Chapter 2

Self-Management - A Journey from Self to SELF

As I was sitting in the balcony of my apartment, sipping coffee lost
in thoughts on how to start the chapter on self management, my
five year old niece came running with my mobile. She said -
"Uncle, you know such a funny thing is happening when I try
and call my friends on their number I get connected but since past
ten minutes I have been dialing my own number on my mobile and
the line is always engaged ........ I am not getting connected.”
I was amused at her dilemma. How should I explain the young
girl the innocent ignorant rationale of not getting connected to
your number on your own mobile. Philosophic as I am, I saw in
this rationale and dilemma, the problem and dilemma of modern
day corporate workers/minagers. They are busy, engaged and
connected with everything in their life – except their own self.
They are networked with everyone but not with their own self –
neither small self nor higher Self. The need of the hour is to be in
the solitude of one's own self. Be engaged with one's own self. Be
in introspection of ones own self. It is only through contemplation
of self would one realize one's Higher Self. Journey from self to
Self is self management. This self management would lead one to
the goal of SelfRealisation. Know your self and you know the
world.
“When Prophet Mohammad was asked by his relative or
disciple, Ali, What am I to do that I may not waste my time?' The
Prophet replied, “Learn to know thyself! He who has understood
himself has understood his God Bible also reiterates the similar
feelings that man was made in the image of God, and that image
is within him. Know yourself - and you know the Divine Power.”
(Brunton, 2003) This divinity would help you manage the world.
Know thyself' and you know the world in the real essence of Self
-- you will be able to manage the world. Your 'self' through
'SELF’ is the world.
 J. Krishnamurthy expounds the same view, "What you are
within has been projected without on to the world, what you are
what you think and what you feel, what you do in your everyday
existence, is projected outwardly, and constitutes the world. If we
are miserable, confused, chaotic within, by projection that
becomes the world, that becomes the society, because the
relationship between yourself and myself, between myself and
another is society - and if our relationship is confused, egocentric,
narrow, limited and we project that and bring chaos into the
world.” (Krishnamurthy, undated; cited by Lutyens, 2002)
Thus chaos within is the chaos in the world, Krishnamurthy
says, "What you are the world is.” Our self has to be understood.
Murthy further reiterates that "this inward revolution, can alone
bring about a radical transformation of the outer, of society."
Know thyself' is thus of paramount importance and has to be
realized in management this century.
‘Know Thyself' is the greatest challenge for man today.
Brunton (2003) in his book, 'The Secret Path' expounds the
dialogue between A Sophist, one of the wise man of ancient
Greece and sage of Miletus' that “Know Thyself' is the most
difficult job for the man. 1.
1 “What is the oldest of all things?
‘God, because he has always existed.
2 What is the most beautiful of all things?
‘The Universe, because it is the work of God.’
3 What is the greatest of all things?
‘Space, because it contains all that has been created.’
4 What is the most constant of all things?
‘Hope, because it still remains with man after he has lost
everything’.
5 What is the best of all things?
‘Virtue, because without it there is nothing good.’
6 What is the quickest of all things?
‘Thought, because in less than a minute it can fly to the end
of the universe.’
7 What is the strongest of all things?
Necessity, which makes man face all the dangers of life.’
8 What is the easiest of all things?
To give advice.
9 What is the most difficult of all things?
‘And the Miletian sage replied: "To know thyself'." ‘Know
Thyself is not only difficult but the greatest riddle of life - as
illustrated in Pope's 'Essay on Man’:
‘Know then thyself, presume not God to scan,
The proper study of mankind is man
Plac'd on this isthmus of a middle state,
A Being darkly wise, and widely great
With too much knowledge for the Sceptic side,
With too much weakness for the stoic's pride
He hangs between, in doubt to act, or rest;
In doubt to deem himself a god, or beast;
In doubt his mind or body to prefer;
Born but to die, and reasoning but to err.
Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurl’d
The glory, jest and riddle of the world.’
(Brunton, 2003)
Yes, thyself is a riddle. But where is thyself. Williamson the
poet says:
‘Remote, yet near, unutterably aged, lone,
He sits within the temple's inner shrine,
With folded hands and countenance divine,
Omniscient, inscrutable, unknown .....?
(Brunton, 2003)
The quest for thyself' can be seen with similar sentiments in
the famous Indian Sage Shankaracharya's 'Atmashaktam' —
I have the body, but I am not the body;
I have the senses, but I am not the senses;
I have a mind, but I am not the mind;
I have a intellect, but I am not the intellect;'
I AM THE SELF LUMINOUS PURE CONSCIOUS-
NESS WHICH IS POORNA. (Whole, Complete).
(Chakarborty, 1991)
 Thus in the exposition of above two poets we see the
answer to Know Thyself' - The all pervading omniscient
divine consciousness. The essence of management is
realized when you are able to answer three basic questions
of human philosophy
• Who am I?
• Where have I come from?
• Where am I to go?
The answer to these three question are to be found in Vedantic
exposition of man's journey from self (body consciousness) to
Self (the eternal divine consciousness).
What is self? What is SELF? Who am I? We are — that is a
reality. There is self existence. Brunton (2003) in his book, 'Quest
of the Overself' illustrates, We possess this notion of self-
existence through an insight which is spontaneous, direct and
indisputable, and through the direct experience of every moment
of our waking lives. The data of science and management world
are less sure than this personal certainty that we exist. We cannot
escape from self nor think of ourselves out of existence. Even to
doubt our existence would be to presuppose a doubter. Even if we
make the mind utter blank, we would remain to behold and be
aware of the blank, to witness this new phase, immediately we
returned to the normal state. For we are gifted with the
unexplained mystery of consciousness. From the humblest
jumping frog to the highbrow contemplating philosopher, the fact
of being alive means, the fact of being oneself. Nobody needs to
be a philosopher to declare with the French metaphysician
Descartes: "I think therefore I am" or to hold with German thinker
Immanuel Kant, that the self is a necessity of thought, for
everybody naturally assumes his own self-existence as most
unquestionable of facts. Arguments and discussion about it seem
utterly superfluous. Behind this foundation fact of self-awareness
one cannot go.'
Therefore with Paul Brunton we could conclude, I am,
therefore, I am. Existence is reality. The Problem is, this existence
is experienced at the level of duality — the self (body
consciousness) and Self (Universal Consciousness) - this results
in chaos in the human mind and then it gets reflected in society.
Existence is felt at the level of finite thought in infinite
consciousness as waves in the ocean. But the reality of ocean is
water not the temporal waves. The Process of
Self-Realization is one's journey from self to Self, though this
journey is in stages as various destinations in the process of self-
management towards the ultimate Self-Realization. In Vedantic
(the Indian school of philosophy) exposition the individual self
through body, mind and intellect has to be transcended for Self to
be realized. Chakraborty (1991) beautifully illustrates this
Vedantic exposition:
"(a) The human personality has two layers as it were - the
empirical, lower, surface self or ryavaharika vyaktitwa';
and the trans-empirical higher,deeper self or 'parmarthika
vyaktitwa.
(b) The empirical self or ‘vyavaharika vyaktitva' is
constitutionally deficit driven', conditioned, dependent,
apprehensive, insecure and hence prone to "pettiness
(c) The trans-empirical Self or parmathika vyaktitwa'is
constitutionally'surplus inspired', poorna (whole,
complete), unconditioned, independent, fearless, ever-
secure, and hence prone to 'dignity
(d) Our workings, so long as they remain tied up exclusively
with the lower self base, promise little hope for moving
away from petty, low value behaviour – since the mind
function of this lower self is inherently polluted.
(e) The breakthrough towards dignified, high value behaviour,
choice, etc.,can occur provided we can awaken the now
dormant higher SELF in us, for here the mind function can
begin to feel its inberent wholeness and purity.
f) The empirical self (vyavaharika vyaktitwa) is the same as
secular or material self and the trans-empirical
(parmarthika vyaktitwa) the same as the spiritual self or
atman.
(g) Finally the basic ignorance lies in thinking that it is body
mind frame, this empirical self which possesses
consciousness, soul, spirit, atman. True understanding
consists in realizing that it is consciousness, atman, which
possesses a body, a mind etc."

The body, mind and intellect has to be transcended. The task

of management is to help individual transcend the self - the blind
empirical self and realize and operate in the bright, luminous
perspective of trans-empirical Self. Chakraborty (1991) says,
"The primal alienation of man lies in the severance within his
being from higher, ‘poorna' (complete) SELF. Every other
alienation is an offshoot from here. The so-called value-erosion or
pettiness stems
 from this root alienation." This alienation is the root cause of
all psychosomatic disorders of modern man. The chaos is in the
Mind. Thus the purpose of all psychology in this century should
be focused on Self-Realization.
We witness in our day to day and corporate lives, the immense
challenge of achieving new milestones. The chase for material
acquisitions is never-ending. The top Fortune 500 companies may
not be in the top 500 league in the years to come. Reliance on
external motivation triggers does not create a lasting influence.
Unless motivation triggers from within, achievement is hard to
come by. Liven if it comes, it is in pursuit of some external goal
which an individual may be pursing. It can be seen in the
corporate firms how these firms make investments on spending
multi-million dollars to motivate people to achieve higher targets
year after year. The entire life gets reduced to rat-race with little
time for looking inwards and fostering meaningful relationships.
Table 2.1: Limited Self and Real SELF
 Process of Self Management There is an alternate way of
managing SELF. This is a more evolved paradigm. The narrative
2 depicts how one can evolve to a framework of serenity.
Frameworks of Self-Management The authors based on the
research have suggested two framework of self management. The
modus-operandi for emergence of chaos and the first framework
of management of self is explained in the narrative 1:
Process of Self Management
There is an alternate way of managing SELF. This is a more
evolved paradigm. The narrative 2 depicts how one can evolve to
a framework of serenity.
 The process of self management can be explained in the
Narrative 1. The Narrative explains that when one is not aware of
ones existence at Higher Self, ego becomes dominant. This leads
to desire culminating in ambition. This fosters a competitive spirit
leading to greed which leads to stress eventually causing
psychological and emotional breakdown of man.
The Narrative 2 illustrates the process of realization of the
Higher Self. This is facilitated by Knowledge acquired. This
results in higher wisdom which leads to realization of Cosmic
consciousness. This would unchain the thoughts and would lead
to realization of love and compassion towards all. This would
result in unconditional innocent living and blissful state of Being
resulting in serenity around ones existence. It would lead to peace
within and peace outside.
The two narratives mentioned above are two styles of self
management. In the first one the modus operandi is self - which
is from the STATE OF HAVING'. The path is shown how this
'deficient state of having' leads to CHAOS — at the level of
macrocosm (larger domain and environment) and emotional
and psychological breakdown at the level of microcosm (at the
level of self). In the second narrative the modus operandi is
SELF – which is from the 'STATE OF BEING' which is
'poorna' complete and wholesome. The path is shown how this
'abundant state of being' leads to blissful SERENITY at the
level of macrocosm and peace and tranquil mind at the level of
microcosm. The flaw in the current management thinking and
practice is that they are trying to achieve Blissful state of Being
through State of Having i.e. first management through 'state of
having' and then go on to 'state of being! This will never
happen and if at all anything will happen – one would get a
chaotic repressive order of the society. The logical sequence is to
first realize the 'state of being and then 'state of having' will
naturally fall in place. It would then be a peaceful, serene
existence embedded in the laws of nature. Realize your 'Being'
first - ‘Having' would automatically be taken care of. Being as
Indians say is realization of Svadharma (innate realization of
one's duty), Svabhav (Innate natural nature), and then do
 purushartha (self effort for realization). Spiritualism of
Being has to precede the materialism of Having. That is the
natural order. It should not be other way around. The State of
Being is in management of Self – which should be the
foundation of management this century.
Wakhlu (1999) in Managing from Heart' writes, "The State of
Being or wholeness is the goal of evolution. It is rather a funny
goal because it is already attained (it has to be realized.). What we
are seeking is already found. It is like a lost pair of spectacles long
perched on our nose while we were frantically looking for it all
over the house. Or like the musk deer, who hunts for the source of
its own musk in all corners of the forest. Life is a process of
learning towards this lost insight. It is a progressive journey of
return to our own origin.” Wakhlu (1999) further quotes Osho to
illustrate the point:
"You are the way and you are the goal,
and there is no distance between you and the goal
You are the seeker and you are the sought,
There is no distance between the seeker and the sought
You are the worshipper you are the worshipped
You are the disciple you are the Master
You are the means you are the end
This the Great Way.”
(Wakhlu, 1999)
That is You'. The Divinity. The God. The Management. The
essence of modern day management should not be from the
ignorance of my fullness but realization of my fullness. There lies
the significance of journey from self to Self. Management of
Human affairs would be in correct perspective only if this journey
is undertaken by modern day workers and managers as corporate
pilgrimage.
The Significance of Higher Self
The significance and philosophy of SELF — the real essence of
Human existence is very well explained in dialogue between Sage
Yagnavalkya and his wife Maitreyi in Brihadarankya Upanishad.
Maitreyi considered herself a very lucky person. Her husband
 Yagnavalkya was endowed with rare combination of wealth
and wisdom. He was a very famous teacher of philosophy, and he
had also been able to accumulate immense wealth by legitimate
means. He had two wives, but Maitreyi was the one he loved
more. One day, Yagnavalkya shocked Maitreyi by declaring that
he planned to renounce everything and retire into the solitude of
forests. Maitreyi loved her husband so much that she thought she
would not be happy without him. So when her husband offered
half his wealth to her, she asked him if that would make her
happy? 'No' said Yagnavalkya, fit will only enable you to live a
comfortable life, like any rich person'. This was not acceptable to
Maitreyi. She wanted to know how she could live happily even in
the absence of her loving husband. For that you need wisdom and
not wealth' said Yagnavalkya. What followed was a profound
dialogue between Maitreyi and Yagnavalkya – that 'SELF’ is the
real essence of life.
(Dialogue excerpted from Brihadaranyka Upanishad, an
Indian Scripture)
“Yagnavalkya — Maitreyi, I am resolved to renounce the
world (to his wife) and begin the life of
renunciation. I wish therefore to divide
my property between you and my other
wife, Katyayani.
Maitreyi — My lord, if this whole earth belonged to
me, with all its wealth, should I through
its possession attain
immortality?
Yagnavalkya — No. Your life would be like that of the
rich. None can possibly hope to attain
immortality through wealth.
Maitreyi — Then what need have I of wealth? Please,
my lord, tell me what you know about the
way to immortality.
Yagnavalkya — Dear to me have you always been,
Maitreyi, and now you ask to learn of
that truth which is nearest my heart.
Come, sit by me. I will explain it to you.
Meditate on what I say. It is not for the
sake of the husband, my beloved, that the
husband is dear, but for the sake of the
Self.
It is not for the sake of the wife, my
beloved, that the wife is dear, but for the
sake of the Self.
 It is not for the sake of the children, my
beloved, that the children are dear, but
for the sake of the Self.
It is not for the sake of wealth, my
beloved that wealth is dear, but for the
sake of the Self.
It is not for the sake of the higher worlds,
my beloved, that the higher worlds are
desired, but for the sake of the Self.
It is not for the sake of the gods, my
beloved, that the gods are worshipped,
but for the sake of the Self.
It is not for the sake of the creatures, my
beloved, that the creatures are dear, but
for the sake of the Self.
It is not for the sake of itself, my beloved,
that anything whatever is esteemed, but
for the sake of the Self.
The Self, beloved Maitreyi, is to be
known. Hear about it, reflect upon it,
meditate upon it. By knowing the Self, my
beloved, through hearing, reflection, and
meditation, one comes to know all things.
Let the higher worlds ignore him who
thinks that the higher worlds are different
from the Self.
Let the gods ignore him who thinks that
the gods are different from the Self.
Let all creatures ignore him who thinks
that the creatures are different from the
Self.
The priest, the warrior, the higher
worlds, the gods, the creatures,
whatsoever things there be these are the
Self.
As, when the drum is beaten, its various
particular notes are not heard apart from
the whole, but in the total sound all its
notes are heard; as, when the conchshell
is blown, its various particular notes are
not heard apart from the whole, but in
the total sound all its notes are heard; as,
when the veena is played, its various
particular notes are not heard apart from
the whole,
 but in the total sound all its notes are heard
so, through the knowledge of the Self, Pure
Intelligence, all things and beings are known.
There is no existence apart from the Self.
As smoke and sparks, arise from a lighted fire
kindled with damp fuel, even so, Maitreyi,
have been breathed forth from the Eternal all
knowledge and all wisdom— what we know as
the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, and the rest.
They are the breath of the Eternal.
As for water the one centre is the ocean, as
for touch the one centre is the skin, as for
smell the one centre is the nose, as for taste
the one centre is the tongue, as for form the
one centre is the eyes, as for sound the one
centre is the ears, as for thought the one
centre is the mind, as for divine wisdom the
one centre is the heart—so for all beings the
one centre is the Self.
As a lump of salt when thrown into water
melts away and the lump cannot be taken out,
but wherever we taste the water it is salty,
even so, O Maitreyi, the individual self,
dissolved, is the Eternal-pure consciousness,
infinite and transcendent. Individuality arises
by identification of the Self, through
ignorance, with the elements; and with
disappearance of consciousness of the many,
in divine illumination, it disappears. Where
there is consciousness of the Self,
individuality is no more.
This it is, O my beloved, that I wanted to tell
you.
Maitreyi — "Where there is consciousness of the Self,
individuality is no more? this that you say, my
lord, confuses me.
Yagnavalkya — My beloved, let nothing I have said confuse
you. But meditate well the truth that I have
spoken.
As long as there is duality, one sees the other,
one speaks to the other, one thinks of the
other, one knows the other; but when for the
illumined soul the all is dissolved in the Self,
who is there to be seen by whom, who is there
to be smelt by whom, who is there to be
 heard by whom, who is there to be
spoken to by whom, who is there to be
thought of by whom, who is there to be
known by who? Ah, Maitreyi, my
beloved, the Intelligence which reveals
all—by what shall it be revealed? By
whom shall the knower be known? The
Self is described as not this, not that. It is
incomprehensible, for it cannot be
comprehended; undecaying, for it never
decays; unattached, for it never attaches
itself; unbound, for it is never bound. By
whom, O my beloved, shall the knower be
known?
This it is that I teach you, O Maitreyi.
This is the truth of immortality.
So saying, Yagnavalkya entered upon the
path of renunciation."
(Source: "The Upanishads” by Swami Prabhavananda, 2001)

