Course Code: BUHVK406

Universal Human Values

4th Semester – 2024 - 25

Prof. Jaswanth V

Source: Human Values and Professional Ethics by R R Gaur, R Sangal, G P Bagaria, Excel Books, New Delhi, 2010
Link: to find the Syllabus and textbook

• Syllabus (2024-25) -

• Textbook reference - Soft Copy

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 2

Module 1 – Chapters list

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Module 2 – Chapters list

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Module 3 – Chapters list

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 5

Module 4 – Chapters list

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Module 5 – Chapters list

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 7

Before actually diving into this Course, things to keep in mind:

‘Reading’ and ‘Understanding’: we read something and remember, it does not mean that we understand it.
‘Understanding’ means to get to the meaning of the written word

Word & Meaning: the words are not that important, it is their meaning as intended that is important

Definitions: The words used in this book have a precise and specific meaning

Use of Hindi Words: to help you grasp the meaning

Life is a Laboratory: The course is an aid to self-discovery

Ongoing Process: these are not restricted to the classroom! That is to say, the process of analyzing, self-
verification and mulling over the proposals takes places after the class as well, in our daily lives and even
after these ‘classes’ have stopped

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 8

Introduction:

• Fundamental aspects concerning human life and human happiness.

• Presents a set of proposals so that we may start exploring our own self

• What is our ‘value’ - what is valuable for us

• Our ‘value’ means understanding what our participation, our role is, with other humans,
animals, plants…etc.

• If we look at our living - human living, encompassing the following 4 levels, they are

• Myself
• Family
• Society
• Nature/existence

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 9

Introduction:

• We will look into ourselves – and identify our various activities our choices, thoughts and
desires

• This will help us identify how we think, and what we want

• We will identify how and why we get so easily influenced by others, by things we read, etc

• It becomes possible to identify why we have problems in human relationships today

• We will also look into the various dimensions of human society, what the comprehensive human
goal is.

• We will study nature/existence: and understand the interconnectedness in nature, and our
role/participation in the totality that exists

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 10

Introduction:

• On self-investigation, we find out that we want to be in harmony,

• Harmony in myself (resulting in happiness and a feeling of prosperity)

• Harmony in family (resulting in mutual fulfilment in relationship and prosperity in the family).

• Harmony in society (resulting in a trustful, undivided, universal society).

• Harmony in nature/existence (resulting in being in harmony with nature, understanding the

inherent co-existence)

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 11

 Module 1 - Need, Basic Guidelines, Content and Process for Value Education
Chapter 1 - Understanding Value Education

1. Need for Value Education

• Correct identification of our aspirations
• Understanding universal human values to fulfil our aspirations in continuity
• Complementarity of values and skills
• Evaluation of our beliefs
• Technology and Human Values

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 12

• Correct identification of our aspirations

• Aspirations span careers, personal life, and society.

• They range from jobs like doctor to roles like film star.
• Planning involves setting goals for all life aspects.
• First, identify your fundamental aspiration.
• It guides goal-setting for a fulfilling life.

• Understanding universal human values to fulfil our aspirations in continuity

• Identifying aspirations is just the beginning; we must learn how to achieve them.
• We experiment and learn to progress, from ancient times to modernity.
• Understanding values is essential for fulfilment; happiness is the ultimate aim.
• Values guide our actions and anchor us.
• Value education is crucial for understanding.
• Living with correct values brings continuous happiness.
• We must explore and verify values for their contribution to happiness.
• Recognizing the universality of values is vital for a harmonious society
Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 13
• Complementarity of values and skills

• In fulfilling aspirations, understanding two key elements is crucial:

• Values: Knowing what truly fosters universal human happiness is fundamental. This wisdom guides us in
setting the right goals and progressing in the right direction.

• Skills: Learning practical methods and techniques to achieve these goals in real-life situations across various
human endeavors is essential.

• Values and skills are interdependent and complementary. For instance, desiring good health isn't enough; we
need the skills to make healthy choices. Without understanding the concept of health, we can't effectively
maintain our well-being

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 14

• Evaluation of our beliefs

• Without understanding universal values, we rely on ad-hoc beliefs.

