Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony, 2021-2022

20HS4105
Universal Human Values-2: Understanding Harmony

Course Category: Humanities and Social Sciences Credits: 3

Course Type: Mandatory course (as per AICTE) Lecture - Tutorial - Practice: 2-1-0

Prerequisites: None. Universal Human Continuous Evaluation: 30

Values 1 desirable. Semester end Evaluation: 70
Total Marks: 100

Course outcomes Upon successful completion of the course, the students will be able to:

Understand and aware of themselves and their surroundings (family, society

CO1
and nature).
Handle problems with sustainable solutions, while keeping human
CO2
relationships and human nature in mind.
Exhibit critical ability and become sensitive to their commitment towards their
CO3
understanding of human values, human relationship and human society.
Apply what they have learnt to their own self in different day-to-day settings
CO4
in real life.
Contribution PO PO PO PO PO PO PO PO PO PO PO PO PSO PSO
of Course 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2
Outcomes
towards CO1 L M
achievement
of Program CO2 H
Outcomes
CO3 M
(L – Low,
M -Medium,
H – High) CO4 H M

Course Content UNIT–I: Course introduction, need, basic guidelines, content and
process for value education:
Part-1: Purpose and motivation for the course, recapitulation from UHV-I,
Self-exploration: what is it?, its content and process, ‘Natural acceptance’
and experiential validation- as the process for self-exploration. Continuous
Happiness and Prosperity – A look at basic Human Aspirations.
Part-2: Right understanding, Relationship and Physical Facility – the basic
requirements for fulfillment of aspirations of every human being with their
correct priority, Understanding Happiness and Prosperity correctly – A
critical appraisal of the current scenario, Method to fulfill the above human
aspirations: understanding and living in harmony at various levels.
(Practice sessions are to be included to discuss natural acceptance in human
being as the innate acceptance for living with responsibility (living in
relationship, harmony and co-existence) rather than as arbitrariness in choice
based on liking-disliking).
 Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony, 2021-2022

UNIT–II: Understanding Harmony in the Human Being – Harmony in

Myself:
Part-1: Understanding human being as a co-existence of the sentient ‘I’ and
the material ‘Body’. Understanding the needs of Self (‘I’) and ‘Body’ –
happiness and physical facility, Understanding the Body as an instrument of
‘I’ (I being the doer, seer and enjoyer).
Part-2: Understanding the characteristics and activities of ‘I’ and harmony
in ‘I’. Understanding the harmony of I with the Body: Sanyam and Health;
correct appraisal of Physical needs, meaning of Prosperity in detail,
Programs to ensure Sanyam and Health.
(Practice sessions are to be included to discuss the role others have played in
making material goods available to me. Identifying from one’s own life.
Differentiate between prosperity and accumulation. Discuss program for
ensuring health vs. dealing with disease).
UNIT–III: Understanding Harmony in the Family and Society –
Harmony in Human-Human Relationship:
Part-1: Understanding values in human-human relationship; meaning of
Justice (nine universal values in relationships) and program for its
fulfillment to ensure mutual happiness; Trust and Respect as the
foundational values of relationship, Understanding the meaning of Trust;
Difference between intention and competence, Understanding the meaning
of Respect, Difference between respect and differentiation; the other salient
values in relationship.
Part-2: Understanding the harmony in the society (society being an
extension of family); Resolution, Prosperity, fearlessness (trust) and co-
existence as comprehensive Human Goals, Visualizing a universal
harmonious order in society–Undivided Society, Universal Order–from
family to world family.
(Practice sessions are to be included to reflect on relationships in family,
hostel and institute as extended family, real life examples, teacher-student
relationship, goal of education, etc. Gratitude as a universal value in
relationships. Discuss with scenarios. Elicit examples from students’ lives).
UNIT – IV:
Part-1: Understanding Harmony in Nature & Existence – Whole
existence as Coexistence: Understanding the harmony in the Nature, Inter-
connectedness and mutual fulfillment among the four orders of Nature –
recyclability and self-regulation in nature, Understanding Existence as Co-
existence of mutually interacting units in all-pervasive space, Holistic
perception of harmony at all levels of existence.
Part-2: Implications of the above Holistic Understanding of Harmony on
Professional Ethics: Natural acceptance of human values, Definitiveness of ethical
human conduct, Basis for humanistic education, humanistic constitution and
humanistic universal order, Competence in professional ethics: a) ability to utilize the
professional competence for augmenting universal human order, b) ability to identify
the scope and characteristics of people-friendly and eco-friendly production systems,
c) ability to identify and develop appropriate technologies and management patterns
for above production systems, Case studies of typical holistic technologies,
management models and production systems, Strategy for transition from the present
state to Universal Human Order: a) at the level of individual: as socially and
ecologically responsible engineers, technologists and managers, b) at the level of
society: as mutually enriching institutions and organizations.
 Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony, 2021-2022

