself comes and recites a poem the poet finds a grammatical mistake in the poem. Lord Siva shows his third eye and reveals his presence. But the poet replies that even if you open your third eye a mistake is a mistake.<br><br>I will continue tomorrow. Why should serials be restricted to TV and magazines? This is a serial. In the style of the Magazines<br><br>Wait for the next episode tomorrow about Karmas.<br><br>Sankar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2002 Report Share Posted March 2, 2002 Om Sankarrukku<br><br>You said, "I would pose a question to all members. If your Guru asks you to do something, which is unethical or unprincipled, will you do it?"<br><br>This is a non-question. Grammar aside, no authentic Guru would ask a disciple to do such a thing and expect him or her to do it. The question might be asked as test, but that is all.<br><br>Om namah Sivaya<br><br>Omprem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2002 Report Share Posted March 2, 2002 >>>I find that whereas I have used the term Dharma and Dharmasankat in my messages, almost all the responses have been about Karma>>>><br><br>From what I know and understand of our journey, the challenges, trials and opportunites we face in a lifetime on earth (karmashtan), DO reflect the karmic obligations we bring with us. They provide us an opportunity to understand, reflect, shed light on, approach the challenges in ways that reflect our consciousness. As one travels on, and realizes more of the Truth of who they are, (that is where the various yoga paths fit in) one has the opportunity to act accordingly. <br><br>Of course we constantly retain the freedom to choose our actions, which in turn may reflect the karmic baggage in a circular, not linear relationship. The more we learn the more we are able to act from a different paradigm of who we are. <br><br>Enron is an example of capitalist greed common everywhere. Checks and balances keep this under control in most places. While many knew the happenings in the company, one individual chose to speak out and take action, going beyond the typical whining that the average employee does. The person's Karmic baggage provided her with the stage to learn her lesson, and she acted according to her consciouness. So Dharma and Dharmasankat or challenges to one's practice of dharma, are typically based on what lessons we are to work on in this life.<br><br>Serials are welcome. Even if we don't like it, limitation of space forces us to participate. So here's to waiting for next episode! <br><br>_/|\_ (Folded hands - namashkaar; Many have asked me what the symbol means!!!)<br><br>Uma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2002 Report Share Posted March 2, 2002 "She was a 28 yr old, smart "together" American woman who was committed to developing her spiritual life through the eight limbs of yoga and had become a popular yoga teacher. She was also devoted to her swami. He was her teacher, and insofar as she could she practiced surrendering to him, responding to his guidance as one who deserved absolute love and trust. He was her Guru. One day he surprised her her with a mind numbing announcement: She was to marry a man who was also a devoted follower of the swami. She had met this man... He seemed nice enough, but why should she marry him - or any other man she didn't know? What about shared dreams, compatibility, and most important love? The swami assured her they matched and would be happy together. She argued with him voicing all the reasons why it did not make sense. <br><br>Yet the swami was insistent and he was her teacher. The woman was trying to free herself from her ego driven self reference, so how was she to interpret this situation? Was the resistance one more act of egoism, or was her teacher offbase this time? ...<br><br>...Western students have a natural resistnace to authority, therefore power issues often arise in teacher student relationships." <br><br>"When the Student is Ready", Phillip Moffit, Yoga Journal April 2002.<br><br>The woman goes on to marry the man and have a child. Later they divorced and have retained a caring relationship for the child. <br><br>So, was the teacher out of place? Was it a test of obedience and surrender? Was the student out of place in challenging his advise? How much of how one reacts is cultural? And with the spread of "individualism" in urban India, where does individual freedom and choice making figure in this picture? <br><br>Good question sankarukku. In today's information age, with more Gurus, including net Gurus offering enlightenment coupled with an increasing number of hungry seekers, such questions do need to be explored. <br><br>_/\_ Tat twam asi<br><br>Uma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2002 Report Share Posted March 2, 2002 Dear friends,<br>Please dont mix up Religion and Job.<br>You go to work - and abide by some principles - when someone swindles money you know that it is not proper it does not need to be analysed whether it is right or wrong. It is analysed to ascertain how much is swindled.<br><br>One selects someone as Guru - when he thinks that person can lead him to the spiritual path.<br><br>And a Guru true to the senses never misleads his disciples.<br><br>There is a bengali saying " Jodi o amar Guru Suri Bari Jay tobu o amar Guru Nityananda Ray." which means - even if the guru goes for drinking even then he is my guru.<br><br>So when we select our guru we dont doubt his actions and if we doubt - then we have not accepted the person as guru.<br><br>I feel Guru is also human - he must have means to live decently - look at the famous gurus they live like Kings - because the disciples wishes that Guru must live like Kings - he must have time to devote for his chelas.<br><br>I know real gurus.<br>Before I started taking lesson I visited many persons. Then I had to take the decisions as I found that there are many gurus but I must know whom I can accept from my heart.<br><br>So when my heart accepts the person i should not think again whether he is right or wrong.<br><br>My Guruji showed me in Kamakshya Tantra that even if the Guru does not take care of his disciples he also goes to the Naraka (Hell).<br><br>With regards.<br>Sonjooz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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