Dialogue between the ancient sage Yagnavalkya and his wife

Maitreyi explicitly expounds the real essence of life and human
existence in Self. Similar sentiments are echoed by American
Spiritualist and philosopher Ken Wilber (1998) centuries later
today, when he says - Self is the reality, timeless, eternal, unborn,
unwavering, undying, ever and always present.' Therefore it is the
only thing which is permanent - it is the Reality. How can any
management theory of human affairs be not in context of Self?
The Self has to be understood before one undertakes this path of
journey from self to Self – the real self management – the nature
of this reality of Self has to be understood. To understand how
arduous the task is to understand the nature of Self, there is a
quote from Lao Tzu -
Because the eyes gaze but can take no glimpse of it.
It is called elusive.
Because the ear listens but cannot hear it,
It is called rarefied.
Because the hands feel for it but cannot find it,
It is called infinitesimal.'
(Lao Tzu, undated, cited by Ching, 1995)
 “The real Self has been given dozens of different names by
various mystical and metaphysical traditions throughout
mankind's history', says Wilber (1999), al Insan al Kamil, Adam
Kadmon, Ruach Adnoi, Nous, Pneuma, Purusha,
Tathagatagarbha, Universal Man, the Host, the Brahman-Atman, I
Amness. And from a slightly different angle, it is actually
synonymous with Dharmadhatu, the Void, Suchness and the
Godhead.' Wilber (1999) further elucidates that these words are
simply symbols of the real world of no boundary,' in his book “No
Boundary”. It is all pervading consciousness. This Self is referred
as 'Inner Witness,' 'The Absolute Seer and Knower', one's
'Innermost Nature', and Absolute Subjectivity', and so on as
Wilber elucidates. And he quotes Shankara the Vedantic sage -
'There is a self existent Reality which is the basis of our
consciousness of ego. That Reality is Witness of the three states
of consciousness (waking, dreaming, sleeping). That Reality is the
Knower in all states of consciousness. It is aware of the presence
or absence of the mind. This is Atman, the Supreme Being; the
ancient.' Thus the first characteristic of Self which emerges is that
it is a State of Being. Wilber quotes Zen master Shibyama to
further explain, “It is Absolute Subjectivity', which transcends
both subjectivity and objectivity and freely creates and uses them.
It is a 'Fundamental Subjectivity', which can never be objectified
or conceptualized and is complete in itself, with the full
significance of existence in itself. To call it by these names is
already a mistake, a step towards objectification and
conceptualization. Master Eiser therefore remarked, 'It is ever
unnamable'. 'The Absolute Subjectivity that can never be
objectified or conceptualized is free from the limitations of space
and time; it is not subject to life and death; it goes beyond subject
and object, and though it lives in an individual, it is not restricted
to the individual.” Wilber (1999) so concludes — Self is (1) 'The
True Seer, (2) The Inner Witness', (3) Absolute Subjectivity' -
within each one of us.
He further writes, "Absolute Subjectivity would be that which
can never, at any time, under any circumstances, be a particular
object that can be seen, or heard, or known, or perceived. As the
Absolute Seer, it could never be seen, as the Absolute Knower, it
could never be known”. With this conclusion of Wilber, what
alternative is left for Self. The answer is - Self can only be
Realised. It is a Reality. A
 State of Being. A real management theory should emerge from
this understanding. Self-Realization should be the summum
bonum of management of all human affairs this century. The
sooner we realize this, the better would be for us – to move from
chaos to serenity.
Journey from self to Self - the Model of Self Management
(1) Entering the Path
The Journey from self to Self has to begin 'within' – Know thyself'
thus begins the path of self inquiry. It is a State of Being. Wilber
authentically says, “We are told unanimously by the mystics that
the Kingdom of Heaven is within, that we are to search the depths
of our souls until we uncover, hidden in our innermost being , the
Real Self of all existence.' Wilber further quotes Swami
Prabhavananda - Who what do you think you are - absolutely,
basically, fundamentally deep within?' Thus for Self to be realized
– Where to look? Wilber says, “This is precisely the point at
which the mystics universally answer, 'Look inside. Deep inside.
For the real self lies within.'Now the mystics are not describing
the real self as being inside you -- they are pointing inside you.
They are indeed saying to look within, not because the final
answer actually resides within you and not without you, but
because as you carefully and consistently look inside, you sooner
or later find outside. You realize, in other words, that the inside
and the outside, the subject and the object, the seer and the seen
are one, and you spontaneously fall into your natural state.” This
is Wilber's exposition of No Boundary Awareness' - 'For, on the
one hand, we have seen that the real self is an ever present no
boundary awareness wherein the subject and the object, the seer
and the seen, the experience and the experienced form a single
continuum.' It is in this realization the path of self-discovery or
self-enquiry ends. How?
Once again Wilber (1999) explains, "My mind, my body, my
thoughts, my desires - these are no more my real Self than the
trees, the stars, the clouds, and the mountains for I can witness all
of them as objects, with equal felicity. Proceeding in this fashion,
I become transparent to my Self, and realize that in some sense
what I am goes much beyond this isolated, skin – bounded
organism. The more I go into I, the more I fall out of I. As this
investigation is pushed, a
 (2003), “We are all unconscious materialist because Nature's
first travail over us for the first quarter of our lives is primarily not
necessarily concerned with the building up of a highly organized
separate physical medium which each man may get into more or
less effective touch with the planetary playground which she has
prepared for her child, and in which he may gain crystallized
experience of himself. Almost all our thoughts – however varying
be the affairs with which they are concerned - are ordinarily
slipped like beads upon the thread of this
single conception: 'I am the Body"." All formative years of your
upbringing in today's environment takes you towards this belief
that -"you are the body'. And here lies our fundamental problem in
understanding who we are. We are not our physical self. There are
other deeper dimensions of our existence. Who am I? I am a
Conscious Being, Being is existence. Brunton (2003) logically
deduces, "The Most logical way would be to distinguish that
which is fixed and common factor of all individual human beings,
that in every man which does not change but itself perceives all
changes of the personality, the unique knower, but not the
multitude of the known, the root self of all our changing phases of
selfhood." Similar understanding is reflected by great Hindu Sage
Prabhu - "Know yourself without losing awareness....... If the
body be yourself, why do you say, 'My body', etc? Everybody
speaks of his possessions as my clothes, my gold, etc. Tell me if
anyone identifies himself with the saying 'I am the clothes, or I
am the Gold', etc. You are mistaking the superimposition for a
fact. Consider the case of man saying, 'I lose my life'. Is there one
life to lose another life. Life breath is the primary meaning of
word life, whereas self is the secondary meaning Self is Being -
Consciousness. 'I think' or 'My body' signifies association with the
faculty of thinking or the body only. The body is alien to you.
You are therefore not the body."
Brunton concludes, "The Body is not the self. What then is the
body? It becomes obviously, an instrument, whereby one cognizes
the objective world, a world entirely different from inner world of
selfhood with which we are one. We feel this external world to be
entirely apart from us. The sensations which register themselves
on our minds are our sole links with the objective world. Or as
Bertrand Russell is compelled to confess: 'What the physiologist
sees when he examines a brain is in physiologist, not in the brain
he is examining.' The philosophical scientist can dismiss the vivid
redness of a red external object because he knows that its colour is
really in the mind. Similarly we can intellectually dismiss the
external body from our sense of selfhood because we now know
that the latter is really to be sought from within the mind's and
heart's depths; as there is nowhere else we can search for it. And it
is about the only thing in the world whose real existence is
indubitable. Other thoughts of a like nature
 will occur to one's mind when engaged in this novel form of
spiritual self-analysis and one may pursue them all to logical
conclusion and apprehend the real fact in its integrity i.e. although
we persuade ourselves by habit that we are the body, self
examination shows that is not true. Advanced thinking draws the
sense of T' inward and proves that the self is a red entity distinct
from the flesh; and that by oneself is really meant something more
than the bodily appearance. Both modern discoveries and ancient
tenets conspire to confirm this truth." The truth', Brunton (2003)
says, 'is that the soul, the profound essence of selfhood, the
subtlest of the subtle, abstracts itself from the body and returns in
deep sleep to its high home in a non-material world of being a
world so subtle that it escapes the network of nerves flung across
our body'. I am the Higher Self not the Lower self-all pervading,
luminous consciousness. What is happening is that we associate
with the body and vivify it, and I become the body. The body
consciousness or the physical lower self has to be transcended -
for higher Self to be realized. For you are not the body. In this
spiritual self discovery all your present day management problems
would disappear. Most of your problems are gone when you
understand that you are not this body. You connect as souls. Ego
is gone which is the root cause of many problems. The physical
self has to be transcended.
(3) Transcending the Mind - The Emotional Self
Mind is the seat of emotions. Emotions emanating from mind are
another level of investigation into - Who am I? Is the state of
being in our emotions or mind. Paul Brunton (2003) questions in
'Quest of the Overself' - "Am I the Emotion. Am I the love, anger,
desire, passion, fear and joy which frequently move me? Such is
the further question one must ask oneself as one pushes into the
recess of one's own ego and watches its own workings.' If we
observe ourselves meditatively-we'll see that emotions possess us
at different times - but we are not the emotions. Emotions are
fleeting mental moods in our mind - temporal and transient. Not
permanent. If permanent - and we are a particular emotion - then
that emotion be it love or hatred, should stay with us. But that is
not the case. In a moment, one is joyous and hopeful and in
another moment one is unhappy and
 fearful. Brunton further elucidates on the phenomenon -The
fears which afflict one today may disappear in the course of some
days or months, perhaps never to return but one knows that the
sense of selfhood, of l' will not disappear. It alone is the enduring
reality of our lives. Amid these changes, sometimes bewildering is
one stable emotion which can be grasped and of which one can
assert: "This am I'. One may range through a whole gamut of
human emotions, through love and hate, jealousy and fear,
timidity and courage, sadness and ecstasy, but not one single
emotion can be seized upon of which it would be accurate to
declare 'That is Myself!' For one is indeed, a composite creature
emotionally, just as one is a composite creature physically. One
experiences these transient agitations and feelings, but not one of
it can be said: “This is the unchanging self. What one may say
however with corrections is 'Ego experiences hate, love and
jealousy. One may perceive at different times the tiger, the parrot
and the ape within oneself, and at other times the angel and the
saint, but as long as these variations are but variations of emotions
they are not the ‘I-ness', that is the basic self. When one represses
a passion, what represses it? The deeper sense which represses it
is thus implied. Moreover, the mere fact that one says, 'I feel this'
or 'my anger' instead of My emotions feel this' or ‘My emotions
are angry', indicates immediately that the l'is naturally
characterized as something separate from the ordinary feelings. It
implies it to be that which undergoes the experience of such
feelings.' Thus, my Self possesses the emotions. I have to be
aware of them. They are transient and fleeting.
Brunton states – ‘The fact of my awareness of emotions does not
mean that they constitute my self. The existence of someone who
feels, is one thing while his self-awareness is quite another. This
difference is of great importance and needs to be properly
discriminated. Emotions which come and go cannot be the
continuous self. That the latter must be constant and ever present
is indicated by the fact that the doubts of one's own existence
never arise. If it were not always present, one might sometimes
doubt such existence. Thus, behind all these changing moods
there remains the unchanging feeling 'l'. It is the only static thing
among them........... All emotions, in the end, are but surface
agitations on this ocean of 'I am ....... In the deepest slumber we
never feel angry, lustful, joyous etc. Hope and hate, along with the
 whole brood of emotions, vanish when one enters this
condition. All personal emotions disappear as though they had
never been. One loves nothing, hates nothing, desires nothing.
Were the emotions one's real self, they would subsist
continuously: they would necessarily be felt throughout the deep
sleep state and could never be blotted out from consciousness. So
long as life exists without a break, we know that self must exist,
without a break too. The disassociation of emotion and selfhood
in deep sleep proves that they are separate by nature. Thus the
emotions which are produced in me are inconceivable without the
existence of myself to feel them, of a subject to whom these
emotions are object....... therefore the true beginning of my life is
not emotion but my mysterious elusive and still deeper self, the
witness of my anger, love, fear and hope. The idea of a continuous
underlying self is essential to, and implied in, every emotional
mood, the emotions are strung on that self like pearls on a
string ..........' Brunton (2003) logically concludes, One's
endeavour is, therefore, to think his way through the problem of
Self and to arrive at the hidden basis of his being. He has to
become a detached observer of his own nature to see his
personality stand before him almost as though it were a stranger,
and thus form a correct estimate of himself.
Mind and Body have to be transcended for the Real Being to
be realized. In transcending Mind and Emotions - Man as a
Conscious Being - is in the process of being realized - and be on
the path of correct management perspective. You have to
become the detached witness and observer of your emotions - in
order to manage them. For if you do not detach and become
witness to your emotions - you will be identified with your
emotions. If you are identified with your emotions you will lack
objectivity in managing them. Lack of objectivity would prevent
effective and efficient management of emotions. Much has been
written and said about management of emotions - Emotional
Quotient - in modern day management literature. Daniel
Goleman gave a very effective concept of Emotional Intelligence
- competency very essential for any management of human
Affairs.
Goleman's framework, illustrated below, is a beautiful
exposition on management of emotions - an integral aspect in
 Daniel Goleman - Emotional Competence Framework
Personal Competence
These competencies determine how we manage ourselves.
Self-Awareness
Knowing ones internal states, preferences, resources, and
intuitions
• Emotional awareness: Recognizing one's emotions and their
effects
• Accurate self-assessment: Knowing one's strengths and
limits
• Self-confidence: A strong sense of one's self-worth and
capabilities
Self
Self-Managing one's internal states, impulses and resources
• Self-Control: Keeping disruptive emotions and impulses in
check
• Trustworthiness: Maintaining standards of honesty and
integrity
• Conscientiousness: Taking responsibility for personal
performance
• Adaptability: Flexibility in handling change
• Innovation: Being comfortable with novel ideas, approaches,
and new information
Motivation
Motivation Emotional tendencies that guide or facilitate reaching goals
• Achievement drive: Striving to improve or meet a standard of
excellence
• Commitment: Aligning with the goals of the group or
organization
• Initiative: Readiness to act on opportunities
• Optimism: Persistence in pursuing goals despite obstacles
and setbacks
 Social Competence
These competence determine how we handle relationships