• These beliefs, true or false, shape our values and guide our actions.
• Beliefs come from various sources and form our worldview.
• Beliefs change over time, causing internal conflicts and disagreements.
• Beliefs vary among individuals, leading to misunderstandings.
• Relying solely on beliefs can lead to instability and unhappiness.
• It's crucial to question and evaluate our beliefs for validity.
• We can choose values based on understanding rather than blind belief.
• We must decide between shaky beliefs or seeking clarity through understanding

• Technology and Human Values

• Technology is only a means to achieve what is considered “valuable” for a human beings in an effective and
efficient manner. It is not within the scope of technology to decide what is valuable to a human being.
• Understanding values guides the appropriate use of technology.
• Both technology's design and use are influenced by values.
• As future professionals, it's crucial to consider the ethical implications of our work.
• Combining technical education with value education ensures responsible use of technology.
• Value education helps individuals understand
Prof. Jaswanth theirDept
V, Asst Professor, goals and
of ECE, ethical
VVCE, Mysuruconsiderations. 15
2. Basic Guidelines for Value Education

• Universal value education has to be universally applicable

• Rational cannot be based on blind beliefs
• Natural and Verifiable When we live on the basis of natural values that are natural to us, it
leads to fulfilment, leads to our happiness
• All Encompassing Value education applies to all dimensions, thoughts, behaviour, work,
understanding/realization, individual, family, society and nature
• Leading to Harmony enable us to be in harmony within and in harmony with others

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 16

3. The Content of Value Education
• The value of any unit in this existence is its participation in the larger order of which it is a part
e. g. value of a pen is that it can write. Here writing is the participation of the pen in the bigger
order in which pen, paper, human being, all are present.

• Value of an eye is that it can be used for seeing. Value of a vegetable plant is that it gives
nutrition to animals and humans.

• What is the value of a human being?

• what is the participation of a human being in the bigger order?

• The bigger order includes human beings, plants, air, water, soil, animals, birds etc. The value of
a human being is the participation of human being in this order.

Scope of Study
• As mentioned above, any course on value education must include
• All dimensions- thought, behaviour, work & and realization, and
• All levels of human living - individual, family, society, nature/existence of human living.
Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 17
4. The Process of Value Education
• The process of value education has to be ascertained before we proceed

• We can verify these proposals, presented in the course as follows:

• verify these proposals through self-exploration

• investigate into these proposals and try to verify within us in our own right
• self-exploration - they need to be naturally acceptable to us and not just imposed externally
• Self-exploration will also include verifying the proposals through experiential validation
• investigate into proposals sincerely
• This process of self-exploration has to be in the form of a dialogue, a dialogue between
ourselves, to conduct verification within ourselves.
• process of self-verification needs to be applied to all the proposals

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 18

Summary: Chapter-1
• Value education is essential for:
• Identifying our basic aspirations.
• Understanding values necessary for fulfilling these aspirations.
• Ensuring the complementarity of values and skills.
• Properly evaluating our beliefs.
• Facilitating the development and ethical utilization of technology for human welfare.

• Course content on value education should be:

• Universal, Rational, Natural, Verifiable, All-encompassing, Leading to harmony

• Every unit in existence has value through its participation in the larger order.

• Value education content should cover all dimensions of human beings and levels of living.

• The process of value education involves self-exploration, which includes:

• Verification at the level of natural acceptance.
• Experiential validation in living

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 19

 Module 1 - Need, Basic Guidelines, Content and Process for Value Education

Chapter 2 - Self-exploration as the Process for Value Education

• the value of an entity is its participation in the larger order

• In the case of the human being, to understand what is valuable, we need to study ourselves and
the “larger order” around us, which is, everything around us

• To understand my relationship with all these, I need to start observing inside.

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 20

1. Starting to Observe Inside
• Normally, we are used to exploring outside. For example: we keep looking around, we observe trees,
animals and other human beings. Seldom do we observe “what is going on in me while I am observing
outside”. Thus, it remains only external observation.

• When we say we want to self-explore, it means we have to now start observing within ourselves too and
not observing just outside.

• To observe inside, example:

• When I get angry, I ‘know’ I am getting angry. In other words ‘I’, can ‘see’ the anger, in
‘myself ’. I am no longer using my ‘eyes’ to see the anger, but I am observing this anger
inside my own self

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 21

2. What is Self-exploration? What is its Purpose?
• It is a process of dialogue between “what you are” and “what you really want to be”.

• It is a process of self-evolution through self-investigation.

• It is a process of knowing oneself and through that, knowing the entire existence.

• It is a process of recognizing one’s relationship with every unit in existence and fulfilling it.

• It is a process of knowing human conduct, human character and living accordingly.

• It is a process of being in harmony in oneself and in harmony with entire existence.

