143 Management Lessons from Advaita Bhavesh A Kinkhabwala

Introduction Shankara is a thorough, outright one. he word ‘Advaita’ is very beautiful. It As indicated by him, whatever is, is . Tliterally means ‘non-dual’. Dvaita means Brahman itself is totally homogeneous. All dis- ‘dual’ and the prefix ‘a’ negates the exist- tinctions and plurality are deceptive.3 ence of duality so, there is no ‘two’ but, ‘one’. It Dualism, Dvaita; qualified , Vish- could be simpler, if we said ‘one’, but then, the ishtadvaita; and Monism, Advaita; are the three next question would be, is there ‘two’; so by say- different fundamental schools of metaphysical ing non-dual, it conveys the clear and firm mes- ideas. They are altogether different stages to the sage of being just one, that is non-dual. final stage of the ultimate , namely,para- Acharya Shankara’s ‘philosophical stand- . They are the steps on the stepping stool point can be tried to be summed up in a sin- of . They are not in any manner conflicting gle word “Advaita”—NonDuality. The objective but, in actuality, they are complementary to one of Advaita is to is to make an individual under- another. These stages are amicably orchestrated in stand his or her fundamental (profound) char- an evaluated arrangement of spiritual experiences. acter with the preeminent realty [sic] “Nirakar Dualism, qualified monism, pure monism—all Brahm” and reality that there is no “two” yet one these come full circle inevitably in the Advaita and only. Advaita shows us to see the substance Vedantic acknowledgement of the or of oneself in each one and that nobody is sep- the supra-normal trigunatita Brahman. arate from the Supreme Power The .’1 Individuals have various personalities and What essentialness does it have for the regular various limits. Thus, various schools of theory daily life of an ordinary person? Advaita in- are additionally fundamental. The most elevated structs us to see the essence of oneself in each step is Advaita theory. A dualist or qualified one and that nobody is independent from the su- monist in the long run turns into a kevala-ad- preme power or authority, God, Nature, the Di- vaitin. A Dvaitin needs to serve the as a vine power. The teachings and lessons of Acharya worker. The Dvaitin wishes to attend and serve Shankara can be summed up in a refrain: ‘Brahma the Lord. A Visishtadvaitin needs to end up like satyam jagan mithya jivo brahmaiva na aparah; Lord and appreciate the heavenly. One Brahman, the Absolute, is alone real; this world doesn’t wish to combine oneself or become in- is unreal; and the or the individual soul is distinguishable with the Lord. One wishes to non-different from Brahman.’2 This is the core stay as a flash. A jnani blends oneself in Brah- of his way of thinking. The Advaita educated by man. One wishes to end up indistinguishable with Brahman. Bhavesh A Kinkhabwala is a company secretary The primary orderly proponent of the Advaita from Ahmedabad. was Acharya , who is the grand