(Part-1: Practice sessions are to be included to discuss human being as cause of

imbalance in nature (film “Home” can be used), pollution, depletion of resources and
role of technology, etc. Part-2: Practice exercises and case studies are to be taken up
in practice (tutorial) sessions eg. to discuss the conduct as an engineer or scientist,
etc.)
Text books and Text Books:
Reference books
1. A Foundation Course in Human Values and Professional Ethics, R. R. Gaur,
R. Sangal and G. P. Bagaria, Excel Books Private Limited, New Delhi (2010).
2. A Foundation Course in Human Values and Professional Ethics, R. R. Gaur,
R. Asthana and G. P. Bagaria, 2nd revised edition Excel Books Private
Limited, New Delhi (2019).

Reference books:
1. Jeevan Vidya: Ek Parichaya, A. Nagaraj, Jeevan Vidya Prakashan, Amarkantak
(1999).
2. Human Values, A. N. Tripathi, New Age International Publishers, New Delhi
(2004).
3. The Story of Stuff: The impact of overconsumption on the planet, our
communities, and our health and how we can make it better, Annie Leonard,
Free Press, New York (2010).
4. The story of my experiments with truth: Mahatma Gandhi Autobiography,
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, B. N. Publishing (2008).
5. Small is beautiful: A study of economics as if people mattered, E. F.
Schumacher, Vintage Books, London (1993).
6. Slow is beautiful: New Visions of Community, Cecile Andrews, New Society
Publishers, Canada (2006).
7. Economy of Permanence, J. C. Kumarappa, Sarva-Seva-Sangh Prakashan,
Varanasi (2017).
8. Bharat Mein Angreji Raj, Pandit Sunderlal, Prabhath Prakashan, Delhi (2018).
9. Rediscovering India, Dharampal, Society for Integrated Development of
Himilayas (2003).
10. Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule, M. K. Gandhi, Navajivan Publishing
House, Ahmedabad (1909).
11. India Wins Freedom: The Complete Version, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad,
Orient Blackswan (1988).
12. The Life of Vivekananda and the Universal gospel, Romain Rolland, Advaitha
Ashrama, India (2010).
13. Mahatma Gandhi: The Man who become one with the Universal Being,
Romain Rolland, Srishti Publishers & Distributors, New Delhi (2002).
E-resources and other • Textbook-1: https://dokumen.pub/a-foundation-course-in-human-values-and-
digital material professional-ethics-firstnbsped-9788174467812.html
• AICTE – SIP Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo8MpJB_aaVwB4LWLAx6AhQ
• AICTE – UHV Teaching Learning Material:
https://fdp-si.aicte-india.org/download.php#1
 Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony, 2021-2022

MICRO LEVEL SYLLABUS

(Common to all Branches)

