Advances in Consumer Research
Today in the modern scenario spirituality plays an important role in everybody’s life. Life has become very complex. We all are running for huge competition which is existing around us in the market. Survival of the fittest is nowadays punch line. We all are working very hard for making our life smooth full of money and desires. In this process we are exerting great pressures and stress on us resulting in anxiety and stress related diseases. In the modern management exercised in the companies today corporate giants understand the relevance of spirituality and are finding methods such as yoga, meditation to cope this environment. By doing so they are exercising the need and importance among their employees and motivating them in understanding spirituality. Different Peer Groups of Sadhu’s and Sanyasis today in their lectures are guiding our generation correctly when it comes to spirituality integrated with their modern lifestyles. In this research paper the author points out some relevant facts and figures of spirituality which when used in our modern lifestyles can make us a better human being.
The spirituality in the modern society has emerged as one of the powerful tool by using which many people throughout the world are connecting to God. Spirituality has shown the way to many generations in different countries the value of Secularism. Spirituality should not be stricted to the clutches of modernity, as often happens, but it should be located in the heart of the modern generations worldwide. When modernity and spirituality are treated as a universal subject in the modern times, it gives a sense of pleasure and divinity to the modern people in their way of worshiping their gods and goddess. Today people across the world are very busy in their jobs and earning huge amount of money to provide better services to their families and work places. They are exerting lots of pressures and stress during their materialistic journey. If we compare our Indian system with the western system many people from the western world are moving in huge numbers to our country as we are home to some great spiritual leaders. To attain peace and harmony they are migrating in our country. Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi have developed spiritual centers in India from last many years attracting materialistic people from across the world to understand the spiritual values system properly. After receiving the Noble Prize in 1913 and with the World War I in Europe, Grand old man of India Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore felt that Asia should initiate the role of spiritual leadership in the world. Moral empowerment comes from a relationship with God. The consciousness of the divine in creation makes the manager more accountable and makes the corporate, citizens a more responsible people on this earth. People are today working very hard in their jobs to develop themselves and to grow their nations. The modern market is full of cut throat competition. Here the role of believe in God by using spirituality helps the managers as well as the citizens in proper completion of their task. The culture attracted by the modern market economy is described as a modernist, scientific and technological culture in integration with the secular religions and their respective people. Management education like any other type subject is to focus on formation of people and not only making them just a viable medium of transmission of knowledge. Holistic management has shown us the way to live in today’s modern times in peace and harmony. Lots of universities across the globe are developing this topic as a medium to cope with today’s stress and anxiety among various people around the world. Incorporating a spiritual dimension into management is based on a comprehensive world vision in faith, belief in all mighty. A major element of this scientific approach as opposed to a religious approach is the willingness to see some essential truth shining in all existing religions throughout the world. To survive into 21st century every individual throughout the world should exercise yoga and meditation to achieve peace and directly connect themselves with the divine power of the all mighty. To survive into the 21st century business leaders and spiritual leaders of different corporate and religious organizations must offer a greater sense of meaning and purpose for their workforce. In modern times highly competitive environment, the best talent seeks spirituality tom achieve their targets and goals of life. Spiritual power in one in the modern times is about enduring values in these troubled times. A self- empowered leadership certainly requires the different skills of reasoning and logical thinking before going for any decision of life. Here the spiritual powers help the mankind. Our holy book Bhagwadgita further teach human beings to overcome five evils of life such as Kaam- desire , Krodh- anger, lobh- greed, moh - attachment or passion and maha- ego. They can achieve this balance in life by properly exercising spirituality as a mean to achieve divinity in life. Many corporates throughout the world are now using spiritual management to train their employees. They are hiring yoga and meditation experts to train their potential employees from time to time. The results coming are very positive thus improving their productivity. Yoga is not only tool to achieve a good health but it is a complete package in the modern times to overcome stress and various tensions that arrive in today’s competitive environment. Yog is a philosophy of life. It disciplines the internal self. It is a way of life. People are exercising Yoga and meditation nowadays mainly to overcome anxiety levels faced by them in their day to day routine. It is also helping them to attain