Empathy
Awareness of others' feelings, needs, and concerns
• Understanding others: Sensing others' feelings and
perspectives, and taking an active interest in their concerns
• Developing others: Sensing others' development needs and
bolstering their abilities
• Service orientation: Anticipating, recognizing, and meeting
customers' needs
• Leveraging diversity: Cultivating opportunities through
different kinds of people
• Political awareness: Reading a group's emotional current and
power relationships.
Social Skills
Adeptness at inducing desirable responses in others
• Influence: Wielding effective tactics for persuasion
• Communication: Listening openly and sending convincing
message
• Conflict management: Negotiating and resolving
disagreements
• Leadership: Inspiring and guiding individuals and groups
• Change catalyst: Initiating or managing change
• Building bonds: Nurturing instrumental relationships
• Collaboration and cooperation: Working with others toward
shared goals
• Team capabilities: Creating group synergy in pursuing
collective goals

Source: Goleman, D. (1998) Working with Emotional Intelligence.

 self-management. But this management of emotions can
only take place when one transcends one's mind and emotion in
the process of Self-Realization. Objectivity, efficiency and
effectiveness in managing emotions through one's Emotional
Quotient can only be achieved if one transcends the mind.
Goleman's above mentioned (1) personal and (2) social
competencies in one's Emotional Intelligence would only work
if one moves on the path of transcending the mind. The
Emotional Quotient framework would only give results through
the process of transcendence. The process is in being just the
witness of your emotions and not getting identified with it. For if
you are identified with your emotions, you are the emotion itself,
thus you lack objectivity. Identify with Higher Divine Self – the
Self luminous pure consciousness in which emotions come and
go. Be a witness to your emotions in you. This Witnessing
Higher Self will lend objectivity to management of your
emotions. Detachment will give objectivity. And without
objectivity how can you effectively manage all the emotional
competencies mentioned in EQ framework above.
Transcendence of Mind is the answer. Yes it is difficult but it
can be done through practice and detachment. Meditation in
various cultures of the world is taught as an effective technique
to transcend the mind. Only a meditative mind can be high in
Emotional Intelligence. The anatomy, methods and benefits of
meditation as an effective tool in self-management is discussed
later in the chapter.
(4) Transcending the Intellectual self — Intellect.
After transcending the mind, we come to our next stage of self
discovery of - Who am I? Am I the thinking intellect? This brings
us to our next stage where we turn to reflection itself. The thought
of our thoughts – that's what our intellect is. Actions emanate
from thought. Existence emanates from thought. Therefore
management also should emanate from thought. The thought has
to be understood - to understand the essence of management. To
understand the thought -- intellect has to be understood. The
Intellect operates at two levels – (1) The Higher Intellect (2) The
lower Intellect. The
 higher intellect is the capacity of discrimination. The lower
intellect is the germination of all thoughts. You have to
understand the modus operandi of your intellect. How will you
understand this. The answer once again is by transcending the
intellect. For then only there will be objectivity in your
understanding. If you do not transcend the intellect - you identify
with it. And if you identify you cannot be objective in dealing
with your thoughts. Correct thoughts are must for effective and
efficient management, for all actions emanate from thoughts.
Transcend the intellect and realize yourself in Higher Self. For
that is the only solution, to get at the correct understanding of
your existence and purpose of management and life.
Lets first understand the place and nature of our intellect.
Brunton (2003) states—intellect is used only to signify the
assemblage of thoughts, ideas, notions, impressions and mental
sensations which pass through consciousness. It is not here used
to indicate the far higher faculty of the discriminative reflective
reason, of that which evaluates thoughts and acts as the arbiter to
judge between them and their truth. Is intellect a thought? Yes
most probably. Is my intellect me? No indeed. Brunton
explicitly states as many sages of ancient cultures of the world
would say "I am not the thought. Thoughts emerge and submerge
in me. For ‘one says of oneself,' 'I think! thus unconsciously
making a declaration that there is someone who exists apart from
operation and who directs the train of thoughts. Nature the reality
embedded in oneself, thus makes the affirmation that intellect is a
mere tool or instrument employed by the thinker 'I' who is behind
it. One feels vaguely aware of the consciousness creating and
dismissing, accepting and rejecting, the endless sequence of
thoughts, ideas and memories. The experience cannot be a
delusion. There is a certainty about the famous phrase of
Descartes, 'I think, therefore I amwhich makes it one of the
indisputable facts of life. Thought involves the assumption of the
thinker.” What then are the thoughts. Are they perception of
external reality of objects of the world. Lets move with Brunton
(2003) once again, “The world of external objects is something
which presents itself to consciousness without any effort on one's
part; it is something given. But the world of thought demands
one's active presence, cooperation and effort. And as the physical
body must be counted among these objects it is clear that it falls
under the
 same head of immediately observed things. The movement of
the thought process is however normally unobserved yet it could
not continue if one did not play a part in its production. As soon
as one makes the necessary inner exertion and stops to reflect on
the matter, consciously objectifying this movement in the same
way that one has objectified the body, one begins to insert oneself
into that deeper element which is the originator of thought, and
which proclaims the otherness of the latter. For all thoughts come
to life within self consciousness and cannot arise before that. They
are objectified manifestations of it. And thus cognizing that the
mind is a thing apart, one proves theoretically the self's separate
existence. But such reflections and investigations are exceptional;
our lives are too full of personal and external distractions to
permit of our becoming truly self aware; and hence one's habitual
inability to distinguish self from the activity of thinking and to
gain a real insight into one's being........... in deep dreamless
slumber, in blank swoon and profound coma, .... thinking as an
activity totally expires. It is indeed absolutely annihilated for the
time. The intellect ceases to function and enters into a condition
of blank non-entity. Yet we dare not say that the self has also
annihilated, for its current life still continues to function without
the physical body. Were one identical with this aggregate of
thoughts then utter extinction in this way would not be possible
without extinguishing the sense of selfhood for ever, yet on the
awakening the I' reappears as the first thought."
I or the Self existed all the time. Thus one arrives at the
conclusion that the Self never really disappears even when all
thoughts totally disappear. Hence too, both the body and the
intellect exist within the Self. In short, the answer to our question
is, “I am not the thought but above it! I am something that thinks.
Hence the very consciousness, which thinks is itself the self-
supreme, real, independent and autonomous. Self is the real
existence. Self is the real Being - which has to be realized by
transcending the intellect.”
Let's move with Brunton (2003) in our further analysis of
SelfRealization. “If one examines with careful concentrated
attentiveness the course of one's inner life and watches the birth
of a thought, as one can do in moments of mental quiet, if one thus
disassociates himself from inherence in the intellect itself, it will
be discovered that what gives reality and life and value to the
thought is attentive awareness. Without the power to bestow
attention upon anything man could have no conscious existence in
any world, whether physical or intellectual, or transcendental. Its
importance cannot be underestimated. Indeed attention is the soul
of thinking and the root of perception. When outward turned, it
enables us
 Personal Competence These competencies determine how we
manage ourselves.
 curious flip in consciousness occurs, which the Lankavatara
Sutra, calls, a turning about in the deepest seat of consciousness.
The more I look for the Absolute Seer, the more I realize that I
can't find it as a object. And the simple reason I can't find it as an
object is because it is every object! I can't feel it because it is
everything felt. I can't experience it because it is everything
experienced. It is true that anything I can see is not the seer -
because everything I see is the Seer. As I go within to find my real
self, I find only the world. But a strange thing has now happened,
for I realize that the real self within is actually real self without
and vice-versa. The subject and the object, the inside and the
outside, are and always have been non-dual. There is no primary
boundary. The world is my body, and what I am looking out of is
what I am looking at. Because the real self resides neither within
nor without, because subject and object are actually not two but
one - Unity Awareness. Mystics speak of reality in apparently
different way but they mean the same. They can say that in all
reality there are no objects whatsoever. Or they might state that
reality contains no subjects at all. Or they can deny the existence
of both subject and object. Or they may speak of an Absolute
Subjectivity which transcends yet includes both the relative
subjects and relative objects. All of these are simply various ways
of saying that the inside world and the outside world are just two
different names for the single, ever present state of ‘no boundary
awareness? "
Wilber’s ‘no boundary awareness' is ‘non-duality' or Advaita
of Vedanta. The Unity Consciousness has to be realized in all
human endeavours. If human life is understood in this context of
SelfRealisation, by all beings the quality of life on this planet
earth can be improved. In Vedantic exposition the path from small
self to Higher Self has to be traversed for Self-Realization. The
self of -
(1) Body (2) Mind
(3) Intellect – has to be transcended for realization of blissful
Self. In this model the 'State of Being' is transcended as you work
and operate from this state.
State of Transcendence (Universal pure Consciousness)
BEING REALISED IN SELF BEING TRANSCENDED
Intellectual self (Transcending Intellect)
INTELLECT
Emotional self (Transcending the Mind)
MIND
Physical self (Transcending the Body Consciousness)
BODY
 BEING
AWAKENING OF I AM
HEART
BEING AWARENESS
I AM
Entering the Path
I AM Universal Body Unconsciousness
(2) Transcendence of Physical Self The process of physical
self being transcended can only begin once we start the path of
self-discovery. Who am I? To quote Brunton
© Developed and Conceived by Sudhanshu Bhushan
 to become aware of the external world and illuminates its
objects. Hence, without Turning the faculty of attention inward,
one can never hope to become aware of the realm hidden behind
the thought – the realm of spiritual being, the true self ......The
quality of attention which makes thinking possible needs to be
turned wway from the outer world towards fundamental self.
Directed to the innermost point of being, it enables one to
contemplate one's significance in the light that streams from the
self. Attentiveness, indeed, is a manifestation of the essence of
man, of that soul which stands higher than the intellect, feeling
and body. One has to cultivate one's attention of the body, mind
and intellect - for then only one can discover highest
psychological truths of the Overself (Higher Self). Mental activity
must now yield to mental stillness. External world must be
contacted by means of sense organs of the physical body, so the
inner world of the soul must be contacted by the faculty of
attentive awareness freed from the tyranny of extraneous
thoughts, Jluctuating feelings and external sensations. What is
required is nothing more than the arrested attention, restricted to
the field of simple awareness and held behind to remain wiihin
itself, within the "I-in-itself. Attention is the soul inbering in
thought, and therefore one plane higher than thought." Hence it is
through watchful attention that one can transcend intellect and
hence the ego thought. Instead ego draws all our attention and
makes us attention deficient for our awareness. Attention
Deficiency is the corporate sickness these days as pointed out by
Debashish Chatterjee (2002) in his book - Light the fire in your
Heart'. He says:
‘This is not the Age of Information
This is the Age of Attention Deficiency.'
“What is information? Information is reality processed in
mental space.
Information absorbs our attention.
Therefore, excess of information results in deficiency of
attention!
Debashish elucidates, “We all have our unique place in the
world. In order to find our place we have to learn to stay centred. I
remember a few lines by a Latin American poet. They read:
Still Still
The Forest knows where you are
You must let it find you!
 The ancient sages of India did exactly that. They did not run
around in the world in search of truth. They looked for it in the
stillness of their own beings! In the twenty first century very few
of us live in forests. However, we have to deal with our jungle of
information. If we have lost ourselves in the wilderness of
information, the only way to find our centre is in the calm depth
of a reflective mind. It is like searching for a misplaced object by
quieting our mind rather than running in our thoughts. We must
make peace with the forest to find ourselves in it. The
fragmented world of information is held together in the
wholeness of our attention. This attention knows the relevance
of information. This attention puts information in its proper
perspective. This attention brings us home to our own selves!
Information absorbs our attention. An excess of information,
therefore, results in the loss of attention! Unless of course we take
care to create greater capacity for attention within us.” Attention
deficiency thus is preventing the process of transcending the
intellect.
Debashish (2002) narrates a personal real story to drive home
the point, "real story of attention disorder! I am at Harvard Square
in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I find myself with a small group of
people who are waiting for a bus. Standing next to me is a mid-
career student of Harvard University. He has a schedule in his
stand that tells him that there would be a bus arriving within next
few minutes. Yet this man glances feverishly at his watch fifteen
to twenty times in the next few seconds. Sure enough, the bus
arrives on time. Later on, when I reconnect with the same
gentleman at the Harvard Business School, I ask him: why were
you so restless? He says, "I can't help it - I was uncomfortable just
standing there. "I then asked him, If it was so difficult to have a
date with yourself for just a minute, you might as well think of
what kind of person you have become?'This sets him thinking.
Many young people today are likely to see themselves living this
story. With the rush of information spreading like infection we are
beginning to experience greater demands on our attention. We
cannot cope with this information overload anymore. We see
ourselves as victims of law of diminishing attention. The troubled
housewife is channel surfing for hours 'on her living room
television. Her eyes have a vacant look about them, as she is
watching nothing in particular. She is like our watch watcher at
Harvard square. She is attention deficient. By channel surfing she
is merely outsourcing her anxiety!"
 Debashish further states, “The drought of attention is
everywhere from living room to marketplace. In the world of
commerce brands
germinate and terminate in a short span of attention. In a
consumer clectronics market of Tokyo a new digital device can
hold the buyers attention for no more than three months. The
Disney Corporation of America introduces a new product every
five minutes. The life span of a CEO has been less than halved in
major corporations.
The script is the same whether it is boardroom or the bedroom.
One out of every two marriages in the western world fails for the
lack of attention on the part of spouses. But the most disturbing of
all these attention lapses is that we cannot have an appointment
with ourselves even for a few seconds! Imagine that our body and
soul live like two decent neighbours in adjacent flats in a high rise
building. They are located so near each other but they never get to
meet. We cannot connect with ourselves. We take time off to
repair our car; Yet, there is no time to renew our relationship to
our self. This is nothing less than a suicide. We have quietly
surrendered the validity of our lives to drab economic equations:
while making a living we have forgotten to make our life. What
prevents us from relating to the deeper and greater capacities
within ourselves? My response is ---- it is our ego. This ego which
forever wants to absorb our attention." So, we can conclude that it
is this ego which through attention deficiency prevents
transcendence of intellect.
We have to transcend the thoughts of our intellect to reach the
Self. Self is pure consciousness. From pure consciousness
emanates the Divine Perspective in Management. Meditative
mind, meditative body and meditative intellect would help you
manage your affairs from the level of consciousness. Pure
consciousness is the nature of your being. Thus you manage
things from the State of Being.' After you transcend body, mind
and intellect - you reach the State of Transcendence (Universal
Consciousness) - The State of Self Realisation.
(5) State of Transcendence (Self-Realization – Universal
Consciousness)
“That which exist within the Human Being as the Overself -
Centre, exist also outside him in the Universal Spirit, of which it
is a fragment" -Brunton in
Quest for Overself. For when you dissolve your ego identity you
get merged with universal consciousness and become Divine. And
when you become Divine - you are your real Self. One has to
realise his/her Self for effective self-management. For that is the
only way. Indian scripture Bhagvad Gita says“See self in all and
all in self.”
(Parthasarathy, 1992)
Brunton (2003) says that 'position is paradoxical because there is
but one Overself, one universal divine self resting in all men.
There is not a separate overself attached to each individual, as it
were. Monism (unity consciousness) is the ultimate truth “I am
my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” Announced the overself
through Jesus. There is but one overself for all bodies, not a
separate one for each individual. There is not millions of eternal
overselves only million of perishable individualities. That which
appears in one man as divine when the personal ego is
subordinated, is precisely the same as that which appears in all
other men. Just as single sun ray does not differ in kind or quality
from the sun itself, so any overself atom, the God ray, does not
differ from the God sun which sends its forth. The overself
(universal consciousness) is both a mathematical hollow point
and simultaneously space enclosing a universe is one sound
alliance. This paradoxical statement is contrary to ordinary logic
and common sense, it cannot be properly apprehended by the
intellect; a mesh of words cannot capture its airy and elusive
meaning; it can only be understood and grasped when reason has
travelled to its farthest limit and then falls into abeyance in such a
lofty presence. The overself is eternal. It has never been away
from us any moment. We, however, have been heedless of it.
Within it 'we live for ever.' Thus this Self has to be realised - as
it already exists and not as Maslow say's actualised after
fulfilling various needs.
The Path Traversed
You have to traverse this path from self to Self, as this model
explains. It is the path of Self-Realization. Various stages of
transcendence - have been discussed above. It is the Divine
Higher Self which should
 be realized for effective management of any human affair. The
SELF has to be realized through the process of transcendence for
then only real happiness and bliss can be attained. To quote
Parthasarthy (2004) from Vedanta Treatise – 'The Self in you is all
blissful. This supreme bliss is reflected the world over in every
object and being, in every perception, emotion and thought. You
see pseudo-bliss and run after it. When you get close and actually
encounter it, you become disillusioned. No wonder the wealthy
confess that there is no peace and happiness in wealth. The
powerful with all the power also find themselves duped and
disappointed. So it is with any worldly acquisition and enjoyment.
Therefore, the way to ride over the monotony and misery of the
world, to find everlasting peace and happiness is to pursue and
reach the source. Discover the self within you. The nucleus of true
happiness.”
Parthasarathy (2004) further elucidates through a anecdote, “A
prince approached a sage reverentially to learn all about God. A
conversation ensued.
Prince: Venerable master, who is God? Where is he? How can I
reach him?
Sage: May I know who you are?
Prince: My name is Gajapati.
Sage: I appreciate that is your name. But tell me who you are?
Prince: I am a prince. Sage: Is that not your status?
Prince: Yes, it is. I guess I am just a human being.
Sage: You say you are a human, not a bird or beast. But that is
the species to which you belong. You have not yet told
me who you are.
The prince then realized that he was going round in circles. And
did not really know who he was. So with all humility he spoke
again.
Prince: Am I then this body, mind and intellect which define my
person?
Sage: Nay, not so. They are your material equipments. They
too belong to you.
The answer left the prince bewildered. And he submitted himself
to the master.
Prince: Sir, I now reckon I do not know myself. Kindly let me
know who am I. And how does that relate to my enquiry
of God?
Sage: Dear prince, you are the supreme Self. The divine core of
your person. The body, mind and intellect are mere
vestures enveloping yourself. The self is known as
Atman in Sanskrit, God in English. You will have to find
the Self within through introspection, through study,
reflection and meditation."
Parthasarathy (2004) explains: “God is therefore the primal
source of all activity. The supreme Self which assumes the three
forms of the waker, dreamer and deep-sleeper. The infinite power
that operates in your personality is the same that operates
everywhere. That enlivens the entire animal and plant world as
well. The self-same power that causes the sun to shine, earth to
revolve, rivers to flow. That supreme power is known as Atman in
the microcosm and Brahman in the macrocosm. Atman and
Brahman are one and the same Reality that is the omnipotent,
omniscient, omnipresent God. Your divine Self.”
This path is the path of realization of - Who am I? The answer
is the entire process. It begins with the (1) Awakening of 'I am' -
a. Heart b. Being c. Awareness – and preparing oneself on
entering the path. This is where one comes in one's being. (2)
Entering the Path is orienting oneself from State of Having to
“State of Being'. (3) Transcendence of Physical self is the true
realisation and meaning of body consciousness. (4)
Transcendence of Emotional self (mind) is to be in one
consciousness — not identify with emotions instead become a
witness -- for then only would one's emotional quotient works.
Objectivity in managing emotions will come when you transcend
mind. (5) Transcending the intellectual self is the state where one
goes beyond thoughts, the thinking realm. Becoming the true
witness – through pure awareness and attention is the real process
to transcend ego intelligence and operate from Divine
Transcendental intelligence. (6) State of Transcendence is a state
of realised Self, the Divine pure Consciousness. You are realised.
You know – Who am I? The Real Self. “That thou art as famous
Indian Upanishadic aphorism says. This real Self should be the
modus operandi of all
 management of Human affairs. This Higher Self is Pure
Divine Consciousness. As Chakraborty (2003) writes - The
Higher Self or the spirit Self is –
• Eternally Perfect
• Constantly Blissful
• Entirely self sufficient
• Truth and Light in itself
• In the individual is identical with the spirit Self of All'
In this essence of Self – diversity is maintained in unity, and
as Chakraborty (2003) says, 'phenomenal is supported by the
normal, the changeful by the changeless, the relative by the
absolute. So variability cannot be managed effectively without the
standing ground of constancy. Self should be the Divine anchor
for the management of all human affairs. This state is such for
which Brunton (2003) says, No man may see God and live, is
what we are told in Old Testament. The true meaning is that no
personal ego may enter into the Overself State and continue its
former limited personal existence. As soon as it comes to rest in
the larger Self it melts away, wholly calmed, blent into its unity,
acted upon instead of being the actor. We do not see Overself, we
apprehend it. Visions merely disclose its finest garments, its robes
of dazzling light, albeit they are but robes. We not only behold its
beauty; our beings dissolves into its breath and we become that
which poet, painter, sculptor, musician manager seek but rarely
find.' Thus we can deduce that from Self you get the Divine
energy for pursuits of all human endeavour – to result in creative
excellence. The Self is the only Reality but Brunton (2003) says,
'its reality is too subtle, too exquisite, too rare, for audible
expression. It is best savoured in long drawn silences.' It is a
matter of inner subjective realization. For if your Self is realized,
you are grounded in reality of Cosmic Existence-the truth. It is the
Divinity in you which is the real essence of Life. It will not only
help you make your living but also make your life. For is it not the
purpose of all management - to make living and life meaningful
and beautiful. And that is Self. It would be appropriate to
conclude this section with Brunton (2003)
 saying, 'It is the ray of God in man, the immeasurable Infinite
which pervades his measurable being, the true spirit behind the
human creature, that in him which is utterly free from the imprint
of all passions, all desires, and all frailities. It represents for him
the summit of all genuine morality, the perfection of all real
ethics, because it speaks to him of his oneness with all that lives;
whether in human or animal kingdom, and hence inculcates the
primary duty of universal compassion, The Overself expresses
nothing but itself. It does not express morality or virtue; those are
man made things. The Overself is independent of them; we create
and re-create our morality from age to age, but the ethics of the
Overself is eternal and absolute and unchanging. Yet all morality
is ultimately derived from its glorious fountain, and all virtue is
finally imported by its benignant touch. He who lives by its light is
as superior in character to the good man as the good man is
superior to the evil doer. "That is Self-Realization. For it is the
purpose of all human existence - and hence the objective of all
management.
Self-Realization Vs Maslow's Self-Actualization
Abraham Maslow, a humanistic psychologist suggested a model
based on hierarchy of human needs, which follows a certain order
to be fulfilled and take one into ultimate Self-Actualization. What
is Self-Actualization? Is it same as Self-Realization or different
from it. It is necessary for the reader in the context of our
discussion on Self Management to clearly appreciate the vital
distinction between SelfActualization and Self-Realization. To
understand the anatomy of the models, it would be imperative to
illustrate Maslow's Need hierarchy - Self-Actualization Model.
Contrary to the model proposed above Maslow suggested that
the state of Transcendence is to be reached after what he called
Self Actualization is achieved when one fulfills a systematic
hierarchy of needs in one's life in that order. Maslow laid out five
broader layers of needs in hierarchical order as follows:
(1) The Physiological Need - At the bottom of this hierarchy
are the basic physiological needs such as hunger and thirst. Also
there's the need to be active, to rest, to sleep, to avoid pain etc.,
quite a collection of needs. Only when these needs are met, the
need to be free from threatened dangers arises. Thus safety needs.
(2) The Safety and Security Needs – Now one will become
increasingly interested in finding safe circumstances, stability and
protection. One might develop a need for structure, for order,
some limits. One becomes concerned not with needs like hunger
and thirst but with one's fears and anxieties. This need manifests
in wanting to have a safe neighborhood, a little job security, a
good retirement plan, a bit of insurance and so on.