• It is a process of identifying our Innateness (Swatva) and moving towards Selforganization

(Swatantratã) and Self-expression (Swarãjya).

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 22

3. Content of Self-exploration
• exploration can be visualized in terms of finding answers to the following fundamental questions

• Desire - What is my basic aspiration?

• Program - What is the process to fulfil this basic aspiration?

• We are going to observe and explore ourselves, our lives, what we do, why we do and
how we do.

• We will study what human beings want, we will study what we really wan

4. Process of Self-exploration
Following points are to be kept in mind

• “Whatever is stated is a proposal”.

• Don’t start by assuming it to be true or false.
Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 23
• “Verify it on your own right” implies the following points

• Don’t just accept or reject it

• on the basis of scriptures/what is written – not based on some book or theory proposed

• on the basis of instruments – not based on physical experiments

• on the basis of others – influence by quotes said by some great person

• “Firstly, verify the proposal on the basis of your natural acceptance”

• Natural acceptance is a faculty that is present in each one of us

• For example, ask yourself this question:

‘Is trust naturally acceptable to me in relationship, or is mistrust

naturally acceptable?’ What is the answer? It turns out that trust is
naturally acceptable to you in relationship

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 24

• For every proposal being put forth here, we shall pass it through our own natural acceptance. If it passes
through our own natural acceptance, i.e. if it is naturally acceptable to us, it is true for us. If it does not,
then it is not true for us and we can drop the proposal.

• “Secondly, live according to the proposal to validate it experientially.”

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 25

5. Natural Acceptance
• Natural acceptance does not change with time

• It does not depend on the place

• It does not depend on our beliefs or past conditionings

• This natural acceptance is ‘constantly there’, something we can refer to:

• Natural acceptance is the same for all of us: it is part and parcel of every human being,
it is part of human-ness:

• Natural acceptance is there in all of us. It is within us, all the time and we can refer
to it, access it to know what is right for us. We only have to start referring to it. Each
proposal in this book needs to be evaluated on the basis of your natural acceptance

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 26

6. What is the State Today?
• we are not oriented enough to evaluate our beliefs or assumptions and we treat them as our personal
domain

• We usually become very sticky about them without really verifying them

• When these come in conflict, we try hard to search out justifications and make all efforts to defend our
own assumptions. In the process, we cheat ourselves as well as others

• Since we don’t verify within ourselves, we continue to live with a set of assumptions and beliefs which
may or may not be true

• we end up exploiting as below:

• Neither, are we verifying our assumptions/ proposals put to us on the basis of our natural
acceptance,

• Nor are we verifying what we think we know, in our living

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 27

7. What is the Way Out? What do we Need to Do?
• We have to start verifying our assumptions, beliefs on the basis of our natural acceptance and experiential validation

Realization and Understanding

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 28

Continued..

The answers we get on having realization & understanding are:

(a) Assuring: “I am assured of the answer or understanding in myself ”

(b) Satisfying: “I am satisfied that the answers are fulfilling for me.

(c) Universal: “I know or realize that the answers I have got are the same for everyone.

They are invariant with respect to:

(i) Time: These answers are the same at all times: past, present and future

(ii) Space: These answers are the same at all places or locations

(iii) Individual: The answers are the same for every human being

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 29

Summary
• We need to undergo Self-exploration because we want to find out what is valuable to us,

• Self-exploration is

• a process of dialogue between “what you are” and “what you really want to be”.
• a process of Self-evolution through self-investigation.
• a process of knowing oneself and through that, knowing the entire existence.
• a process of recognizing one’s relationship with every unit in existence and fulfilling it.
• a process of knowing human conduct, human character and living accordingly.
• a process of being in harmony in oneself and in harmony with entire existence.
• a process of identifying our Innateness (Swatva) and moving towards Selforganization (Swatantratã) and
Self-expression (Swarãjya).

• The content of self-exploration is exploring into two fundamental questions: what our basic aspiration is;
and the program to fulfil this basic aspiration

• Process of self-exploration involves two things, firstly, verifying on the basis of natural acceptance, and
secondly, validating experientially by living accordingly

• Natural Acceptance does not change with time, individual or place and is not tainted with our pre-
conditionings. Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 30
 Module 1 - Need, Basic Guidelines, Content and Process for Value Education
Chapter 3 - The Basic Human Aspirations Continuous Happiness and Prosperity

1. Continuous Happiness and Prosperity . Our Basic Aspirations

• Let us say, you want to be the first ranker in the class. Now, behind this desire to get the first rank, is there a
more basic desire? Why do you want to get the first rank? If you keep asking this question, you will find that
there is a basic desire. What is this desire, is it to be happy? Yes, it is!