Unit Content/Topics Covered Text Chapter Page

No (mention Sub Topics as found in books) Book / Section Number
No.
Unit Part-1: Purpose and motivation for the course – value [ T1] 1 3-7
I education – need and basic guidelines.
Content and process for value education [ T1] 1 8-9
Self-exploration – what is it? [ T1] 2 11-12
Content and process of self-exploration [ T1] 2 17-20
Natural acceptance and experiential validation as the [ T1] 2 21-25
process for self-exploration
Basic human aspirations – continuous happiness and [ T1] 3 27-31
prosperity
Part-2:
Basic requirements for fulfillment of Human Aspirations [ T1] 4 35-39
A critical appraisal of the current scenario [ T1] 4 40-43
Need for right understanding of Happiness and Prosperity [ T1] 4 44-46
Method to fulfill the above human aspirations: [ T1] 4 47-55
understanding and living in harmony at various levels
Unit Part-1: Understanding human being as a co-existence of [T1] 5 59-61
II the sentient ‘I’ and material ‘Body’
Understanding the needs of self (‘I’) and ‘Body’ [T1] 5 61-69
Understanding the Body as an instrument of ‘I’ (I being [T1] 5 83-86
the seer, doer and enjoyer)
Part-2: [T1] 5 69-76
Understanding the characteristics and activities of ‘I’ and [T2] 6 108-114
harmony in ‘I’
Understanding harmony of I with Body: Sanyam and [T1] 7 117-119
Health
Programme for self-regulation and health [T2] 7 128-131
Correct appraisal of Physical needs [T1] 7 123-124
Programs to ensure Sanyam and Health, Meaning of [T2] 7 131-134
Prosperity in detail
Unit Part-1: Understanding values in human-human [T1] 8 127-132
III relationship - meaning of Justice [T2] 8 140-142,
185-187
Nine universal values in relationships and Program for its [T1] 8 132-133
fulfillment to ensure mutual happiness [T2] 8 142-146
Trust and Respect as the foundational values of [T1] 8 133-142
relationship, Understanding the meaning of Trust; [T2] 8 151-161
Difference between intention and competence
Understanding the meaning of Respect, Difference [T1] 8 143-151
between respect and differentiation [T2] 8 163-173
The other salient values in relationship (Affection, Care [T1] 8 151-156
and Guidance, Reverence, Glory and Gratitude, Love) [T2] 8 174-185
Part-2: Understanding the harmony in the society [T1] 8 156-157,
(society being an extension of family); Resolution, 9 161-164
Prosperity, fearlessness (trust) and co-existence as [T2] 9 196-201
comprehensive Human Goals
 Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony, 2021-2022

Visualizing a universal harmonious order in society– [T1] 9 165-176

Undivided Society, Universal Order–from family to
world family [T2] 9 201-220
Unit Part-1: Understanding the harmony in the Nature - The [T1] 10 179-180
IV four orders in nature
[T2] 10 226-227
Interconnectedness and mutual fulfillment among the [T1] 10 180-182
four orders of Nature [T2] 10 228-231,
240-243
Recyclability and self-regulation in nature [T1] 10 183
[T2] 10 232
Understanding four orders- activities, innateness, natural [T2] 10 232-238
characteristics and inheritance of four orders
Understanding Existence as Co-existence of mutually [T2] 11 250-255
interacting units in all-pervasive space
Holistic perception of harmony at all levels of existence. [T2] 11 260-265
Part-2: [T1] 12 218-219
Natural acceptance of human values [T2] 12 274-275
Definitiveness of ethical human conduct [T1] 12 220-221
[T2] 12 275-278
Basis for humanistic education, humanistic constitution [T1] 13 227-229
and humanistic universal order [T2] 14 294-298
Competence in professional ethics
Profession in the light of comprehensive human goal, [T1] 14 232-234
ensuring ethical competence
Production systems appropriate technologies and [T1] 15 239-242
management patterns
Case studies of typical holistic technologies, management [T1] 15 244-246
models and production systems
Strategy for transition from the present state to Universal [T1] 16 249-252
Human Order - at the level of individual: as socially and
ecologically responsible engineers, technologists and
managers
At the level of society: as mutually enriching institutions [T1] 16 252-254
and organizations
Text Books:
[T1] A Foundation Course in Human Values and Professional Ethics, R. R. Gaur, R. Sangal and
G. P. Bagaria, Excel Books Private Limited, New Delhi (2010).
[T2] A Foundation Course in Human Values and Professional Ethics, R. R. Gaur, R. Asthana and
G. P. Bagaria, 2nd revised edition Excel Books Private Limited, New Delhi (2019).
Reference Books:
[R1] Jeevan Vidya: Ek Parichaya, A. Nagaraj, Jeevan Vidya Prakashan, Amarkantak (1999).
[R2] Human Values, A. N. Tripathi, New Age International Publishers, New Delhi (2004).
E-resources and other digital material
[1] Textbook [T1]: https://dokumen.pub/a-foundation-course-in-human-values-and-professional-
ethics-firstnbsped-9788174467812.html
[2] AICTE – SIP Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo8MpJB_aaVwB4LWLAx6AhQ
[3] AICTE – UHV Teaching Learning Material:
https://fdp-si.aicte-india.org/download.php#1
 Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony, 2021-2022