(3) The Love and Belonging Needs – When physiological needs

and safety needs are by and large taken care of, a third layer starts
to show up. You begin to feel the need for friends, children,
affectionate relationships in general, even a sense of community.
Looked at negatively, one becomes increasingly susceptible to
loneliness and social anxieties. In our day to day life, we exhibit
these needs in our desire to marry, have a family, be a part of
community.
(4) The self Esteem Need - Next comes need for self esteem.
Maslow noted two versions of esteem needs, a lower one and a
higher one. The lower one is the need for the respect of others, the
need for status, fame, glory, recognition, attention, reputation,
appreciation, dignity, even dominance. The higher form involves
the need for self respect, including such feelings as confidence,
competence, achievement, mastery, independence and freedom.
Note that this is the 'higher' form because, unlike the respect of
others, once you have self respect, its lot harder to lose! The
negative version of this needs is low esteem and inferiority
complexes. Maslow felt that Adler was really onto something
when he proposed that these were at the roots of many, if not most
of our psychological problems. In modern times – not everywhere
but mostly — most of us have what we need in regard to our
physiological and safety needs. We more often than not, have
quite a bit of love and belonging, too. It's a little respect that often
seems so very hard to get!
Maslow's Analysis of these four needs
All of the proceeding four needs Maslow call deficit needs or D-
needs. If you don't have enough of something - i.e. you have a
deficit, you feel the need. But if you get all you need, you feel
nothing at all! In other words they cease to be motivating. Maslow
talks about these levels in terms of homeostasis. Homeostasis is
the principle by which your furnace thermostat works; when it
gets too cold, it switches the heat on; when it gets too hot it
switches the heat off. In the same way, your body, when it lacks a
certain substance, develops a hunger for it; when it gets enough of
it then the hunger stops. Maslow simply extends the homeostatic
principle to needs, such as safety, belonging and self esteem, that
we don't ordinarily think of in these terms.
Maslow sees all these needs as essentially survival needs.
Even love and esteem are needed for the maintenance of health.
He says
 we all have these needs built into us genetically, like instincts.
In fact he calls them instinctoid - instinct like needs.
Maslow's justification for his hierarchy of needs is as follows:
In terms of overall development, we move through these levels a
bit like stages. As newborns our focus (if not on entire set of
needs) is on the physiological needs. Soon we begin to recognise
that we need to be safe. Soon after that, we crave attention and
affection. A bit later, we look for self esteem. Remember, this is
in first couple of years. Maslow points out that under stressful
condition when survival is threatened, we can ‘regress' to a lower
need level. When you have a great career fall, you might seek out
a little attention. When your family leaves you, it seems that love
is again all you ever wanted.
These things can happen in a society on wide basis as well:
When society suddenly flounders, people start clamouring for a
strong leader to take over and make things right. When the bombs
start falling, they look for safety. When the food stops coming
into the stores, their needs become more basic.
Maslow suggested that we can ask people for their 'philosophy
of the future' - what would their ideal life or world be like - and
get a significant information as to what needs they do or do not
have covered. If you have significant problems along with your
development - a period of extreme insecurity or hunger as a child,
or the loss of a family member through death or divorce, or
significant neglect or abuse - you may 'fixate' on that need for the
rest of your life.
This is Maslow's understanding of neurosis. Perhaps you went
through a war as a kid. Now you have everything your heart needs
yet you still find yourself obsessing over having enough money
and keeping the pantry well stocked. Or perhaps your parents
divorced when you were young. Now you have a wonderful
spouse - yet you get insanely jealous or worry constantly that they
are going to leave you because you are not good enough for them.
This is how Maslow projected his needs hierarchy theory to
motivate the self. He illustrated that it was the deficient state' of
being which needed fulfillment in this hierarchical ways.
Fulfillment of these hierarchical needs would lead one to ultimate
Self-Actualization.
Self-Actualization Need
What is self-actualization? Let us see in the context of Maslow.
This last level is a bit different. Maslow has used a variety of
terms to refer to this level in his book Psychology of Being'. He
has called it growth motivation in contrast to deficit motivation),
being needs and self-actualization.
Maslow says these needs do not involve balance or
homeostasis. Once engaged, they continue to be felt. In fact, they
are likely to become stronger as we 'feed them! They involve the
continuous desire to fulfil potentials, to be all that you can be'.
They are a matter of becoming the most complete, the fullest 'you'
– hence the term self-actualization. The Penguin Dictionary of
Psychology (2001) defines "Self-Actualization' at two planes. An
organismic theorist Kurt Goldstein, define this motive realise all
of one's potential. In Goldstien's views self-actualization was the
master motive indeed, the only real motive a person has, all others
being merely manifestation of it. In Abraham Maslow's theory of
personality, the final level of psychological development that can
be achieved when all basic level and metaneeds are fulfilled and
the actualization of the full personal potential takes place.
Are the two views similar? For Goldstein self-actualization
was a motive and for Maslow it was a level of development; for
both however, roughly the same kinds of qualities were
expressed; independence autonomy, a tendency to form few but
deep friendship, a philosophical sense of humour, a tendency to
resist outside pressure, and a general transcendence of the
environment rather than simple coping with it. Inferring from this
according to Maslow you need to have your lower needs taken
care of, to be on way to self-actualization. Your physiological
needs, safety needs, belonging needs, and self esteem needs have
to be fulfilled to move towards self-actualization. When lower
needs are unmet, you can't fully devote yourself to fulfilling your
potential. Thus as per Maslows hypothesis, the world being as
difficult as it is only a small percentage of world's population is
truly, predominantly, self actualizing. Maslow at one point
suggested only two percent.
The Anatomy of Maslows' Self-Actualization
To understand Self -Actualisation in Maslow's context we would
have to go through his methodology of research. He selected a
group of people, some historical figures, some people he knew,
whom he felt clearly met the standard of self-actualization.
Included in this august group were Abraham Lincoln, Thomas
Jefferson, Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jane Adams,
William James, Benedict Spinoza, and Aldous Huxley plus twelve
unnamed people who were alive at the time Maslow did his
research. He used quantitative method called biographical
analysis. He then looked at their biographical analysis, writing,
the acts and the words of those he knew personally, and so on.
From these sources he developed a list of qualities that seemed
characteristic of these people, as opposed to the great mass of us.
Characteristics of Self-Actualizers
These people were reality centred, which means they could
differentiate what is false and dishonest from what is real and
genuine. They were problem centred, meaning they treated life's
difficulties as problems demanding solutions, not personal
troubles to be surrendered to. And they had a different perception
of means and ends. They felt that the ends don't necessarily justify
the means, that the means could be end themselves, and that the
means, the journey was often more important than the end.
The self-actualizers also had a different way of relating to
others. First they enjoyed solitude, and were comfortable being
alone. And they enjoyed deeper personal relations with few close
friends and family members, rather than shallow relationship with
many people.
They enjoyed autonomy, a relative independence from
physical and social needs. And they resisted enculturation, that is,
they were not susceptible to social presence to be 'well adjusted'
or to 'fit in' they were, in fact, non-conformist in the best sense.
They had an unhostile sense of humour - preferring to joke at
their own expense, or at the human condition, and never directing
their humour at others. They had a quality he called acceptance of
self and others; by which he meant that these people would be
more
 likely to take you as you are than try to change you into what
they thought you should be. This same acceptance applied to their
attitude towards themselves. If some quality of theirs wasn't
harmful, they let it be, even enjoying it as a personal quirk. On the
other hand, they were often strongly motivated to change negative
qualities in themselves that could be changed. Along with this
comes spontaneity and simplicity. They preferred being
themselves rather than being pretentious or artificial. In fact for all
their non-conformity, he found that they tended to be
conventional on the surface just where less self actualizing non-
conformist tend to be the most dramatic.
Further they had a sense of humility and respect towards
others – something Maslow called democratic values - meaning
that they were open to ethnic and individual variety, even
treasuring it. They had a quality Maslow called human-kinship -
social interest, compassion, humanity. And this was accompanied
by strong ethics, which was spiritual but seldom conventionally
religious.
And these people had a certain freshness of appreciation, an
ability to see things, even ordinary things, with wonder. Along
with this comes their ability to be creative, inventive, and original.
And finally these people tended to have more peak-experience
than the average person. A peak experience is one that takes you
out of yourself, that makes you feel very tiny, or very large, to
some extent one with life or nature or God. It gives you a feeling
of being a part of the infinite and the eternal. These experiences
tend to leave their mark on a person, change them for the better,
and many people actively seek them out. They are also called
mystical experiences, and are important part of many religious
and philosophical traditions.
Maslow doesn't think that self-actualizers are perfect. There
are several flaws or imperfections he discovered along the way as
well. First, they often suffered considerable anxiety and guilt - but
realistic anxiety and guilt not neurotic tensions. Some of them
were absent minded and overly kind. And some of them had
unexpected moments of ruthlessness, surgical coldness, and loss
of humour.
Maslow makes another important observation about
selfactualizers: They appeared to transcend many of the
dichotomies others accept as being undeniable, such as: selfish-
altruistic, extrovertintrovert, active-passive, intuitive-rational,
sensual-spiritual, serious
 playful. Self-actualizers according to Maslow are neither
selfish (introvert, passive etc.) nor altruistic (extravert, active etc.)
nor somewhere in between: their behaviour is somehow selfish
and altruistic at the same time, because what they like for
themselves is also good for others. This is what Maslow calls
transcendence of dichotomies. They often do not make a choice
between two apparently opposite behaviours, but find a way of
solving the problem which synthesizes the advantages of the two
alternatives; without the disadvantages. This capacity for
dialectical synthesis' is perhaps the characteristic which most
fundamentally distinguishes them from average people, and which
makes it difficult to situate them in one of the conventional
psychological classifications of personality types.
Metaneeds and Metapathologies
Another way in which Maslow approaches the problem of what is
self-actualization is to talk about the special, driving needs (B-
needs, of course) of the self-actualizers. They need the following
in their lives in order to be happy:
 Truth rather than dishonesty.
 Goodness rather than evil.
 Beauty, not ugliness or vulgarity.
 Unity, wholeness, and transcendence of opposites not
arbitrariness or forced choices.
 Aliveness, not deadness or mechanization of life.
 Uniqueness, not bland uniformity.
 Perception and necessity, not sloppiness, inconsistency, or
accident.
 Completion rather than incompleteness.
 Justice and order, not injustice and lawlessness.
 Simplicity, not unnecessary complexity.
 Richness not environmental impoverishment.
 Effortlessness not strain.
 Playfulness not grim, humourless drudgery.
 Self-sufficiency, not dependency.
 Meaningfulness, rather than senselessness.
 At first glance, you might think that everyone obviously needs
these. But think; if you are living through an economic depression
or a war, or we are living in a ghetto or in rural poverty, do you
worry about these issues, or do you worry about getting enough to
eat and roof over the head? In fact Maslow believes that much of
what is wrong with the world comes down to the fact that very
few people really are interested in these values — not because
they are bad people, but because they haven't even had their basic
needs taken care of!
When self-actualizer doesn't get these needs fulfilled, they
respond with metapathologies – a list of problems as long as the
list of metaneeds! Summarily a self-actualizer, according to
Maslow when forced to live without these values he/she develops
depression, despair, disgust, alienation and degree of cynicism.
This is how Maslow illustrated the concept of Needs-
Hierarchy model with the ultimate self actualization of a person, a
model extensively used in current day business management. But
this illustration if compared with our self management model as a
journey from self to Self – a process of transcendence for Self
Realisation, would reflect many inadequacies. Let us critically
evaluate Self Actualisation in light of a more holistic concept of
Self Realisation.
Critical Evaluation of Self-Actualization in Context of Self
Realisation

Maslow's ideas have been criticized for their lack of an integrated

conceptual structure. According to Even (1988), “Maslow's
eclecticism seems insufficient throughout and includes too many
confusions and contradictions. His study of self-actualisers has
been criticized on methodological grounds and his theoretical
constructs have been characterized as overly vague, equivocal and
untestable.’
Though the Needs Hierarchy seems relatively simple and
consistent, though logically and philosophically not sound; the
concept of Self-actualization is not clearly defined. There is a
difficulty with the concept of actualization' itself, because it
presupposes that there is somehow a well-defined set of potential
talents an individual is capable of developing, but a human system
is much too complex to
allow the discrimination between 'potential developments and
'impossible' ones. Moreover, the definition of self-actualization as
fulfillment of all basic needs does not always correspond with self
actualization as observed in existing persons: Maslow himself
acknowledges that sometimes self-actualization seems to spring
from the frustration of a certain need rather than from its
gratification.
Self-actualization stresses the subjectivity and specifically
American bias of Maslow's criteria for psychological health, and
suggests that in different societies such as Japan, an
individualistic, autonomous personality like Maslow's self-
actualizers, would not be considered healthy or well adopted.
There is a problem with Maslow's empirical validation – it is
difficult to reproduce Maslow's observation: Maslow is rather
vague about how he selected his subject, and he acknowledges
that his work could not conform to the conventional criteria of
psychological experimentation because of the complexity of the
problem. Therefore his construct is flawed in conclusions and
conceptualization.
Cognition is a very important aspect in behavioural
management which is absent in the needs of hierarchy for self-
actualization. It is striking that many, if not most, of the
characteristic of self-actualizers listed by Maslow are cognitive:
accurate perception, creative problem solving, effective decision
making, high capacity for learning etc. Selfactualizes give an
impression of superior, flexible intelligence. Thus Maslow
mentions the existence of a cognitive motive, but cognition is
absent in his need hierarchy explaining the emergence of
selfactualization.
Self-actualization is a process of becoming' in State of
having' whereas Self-Realization is existent 'is-ness' in the State
of Being'. The context of State of having' and 'State of being'
has already been explained above. Most of us are lost in the
domain of 'having'. To come from the State of being' is more
powerful than coming from a State of having'. The State of
having' imprisons us. It is this liberation one should seek for
being truly successful. In Divine existence our Self is complete,
full and satisfied. It is infinite. To quote a prayer from
'ISAVASYA Upanishad of Yajur Veda'an Indian scripture -
 “That is fullness, this is fullness; the fullness comes out of
the fullness. Taking the fullness from the fullness, the fullness
itself remains.”
(Pandit, 2001)
Brahman, the consciousness is full, wholesome and complete.
The realization of this fullness at transcendental level should be
the essence of all management theory. It is the ignorance of our
fullness – which takes us in the delusion and rat race of
gratifying are needs and makes us follow the hierarchy of
Maslows needs and then move towards selfactualization. But
self-actualization is unstable psychological state – temporal and
hazy. Chakraborty (1991) clearly distinguishes between self-
actualization and self-realization. He says, "Nearly a score of
organizational studies done by us reveal beyond doubt that self-
actualization, even in Maslowian terms, is a far cry amongst
members. People at the highest echelons, with all their lower
order needs satisfied, vent their views in the same tone and
words as clerks do-only the scale is different. We believe that
more often it is a poor teacher or an unsung artist who is an
authentic self-actualizer, rather than a general manager or an
executive director or a management institute don. In recent
years many writings have appeared in standard western journal
criticizing the myth of SA and cautioning about the
individualistic, self-seeking and narcissistic impulses fostered by
it. Our inability and reluctance of de-contextualize concept like
SA, which are born of a highly individualistic ethos, lead to
grave distortions in our workmilieu. The casualties are our
cherished goals of cooperation, sharing, trust, large-heartedness
and the like.”
Chakarborty, (1991) puts the concept of Self-realization in
the right context vis-à-vis Self-Actualization. He says, "it is the
crude, raw, empirical, lower-order self which seeks
actualization, then the ethically dubious manifestations of SA
are inevitable. But there is trans-empirical higher Self toowhich
by definition is poorna 'complete'. It is this Self which is the
essence. It need not be actualized; it is waiting to be realized
because it is self-existent, like the clear blue sky above the
hanging clouds. Indeed, the lower (varaha) self has to be
transcended, not actualized.”
Chakarborty further states, “Only then does social
responsibility, humanism and the like flower spontaneously.
Detached involvement' in work is universally a practical method
to transcend the polluting haze of the lower self, and rise into the
luminous brightness of the poorna (complete) Self. It is only by
transcending — body-mind-intellect - that one would move on the
path of self-realization as illustrated above. It is in this process of
transcendence that the real nature of selfhood can be understood
to appreciate the distinction between Self-Actualization and Self-
Realization. one on the path of transcendence sees SELF as
1. Witness and non-participant.
2. It is not the ego.
3. It is not separate. It participates in the unity of all things.
4. It operates within the context of greater degree of
dependence.
5. The universe is viewed as possessing the same properties
of life as human beings including consciousness.
6. The change and development are not linear.
7. It expands to fuse with the cosmos but at the next
moment it withdraws itself from it. There is no
dichotomy between self and other, man and nature,
subjective and objective, as complete. It is unity
consciousness.”
This is the nature of higher SELF From this explanation of
SELF, Chakarborty examines — the Self-esteem and Self
Actualization needs of Maslow. He says ‘In the lower self which
demands esteem and actualization —and the pursuit of which will
invariably end up in blind alleys of lower order values or dis-
values no matter what modern motivation theory may try to
propagate. In doing this people are trying to understand the
superior spiritual or farther heights' in terms of their biological
roots. This is theoretically false and destined to fail — the higher
cannot be explained by the lower. 'Chakarborty (1991) further
quotes William James, the father of American Psychology—with
his formula on self esteem to drive home the point.
 Self Esteem = Success
Pretensions

