Integral Humanism: Key to Holistic Well-being in the Globalized World

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consumption and maximum sacrifices’ for wellness of all other living beings. One should not covet/grab unjustly, the wealth of any other creature in existence in the world. It affirms that, one should always enjoy with his/her justified needs from the nature which should be possessed in accordance with the principles of righteousness. Here is a great teaching for everyone that no one should be greedy to usurp others’ share.

This aforesaid tenet of Upanishad, restrains every individual against usurping the interests of other people as well as the other living beings. In fact, according to Bharatiya philosophy from individual to the whole universe, every constituent of it has four cardinal constituents viz. body, mind, intellect and conscience. The integrity of all these four cardinal constituents of each of the components from the individual to the world, including family, society and nation etc. they have to pursue or undertake four kinds of endeavours or purusharthas viz. Dharma, Arth, Kaam and Moksha

These four kinds of endeavors or purusharth of every individual, family, society, nation and also of the world should have utmost self-righteous affirmation in their pursuit for the creation and distribution of wealth, fulfillment of material needs and in raising the self above the partisan and lustrous greed. In the present era from individual deeds to the running of an economy and the polity as well as in the economic and social conduct of people and nation, the philosophy of integral humanism needs to be invoked and ingrained in their conduct and endeavors in every sphere of their lives. Deendayalji propounded this philosophy when people were facing miseries across the globe, the US and the USSR were entangled in a cold war and Bharat was also trying a hybrid of capitalism and communism under the guise of mixed economy to pursue socialistic pattern of society.

The country was suffering from shortages, black-marketing, hoarding, etc. He asserted that if the philosophy of integral humanism is invoked in all of the following and other major spheres of the nation along with the endeavors of the individuals, families, society, nation and world, it can usher us in an era of sustained bliss and wholesome life for everyone. The spheres which need to be ingrained with their philosophy are

• Economic system
• Political system and governance
• Education
• Civil Administration
• Judicial administration
• Social and cultural
• Ethos
• International relations
• Religious teaching behavior and conduct
• Environment and nature
• Economic activities like agriculture, trade, commerce, industries
etc. and so on

If the philosophy of integral humanism as inherited from the ancient Bharatiya Intelligence, comprising the Neeti Shastras and Sootra Granthas, is pursued in all the above spheres of life and all affairs are regulated and conducted after recontextualising the doctrines propounded by Deendayalji, almost five decades ago it would have lighted our path best suited as the system of governance for the polity and people of Bharat and all other nations as a comprehensive remedy for the tatters of disarray and violence, overtaking our society, due to ceaseless conflicts inter-se the present day communalism, regionalism, capitalism, market globalism, socialism and pseudo secularism. This necessitates for a detailed treatise of the integral humanism on all the aforesaid aspects under the contemporary context. It would be undertaken in a series of few articles to follow.

References: 1. Ishavasyamidam sarvam yatkinchit jagadyam jagat|tena tyaktena bhuñjitha ma gridhah kasyasvid dhanam It means as cender: idam sarva
2. The 4 constituents of the individual are as under:
1. Shareer i.e. Body
2. Man or Manas i.e. Mind = Sensory, processing mind
3. Buddhi i.e. Intellect = Which knows, decides, judges
4. Chitt or Aatma i.e. Conscience = That guide the righteous conduct Moreover all the successive components including the family, society, nation and the world have the simily of constituents viz. the body, mind, intellect and conscience, to be explained later in another article. The series of speeches delivered from 22-25 April 1965, offer a sound philosophic base.