spirituality and make them rest in peace in this running world. Yoga experts from the different countries are teaching asanas to the different people because asanas basically perform five functions and making one spiritual in life is one of the foremost functions. The regular practice of yogasanas has an immense amount of therapeutic value. Besides various physiological benefits, they positively affect our minds, our life force energies as well as our creative intelligence. Regular practice helps to keep our body fit, controls cholesterol level, reduces weight, normalizes blood pressure and improves heart performance. Physical fitness thus achieved leads to reduction of physical stress and greater vitality. Asanas harmonize our Pranic ability and mental energy flow by clearing any blockages in the subtle body leading to mental equilibrium and calmness. They make the mind strong thus enabling our human body to suffer pain and unhappiness stoically and with fortitude. The consciousness of the divine in creation makes the manager more accountable and makes the corporate a more responsible citizen in the modern times. Incorporating a spiritual dimension into management is based on a comprehensive world vision rooted in faith of divine all mighty. Even among people developing faith in God from whatever religion they come is all because of their spiritual values imbibed in them from their cultural beliefs. There is need for deeper understanding and commitment to the unifying vision underlying management and spirituality. One is to be respectful of the mystery of God’s action in the world and in individuals while remaining a loyal witness in word and action to one’s own faith commitment. Secular Societies had a membership that was hugely interested in connecting to the other world by do it yourself science. A major element of this scientific approach as opposed to a religious approach is the willingness to see some essential truth shining in all existing religions in modern generations in current times. Modern generations are also connecting well with the spirituality nowadays with the emergence of some new techniques such as astrology, Tarot cards to know their future, promotions, etc. The best business leader nowadays are more in stress and they also from time to time take lecture sessions from the best religious leaders of our countries. Sri Ravi Shankar JI Founder of the Art of living organization is also helping many business managers across the globe by motivating them to undertake different spiritual sessions which has changed their working ideologies and has developed them into spiritually inclined professional. Baba Ramdev Ji head of Patanjali Yogpeeth is the man behind promotion of yoga across the world. He and his disciples have motivated lakhs and lakhs of people worldwide spiritually and made them understand the need of pranayama and asanas in their busy lives. The need of divine life is very important for everybody in today’s busy lives. Everybody is busy running behind money. In this process they are also suffering from medical ailments such as trauma, stress, anxiety and hypertension. It is here where spirituality targets such people and shows them the right path of the life. As an Associate Professor in Management I am also teaching my management students spiritual management from time to time in different meditation workshops I am conducting for them from time to time. Different universities and colleges around the country are now relying on spiritual management as a medium of teaching to imbibe in their students a sense of spirituality. Yoga classes and meditation classes provided to these students from time to time by different experts change their personality a lot. They become spiritually inclined towards their work. These students are our future and we are preparing them very hard to cope the outside competitive environment. India has been land of great sadhus who from time to time have enlightened path of lakhs and lakhs people in our country by their divine speech. Modernization have given way to pains, stress, trauma with it all the people are striving hard for raising their standard of living from time to time. Some people are also taking wrong paths to earn money. In this process of earning money they are landing themselves into big legal troubles. Such people deviate from their paths because they have not concentrated their minds spiritually. Spirituality is a healer it heals all of us from time to time. Modern men are very intelligent they have now understood the importance of divinity and believe in God. This can be seen from the mass gatherings which take place when any spiritual leader talks about life. Current Government under the dynamic leadership of Narendra Modi is now trying to improve the thinking of modern citizens in our country. In our Prime Minister’s recent visit to UN. He laid emphasis on declaring a day in the name of Yoga. Spirituality is the real purpose of life, and one’s relationship with the all mighty God. Spirituality changes our vision, mission, way of performance and helps us to understand things in this modern era patiently. In modern management techniques used today like developing vision, leadership styles, motivation techniques, goal achievement, attitude, decision making process are all have been discussed in our holy book Bhagvad Gita. Modern spiritual experts have identified key elements of spiritually in organizations they are vision and values, service and love for others, empowering others, courage to overcome fears, changing from within, role of spiritual spirit. The spirituality is an intangible value which anybody cannot see but it can be felt. Feel inner sensitivity, spirituality shows the people nowadays to know themselves better than they knew till now. Since modern man is the focus of management