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of Acharya Shankara. Acharya Govindapada was Just as a swan lives in water, yet its quills are the disciple of Acharya Gaudapada. He was the never grimy by water, likewise an Advaitin lives guru of Acharya Shankara. Acharya Gaudapada on the planet, however, she or he is free from has given the focal teaching of Advaita the influence of illusion. is in in his Mandukya Karika. Be that as it may, it the meantime, a school of reasoning, a religion, was Acharya Shankara who delivered the final a religious philosophy, and a tenet of . delightful form or version of Advaita theory and Its essential reason is all that eventually exists is gave a rightness and completing tone to it. Cau- the absolute Reality, nirguna Brahman, without tiously studying Acharya Shankara’s commen- characteristics. taries on the important , the Brahma The phenomenal world has experiential le- , and the Bhagavadgita, one will obviously gitimacy. Be that as it may, it has no supreme comprehend his Advaita reasoning.4 reality. It is at last , an enchanted show, and Maybe the most significant school of Indian mithya, false, neither genuine nor stunning. All spiritual way of thinking, Advaita is viewed as that exists is only Brahman. One’s individual self the most powerful and most overwhelming sub- is at last, the same as Brahman, consequently school of Vedanta, one of the six standard schools the significance given to the Upanishadic state- of Hindu way of thinking. Advaita Vedanta says ments like ‘I am Brahman’7 and ‘You are that’.8 that the one constant Reality, Brahman, alone It is just a kind of powerful numbness, , exists and that changing elements don’t have ab- that keeps us from understanding our actual na- solute presence, much as the sea’s waves have no ture as one with the Absolute, in certainty, the separate presence in division from the sea. The Absolute itself. waves ascend inside the sea and there would be Once avidya is evacuated, there emerges the no waves without the sea. In a similar way, the experience of the ’s identity with Brah- transient world ascents inside the Reality and man. One moves towards becoming jivan- owes its reality to the .5 mukta, freed while in the body, and after death The world has no autonomous presence from achieves moksha, identity with the Absolute. Reality and that is the reason why it is said to be Advaita coordinates the later Man- an illusion. What is changing must be depend- dukya Upanishad, Sankhya, and various thoughts ent on something else and thereby unreal. This around that time. The Advaita thought of edifi- wonderful universe of names and structures is cation or freedom depends on an extremely sig- consistently evolving. Names and structures are nificant knowledge. Not ‘merging with God’, as liable to rot and demise. Subsequently, they are is normally misconstrued, yet realising the Ab- incredible or ephemeral. What is consistent or solute. By realising the Absolute one rises above changeless should dependably be the Real. The the cosmic order; one is never again a limited Atman or the Eternal, all-pervading Self, ever being, rather, one rises to the level of the absolute exists. It permeates all items like ether. Regard- Reality, Atman-Brahman identity. The limits of less of whether the pot is broken, the ether that oneself vanish and one emerges into the infinite.9 is inside and outside it can’t be decimated.6 Essentially, if the bodies and all other things Management Lessons die, the eternal Self that swarms them can’t be A management expert says: ‘The central chal- crushed; it is the living Truth and just Reality. lenge in all management is realizing the nature

134 PB January 2020 Management Lessons from Advaita 145 of oneself. The advancement of humankind is item; Brahman isn’t another. It is all-full, un- best served when a human being connects with bounded, constant, self-existent, self-amuse, his or her own divinity. This is in sharp con- self-learning and self-joy. It is svarupa, nature; trast to the Western view where helping others nirakara, formless. It is the pith of the knower. is viewed as the penultimate purpose of human It is the seer, drashta; transcendent, ; and existence. In Indian spirituality, the world is best silent witness, . served when self-understanding precedes help- Maya is the complex illusory power of Brah- ing others. The world is changed for the better man, which makes Brahman to be viewed as the when we change ourselves. The key to a better material universe of independent structures: nir- world is self-realisation.10 guna Brahman seems to be . As Acharya Shankara has clarified,nirguna Dimensions of Advaita Vedanta Brahman is generic. It turns into an individual Acharya Shankara says that whatever exists is God, saguna Brahman, just through its relation- Brahman, only pure consciousness. All differ- ship with maya. ence and plurality are illusory, just as you see Saguna Brahman and nirguna Brahman are plurality in the ocean, in the waves, but the waves not two unique . Nirguna Brahman are water and the ocean is water. The pot is not isn’t the differentiation or inverse of saguna the clay. If the pot is the clay, when the pot disap- Brahman, and neither the other way around; if at pears the clay must also disappear, but it doesn’t. all They were, it would be totally opposing to the This is very important to understand. Essence Advaita Vedanta. The equivalentnirguna Brah- can exist without the form, but form cannot exist man shows up as saguna Brahman for the devout without the essence. When we say ‘neti, neti’, it love of enthusiasts. It is a similar Truth from two does not mean that this form is Brahman. The unique perspectives. Nirguna Brahman is the form is never Brahman, but it never exists apart higher Brahman, the Brahman from the supra- from Brahman. normal perspective, paramarthika; saguna Brah- As indicated by Acharya Shankara, Brah- man is the alleged lower Brahman, the Brahman man, the supreme cosmic Spirit, is separated from the relative perspective, vyavaharika. from everyone and is the ultimate truth. Other Maya has two primary functions—one is to than Brahman, everything else, including the ‘conceal’ the Brahman from common human universe, material articles, and people, is unreal. discernment and the other is to show the ma- Brahman, depicted as the One who is omni- terial world in its place. Maya is additionally said present, omnipotent, and omniscient, is the to be incredible, since the major reality of basic heavenly ground of all Being. Brahman is like- tangible recognition is totally covered up, des- wise depicted as ‘neti, neti’, signifying ‘not this, pite the fact that all sense information entering not this’, as it is adrishya, past the compass of the one’s mindfulness through the five faculties are materialistic eyes. It is the premise of the material maya. Another motivation behind why it said world, which thus is its illusionary change, maya. to be odd is that it is neither totally genuine not Brahman isn’t the impact of the world while, totally stunning. this world is only crafted by Brahman. Brahman Maya’s safe house is Brahman, however Brah- is said to be the source of limitless information man itself is safe by the hallucination of maya; in its most flawless structure. Brahman isn’t an simply like the swan and the lotus, unaffected by

