VALUES TO ENHANCE LIFE

The world over…schools…colleges…universities

place importance on

reading…writing…projects…

extracurricular activities…new methods of learning.

The objective – make students

worldly wise…smart…intellectually brilliant.

 

There is no emphasis on imparting

right values…vision of life.

Consequently…faced with emotional problems…

intelligent people lose efficiency…objectivity.

 

Learning has various aspects:

  1. Learn the subject
  2. Apply or use the learnings
  3. Understand the ethical angle – what is the knowledge

    being

    used.

As part of their graduation ceremony…

medical students take an oath…

to use their learning to serve the community.

The purpose of learning is to serve.

However, the world over, education

has been reduced to a commercial enterprise.

Once a lawyer declared, ‘My business is to defend my client’.

I asked, ‘If you are clear about your duty, why is your mind agitated?’

He replied, ‘I know my client has done

something wrong…but still need to defend him.’

 

I pointed out, ‘Your vision of life is wrong.

A lawyer’s duty is to see that justice is done.

If your client is acquitted

…an innocent person will be punished.

He retaliated, ‘I will starve if I don’t take on such clients.’

In response I said, ‘Once you are reputed to be ethical

your presence will empower the judge to look at justice.

Fear prevents you from creating such a value.’

 

Business is of course…about making profit.

but there is also such a thing as business ethics.

The question to ask is: ‘How much profit is enough?’

–   – Swami Tejomayananda.