Welcome to
Universal Human Values -
UNDERSTANDING HARMONY
and ETHICAL HUMAN CONDUCT
BUHK408 : Syllabus of the Course
Module2 : Harmony in the Human Being
Understanding Human being as the Co-existence of the Self and the Body,
Distinguishing between the Needs of the Self and the Body,
The Body as an Instrument of the Self,
Understanding Harmony in the Self, Harmony of the Self with the Body,
Programme to ensure self-regulation and Health
(Chapters 5 to 7 of the Text Book)
Module2 : Harmony in the Human Being
Understanding Human being as the Co-existence of the Self and the Body
Module2 : Harmony in the Human Being
Understanding Human being as the Co-existence of the Self and the Body
If we want to understand Self and Body seperately, it can be done based on the need
Happiness is fulfilled by Right Understanding & Feeling, Physical facility is fullfilled by
Physio-chemical Things
Module2 : Harmony in the Human Being
Understanding Human being as the Co-existence of the Self and the Body
• Knowing means undertanding
the reality as it is, in its
completeness.
• Since Reality is definite,
Knowing is also definite.
• With right understanding, our
assumptions/ acceptance is
set right, our recognition of
relationship is set right.
• Our conduct becomes definite
and becomes humane.
• Co-existence is called as Sah-
astitua in Sanskrit
Module2 : Harmony in the Human Being
Distinguishing between the Needs of the Self and the Body
• We are trying to fullfill the
continuous need for
happiness, like respect,
through physical facility like
clothes and food.
• But the need appears
undefined and unlimited
which is a misunderstanding.
• As the result, we keep
accumulating more and more.
We never feel prosperous. We
still feel deprived and get into
a loop.
Module2 : Harmony in the Human Being
Distinguishing between the Needs of the Self and the Body
• Self is the knower/Seer. It gives instructions to the body when the body needs to be
involved and it reads the sensations of the body. Self decides what to do (doer),
• Self is the central to human existence. Body is used as an instrument.
Module2 : Harmony in the Human Being
The Body as an Instrument of the Self
• Our body is a system of
interconnected parts (brain,
stomach, mouth, lungs)
working in harmony.
• The body is like an instrument
for the Self, we can use as and
when required, for happiness
and prosperity.
• Our role is to understand its
self organisation and do what
is required to maintain it, to
keep it in harmony and good
health.
Module2 : Harmony in the Human Being
Understanding Harmony in the Self, Harmony of the Self with the Body
• Just like any instrument that we use, we have the responsibility for its upkeep, repair and
maintenance etc. For example, if we are using a car, we have the responsibility of taking
care of the car - filling petrol, services, protecting it from accidents.
• Our responsibility towards the body is in terms of nurturing the body, protecting, rightly
utilising it. Nurturing is by providing right air, water, food, sunlight etc. Protection from
unfavourable conditions. Right Utilisation would mean using the body for the purpose of
the self.
• The feeling of the responsibility towards the body is called self regulation. Self Regulation
(or Control) is the basis of Heathiness.
(Self Control is called as Sanyam, Healthiness is called as Swasthya in Sanskrit)
• If the feeling of responsibility is not there, we may end up misusing the body, using it to
get happiness through favourable sensation, from overeating for instance and make it
unhealthy. With self regulation, the self and the body together ensure the harmony and
health.
Module2 : Harmony in the Human Being
Programme to ensure self-regulation and Health
• The Program includes 3 main topics : Nurturing the Body, Protecting the Body, Right
Utilisation of the Body.
• Nurturing and maintaining health inclues the following:
▪ 1a. Intake 1b. Routine
▪ 2a. Physical Labour 2b. Exercise
▪ 3a. Balancing Internal & External Organs of body 3b. Balancing Breathing of body
▪ 4a. Medicine 4b. Treatment
• INTAKE (1a) includes the air it breathes, water it drinks, sunlight it absorbs, food given to
it. It is required for nurturing and Protection. A regular ROUTINE (1b) is required to keep
the body in healthy condition, waking up, cleaning, eating, physical work, sleeping.
According to seasons, food routine to be adopted.
Module2 : Harmony in the Human Being
Programme to ensure self-regulation and Health
•LABOUR (2a) is the effort human exerts on nature, ensuring movements of the body. Two
categories : 1st category is to produce physical facility, 2nd category is to upkeep of the
physical facilities like repair/maintenance of instruments/massaging/haircutting. Labour
helps in maintaining the body healthy. EXERCISE (2b) includes walking/jogging/swimming, it
does not produce physical facilities but for health and fitness.
•Balancing Internal & External Organs of body (3a) required to compensate for the stress
and bring it in harmony. Balancing Breathing (3b) (in terms of exercises) required to
compensate the disturbance in breathing.
•Body is self organised and in harmony. But MEDICINES (4a) are required to bring back to
harmony, like putting an ointment for a cut in the body. When the body is not coming by
itself in a state of coming back to harmony, a TREATMENT (4b) is required. If Kidneys are not
functioning, Dialysis is the treatment
Module2 : Harmony in the Human Being
Programme to ensure self-regulation and Health
• Protecting the body : Providing a conducive physical environment includes clothing,
shelter, vaccinations etc. Appropriate clothing required to protect from heat/rain/cold.
Shelter while resting. Vaccinations to develop antigens against viruses.
• Right Utilisation of body : Required for purposeful participation in the larger order. Since
larger order is the human being, required to use for the fulfillment of human aspirations.
This in turn for right understanding and the right feeling. The need for prosperity is
fulfilled by right understanding and physical facilities, the body should be utilised to work
with the rest of nature to produce physical facility, protect it and rightly utilise it.
• When the Self is in harmony within, it naturally has a feeling of self regulation i.e the
feeling of responsibility towards the body. Therefore, harmony with body is maintained.
When the Self has the feeling of self-regulation and the body is healthy, these two
together ensure harmony of the self with the body.
Module2 : Harmony in the Human Being
Programme to ensure self-regulation and Health
Revisiting the Prosperity
• All our need for physical facility is related to 3 things : Nurturing the body, Protecting the
body, Right Utilisation of the body. Unless we identify the need as limited, we will never
realise that there is a possibility of prosperity and we try accumulating more and more.
• Prosperity calls for right understanding and physical facility (through right skills). There are
several misconceptions relating to prosperity : 1. Human being is just the body and
therefore happiness has to be derived through sensations for which physical facility
required. 2. The purpose of life is assumed to be sensual pleasure and the misuse of
physical facility rather than right utilisation. Indulgence, Abstinence, non-Right Utilisation
are not naturally unacceptable 3. There is a shortage of physical facility.
• With the feeling of prosperity, we will think of right utilisation, nurturing others. But
when we feel deprivation, we think of accumulating and exploiting others.
Any Questions?
Thank You
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