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its environment, which that bondage and suffering because of maya and is a delineation of the just knowledge, jnana, of Brahman can obliterate Advaita Vedanta. maya. When maya is expelled, there exists posi- The Upanishads tively no distinction between the jiva and the broadcast, ‘Brahman Brahman. Such a condition of joy, when accom- alone is genuine’, how- plished while living, is called jivanmukti. ever we see this material While one is in the even-minded dimension, world to be genuine. one can revere God in any capacity and in any In what manner or structure. Yet, Acharya Shankara accepts that capacity? while Vedic penances, , and reverential wor- Acharya Shankara ship can lead one towards jnana, genuine learn- clarified this peculiarity ing, they can’t lead one straightforwardly to by the idea of maya. moksha. One needs to endure the outcomes of As indicated by one’s past activities. Regardless of what number Steve Jobs Advaita Vedanta and as of good deeds an individual does to conceal one’s clarified by Acharya Shankara, when a person at- wrongdoings, despite everything, one needs to tempts to know or comprehend the amorphous, confront them some day.11 the unbelievable Brahman, with one’s psyche and affected by maya, the Brahman that one sees, Management Lessons is . Ishvara is the impact of the reconcilia- Steve Jobs said: ‘Your time is limited, so don’t tion of maya with Brahman. waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be utilises an analogy wherein trapped by dogma—which is living with the re- he says that when the impression of the cosmic sults of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the Being is seen through the reflection of maya, the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own supreme Being, ishvara, shows. inner voice. And most important, have the cour- Ishvara is saguna Brahman or Brahman uti- age to follow your heart and intuition. They lising maya as the apparatus or instrument. The somehow already know what you truly want to ishvara can be acknowledged or seen by the pro- become. Everything else is secondary.’12 foundly edified. Ishvara might be even respected A management teacher says: to have a character. Theishvara is the subject of The ‘inner voice’ which Steve Jobs talks about worship. Theishvara is the premise of profound is the Atman or Self and the ‘heart or intuition’ quality and supplier of the products of one’s symbolizes the Brahman (Universal Self or God . Notwithstanding, ishvara is beyond the consciousness). When you follow your heart and past wrongdoing and legitimacy. Ishvara’s rela- intuition and listen to your inner voice, you ac- tually link your ‘Atman’ with the ‘Brahman’ and tionship with maya does not influence the flaw- hence can unleash the infinite power to succeed. lessness of ishvara. Ishvara dependably knows No doubt, Steve Jobs above quote is in tune with the solidarity of the Brahman substance and the the Advaita philosophy of ‘ Brahmasmi’ maya-nature of the world. which means ‘I am the Brahman or God’. Advaitins likewise have faith in the hypoth- To really manage ourselves and connect esis of rebirth of as plants, creatures, and with our Atman, we need to first gain complete people according to their karma. They accept control over our senses. For that we need to