• You will find that each of your wants emerges from the basic aspiration to be happy

• This also implies that every human being is continuously trying to do things to make him/her happy, and
every human being is capable of feeling this happiness in himself/herself spontaneously.

• You will also find that we want the continuity of this feeling of happiness as well

• We do not want happiness in spurts, in intervals, but we want it continuously. We do not want unhappiness
even for a moment
Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 31
2. Exploring Happiness and Prosperity
• Happiness

• Let us now explore into the meaning of happiness. Try to recollect situations when you feel happy.
• You will see that there is a set of feelings which you are able to accept effortlessly and naturally.
• These are feelings such as trust, respect, being confident about your future etc.
• These feelings are naturally and effortlessly acceptable to each one of us

“The state/situation in which I live, if there is harmony/synergy in it, then I

like to be in that state or situation.” “To be in a state of liking is happiness.”

Unhappiness is,

“The state/situation in which I live, if there is conflict/contradiction in it, then I do

not like to be in that state or situation.” i.e. “To be in a state of disliking is
unhappiness”
Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 32
2. Exploring Happiness and Prosperity
• Prosperity
• prosperity is related to material things or what we call as physical facilities’.

• We use a brush to clean our teeth, clothes to wear, food to eat, vessels to cook and eat the food in, a pair
of spectacles, a two wheeler or a four wheeler vehicle, a radio set, a mobile phone etc. So we need
physical things to take care of our body and these need to be catered to

• When we are able to cater to the needs of the body adequately, we feel prosperous.
“Prosperity: is the feeling of having or making available more than
required physical facilities.

To ascertain prosperity, two things are essential:

(a) Correct assessment of need for physical facilities, and

(b) The competence of making available more than required physical

facilities (through production)”
Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 33
• Prosperity: Example

While understanding prosperity, let us also look at another point - the difference between wealth
and prosperity. Is there a difference? For example, let’s assume I have a lot of wealth; a lot of
money. You come to my house, but I get worried that you may stay back longer than expected
and I might have to feed you, tea, snacks or even a meal. It is a funny situation, but it may
happen. What would we call this state? A person has a lot of money, but does not want to share
even a bit of it. The person has wealth, but feels “deprived”; in other words the person does not
have a feeling of being prosperous. If one felt prosperous, he/she would have shared what one
has, since there is more than enough wealth anyway. On the other hand someone who does not
have a lot of wealth may welcome you into his/ her house and ask you to stay back for a few days
and help you out. This is an indication of feeling prosperous.

• Wealth is a physical thing. It means having money, or having a lot of physical facilities, or both.

• Prosperity is a feeling of having more than required. Prosperity is a feeling of having more than
required physical facilities; it is not just physical facilities

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 34

3. A Look at the Prevailing Notions of Happiness and Prosperity
• In the current scenario, we are generally 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 fulfilling bodily needs but as a means of
maximizing happiness

• Neither can we hope to achieve continuous happiness through sensory interactions nor can we
have prosperity, as it amounts to trying to fulfil unlimited wants through limited resources.

• This effort is engendering problems at all the levels.

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 35

3. A Look at the Prevailing Notions of Happiness and Prosperity
• This effort is engendering problems at all the levels.

• At the level of the individual – rising problems of depression, psychological disorders, suicides,
stress, insecurity, psycho-somatic diseases, loneliness etc.

• At the level of the family – breaking of joint families, mistrust, conflict between older and
younger generations, insecurity in relationships, divorce, dowry tortures, family feuds, wasteful
expenditure in family functions etc.

• At the level of the Society – growing incidences of terrorism and naxalism, rising communalism,
spreading casteism, racial and ethnic struggle, wars between nations, attempts of genocide, fear of
nuclear and genetic warfare, etc.

• At the level of nature – global warming, water, air, soil, noise, etc. pollution, resource depletion
of minerals and mineral oils, sizeable deforestations, loss of fertility of soil.

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 36

4. Some Possible Questions/Confusions
• Confusion 1:

• “Happiness and sadness are the two sides of the same coin” or “Happiness and sadness are
the two banks of a river and one is doomed to travel back and forth between the two” and
this belief is in many of us. Now just think, do you want to continue with happiness and
unhappiness both? Or, you want to choose happiness only?