“Given a certain level of pretensions higher success should

increase self esteem. But this will result in 'rampant ego-
centredness' Of course, given a certain success rate, reduction of
pretensions can also increase self-esteem. Could this be better
option than the first by the criteria of egotism? Unfortunately it is
too deceptively simplistic a formulation to reveal much practical
wisdom in self management. In any case all self-esteem based on
external feedback, signals, recognition —which is generally the
case is quite vulnerable and insecure and ego-centredness
becomes the automatic internal defence against such vulnerability
springing from dependency. Ego centricity is stoked in the name
of satisfying the needs of self-esteem - 50 long as it is the lower,
empirical self which is the object of esteem. Humility is essential
for an individual to acknowledge his many and frequent short-
comings, and also to prevent himself from becoming swollen-
headed when there is some recognition or success. These
processes are more vital than those of lightly glossing over lapses
and getting over-greedy about praise, etc. Self-esteem has to be
instilled, but through Self-realisation. It is only the SELF which is
worth holding in esteem, by slowly renouncing the self, seeking
liberation from the self. Team-work, dignity, sharing,
cooperation, harmony, trust and the like are grounded in the
SELF, not in the self.”
Thus a journey from self to SELF is essential for effective self
management. Self-realization is the process. The purpose of all
psychology in this century should be to help chart the process of
Self-Realization for every self. Psychology this century would
have to become transpersonal and transcendental. Inter-personal
communication and skills would not completely effectively
manage self-but one would have to become transpersonal and
transcendental in one's growth for effective self-management
Transpersonal psychology would be the fourth force in
psychology – Transcendence would be the order of the day.
Freudian and other depth psychologies constituted the first force;
Behaviourism was the second force, Maslow's humanism was the
third force — and now in 21st century, transpersonal psychology
would be the fourth force — Self Realization transcendence of
body, mind and intellect — to inculcate the Divine perspective in
management would be the new vistas of this science — which
would take its cue from Eastern philosophies, investigate such
things as meditation and
higher levels of consciousness. A lot of work is already
underway to synthesize Western Psychology and Eastern
philosophy for effective self-management. Perhaps best known
transpersonalist today is Ken Wilber, author of such books as
“The Atman Project' and 'The History of Everything'.
SelfRealization would be the summum bonum of Transpersonal
psychology — the new vista for self-management.
Meditation as a Technique to Transcend - Body, Mind and
Intellect
Anything that leads you to yourself is Meditation' - Unknown
If we look at the world today we will see that we have imprisoned
ourselves in our own body, mind and intellect. Our body, mind
and intellect - conditioned through so many influences through
our childhood - some influences good, some bad. But it is all
conditioned. I am not my pure awareness. I am chaos. My self is
fractured, confused and lost. Why? Because my self has not met
the Self. This self is conditioned and confused, body, mind and
intellect. Our management emerges from this state. That is why -
stress and chaos. To quote Wakhlu (1999) in his book ‘Managing
from the Heart'Human behaviour has its mainspring in the human
mind. All that we think, say or do is shaped by what we hold in
our minds. This includes our values, beliefs, assumptions about
ourselves; about the world and other people; our habitual patterns
(or ruts) of thinking, our memories and associations from the past,
and our anxieties about the future. All these form, as it were, a
massive filter through which we interact with the world. This is a
subtle but powerful web which constraints and binds our thoughts,
communications and actions into a narrow range. The result is
what we see all around us today. People having more material
wealth than they need but feeling trapped, or empty. Anger,
frustration and incorrect perceptions on the job. A sense of
helplessness in the face of challenges even though so much can be
done. A loss of the ability to innovate and to come up with new
ideas, and a general sense of dissatisfaction, or at best,
indifference. Needless to say, these problems are attended by one
or more of the physical symptoms that are related to stress. Our
potential to live life freely, productively, creatively – a life full of
 peace and compassion, and inspired service accompanied by a
deep sense of inner satisfaction and poise, is not realized. What
keeps us from living out this potential? The webs, ruts and traps
that bind us in our minds! So is our imprisoned self in our body,
mind and intellect. Meditation is the way out of this prison -- from
limited body consciousness to unlimited infinite Divine
Consciousness – The Witness and Pure Awareness. Meditate and
transcend your small self while managing anything in the world.
What is meditation?
Meditation takes you to “State of Being' - the pure awareness – it
deconditions your body – mind and intellect through a process of
transcendence. It takes you to your true nature. The method is in
Patanjali's (Ancient Seer of Yoga) aphorism - Yogah chittavritti
nirodha', which indicates that one must practice restraining of
thoughts. By doing so, you establish your true nature – which is
‘ananda' or bliss. To be receptive to the intonations of
transcendence, we must first empty our minds of the opinions,
preconceptions and believes that have stored there ever since we
were born. That is deconditioning it, de-cluttering it. We must
turn the mind from a storehouse into a sensitive and finely tuned
instruments; we must leave ourselves free to perceive without
eyes, listen with our ears, and savor with our intellect the
expressions of the seers, without any impediments from our
thoughts, their acceptance our rejections of fresh knowledge. Only
in this way can we open ourselves to receive and be attentive. We
can only be attentive and receptive through meditation. It is only
in the spirit of receptivity that we can grasp reality in all its
grandeur with exultant seer of Yajur Veda (An ancient Indian
scripture), we may sing - 'I have perceived the Supreme Person, of
golden hue, abiding beyond darkness'. (Piparaiya, 2003) The
Vedas, Upanishads, sermons of saints and pronouncements of
Prophets our all outcomes of their Shraddha (faith) for only after
de-conditioning body, mind and intellect would one invoke
Shraddha (faith) – through which creativity and knowledge would
dawn in one's action. It is Shraddha again that is enjoined upon
the brilliant Svetaketu in the Chandogaya Upanishad: sensing the
young scholar's arrogance, his father Udalaka counsels him to be
receptive to 'what
he has not heard, not thought, not known' In Brihandarayanka
Upanishad, Yagnavalkya urges us to 'perceive rather than merely
see, listen rather than merely hear, meditate rather than merely
think'. (Piparaiya, 2003) In Rig Veda, the poet seer is called
'Shraddha Kanayani', one who desires shraddha, invokes
receptivity in the form of divinity Shraddha. Having surrendered
all his energies, the seers seeks Shraddha's grace. He knows that
only the mind which has unlearned earlier habits of thoughts,
which receives as freely as it responds, can be truly creative. Only
by burning old thoughts can a mind forge a new plane of thought
for itself; rejenuvate itself. And it is through meditation that a
mind can be de-conditioned and brought into pure awareness.
Wilber (2000) says, "THERE ARE MANY WAYS to explain
meditation, what it is, what it does, how it works. Meditation, it is
said, is a way to evoke the relaxation response. Meditation, others
say, is a way to train and strengthen awareness; a method for
centering and focusing the self; a way to halt constant verbal
thinking and relax the body-mind; a technique for claming the
central nervous system; a way to relieve stress, bolster self-
esteem, reduce anxiety, and alleviate depression.
All of those are true enough; meditation has been clinically
demonstrated to do all of those things. But I would like to
emphasize that mediation itself is, and always has been, a
'spiritual practice. Meditation, whether Christian, Buddhist,
Hindu, Taoist, or Islamic, was invented as a way for the soul to
venture inward, there ultimately to find a supreme identity with
Godhead. "The Kingdom of Heaven is within”- and meditation,
from the very beginning, has been the royal road to that Kingdom.
Whatever else it does, and it does many beneficial things,
meditation is first and foremost a search for the God within.
I would say meditation is spiritual, but not religious, Spiritual
has to do with actual experience, not mere beliefs: with
awakening to one's true Self, not praying for one's little self; with
the disciplining of awareness, not preachy and churchy moralisms
about drinking and smoking; with Spirit found in everyone's
Heart, not anything done in this or that church.... Meditation is
spiritual; prayer is religious. That is, petitionary prayer, in which
I ask God to give me a new car, help with my promotion, etc., is
religious; it simply wishes to bolster the little ego in its wants and
desires. Meditation, on the other hand, seeks to go beyond the ego
altogether; it asks nothing from God, real or imagined, but rather
offers itself up
 as a sacrifice toward a greater awareness. Meditation, then, is
not so much a part of this or that particular religion, but rather
part of the universal spiritual culture of all humankind - an effort
to bring awareness to bear on all aspects of life.” Therefore we
can conclude with Wilber, that meditation is a State of Being'in
pure awareness.
Daniel Goleman (1988) states in his book, "The Meditative
Mind – Meditation takes us in a internal state of calm delight, is
keenly attentive to all important aspects of the situation, and
exhibits 'skillful means' in response to the requirements of the
moments'. 'Meditation, Goleman further quotes Csikzentmihalyi,
'is similar to a state described in contemporary psychology as
experience of 'Flow'. The key elements of flow are: (a) the
merging of action and awareness in sustained concentration on the
task at hand, (b) the focusing of attention in a pure involvement
without concern for outcome, (c) self-forgetfulness with
heightened awareness of the activity, (d) skills adequate to meet
the environmental demand, and (e) clarity regarding situational
cues and appropriate response. Flow arises when there is an
optimal fit between one's capability and the demands of the
moment. The flow range is bordered on the one hand by anxiety
inducing situations where demand exceeds capability, and on the
other hand by boredom where capability far exceeds demand. It is
this disbalance, which is the cause of chaotic mind. We should
increase our flow experience. Goleman (1988) states – “There are
two ways of increasing the likelihood of a flow experience:
regulating environmental challenge to fit one's skills, as in games,
or self regulation of internal capacities to meet a greater variation
in external demands. I propose that meditation may be a
functional equivalent of the latter strategy, producing a change in
internal state which could maximize possibilities for flow. Some
people', notes Csikzentmihalyi, ‘enter flow simply by directing
their awareness so as to limit the stimulus field in a way that
allows the merging of action and awareness' - namely, attentional
focus with the exclusion of distracting stimuli. This is identical to
the basic skill practiced in meditation: it is the essential core of
every meditative discipline." It can be inferred with Goleman that
meditation is pure awareness of Self being witness of self. For self
is the environment and Self is witness – The Awareness. The
process is transcendence of body, mind and intellect. Arun
Wakhlu (1999) further explains the essence
 of meditation as follows, “Meditation is a simple, easy and
effortless method which takes awareness beyond our mind to a
space which is totally and completely free. It is a gentle movement
towards the mind's ground-state of unbounded awareness.
Meditation is going beyond thought to the very source of all
thought. It is the seeing of what is and going beyond it. Meditation
is a process of transcending the barriers of our false I by
witnessing it. We cannot be something that we watch. When in
meditation I watch my body and the sensations in it, when I
witness the movements of my mind and feelings, then, by and by, it
dawns on me that there is a deeper reality beyond the changes of
the body-mind and the outer world. As I do this, I begin to let go
into a space of deep peace, silence and rest. In fact, at the very
centre nothing moves because nothing is there.
Meditation has, therefore, always been described as the
deepest level of rest. Awit has rightly called it the last resort? In
meditation, we are totally present to the moment. We are now
here and yet nowhere! The heart of meditation is witnessing and
being aware. I am sitting in this chair looking at a statue of Lord
Buddha. The statue is there and this body-mind is here. Yet there
is one more dimension. The inner witness is watching this body-
mind seeing Buddha's statue, listening to the sound of traffic on
the street outside and watching the flow of words onto paper.
Since there is no tangible witness to lay one's hand on, one
doesn't really know if one is there or not there. That is why
meditation is also a mystery beyond comprehension. In a nutshell,
meditation is:
• Being the real or whole self, the Heart
• Being Love
• Being now-here'
• Total ‘let-go’ and deep rest
• A mystery beyond comprehension
• A play to revel in”
Meditation is playful innocence. The Playful Awareness of all
happenings. The state of mental quiet. The state of Eternal
Witnessing Silence. Sri Sri Ravishankar, the spiritual guru of Art
of Living Foundation in India says -
A state of mind that has no agitation, is meditation.
A state of mind that has no hesitation, is meditation
A state of mind that has no desire, is meditation
A state of mind that has no mind, is meditation
 A state of mind that takes care of the present moment, is
meditation
A state of mind that is peaceful and restful, is meditation'.
(Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, undated cited in Dhar, 2004)

Similar observations were of Shri Ramanna Maharishi an

ancient Indian sage – 'watching the source of thoughts is
meditation'. He said:
Just be ........witness
Do not meditate - Be!
Do not think that you are - Be!
Don't think of Being - You are! (Sri Ramanna Maharishi,
undated cited in Wakhlu, 1999)
Meditation thus is a ‘State of Being?. You can be meditative
in all your actions for then the quality of all your action will
improve. Dhar (2004) in his book ‘An Interview with the Self'
writes, “Action is not the question, but the quality that we are
able to bring to our actions is what is material, meaningful and of
lasting value. In that sense, walking can be meditative; listening
to music can be meditative; talking can be meditative; looking out
of the window at trees, flowers and birds flying can be meditative,
provided you are fully aware of what you are doing and why. The
first step in awareness is to be very watchful of one's body - each
gesture, each glance, each movement, each thought and each
action. The masters say: If you create an auspicious condition in
your body and your environment, then meditation and self-
realization will automatically arise. The essence of mediation is
mind-control by training the mind so as to bring the scattered
mind back home.”
To have clarity and the concept of meditation some
misconceptions about meditation have to be cleared. Wakhlu
(1999) has debunked the following myths about meditation –
1. “Meditation is not forcing the mind to be thoughtless. It
involves ‘no doing'. Any attempt to force the mind into any
state is not meditation.
2. Meditation is not a state of mind. All states and
experiences are modifications of the mind. Meditation is the
witnessing 'no-mind' which is beyond all states and all
changes. All states of the mind come and go. They are
transient. Meditation is beyond any change and is eternally
there. It neither rises nor sets. It is important to remember
this. Many people associate meditation with a blank, dark
emptiness of the mind, or with a state of lightjoyfulness'.
This is not meditation. These are only transient experiences
 that come and go. Meditation is the seer, which witnesses
all states.
3. Meditation is not concentration on any single point or
theme. It is very commonly assumed that if you want to
meditate, you have to 'concentrate the mind' onto one thing.
This is not the aim of meditation although it may be an
initial approach. Meditation is openness to all possibility. It
is a silent acceptance of everything that is. It therefore does
not exclude some things and prefers others.
4. Meditation is not 'religion'. Many religions of the world
have some form of meditation as their core. For example,
Hinduism has customs of using certain mantras or sounds
as vehicles for meditation. Similarly, Buddhist traditions
use techniques such as Vipassana, which literally means
'insight. However, meditation in its purest form is a simple
process of going beyond the mind and reveling in spirit.
The spirit is universal and one. It is beyond the confines of
ritual and organized religion. In fact, it is the very sky to
which all the windows of religion open out.
5. Meditation is not glorified sleeping. Many people feel
that, just because both are done with closed eyes, sleep and
meditation are the same thing! Many beginners fall asleep
when they first meditate. This reinforces the idea that
meditation is a form of deeply refreshing sleep. This
misconception is born out of not understanding the
difference between sleep, the waking state and meditation.
The table below captures the difference.
During the waking state, we are alert to what is happening
around us, but are not rested. When we are asleep, we are
not alert to what is happening around us and may be rested
or not rested depending upon how deep our sleep is. It also
 depends on our level of emotional turbulence and dreaming.
Meditation, however, is restful alertness. It is a stateless
substratum on which the states of wakefulness, dream and deep
sleep rise and set. The substratum itself neither rises not sets.
6. Meditation is not a daily ritual. While you may start off by
scheduling some time for meditation everyday, it will
slowly expand from something you do for half and hour
everyday to your whole life. A cup of tea sipped with
awareness, remembering who you are, is meditation.
Walking with total attention to your body and the
surrounding stimuli is meditation. Sleeping at night and
watching your body mind sleep while you are fully awake
is meditation. It is no longer something you do in the
morning, but something you become and are. It is life itself.
7. Meditation is not listening to the 'inner voice'. It is also
not praying. Both these processes are very useful. However,
since in both cases there is a sense of doing, they are not
meditation, which is ‘non-doing? Also, both processes have
an underlying sense of expectation that either God will speak or
God will listen. Meditation is beyond all expectations.”
Benefits of Meditation on Management
Meditation is doing everything from 'State of Being' - making the
'Higher Self' witness to all your actions. Being aware of Witness
Self - makes you more objective in whatever you do. Objectivity
helps you in assessing a situation correctly. Correct assessment
will augur in correct action. Not only would one be correct in
one's action but the quality of action would also improve, due to
increased attentiveness emanating from pure awareness of a
'conscious being' – the real state of one self. Meditation as
Wakhlu (1999) says .........is an end itself. It is on its own without
a goal. It is not something we do to get benefits. However many
benefits do happen as we meditate regularly. These however
should not become the reason why we meditate because that very
expectation takes you away from the spirit of meditation'.
Meditation is a 'state of being' - it is a subject of Realization' not
Becoming'. It takes you in peaceful, harmonious living and hence
the best way of management of people. An integrated and
wholesome way. For Wakhlu (1999) states ........the world is made
up of people. It is their thinking, communicating and acting,
which collectively impacts life on this planet. As peace and health
begin to unfold in individual lives, the effects begin to unfold at
the gross level. In fact, the whole thrust of the New Management
movement is based upon managing from our most profound inner
awareness and in connection with the consciousness of others and
with nature. This is made possible by people who meditate and
who have begun to live more peaceful and harmonious lives. Life
will be more abundant' as people discover their own and others
inner resources. Behaviour driven by a sense of deficiency will be
less prevalent.
Meditation - The Technique to Right Mental Health
Meditation is the path of getting into pure awareness – right
perception and correct insight, - through making Higher Self' the
witness of all happening within yourself. (yourself - being body,
mind and intellect). For Daniel Goleman, meditation is an Eastern
Psychology which would help one maintain Right Mental Health.
Goleman (1988) – Meditation is practical psychology the people
apply to discipline their own minds and hearts in order to attain a
more ideal state of being”. Meditation thus is a means to
transformation of self. Goleman (1988) classified the mental
health of individual as a collection of certain healthy and
unhealthy factors based on his study of Abhidhamma (the
Buddhist psychology of meditation):
Goleman's Tabulation of Healthy & Unhealthy Mental
Factors Based on Abhidhamma
(excerpted from "Meditative Mind” (1988) by Daniel
Goleman)