UNIT–I
VALUE EDUCATION
Value: The value of an entity is its participation in the larger order of which it is a part. For
example, the value of a pen is that it can write. Here writing is the participation of the pen in the
bigger order in which it is present along with a paper and human being. Similarly, the value of a
human being is his/her participation in the larger order. The value of a unit is also termed as its
role.
Skill: It is ability or a technique by which one can perform an action to get the intended result or
materialize the things. For example, learning and being able to execute a computer program.
Education: Education is expected to address the following two questions: 1) What to do? and 2)
How to do?
Value education: The domain of education which addresses the issues related to ‘What to do?’ is
called value education. It gives us the clarity of our goal, our basic aspiration and the programme
to fulfil the basic aspiration.
Skill education: The domain of education which addresses the issues related to ‘How to do?’ is
called skill education. It helps us learn skills, methods and techniques to implement the
programme.
Complementarity of value education and skill education
Values and skills have to go hand in hand. There is an essential complementarity between
the two for the success of any human endeavour towards the goal of living a fulfilling life. For
instance, the technology for harnessing nuclear energy was developed. But, now, how much of it
has been used for welfare purpose and how much of it has been used for destructive purposes?
Take another example – suppose we get convinced that health of the body is essential. Then, we
learn skills to keep the body healthy. It falls under the domain of skills. But, along with it, it is
crucial to understand for what purpose, we shall be using our body, and it comes under the value
domain.
Values are required to decide “what to do”, while skills are required for “how to do”.
When we want to put them in priority order, it is easy to see that “what to do” has to be decided
first and then only we can think of “how to do”. However, the current priority in education has
become development of skill. We are developing new technologies, but we are unable to decide
on ethical use of them.

Need and important implications of value education

Following are the significant implications of value education.
 Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony, 2021-2022

a) Correct identification of our Goals: At present there is a lot of dilemma and confusion in
deciding our goals. As a result, deciding our goals with definiteness becomes difficult
task. As we go on focusing on various components of value education, we go on
understanding our participation, purpose and goal of human life.
b) Development of holistic perspective: The outcome of value education is a holistic
perspective with the clarity about human being, about the Nature of which we are integral
part, and our participation in this nature/existence. Through value education, we come to
know that we are interconnected, interrelated in this existence – from the smallest level to
the whole cosmos.
c) Clarity of programme to live with holistic perspective: Value education provides us the
vision which will help us to get answers to the questions like: what thoughts are naturally
acceptable to me, what food will keep my body healthy, what behaviour with my friends
will sustain our relationship, how can I contribute to my family, society and the entire
nature, etc. We can see that this clarity of programme is necessary for our own state of
happiness.

d) Evaluation of our beliefs: Our conduct depends on what we understand or believe about
ourselves, our family, the society and the nature around. Much of our behaviour and
working is based on our beliefs. Our beliefs somehow become the guiding factors of the
decisions of our life. Value education also helps us become aware of our own beliefs and
their correctness.
e) Solution for existing problems: When we have a holistic perspective and the clarity of the
programme to live by it, we are able to realize that most of the existing problems are
actually the consequences of our wrong beliefs. With right understanding of things, we
are able to define our role in different phases of life and work accordingly. Then, we do
 Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony, 2021-2022

not create problems for ourselves or others. We will also be able to resolve the existing
problems.
f) Development of ethical competence: The core purpose of value education is to develop
ethical competence among human beings. The problem of unethical conduct in various
professions present now almost everywhere, can be tackled effectively by focussing on
developing ethical competence through human value education.

Basic guidelines for value education

Following are the basic guidelines that will enable the introduction of value education in the
present academic system.
a) Universal: Whatever we study as value education, it has to be universally applicable to all
human beings and be true at all times and all places. That means, it should not change
based on sect, nationality, gender, etc. For example, the feeling of respect in relationship
is something universal, so it can be a part of value education.
b) Rational: It has to be amenable to reasoning and not based on blind beliefs. It should be
open to address the related questions. It cannot be a set of do’s and don’ts.
c) Natural and Verifiable: Being natural means, it has to be acceptable in a natural manner.
When we live with such values, it leads to mutual fulfilment, and is enriching for other
units in Nature. We also have to verify these values ourselves, and find whether they are
true and valid for us. We should not assume something just because it is being stated.
d) All Encompassing: The content of our education has to cover all dimensions of our being
(thought, behaviour, work and understanding) as well as all levels of our living
(individual, family, society and nature/existence).
e) Leading to Harmony: Value education has to enable us be in harmony within and in
harmony with others. Hence, when we live on the basis of these values, we start observing
that it leads to harmony in us and harmony in our interactions with other humans and the
rest of the nature.