• Confusion 2:

• I cannot be sure of happiness unless I am unhappy” - is another common thing people may
believe in. The simple answer to this question is: the acceptance or recognition of happiness
is there in me innately, I do not have to compare with something to identify it. You ask
yourself, do you first hate your friend to know how to like him/her; or, do you first disrespect
your parents to know what it means to respect them?

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 37

Summary

• Continuous happiness and prosperity are the basic human aspirations

• Happiness may be defined as being in harmony/synergy in the states/situations that I live in. Unhappiness is a
lack of this synergy or harmony

• Prosperity is a feeling of having or producing more than required physical facilities

• Lack of right understanding of happiness and prosperity has led us into a variety ofproblems at different
levels of our living, be it at the level of individual, or family, or society or nature.

• We need to evaluate various questions and confusions that we are having on the issue of happiness.

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 38

 Module 1 - Need, Basic Guidelines, Content and Process for Value Education
Chapter 4 - The Basic Human Aspirations Continuous Happiness and Prosperity

1. Basic Requirements for Fulfilment of Human Aspirations

• To find out what our happiness and prosperity are related to

• let’s start with a very simple exercise

• Let’s make a list of everything we want today and see what these wants or aspirations in
turn depend on.

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 39

 Now let us underline the items that
are to do with something physical

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 40

 Here is a set of proposals,

• “Physical facilities are necessary for human beings”

• “Physical facilities are necessary for human beings and they are necessary for animals.”

• “Physical facilities are necessary and complete for animals, while they are necessary but not complete for humans”

It is easy to verify the above,

• For animals: Take a cow for example. A cow will look for food when it is hungry. Once it gets the grass or
fodder, it eats it, sits around to chew at leisure. Hence, we can see that as long as animals have physical
things, they are largely fine. They don’t desire other things like knowledge, or a peaceful animal society or
getting a good MBA!

• For humans: Let’s say you are hungry. What do you do? You would look for some food, perhaps, some
tasty food. Once you have had your fill, do you just sit around and relax? The answer is an emphatic “No”!
We all have other needs, other plans, perhaps we think of going to a movie, or reading a book, or go to
college, or watch some TV, or spend time with family and friends... the list is endless

• “Besides physical facilities, humans want to be relationship”. – relationship we have with other people, or human
[Link],
beings: father, mother, brothers and Jaswanthour
V, Asst Professor,our
friends, Deptteachers
of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 41
• In Relationship: we want Mutual fulfilment

• If there is a problem in relationship, we feel uneasy, it bothers us.

• For example, let’s say you had an argument with a friend in the morning. You find that the uneasy feeling stays with
you for a long time, even after you have stopped speaking to your friend and have physically moved away from
him/her. You may keep thinking about it, may get angry or frustrated, perhaps you wonder what may have gone
Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 42
wrong and how it could have been avoided
• From Physical Facilities

• We want Prosperity in us, enrichment in nature

• Let’s ask ourselves, “Do I want to live with a sense of prosperity or with a sense of deprivation?”
The answer is, I want to live with a sense of prosperity.

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 43

2. What is Our State Today?
• In Relationships

• “Am I able to have such fulfilling relationships all the time today”?

• What is the answer? Our answer is “Sometimes I have good relationships, sometimes I
don’t. Or perhaps, mostly I have good relationships, and sometimes I don’t,” or vice-
versa.

• With physical facilities:

• “Do I feel prosperous? Do I find that I have a feeling to share what I have?

• Am I satisfied with my wealth today? Or do I want more? How much is this “more”?

• From thinking over these questions and our response to them, it becomes clear, and increasingly so, that
while we may have wealth, we areV,not
Prof. Jaswanth Asst able to feel
Professor, prosperous
Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 44
 • We thus seem to have quite a problem in our hands

3. Living with Wrong Assumptions

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 45

4. What is the Solution?- The Need for Right Understanding
• “As long as we live with wrong assumptions we shall continue to have the problems in ourselves
and have problems in relationship, not feel happy or prosperous and will exploit nature”

• In order to resolve the issues in human relationships, we need to understand them first, and this
would come from ‘right understanding’ of relationship.

• Similarly, in order to be prosperous and to enrich nature, we need to have the ‘right understanding’.

• The ‘right understanding’ will enable us to work out our requirements for physical facilities and
hence correctly distinguish the difference between wealth and prosperity.

• With nature as well, we need to understand the harmony in nature, and how we can complement this
harmony.