Unhealthy Factors Healthy Factors

Perceptual / Cognitive:
Delusion Insight
False View Mindfulness
Shamelessness Modesty
Recklessness Discretion
Egoism Confidence

Affective:

Agitation Composure
Greed Nonattachment
Aversion Nonaversion
Envy Impartiality
Avarice Buoyancy
Worry Pliancy
Contraction Adaptability
Torpor Proficiency
Perplexity Rectitude

Goleman (1988) suggests, "Each of the unhealthy factors is

opposed by a healthy factor. These factors are either healthy or
unhealthy, there is no middle ground. The means in Abhidhamma
for attaining a healthy mental state is to replace the unhealthy
factors with their polar opposites. The principle that allows this is
akin to "reciprocal inhibition" as used in systematic
desensitization, where
 relaxation inhibits its physiologic opposite, tension. For each
negative mental factor there is a corresponding positive factor
that overrides it. When a given healthy factor is present in a
mental state, the unhealthy factor it suppresses cannot arise.
Goleman (1988) concludes from above analyses that
meditation is the path to right mental health - "once people have
become familiar with the categories of healthy and unhealthy
mental factors so that they can see them at play in their own
minds, they will find that simply knowing the state is unhealthy
does little or nothing to end it. For example, if a person resents the
predominance of unhealthy factors in the mind, or if he wishes
they would go away, he is merely adding aversion and desire to
psychological mix. The strategy the Abhidhamma offers for
attaining healthy states is neither directly to seek them nor to be
averse to unhealthy states. The recommended approach is
meditation.”
It is through meditation that one attains healthy mental states
by replacing unhealthy factor with healthy factor. Meditation -
just by pure prolong state of awareness and being in a state of
witness helps mollify and reduce unhealthy factors. This is where
Wakhlu, (1999) says “ones sense of worth and self respect
improves significantly. One experiences a deep 'okayness' which
is non dependent on any external conditions. The understanding
that one is pure unbounded awareness melts away all limitation
and fear. Discovering ones true self leads to a dramatic shift in the
paradigm we hold of life. Life becomes more playful and less
serious. This contributes further to our effectiveness and also to a
deep acceptance of life as it comes. The net result is growing
sense of innate perfection of life. This significantly reduces our
stress. Creativity unfolds as we lead go of the mind. We continue
to use the mind, but more like a useful slave. It no longer is the
master. Originality, flexibility and fluency of ideas, all unfold
with regular meditation. At the same time our comprehension and
the ability to focus also improves. More humor and laughter
become part of life.” Through a meditative mind, body and
intellect an all round healthy existence is achieved. This healthy
existence is manifested in whatever one manages. Productivity,
Innovation, Strategy, Leadership, Work Ethos or any other facet
of management - all move towards excellence. There is a
integrated,
 wholesome, and harmonious human existence. Man being in
harmony with himself - takes care of all his personal and
psychosomatic disorders. Man being in harmony with society
(people at large) - takes care of all social, emotional and
interpersonal disorders - a healthy relationship with all. Man
being in harmony with nature - takes care of all ecological,
environmental disorders. Thus a meditative - Mind, Body and
Intellect (The self) - is the panacea for all ills. Meditate - Discover
your self – and be happy.
Ego Management is in Journey from self to SELF
The Divine Exposition
It is a scientific truth that no two things can occupy same space.
Human existence is in form of spirit in an individual. Now in that
spiritual space either Ego in the form of I'doer ship) or GOD in
the form of Divine Grace) can be there. Both cannot exist in the
same space. It is only when Ego is out, that Divine Grace would
enter the spirit of the individual. Ego is out, and through Divine
Grace, the cosmic forces start performing through you. Empty
yourself of ego and Divinity starts functioning through you for
good of everybody. It is Divine Grace which makes your thinking
and action- powerful, potent, meaningful and for the good of all.
Divinity makes things happen but make them happen the correct
way. EGO as Swami Sukhbodhanand (2006) says stands for-
EEdging, G-God-, O-Out. Rabindernath Tagore, the mystic
poetconveyed this rationale of emptying oneself-when he sung:
“Hold thy flute empty and clear,
And let the Lord play His tunes through thee”
“The flute is the individuals - body-mind-intellect’system.
Emptying it of the ego-self and infilling it by the cosmic Self”
(Chakraborty, 2003) is the process of Ego Management. Let the
Divine forces of GOD - the Cosmos, work through you — by
letting ego out. Your ego has to die in God consciousness. The
thirteenth century Sufi mystical Saint and poet, Jalaluddin Rumi
has encapsulated the idea beautifully in following lines:
 The seeker of God's Court is like this: when
God appears, the seeker disappears.
For although union with God brings immortality,
the attainment of undying life means first
dying to your Self.
The shadows that seek the light are like
this: when the Light shines, the shadows disappear.
Can reason remain alive when consumed
by His light? Everything that exist will perish except His face.
Existence and non-existence perish before His Face:
What a miracle to exist in non-existence!
(Baldock, 2006)