attention and his behavior is influenced by a variety of cultural factors, management study has to be spiritually inclined to create best talents in people. It is in this context that we shall look at management concepts in Vedanta to learn how our spiritual leaders looked at management problems, how they solved them and what their spiritual insights were. The modern men who are interested in knowing what is effectiveness, what is innovativeness and what is competitiveness. My viewpoint from my experience is that you cannot force spirituality on someone unless he or she accepts it from their hearts. Great leaders are doing the same things in modern times. I stay in Haridwar during the Kumbh mela and Ardh kumbh mela celebrations my experience says that babas and sadhus have changed their lifestyles to deal with the customers and people in modern era. Many religious leaders are using hi tech technology to communicate to their followers. Healthy life can be achieved only when we all get together and understand the religion truly with its demerits and merits. A sense of national integration should be with all the citizens of the country. Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya the patron founder of All World Gayatri Parivar, who initiated the thought Revolution movement and established Shantikunj at its Head Quarter in 1971. He was a spiritually uplifted personality, great freedom fighter, profound thinker, noted philosopher, dedicated social reformer and prolific writer, who wrote more than 3000 books touching almost all aspects of humanity. Acharya Shree lived a disciplined life of devout austerity, visited the Himalayas several times and attained spiritual eminence. His movement is focused on bringing constructive revolution in the fields of spiritual penance, education, health, self-reliance, women empowerment, environment protection, de- addiction and eradication of unjust social customs, through its headquarter, Shantikunj and more than 4000 social reform centers ( Shaktipeeths) spread all over India. This trust is a very rich trust in our country and is doing social service in many sectors of our country. They are also motivating our youths by exercising following objectives listed below celebrate the spirit of life, Expand and extend the self, Learn Spiritual Therapies for holistic well-being, Striking harmony within self, Family and Society, Redefining the purpose of life, Enhancing the value system, creating a better family and surroundings through self-Refinement. The present global economic crisis has compelled us to believe that economics is not sufficient to solve all the problems of the modern people. To make economics effective in current situation we have to relate it with spirituality. Somebody have quoted live for today because tomorrow never comes. To become agents of progress, prosperity and peace, the Indian corporate sector need to firmly connect with spiritual values nowadays to make employers and employees both decent in their working approach. To ensure peace and reduce conflicts, we need voluntary efforts at all levels by individuals who can join hands to make forces. To survive and exist in present world of competition which is both healthy and unhealthy, we need to do the best thing. Spirituality here plays an important role to perform tasks appropriately. If we analyze our workplace spirituality three viewpoints come to our mind approach of work, handling challenges and performing timely tasks. Efficient and effective management is vital for success of any organization (Samson & Daft, 2009). I would like to point out that spirituality is within all of us. It is upto us how we take it in our daily lives. In modern era people who are spiritually inclined are enjoying their lives in peace and harmony. Indian spirituality has been formulated by many great religious leaders who have been born in our great country from time to time. They have changed lifestyles of many people in current scenario. Some people in their approach towards life had materialistic approach prior to listening to such great spiritual leaders. Now they have changed their thinking towards life. I want to conclude this paper by giving real life examples which I have experienced around me for over last 12 years. As a Management professional teaching management to students I have seen lot of mine students getting attracted towards meditation and stress management. They are enjoying comfortable positions in the corporate world at lower and middle level positions. Apart from their busy schedule they are taking yoga and meditation sessions and performing very well in their work profile. Some of my fellow colleagues also have driven themselves from money to peace in their respective lives. When talked to them they give feedback that actually now they have realized what actually life is and till now they were just living it. After imbibing spirituality in them now they have elevated them to a new level full of gravity, harmony, peace. They are living lives happily henceforth. At last I want to quote a phrase taken from Bhagvad Gita:
“The Belief in the Karma theory i.e., all actions that are done have the power to ordain for their doers joy or sorrow in the future depending on whether the action is good or bad.”
The various aspects of the study are given below:
Theoretical Foundations
Spirituality and Well-Being
Psychological Mechanisms & Neurobiology
Integration in Psychological Practice
Cultural Perspectives
Modern-Day Challenges & Innovations
Spirituality remains a vital dimension of human life—providing meaning, coping mechanisms, and connection in today’s fragmented world. While generally beneficial, it requires thoughtful integration into modern society, coupled with awareness of potential downsides.
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