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 46

4. What is the Solution?- The Need for Right Understanding

The three basic requirements to ensure happiness and prosperity for human beings are:

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 47

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

• Those that do not have physical facilities/wealth and feel unhappy and deprived
• Thus, such people can be said to be ‘materially deficient, unhappy and deprived’ or ‘Sãdhan
Viheen Dukhi Daridra’
• The short form for this can be written as: SVDD!

• Those that have physical facilities/wealth and feel unhappy and deprived!
• Thus, such people can be said to be ‘materially affluent, but unhappy and deprived’
or ‘Sãdhan Sampann Dukhi Daridra’
• The short form for this can be written as: SSDD!

• Having physical facilities and feeling happy and prosperous.

• Such people can be said to be materially affluent, happy and prosperous or ‘Sãdhan
Sampann Sukhi Samridh’
• The short form for this can be written as: SSSS!

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 48

We can conclude the following: We need to work for all three,

1. Right Understanding
2. Relationship
3. Physical facilities

• Right understanding + Relationship = Mutual fulfilment

• Right understanding + Physical facilities = Mutual prosperity

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 49

5. Our Program: Understand and Live in Harmony at All levels of Living

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 50

5. Our Program: Understand and Live in Harmony at All levels of Living

1. Where do we need the Right Understanding? We need this in ourselves. Hence we have to study ourselves.

Conclusion: We have to study ourselves

2. In order to ensure Relationship, we have to study and understand people and our relationship with them, i.e. we
have to understand family and society.

Conclusion: We have to study Family, and we have to study Society

3. In order to ensure right use of physical facilities, we have to study nature, and our relationship with it.

Conclusion: We have to study Nature/Existence

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 51

Levels of our living: .

1. Living in myself - We all have desires, thoughts, beliefs, imaginations and choices

2. Living in family - All of us are born to our parents and this is the family we are born to. This is the
first web of relationships. relationships that include our siblings, our friends and classmates, teachers
and others

3. Living in society - As we understand ourselves and our relationship with others in family, we also
understand the other in society, and are able to fulfil our relationship with them

4. Living in nature/existence - we are on this earth: with the grass, plants and trees, birds, animals. We
are on this earth: with the grass, plants and trees, birds, animals

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 52

6. Our State Today
• we can see that these levels of living are full of conflicts, opposition and contradictions. We are
unable to be at peace with ourselves

• we are under stress, unhappy about something or the other, and are worrying about things. We
are increasingly having more diseases, are unable to live properly in relationships in the family
and are disturbing and destroying the very planet we live on

• Thus, in order to have happiness and ensure its continuity, we need to ensure harmony in
all states/situations we live in, which means we need to understand all these four levels of
our living! If we ignore any of these levels, the continuity of happiness at that level cannot
be ensured!!

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 53

7. Our Natural Acceptance for Harmony at All Levels of Our Living
• Harmony is what we all naturally and most easily accept. It is what we seek, deep within. We
can note that in essence there are three choices before us:

1. Do I desire conflict/contradiction in any aspect of my life? Or,

2. Do I desire to only avoid conflict/contradiction in any aspect of my life? Or,

3. Do I desire harmony/synergy in every aspect of my life?

• Which option above is naturally acceptable to you? Our fundamental nature is to accept,

• 3) harmony/synergy in all aspects of our lives

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 54

7. Our Natural Acceptance for Harmony at All Levels of Our Living

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 55

8. Human and Animal Consciousness

• To develop from animal consciousness to human consciousness is the transformation. It is a qualitative

improvement in consciousness. Value education is about enabling this transformation in the human being.
Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 56
Summary
• Needs of the human being can be seen to consist of the need for (1) right understanding, (2) relationship and (3) physical
facilities in the right order

• While we desire prosperity for ourselves and prosperity for nature, we are unable to ensure this today.

• We desire mutual fulfilment in our relationships today but are unable to have this

• This is because we are largely operating on the basis of assumptions, which may be right or wrong

• Right understanding is essential for the fulfilment of relationship and for right identification of physical facilities.

• We need to understand the harmony at all levels of our living – ourselves, family, society and nature/existence

• The need for right understanding and relationship is what distinguishes a human being from an animal

• Fulfilment of relationships based on right understanding leads to mutual happiness

• To live only for physical facilities is called ‘animal consciousness’, while to live with all three: right understanding,
relationship and physical facilities leading to mutual happiness and mutual prosperity is called ‘human consciousness
Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 57
End of Module
1

Prof. Jaswanth V, Asst Professor, Dept of ECE, VVCE, Mysuru 58