Thus this 'existence in non-existence will work out miracle in

management of anything on earth.
The Mechanics of Ego
Ego the main and major problem of management in human
relationships has not found significant place in management
literature. Much has been written on motivation, leadership,
Conflict Management etc -- but Ego Management has been
primarily neglected. It is in transcendental model of Self-
realization explained above-Ego gets annihilated.
But what is the raison d'etre of ego? Aurobindo offers a
profound insight:
“The formation of a mental and vital (life force) ego tied to the
body-sense was the first great labour of the Cosmic Life in its
progressive evolution; for this was the means it found for creating
out of a matter a conscious individual.”
Charkraborty (2003) further analyses — 'Ego is thus a sort of
initial nucleus around which a distinctive individual personality
can form. Cosmic nature lives and revels in variety. But the
serious problem is that modern psychology stops at this point in
the ontological journey of the human race. The entire literature on
identity formation, identity crisis etc is limited to this
differentiating, separate ego within the prison walls of the Body-
Life-Mind. Yes Cosmic
 Nature loves and seeks harmony and unity no less. Secular
Psychology, however does not recognize the responsibility of
maintaining a continuity from the cosmic to the human level of
this higher evolutionary principle of harmony, of unity amidst
variety. Thus we can deduce that ego should be the functional
vehicle of Spirit. Spirit is the real self. Aurobindo writes: “The
ego or "I" is not a lasting truth, much less or essential part; it is
only a mental form of though centralization in the perceiving and
discriminating mind.......... All that we internally are is not ego,
but ......... Spirit.' Aurobindo further claborates ......the true
spiritual individual is not the mind ego, the life ego, the body
ego.. . . . . . . . . .. a time must come when man has to look below
the obscure surface of his egoistic being and attempt to know
himself (otherwise) however great his practical knowledge and
efficiency, be would be only a little higher than the animals'
(Aurobindo, undated; cited by Charkarborty, 2003).
Thus in transcendence of Body, Mind and Intellect ............
Journey form self to Self is management of Ego. But ego has to
serve its purpose --- as a Divine vehicle — for management from
Chaos to Serenity — through Higher Self. But the problem
Chakarborty (2003) succinctly concludes is .. ... ...due to
persistent wrong conditioning we have enthroned ego the
instrument, the servant, on the seat of the master, the spirit. Our
existence is the burning suffocation as it is imprisoned in the ego.
Therefore, we are incapable of scaling our potential summit.
When this happens to leaders in any walk of life, and as it must be
happening today, whole societies get caught in a vicious spiraling
error syndrome. Thus we see leadership of today trapped in ego
self — it has to transcend cgo — not bypass' Chakarborty (2003)
says, as it should serve as functional vehicle, the servant not the
master. Master should be Higher Self — the trans-empirical
identity of man. Self-realized. To quote Chakarborty — 'Spirit-
centered ontological perspective should provide a more solid
ground for future leadership. Only such leadership can keep the
human race swimming instead of drowing. Today's Knowledge
Worker, with his/her intellectual-emotional 'capital,' will not
blossom into a Wisdom leader unless one strives for this
ontological shift as an end in itself?
 How does one handle Ego? Doership is not easy to go. To
manage Ego — one has to more technically understand Ego. We
come to a million dollar question – What is Egolessness? Ken
Willber, (2000) American Spiritualist, finds that this. State of
Egolessness is confusing for a normal man. Why? He says —
Precisely because the ego, the soul, and the self can all be present
simultaneously, we can better understand the real meaning of
'egolessness', a notion that has caused an inordinate amount of
confusion. But egolessness does not mean the absence of a
functional self (that's psychotic, not a sage); it means one is no
longer exclusively identified with that self? Doership as a
functional self has to be there. It should be servant of Higher Self
— The Divine Self — not the master — the master doer' has to
go'. Egolessness is not self-abnegation or ascetism. Wilber
(2000) says – Egolessness is misunderstood this way — it is not
--- 'less than a person, somehow devoid of all messy, juicy,
complex, pulsating, desiring, urging force that drive most human
being? “Egoless' does not mean “less than personal'; it means
‘more than personal — Egolessness is not self-abnegation — as
generally understood — because 'functional self' has to be there to
perform and fulfill the Divine mission of human life.
Self-abnegation is becoming psychotic. But in all actions —
the doership has to transcend self (body consciousness) and
operate from Higher self (Divine consciousness). Self has to be all
encompassing: This is where Wilber says: 'Egoless' is ‘not
personal minus but personal plus — all the normal personal
qualities, plus some transpersonal ones'. All great saint, sages and
dynamic leaders —e.g. Christ, Buddha who showed direction to
human kind were not, Wilber says —" feeble mannered
milquetoasts but fierce movers and shakers..............many of them
instigated massive social revolutions that have continued for
thousand of years. Gautam Buddha shook India to its foundation,
mother Teresa was a great contemplative.' Yes, and Mother
Teresa is the only woman ever to have reformed an entire
Catholic Monastic tradition. Rumi, Plotinus, Bodhidharma, Lady
Tsogyal, Lao Tzu, Plato, the Baal Shem Tov — these men and
women started revolutions in the gross realm that lasted hundreds,
sometimes thousands, of years, something neither Marx nor Lenin
nor Locke nor Jefferson can yet claim. And they did not do so
because
 they were dead from the neck down. No, they were
monumentally, gloriously, divinely big egos, plugged into a
deeper psychic, which was plugged straight into God.' Being
Egoless is not selfabnegation but plugging into Higher Self.
That is more or less transcending the path from self to Self — as
expounded above in the model. To explain the concept of Egoless
state, Wilber (2000) further says; 'These great movers and shakers
were not small egos; they were, in the very best sense of the term,
big egos, precisely because the ego (the functional vehicle of the
gross realm) can and does exist alongside the soul (the vehicle of
the subtle) and the Self (vehicle of the causal). To the extent these
great teachers moved the gross realm, they did so with their egos,
because the ego is the functional vehicle of that realm. They were
not, however, identified merely with their egos (that's a
narcissist); they simply found their egos plugged into a radiant
Cosmic source. The great yogis, saints, and sages accomplished
so much precisely because they were not timid little toadies but
great big egos, plugged into the dynamic Ground and Goal of the
Kosmos itself, plugged into their own I ligher Self, alive to the
pure Atman (the pure I-I) that is one with Brahman; they opened
their mouths and the world trembled, fell to its knees, and
confronted its radiant God.' In transcending-bodymind-intellect-
one transcends the ego. Transcending the ego is not destroying
your ego, but plugging it into something bigger Wilber (2000)
further elaborates in his book 'One Taste' — small ego does not
evaporate; it remains as the functional centre of activity in the
conventional realm. As I said, to lose that ego is to become a
psychotic, not a sage.' "Transcending the ego' thus actually means
to transcend but include the ego in a deeper and higher embrace,
first in the soul or deeper psychic, then with the Witness or
primordial Self, then with each previous stage taken up, enfolded,
included, and embraced in the radiance of One Taste. And that
means we do not "get rid” of the small ego, but rather we inhabit
it fully, live it with verve, use it as the necessary vehicle through
which higher truths are communicated. Soul and Spirit include
body, emotions, and mind; they do not erase them. The ego is not
an obstruction to Spirit, but a radiant manifestation of spirit. All
forms are not other than Emptiness, including the form of the ego.
It is not necessary to get rid of the ego, but simply to live with it a
 certain exuberance. When identification spills out of the ego
and into the Kosmos at large, the ego discovers that the individual
Atman is in fact all of a piece with Brahman. The big Self is
indeed no small ego, and thus, to the extent you are stuck in your
small ego, a death and transcendence is required. Narcissists are
simply people whose egos are not yet big enough to embrace the
entire Kosmos, and so they try to be central to the Kosmos
instead.'
Life has to be transcended by living it — not escaping it. Not
self-abnegation on asceticism. Wilber (2000) says — we do not
want to surf the waves of life, we want the waves to go away. We
want vaporware spirituality? Wilber is right
— that is not correct spirituality. Be spiritual in market place
— with small ego plugged into Higher Self — the Divine. Waves
of life will not go. Surf them. Feel the Higher Self through them.
Real sages make their life purposeful — by transcending it,
through living life with its full gusto. These sages Wilber says —
'insist on finding release by engagement, finding nirvana in the
midst of samsara, finding total liberation by complete immersion.'
The life has to be lived through Higher Self — Indeed the whole
point is to be fully at home in the body and its desires, the mind
and its ideas, the spirit and its light. To embrace then fully,
evenly, simultaneously, since all are equally gestures of the One
and Only Taste. To inhabit lust and watch it play; to enter ideas
and follow their brilliance; to be swallowed by Spirit and awaken
to a glory that time forgot to name. Body and mind and spirit, all
contained, equally contained, in the ever-present awareness that
grounds the entire display.'
In this display is subtle transcendence of self to Self. Small
ego becomes the all encompassing Big Ego — through Divinity
entering you. And you see Higher Self performing in everything
through your functional small ego — which is plugged to it. For
as Wilber beautifully writes. In the stillness of the night, the
Goddess whispers. In the brightness of the day, dear God roars.
Life pulses, mind imagines, emotions wave, thoughts wander.
What are all these but the endless movements of One Taste,
forever at play with its own gestures, whispering quietly to all
who would listen: is this not you yourself? When the thunder
roars, do you not hear your Self? When the lightning cracks, do
you not see your Self? When clouds float quietly across the sky, is
this not your very own limitless Being, waving back at you? This
is Wilber's 'One Taste' – There is no duality - but oneness —
Oneness of 'self' and 'Self'. 'Self' performs through
 'self', and 'self' shines in Divine radiance of Self'. There is no
'I' no
You'. When you transcend from 'self' to' Self' — you make
You' and I'absent, there is only oneness', and that says Azim
Jamal (2006) (a Sufi Corporate Thinker) is 'Egolessness'. He says
"The 'I' and You' are drops in the ocean or the individual egos.
When we give up the drop (ego) we become part of the ocean. For
this is where Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi said: Give up the drop and
become the part of the ocean?
Egolessness as a state is difficult to achieve, says Azim Jamal.
“The ego is subtle, it is difficult to see. It is as difficult to see as a
black ant on a dark stone on a dark night. It is difficult to notice
and even more difficult to remove. For most of us, dropping the
ego in our life's work and requires enormous effort to achieve.
Nothing really worthwhile in life is easy. To become a full-
fledged doctor takes years of hard work. To become an athlete
takes countless hours of practice and hard work. Being able to
eliminate ego is no different. It takes years of discipline and hard
work before you are transformed and free from ego.' Jamal (2006)
illustrates this point with a Sufi Story: When Rabi'a, the Sufi,
through her devout meditation, reached the highest state of
enlightenment, a voice asked, "Who are you?” The Rabi’a replied,
"It's me." The voice responded, “Out you go.” The Rabi'a
continued her meditation and again came very close to the
Reality. Again the voice said, "Who are you?” This time she
replied, “It is Your servant." The voice again said, "Out you go.”
Once more Rabi'a continued with her meditation until she attained
the highest state of consciousness. The voice once more said,
"Who are you?” Now she replied, “It is you,” and was finally let
in to experience the Reality.
Azim Jamal (2006) concludes:
We become something when we become nothing. When we
eliminate our ego, we experience enlightenment. Where there is
no
 ego, there is oneness. And we are transformed This is the
process of Self Transformation --- in' Vedantic state of
transcendence from self to Self, which is beautifully encapsulated
in Jalaluddin Rumi's — 'existence in non-existence. And that is
Egolessness.
Conclusion: In the model of transcendence from self to Self Is
Inner Management.
In the model of transcendence from self to Self-Inner
Management takes place. One manages one's body, emotions and
thoughts effectively. The inner self is managed. This is what
Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev calls -‘management of interiority'. This
should be the core of management. But unfortunatnely in the
management science in the previous century – the most
predominant factor of management in life has become economics,
other aspects have been pushed to corner. Jaggi Vasudev says
'when economics rules we tend to become gross and unhappy and
suffer in so many ways. People who have failed in their life are
suffering their failure. People who have succeeded in their life are
suffering their success. If you suffer failure it is okay - because
failure comes easy, but if you suffer success it is a tragedy –
because success does not come easy- That's real tragedy.' Instead
of focus on economics the focus should be on Divinity - for then
correct holistic inner management takes place.
Management of 'interiority' is essential says Jaggi Vasudev.
He says: 'Anybody who is not managing his inner self, mind,
emotions etc. but managing external situations very well, he is
managing things by accident. If whatever happens externally –
