This is a special article by U. Mahesh Prabhu, author of the latest book Fundamentals of Kootaneeti: The Vedic Art of Strategic Living | The book is now available on Amazon INDIA, Amazon.com, Apple Books, Google Play Books, Kindle, Scribd, Instamojo and other major international book sellers.
Dharma encompasses a great many things, including, but not limited to, Duty, Commitment, Compassion, Care and Sustainability. But it is never a Religion. Dharma in simple terms is Not doing unto others what you do not expect others to do unto you.
Dharma comes from the root Vedic Sanskrit word Dhriya which means to Sustain. It is about helping us know, understand, and realize ways to sustain ourselves, our families, our enterprises, societies, and nations even during the most challenging times. Dharma Shastras, or Definitive Works on Dharma, provide us with the relevant knowledge, wisdom, and tools to lead a good, happy and meaningful life. Neeti, Rajaneeti and Kootaneeti are those tools.
The Neeti offers Dharmic guidelines for individuals to conduct themselves wisely in a familial, social, organizational, and national setup. Rajaneeti provides the Dharmic guidelines for an individual to adhere to, when in a position of leadership. Rajaneeti is also a Vedic approach to Politics. The objective of Rajaneeti, according to Bhartrihari is also to “… ensure people are persuaded, by all means possible, to understand and to follow Dharma.” When people fail to adhere to these Neetis, they often become abusive, corrupt, and dictatorial. This drives that specific society, organization and/or nation into a state of chaos. Recovering such organizations from the depths of unfathomable abysses, with the use of as minimal force as possible by application of intellect to the maximum extent, is the Vedic Art and Science of Kootaneeti.
In some way or the other every family, society, organization, religion, and nation has some form of written as well as unwritten code, for every person to conduct oneself in a specific way, which can be interpreted as Neeti. They also have their own interpretation to Polity and propose, ways in which every leader, politician, prime minister, or ruler must conduct oneself. But what if all people fail to adhere to these specific conducts? What is a person desiring of achieving balance, harmony and sustainability in society supposed to do when there is total chaos in the society? No other civilization, religion, or nation has any ideas for resolving situations under such extraordinary times.
Consider the present state of the world we are living in today. Owing to the ongoing pandemic the economies globally have been hit severely. Job losses are a norm as nations’ abilities to assist their citizen to ease their burdens are becoming weaker by the day. These collapses, of a great many large organizations, unprecedented rise in loan defaults, stupendous jump in unemployment and collapse of value in real estate are inevitable. It is only a matter of time now, before we witness such events. And even though almost everyone is certain of this fact, most people, instead of embracing the reality are busy to refute it or pretend to simply remain ignorant.
We can see a great many debt-ridden, multi-billion conglomerates, using every available resource to create a façade to impress upon people to establish their financial liquidity, to impress upon people so that they could lend them more money. They are already burning a great many of their already draining financial reserves to create this illusion. What they are trying to do, in a subtle sense, is to create more blunders to cover their previous errors. Two wrongs can never make one right. More debts cannot clear existing debts without consequences. It is like borrowing more money to pay the interest amount due on earlier borrowings.
When we are struggling with the financial resources, it is only natural to cut costs, preserve cash, and figure a way out to sustain ourselves by embracing austerity and giving up excesses. A great many companies, as well as individuals, are doing the contrary. Not because they are not aware of the consequences, but because they are ignorant of alternatives. A person who has created a life based on lies, will only try to protect, and grow, using more lies.
There are times to fight, there are also times for retreat. We need not win all the battles in life. Some battles make us strong, some teach us valuable lessons. To try and win all battles is vain; but to try to win losing battles, at all costs, is stupidity. Long before we can win, we must gracefully learn from our defeats. To make it worse, we neither considers patience nor perseverance as virtues; most see them as “short-comings” if not as “vices.” The modern definition of success, the ones that are propagated by our business schools, the media organizations, and societies is clearly flawed. Success is not when we receive some award or when some magazine puts us on its cover, or a filmmaker decides to make a biopic. The Vedic idea of success is best explained by Krishna:
दु:खेष्वनुद्विग्नमना: सुखेषु विगतस्पृह: |
वीतरागभयक्रोध: स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते ||
That person whose mind remains undisturbed amidst misery and remains indifferent in pleasure, One who has transcended the petty notions of attachments, fear, and anger is a Muni – one who has truly achieved success.
These concepts, although very enthralling – are never easy to follow. Particularly when, in the times we live in, we are forced by circumstances to do things that are only detrimental to our collective welfare. The almost lost Vedic Art and Science of Kootaneeti is the only knowledge that is designed to help us, not just to understand the situation, but also resolve it effectively, without worsening it any further.
Be it getting out of financial doldrums, economic hardships, joblessness or fighting a daunting battle – Kootaneeti provides us effective ways to overcome everything while remaining calm and composed throughout. In Kootaneeti, happiness is not something to be achieved in the future – it is savoring it in the present, since it is our true nature. One that we only need to realize from within. Here, you actually realize and savor that happiness even before achieving your objectives or desires. You do not run behind your objectives; but make them attract you by making yourselves worthy or deserving of them. Kootaneeti is not just about understanding the nature of chaos in the world outside, but it provides ways of bringing in harmony, by effortlessly realizing and being in a balanced state of mind. Kootaneeti is not a philosophy of books – but a profound wisdom based on material reality. It is not just entertaining; it is also educating as well as enlightening. One that you need to learn, follow and realize yourself. Kootaneeti, undoubtedly is the most relevant topic in these times of social, economic, and political upheaval.
Fundamentals of Kootaneeti: The Vedic Approach to Strategic Living | The book is now available on Amazon INDIA, Amazon.com, Apple Books, Googleplay Books, Kindle, Scribd, Instamojo and other major international book sellers.