Content of value education

The value of a human being is the participation of human being in the larger existential order.
Hence, to understand human values, we need to study human being along with all that is there in
the existence. So, the scope of study has to be all encompassing, i.e,
a) It covers all dimensions of human being – thought, behaviour, work and realization.
b) It covers all levels of human being – individual, family, society, nature and existence.
 Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony, 2021-2022

Accordingly, the content of value education has to be to understand human being, human
aspirations, happiness; understand the goal of human life comprehensively; understand the other
entities in nature, the innate interconnectedness, the harmony in the nature/existence and finally
the role of human being in this nature/existence, and learning to live in accordance with this
understanding by being aware of one’s thought, behaviour and work.

Process of value education

The process of value education is the process of self-discovery, because the values are
there inherently in every human being. Through value education, we are just exploring,
recognizing them, getting aware of them. There is already a natural acceptance for values in a
human being. Value education is never a set of do’s and don’ts. For example, if you are asked,
what is naturally acceptable to you: the feeling of relationship or feeling of opposition with your
family members? When we observe within for answer, the natural response is feeling of
relationship. This feeling is a value for us. In this discussion, this feeling was not created in you.
You already had the acceptance for it. It was only uncovered by drawing your attention through
the question for exploration. Hence, to study human values, the process has to be such that it
develops a process of self-exploration in you.

SELF-EXPLORATION
Self-exploration is the process of value education. It is a process of seeing the reality on our
own right, by our own investigation, observation and analysis. Whatever is proposed, it is to be
taken as a proposal and we have to decide on our own right whether it is naturally acceptable to
us or not. If it is naturally acceptable, we have a feeling of relationship and if it is not naturally
acceptable, we have a feeling of opposition.
a) It is a process of dialogue between “what you are” and “what you really want to be”.
b) It is a process of knowing oneself, and through that, knowing the entire existence.
c) It is a process of recognizing one’s relationship with every unit in existence and fulfilling it.
d) It is a process of self-evolution through self-investigation.
Content of self-exploration
The content of self-exploration basically has the following two parts:
a) Desire: What is our basic aspiration?
b) Programme: What is the way to fulfil this basic aspiration?
The desire is the basic aspiration, the aim, the objective, the purpose, what we want to achieve –
what is our goal. The programme is the process of achieving the desire, the action to achieve our
goal.
 Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony, 2021-2022

If we can get the answers to these two questions, practically all our questions are answered. In
fact, most of the questions that we have, are because of lack of clarity of these two. If we get the
answers to these two questions, we only have to act.

Process of self-exploration
Self-exploration involves the process of verification of the proposals by two ways, as depicted in
the following figure.

1. The first part of self-exploration is to verify the proposal on the basis of our natural
acceptance. Once we have verified that a proposal is naturally acceptable to us, we are
sure that it is something which we would like to live with.
2. The second part is experiential validation. It implies to try to live according to the
proposal. In living, there are two parts.
a) The behaviour with other human beings. If behaving with other human beings as per
the proposal leads to mutual happiness, the proposal is right.
b) Working with rest of the Nature. If working with rest of the nature, on the basis of the
proposal leads to mutual prosperity, the proposal is right.
When we are able to verify a proposal, both through natural acceptance and through experiential
validation, the outcome is “right understanding’. If we are sure that any proposal is not naturally
acceptable, then there is no need of going for the experiential validation.
(Example: Let us explore the proposal, “the feeling respect is natural in relationship”. We can
explore whether feeling of respect is naturally acceptable to you or feeling of disrespect is
naturally acceptable to you. The second part is living according to the proposal. That is you have
the feeling of respect in you, and now, you are expressing this feeling in your behaviour with the
 Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony, 2021-2022

other human being. Let us find out, whether it leads to mutual happiness or not. If it does, the
proposal is a right proposal, otherwise it is not.)

Natural Acceptance – The basis for Right Understanding

Natural acceptance is the innate capacity of every human being to see the intrinsic purpose, to see
what is natural, what is right and thereby conclude what is not right.
a) Natural acceptance does not change with place and time.
b) It does not change with individual and, it is universal.
c) It is uncorrupted by likes and dislikes or assumptions or beliefs.
d) It is definite and invariant.
e) It is part and parcel of every human being.
There is a lot of difference between our acceptance and natural acceptance. Acceptance is
something we assume to hold good in a given situation. Sometimes, we accept things forcefully
in a given situation, even though we do not want to accept. Acceptance comes from our likes and
dislikes, assumptions, preconditionings and beliefs. But, natural acceptance comes from within,
not affected by our likes and dislikes, etc. For example, if I want to have a sweet, it may look
acceptable to have it based on my acceptance (likes and dislikes), but it is not naturally
acceptable, if that sweet does not nurture my body.