‘outside', happens internally, 'inside', then you being happy and
peaceful is always accidental. If you manage by accident, you
exist as an accident- you exist as a potential calamity. If you are a
potential calamity you are anxious all the time. If you are stressed
then you are told to manage stress - that's what current
management techniques teach you. But you should realize that if
you manage 'interiority' there would be no stress - there is no need
to manage stress – that is inner management (Video CD — Inner
Management, 2005 — Isha Foundation)
Jaggi Vasudev further lucidly explains-'External situations
will not always be favourable they would be unfavourable at
times.
 Because it doesn't matter who you are, how great a manager
you are, how powerful you are, external situations will never be in
your control. That is the nature of life. As the scope and play of
life increases you have less and less control over situations in
which you live. So if whatever happens outside is happening
within you, you being peaceful and happy is a far away thing. Its
never going to happen. Only when the person begins to feel the
dimension beyond the physical, within himself (the transcendence
of body mind intellect) - then he can play with the physical world
which ever way he wants. He should do the best to the outside
world — results favourable or unfavourable, his 'interiority'
should be undisturbed. The outside world will not happen the way
we want but in our inner world, things should happen the way we
want. On our inner world - 'interiority' we have our control. We
are sovereign there. Body, Mind, Emotions, Thoughts and Energy
should happen the way we want not governed by external
situations and people. For if they are governed by external
situations and people,- somebody else decides what would happen
within you- it is worst kind of slavery. If somebody else decides
what is happening around us – outside- we call it slavery - but
imagine some body else deciding what is happening within you is
it not the most horrible way of being a slave. External situations
should not govern you. Allowing situations to create you is not
management. Creating situations is management.' (Video CD—
Inner Management, 2005 — Isha Foundation)
Communication within – self to Self, Swami Sukhbodhananda
(2006) says, “mind is a self talk mechanism. The quality of life is
a quality of your communication. If you communicate to your self
, 'I am unhappy, I am frustrated, I am miserable, then you find
yourself unhappy frustrated and miserable.” Internal
communication to your real Self is what matters. Something
happens in external world - pleasant or unpleasant – how you
communicate that happening to your inner self becomes your
experience. It has to be communicated in the correct way for then
it becomes enriching experience. Every happening in the outside
world should be the vehicle for spiritual growth to take you on the
path of Self Realization. For example says Sukhbodhananda
(2006), 'when someone scolds you and you carry his scolding in
your mind as sorrow, then you experience it as
 sorrow. If you hold his scolding not as a sorrow but as an
understanding that the person is releasing his tension, then you
will be more compassionate. Remember each one is fighting a
hard battle within.' Swami Sukhbodhananda (2006) also says- We
focus on what we communicate to others, but not on what we
communicate to ourselves. More than the incident the way we
interpret an incident mentally decides our experience on it.' This
is how inner communication should be handled. Entire
management education is focused on external communication, but
no training is given on internal communication, from self to Self.
For this happens in the model of transcendence - discussed above.
This is where we have whole science of Inner Management. If
you are not able to manage your interiority' say mind, you
managing thousands of minds (any industrial unit) is going to be a
disaster. If in the process of managing a situation the man is
broken - this kind of management is no good - for the purpose of
all management is human wellbeing. If you generally observe
management these days in various industries and institutions in
past four five decades world wide you will realize that lot of
people have understood management as a way of throwing their
weight around. Throwing around your weight, is not management,
says Jaggi Vasudev. But if correct “Inner Management, takes
place – through the model of transcendence which lends
objectivity to people in managing situations - management
becomes an art through which every being performs to his or her
full potential in the space you are managing . People should feel
elevated in that space. They should feel wonderful being there. If
that doesn't happen you are not a good manager. To make it
happen you need inner dimensions. In that inner dimension people
would rise in peace, love and compassion within themselves.
Correct management would take place. Because the basic intent of
all management is human well being. That is the beauty of 'Inner
Management, elucidates Jaggi Vasudev.
Inner Management takes place in transcendence from self to
Self. This is the “Silent Revolution of Self Realization of Jaggi
Vasudev- through 'Inner Engineering for effortless living. Manage
yourself correctly. In correct management lies the Divinity. The
 famous Sufi thinker Ibn Arabi (cited in Jamal, 2006) says:
“God is your mirror in which you contemplate yourself and you
are His mirror in which he contemplate His Divine attributes'.
Know thyself' and you know God.” So all effort should be to
know yourself and only yourself. Azim Jamal (2006) writes
'Looking for Self is the ultimate search. When we endeavor to
know ourselves, we stop short of judging other. We realize that if
it is so hard to know ourselves how can we know others. Instead
of spending time and energy judging others, we invest our time in
knowing ourselves. Once we find the spirit within us we find the
spirit in everyone and everything around us. Every thing begins
with the self. The Universe cannot contain for God is beyond the
universe. Yet, He can be stored in the heart of a true believer.
'Inner Management' is thus not only salvation of management
science but salvation of every self.
'Bhagvad Gita,' (the Indian scripture), says Jaya Row (2004), a
Vedanta exponent in India, ‘is a treatise which illustrates the
technique of self management. It enables you to discover the utter
powerlessness of external things besides the magic potency of a
self governed person. There can be no real progress without inner
development. You cannot have peace and prosperity without a
systematic advancement in self knowldege. It would be apt to
conclude the chapter on Self Management with Parthasarthy's
translation of verse 5 and verse 6 of chapter 6 from Bhagvad Gita
as they capture the spirit of ‘Inner Management
Verse 5- 'Let man lift himself by himself , let him not lower
himself, his self alone is his friend, his self alone is his enemy
(Parthasarathy, 1992)
Verse 6- "For him who has conquered his self, the self is his
friend but for him who has not conquered his self the self verily
becomes hostile like an enemy'
(Parthasarathy, 1992)
The spirit of SELF should be the real essence of management.
Therefore folks traverse the path from self to SELF. For Arun
Waklu (1999) says, “The highest good in Human being is their
own self. This is the love, awareness and bliss of our innermost
divine being.
 Everything worthwhile in life is an expression of this divinity.
All that we value is a hidden quest for this divine source.?
This essence of 'Inner Management is also well captured by
Carl Jung, American Psychologist -
Who looks outside dreams
Who looks inside awakes' The Higher Self has to be realized.
The self is the biggest obstacle to all that we can be. Hafiz the
Sufi poet says;' You Yourself are your own obstacle - overcome
yourself.'

Divine Exposition on Inner Management

Through Verse 5 & 6 from Chapter 6 of Bhagvad Gita
Excerpted from : Srimal Bhagvad Gita — Pujya Ma –
translated by Maj Gen, B.N. Bhandari, Arpana Publications
Karnal, India (1999).
Verse 5
One should lift oneself by one's own efforts and one should not
degrade oneself; for one's own self is one's friend and one's own
self is one's enemy. The Lord says that a person should
emancipate himself by his own effort and not become his own
enemy. He can release himself from the fetters of karma.
a) An individual can himself cut his bonds of action.
b) He can release himself from the fetters of life and be free.
c) An individual can himself uproot and destroy the seeds
of sin that he has accumulated.
d) He can himself end his sorrows forever.
e) He can himself erase his agony and pain.
f) He can obtain freedom from his own desires.
g) He can, by himself, attain eternal satiation.
h) He can erase all remorse and sorrow.
 i) He has the ability to discover his true, eternally joyous Self.
j) He can render himself pure and blameless.
k) He can attain the state of equanimity, be uninfluenced by
gunas and even achieve godhood.
The Lord therefore says, that it does not behove the individual
to degrade himself.
1. Why do you demean yourself?
2. Why do you repel your Self?
3. Why do you inflict sorrow upon yourself?
4. Why do you bring in your own downfall?
5. Why do you become so foolish and filled with moha?
6. Why have you become your own enemy?
7. Do not debase yourself so much that you ruin yourself.
The Lord now says, "You are your own friend and you are
your own enemy."
a) If you have not been a friend to yourself, it is foolishness to
blame anyone else.
b) If you have debased yourself, the fault is entirely yours.
c) You were the Eternal Light - yet you keep yourself in
darkness!
d) You were knowledge itself, yet you chose to keep yourself
in ignorance.
e) You are supreme and eternal bliss and you mire yourself in
sorrow.
f) You, the blemish less image of satiation - choose to remain
unsatiated and inflicted by aberrations.
g) You, the eternally blameless one, fetter yourself thus with
fault and sin. Your aim was to become the most Supreme
amongst men - you become demon-like. You would not
have treated even your enemy the way you have treated
yourself!
The Lord says;
1) Befriend yourself and thus emancipate yourself.
2) Become a Self Realized Soul.
3) Re-establish yourself once more in your Indestructible
Essence.
4) Regain your infinitely pure Self once more.
All this is in your hands - you can do everything.
Verse 6
The self of a Self Realised Soul who has conquered his own
self, is his friend; but it is the enemy of one who has not thus
controlled the self.
The self as a friend
1) That which can transform you into a Self Realised Soul.
2) That which renders you faultless, blameless and free of
attachment.
3) That which helps you transcend likes and dislikes of the
mind.
4) That which destroys ignorance and unites you with the
Supreme.
5) That which makes you view duality impartially.
6) What which frees you of all despondency and helps you to
be unaffected by all attributes.
7) That which fills you with divine qualities.
8) That which elevates you from the human state to Godhood.

You are Light Itself. Just remove the veil that has fallen over
you and recognize your true Eternal Self. If you do not do
even this, you are your worst enemy.
Non Self
1) He who has not conquered his own self, is his own enemy.
2) He who identifies himself with the inert objects of the
world and considers himself to be similar, is Non Self.
 3) He who identifies himself with the inert body and thus
considers himself to be only inert matter, is Non Self.
4) He who identifies himself with the sense organs and
considers himself to be nothing more than theses, is Non
Self.
5) He who is addicted to the inert objects of the material
world and considers them to be all important, is Non Self.
He who becomes dependent on these gross objects inevitably
forgets his true essence. It is this attachment and identification
with the gross that generates attachment. It augments the body
idea and enmeshes the individual in desire, anger and greed. Thus
the individual is filled with the fear of death and separation from
the objects he loves. He becomes insecure, anguished and is filled
with sorrow. Being ever un-satiated, he is full of aberrations.
It is then that the individual begins to degrade himself and
becomes completely forgetful of his true Self. Thus identified
with the gross body, he is verily Non Self..
a) When body attachment with the mind takes place, it is the
'I' that identifies itself with the body.
b) When attachment with the mind takes place, it is the l' that
identifies itself with the mind.
c) When attachment with the sense organs takes place, it is
the 'I' that identifies itself with the sense organs.
d) When attachment with the sense objects take place, it is the
‘I which becomes dependent on the objects of the world.
The body, mind, sense organs and sense objects are all inert -
they are all Non Self.
When the ‘I'identifies with these, the individual automatically
becomes inimical to himself. He engages himself in the
accumulation of gross objects to ensure self establishment and self
protection, and thus loses his peace of mind.
The enemy
Little one:
1) That which causes sorrow is your enemy.
2) That which takes away your eternally joyous Essence is
verily your enemy.
3) How can that which causes distress be your friend?
4) That which engenders remorse and agony in your mind
cannot be your friend.
However, the strange thing is, it is not the world that makes
you unhappy; the cause of unhappiness is you yourself. Whether
one receives recognition or insult from the world, nothing can
affect the individual whose mind becomes a friend instead of a
foe.
Little one, understand this again - your enemy is that which:
1) robs you of your peace and joy;
2) is your opponent;
3) is the cause of injury to your;
4) is the cause of your destruction;
5) snatches away your rights;
6) attacks your surreptitiously.

It is the mind that behaves like an enemy towards you.

1) It knows your weaknesses and is bent on ruining you.

2) It is nurtured in your home and yet it turns against you.
3) It takes the support of your own intellect and learns ways
and means to disregard what you say.
4) It gains strength from you and then steals away your
happiness.
Therefore little one, know this mind to be your enemy. Yet, if
the mind nurtures love for the Lord, it will become your friend.
When the mind is absorbed in the Supreme you will abide in
eternal bliss. Then know the mind to be your friend. Your self is
thus in the process of being realized.
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