BASIC HUMAN ASPIRATIONS

As human beings, we have many aspirations and goals. We go on aspiring for one or the other,
once we achieve any goal / aspiration. But, basic aspiration is one which upon fulfilling we do
not aspire or desire anything else. There are two basic aspirations as per the natural acceptance
for any human being.
a) Continuous happiness b) Continuous prosperity
Every human being wants to be happy continuously and no one wants to be unhappy even for a
moment. Similarly, everyone wants to be prosperous continuously.

Happiness: It is the state of being in harmony at all the four levels – individual, family, society
and nature/existence. When we are in the state of harmony, we experience no struggle, no
contradiction or conflict. We enjoy such a state of being and we wish to have its continuity. On
the other hand, when we experience feelings such as failure, disrespect, lack of confidence, being
doubtful in ourselves and about others, we cannot feel happy as they are the states of conflict and
disharmony. We never want to be in such states and try to change them.
 Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony, 2021-2022

Prosperity: It is related to materials things called as ‘physical facility’. Prosperity is the feeling of
having more than required physical facility. In order to ascertain prosperity, the most important
thing is to quantify the physical facility we require. We can be prosperous only if there is a limit
to the need for physical facility. In order to feel prosperous, we need to first decide how much
wealth/physical things is needed. Otherwise, it is like trying to fill water in a glass that has no
bottom; the glass will never be filled, howsoever, one may try.

PART-2
REQUIREMENTS TO FULFIL BASIC ASPIRATIONS
The basic aspirations of any human being are being happy and prosperous continuously.
Prosperity is related to physical facility. Animals require physical facility like food, water, etc.
Once they get the required physical facility, they become comfortable. Similarly, human being
also requires physical facility which makes human being comfortable.
• For an animal, the comfort through physical facility is necessary and sufficient.
• But, for a human being, physical facility is necessary, but relationship is also necessary.
Ensuring required physical facility does not make a human being happy and prosperous. Human
beings have a natural acceptance to live in relationship with other human beings. We do not want
to live in opposition with others. In spite of our willingness to be in relationship with others, we
do have conflicts and contradictions in relationship. In order to live in relationship with others, it
is essential to have right understanding about relationship. Further, right understanding about
oneself and rest of nature is also necessary in order to correctly assess our need for physical
facility and the correct method for making it available.

Based on the above, it may be concluded that, for fulfilment of human being – physical
facility, relationship and right understanding – all the three are necessary.
 Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony, 2021-2022

Priority order of the requirements

It is clear that all the three things, i.e., right understanding in the self, relationship with human
beings and physical facility, are required for the fulfilment of basic aspirations. One cannot be
substituted for the other. However, in the present days, the first priority became the physical
facility.

• When there is no right understanding, we are not able to identify our need for physical
facility. As a result, we go on accumulating and we never feel that we have enough. This
feeling of not having enough is the feeling of deprivation. When we feel deprived, we do
not try to nurture others, but we exploit others to get more and more physical facility.
Hence, right understanding about physical facility is more important than physical
facility itself.
• If we do not have right understanding about the feelings in us, or if we do not ensure right
feelings in us, we cannot ensure those feelings in the relationship with others. We cannot
share right feelings with others. For example, if we are not happy or harmonious within,
we cannot share it in the relationship with others. Hence, right understanding in the self is
essential to fulfil relationship with others.
Hence, the right priority order of the requirements for basic human aspirations is: 1) Right
understanding in the self, 2) Relationship with human beings and 3) Physical facility with rest of
nature.
Right understanding + Relationship = Mutual happiness and
Right understanding + Physical facility = Mutual prosperity

• Through right feelings in relationship, based on right understanding, we can ensure

mutual happiness – happiness for ourselves and happiness for others.
 Course Material, UHV-2: Understanding Harmony, 2021-2022

• With right understanding, we can identify the need for physical facility. We can also learn
how to produce using a mutually enriching production processes. Once we are able to
ensure the availability of more than required physical facility, we have a feeling of
prosperity.

Human consciousness vs. Animal consciousness

The basic aspirations of a human being are being happy and prosperous continuously.
They are fulfilled by right understanding, relationship and physical facility in the correct priority
order. Any human being working for all the three can be fulfilled. Hence, a human being working
for all the three requirements will be in harmony and is said to be living with ‘human
consciousness’.
Animals lead their life with required physical facility like food, water, shelter, etc. They
are in harmony with rest of nature. They are said to be living with ‘animal consciousness’.
However, when human beings try to fulfil themselves on the basis of physical facility
alone, they tend to be in disharmony within and in disharmony with others. It results in
opposition, struggle, war, etc. This is because physical facility is enough for animals, but for
human beings, it is not enough. In such cases, human being is said to be living with animal
consciousness.
1. Animals living with animal They are in harmony This is fine
consciousness
2. Human beings living with They are in harmony This is fine
human consciousness
3. Human beings living with They are in disharmony This is the problem
animal consciousness

HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT – ROLE OF EDUCATION

(Transformation from Animal consciousness to human consciousness)
The world at present is largely focused on physical facility as the sole of primary measure
of progress and development. Nations measure GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and its growth
rate as the key indicators for development. Families and individuals also have a similar notion of
their own well-being. They use job position, net-worth, bank balance, house, cars and other
physical facility as the indicators of progress, development and success.
However, with right understanding, we can clearly indicate holistic development as the
transformation of consciousness – from animal consciousness to human consciousness. For this
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transformation, it is essential to work on all the three – right understanding, fulfilment in

relationship and physical facility; in that order of priority.

Education-sanskar enables transformation to human consciousness. Education is developing the

right understanding (holistic perspective). Sanskar is the commitment, preparation and practice of
living with right understanding. This preparation includes learning appropriate skills and
technology.
Education provides thought leadership and direction to the society through the preparation of
individuals. The long-term potential of human education-sanskar is:
a) Right understanding in every child – by facilitating the development of right
understanding, that leads to human consciousness.
b) The capacity to live in relationship – by facilitating the capacity to live with mutual
happiness or justice in relationship with other human being. It will ensure harmony in the
family; and that harmony will extend to the larger family, and ultimately go up to the
world family, leading to an undivided society.
c) The capacity to identify the need for physical facility, developing the skills and practice
for sustainable production of more than what is required leading to the feeling of
prosperity; it will ensure harmonious family order, extending up to universal human order.
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Thus, the role of education is essentially to facilitate holistic development. i.e., individual
transformation to human consciousness, and society transformation to universal human order.

Prevailing notions of happiness & prosperity

In the current scenario, we are trying to achieve happiness and prosperity by maximizing
accumulation and consumption of physical facilities. This is an attempt to achieve happiness
through pleasant sensory interactions. The physical facilities are not seen in terms of bodily
needs, but as a means of maximizing happiness. We are mistaken our wants for physical
facilities. Neither can we hope to achieve continuous happiness through sensory interactions nor
can we have prosperity, as it is just trying to fulfil unlimited wants through limited resources.
Some of other confusions/notions are listed:
a) I will be bored of happiness if I am always happy.
b) Happiness and unhappiness go together, they cannot be separated.
c) My happiness depends on others. What can I do about it?
d) I need to be unhappy to recognize that I am happy. Etc.
Most of such notions are true, if we believe excitement is happiness. Similarly, confusions arise
when we try to get happiness from i) bodily sensations and ii) favourable feelings from others.
The most prevailing notion about the prosperity is that: a wealthy person is prosperous. It
is assumed that the richer you are, the more prosperous you are; the more you have accumulated,
the more prosperous you are. The major focus in the society today is on accumulation of physical
facility, particularly accumulation of money.
Due to the wrong notions about the happiness and prosperity we have, our efforts to attain
them are causing dangerous consequences at all levels:
a) At the level of individual: Rising problems of depression, psychological disorders,
suicides, stress, insecurity, psychosomatic diseases, loneliness, etc.
b) At the level of family: Breaking of joint families, mistrust, conflict between older and
younger generations, insecurity in relationships, divorce, dowry tortures, etc.
c) At the level of society: Growing incidences of terrorism, naxalism, communalism,
spreading casteism, racial struggle, wars between nations, etc.
d) At the level of Nature: Global warming, pollution of air, water, soil, noise, depletion of
resources of minerals, deforestations, loss of soil fertility, etc.

Need for right understanding (of happiness and prosperity)

As long as we live with wrong assumptions, we shall continue to have problems in
ourselves, prolems in relationship, will exploit nature, and do not feel happy and prosperous. We
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can never fulfil our basic aspirations. Hence, it is necessary to explore for the right understanding
of happiness and prosperity.
• In order to be happy we need to understand about the relationships and see that there are
right feelings in them.
• Similarly, in order to be prosperous we need to understand the requirements of physical
facilities and also harmony in nature.
• Basically, we need to have right understanding about ourselves.

Today, we can see two kinds of people in the world:

1. Those that do not have physical facility/wealth and feel unhappy and deprived: They can
be said materially deficient, unhappy and deprived.
2. Those that have physical facility/wealth and feel unhappy and deprived: They can be said
materially affluent, but unhappy and deprived.
Both these are the states we don’t want to be in. We all want to move to the category of:
3. Having physical facility and feeling happy and prosperous: They can be said to be
materially affluent, happy and prosperous.
To ensure that we are of the 3rd category, we need the right understanding.

Program to understand and live in Harmony at all levels of living

There are many aspects or levels of living for human beings. It is an increasing expanse
that starts with ourselves and expands to include things around us: namely, the people we live
with on a daily basis i.e., our family, the larger society we live in, the nature we are dependent on,
and then everything else, which we can call as existence (existence means all that exists).
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We are aware of some of these levels and not aware of some others. But, regardless of our
awareness, we are in this ‘totality’ and live with this ‘totality’. Hence, we can be happy only
when we understand and live in harmony at all the levels of our living. There are four levels of
living and neither can we ignore any of them nor should we think of anything else other than
these levels.
a) Living in myself: We all have desires, thoughts, imaginations, beliefs and choices. This is
the first level of our living. Before expressing ourselves in relations, we think, and
whatever we receive from others, it again passes through our internal processes. We refer
to this as ‘Self’. This inner world co-exists with the body and together we refer to this as a
human being. So far, we have ended up assuming things without really investigating into
ourselves. We were busy to know about ‘how to live!’. We have to begin ‘knowing’
ourselves and test our beliefs by passing them through our own natural acceptance.

b) Living in family: Our family is the first web of relationships for us, and subsequently we
live in more relationships that include our siblings, our friends and classmates, teachers
and others. These are the people we live with on a daily basis, and we call this ‘family’.
How I see myself, decides how I see the other in my relationships. If I can understand
myself better and clearer, I am able to see the other clearer and better. This understanding
becomes the basis of my relationship with others. In addition, for ensuring harmony in
family and society, we need to understand the expectations in human relationships and the
process for their fulfilment.

c) Living in society: Family is the building block of society. Our family is part of a large
group of people we live with, where there are interdependencies about food, clothing,
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services, health, education, justice, etc. This is ours society. As we understand ourselves
and our relationship with our family members, we also understand the other in society,
and are able to fulfil our relationship with them.

d) Living in nature/existence: We are on this Earth, with the plants, trees, birds, animals and
other humans surrounding us and we live in this large eco-system that we call nature.
Regardless of where we are, our village, town or city, is within this eco-system or natural
habitat. Our planet is surrounded by a larger system of planetary bodies including moon,
sun and the infinite stars and planetary systems that surround us. Our earth co-exists with
all that there in the entire existence. When we understand nature, we are able to engage
with it in a relationship that leads to mutual fulfilment.

*****
Model Questions from Unit-I

1. Define value. How does it differ from skill? Explain with suitable examples.
2. Differentiate between value education and skill education with suitable examples. How
are the values and skills complementary?
3. Describe the content and process of value education.
4. Explain the basic guidelines for value education. Also, discuss the important implications
of value education.
5. What is self-exploration? Explain process of self-exploration with a neat diagram.
Describe content of self-exploration.
6. What do you mean by natural acceptance? Differentiate between acceptance and natural
acceptance.
7. What are the basic human aspirations and what are the requirements to fulfill them?
Indicate their correct priority.
8. Distinguish between ‘animal consciousness’ and ‘human consciousness’.
9. “Right understanding in relations and in physical facility leads to mutual happiness and
prosperity respectively” – Justify with explanation.
10. When do you say that the development is holistic? What is the role of education in it?
Explain.
11. What are the basic requirements to fulfill human aspirations? Explain.
12. “Physical facilities are necessary and complete for animals, while they are necessary but
not complete for humans.” Comment.
13. Critically examine the prevailing notions of happiness and prosperity in the society. What
are the consequences of these notions?
14. Explore the need for right understanding of happiness and prosperity.
15. What is the program to understand and live in harmony at all levels of living. Explain.