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completely detach ourselves from all material Management Lessons temptations through self-abnegation. As the great Indian mystic sage (who was The vision or goal of an organisation should be the ‘guru’ or master of ) holistic and above all the diversities, adversities, said: “The world is water and the mind milk. and limitations. All efforts should be oriented If you pour milk into water they become one; for the overall growth and development and for you cannot find the pure milk any more. But the betterment of society and sustainable living. turn the milk into curd and churn it into but- Continuous development, learning, upgradation ter. Then, when that butter is placed in water, it with a focussed energy, and a dynamic leader- will float. So, practice spiritual discipline in soli- ship to overcome the diversities, adversities, and tude and obtain the butter of knowledge and love. Even if you keep that butter in the water limitations makes an organisation a vibrant en- of the world the two will not mix. The butter tity being an asset for the economy and society. will float.”13 … Five Tenets of Practical Advaita In the context of modern management it means that every manager should be focused on The five tenets of practical Advaita are: his work and at the same time be “in-sync” with 1. The belief, ‘I am not this body, mind, and the organization’s vision and mission. When intellect’. every worker and manager is in-sync with the 2. The belief, ‘I am not the doer.’ Organization’s Vision and mission, then it ul- 3. The belief, ‘I am not the experiencer’. timately leads to excellence. This is the true es- 4. Efficiency in action. sence of management by objectives as preached 5. An equanimous view.17 by Drucker.14 Acharya Shankara’s preeminent Brahman Management Lessons is nirguna, without the gunas; nirakara, form- These are five key policies to be followed for less; nirvisesha, without qualities; and akarta, sustainable management practices: non-doer as expressed previously. Brahman is 1. Participative-style management. over all needs and wants. Adi Shankara says, 2. Team work, giving credit to teammates and this Atman is plainly obvious. The Atman is the taking responsibilities and challenges for team premise of a wide range of insight and wisdom. building and getting work done. Advaita basically alludes to the character of 3. Alignment with the organisational vision the Self, Atman and the Whole, Brahman. He and goals. stated: ‘Ekameva advitiyam brahma; Brahman 4. World-class managerial practices. is only one, without a second.’15 There is no sec- 5. A holistic approach. ond, yet there is the presence of a huge variety. There might be numerous stalks of sugarcane, The Impact of Advaita Vedanta however the juice from every one of them has Advaita is interesting as it claims to our obliga- a similar sweetness. Creatures are many, how- tion to locate an immediate knowledge into our ever their breath is the equivalent. Countries unique nature through the intensity of insight are many, however the earth is one. As such, and comprehension. Advaita is a statement of Acharya Shankara announced to the world that extraordinary spiritual intellectualism, which has it is solidarity that underlines the obvious de- anchored our soul and imaginative knowledge to cent variety.16 non-double authoritative opinion, blocking us

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fantasy and profound rest states. Thus, it isn’t genuine, as indicated earlier. Along these lines, the world is said to be mithya by Acharya Shan- kara. Be that as it may, numerous individuals appear to be hypersensitive to mithya, when it is utilised to allude to the recognisable world. Consequently, maybe, Acharya Shankara calls it vyavaharika satta, relative reality or pratibhasika satta, imaginative reality, as though to suit them. Jiva alludes to the aware rule in every single living being, including human beings. In the pro- found rest state, sushupti, the body, psyche, and keenness are altogether discredited, rendered ab- solutely insufficient or insentient. Subsequently, the jiva is unified with the aware, internal life- standard, which restores the body, brain, and Shankaragaurishvara Temple at Patan mind after rest. This life-guideline is the un- from finding the living truth of higher duality. adulterated cognisance that is equivalent in all Advaita revived quite a bit of Hindu idea and creatures. The all-invading Brahman of the Upa- reasoning and furthermore affected discussion nishads is that unadulterated cognisance present with the two fundamental mystical schools in all jivas as their antaryami, inward soul. of Vedanta theory that were formalised later, namely, , qualified non-dualism Management Lessons and Dvaita, dualism. Managers and ceos can practise, rehearse, and Advaita Vedanta further helped the converge implement the lessons of Advaita by considering of the old Vedic religion with famous cliques an association with oneself and partners as one or divinities, henceforth framing a connection and the same, and not two distinct substances, between higher kinds of training, for example, which means considering in this manner the ob- , , and so on. jectives, objects, or vision of an association and In Vedanta, satyam, Reality, is in all respects avoiding segregation between people. Besides, obviously characterised and has a particular es- Advaita trains managers to conduct themselves sentialness. That is to say, what exists in all the properly and treat their subordinates in such a three timeframes, past, present and future, with- manner that they do not feel they are subordi- out experiencing any change; and furthermore nates and find no distinction between the vision in all the three conditions of awareness, wak- or objective of an association and herself or him- ing state, dream state, and profound rest. It is in self. There must be an extraordinary synchroni- this manner that the supreme Reality—birthless, sation between every one of the components of deathless, and unchanging—alluded to in the organisational dynamics and working personnel. Upanishads as Brahman. The world seems genuine just in the wak- Conclusion ing state; yet it is invalidated, it vanishes, in the Acharya Shankara ‘was not only a great thinker

138 PB January 2020 Management Lessons from Advaita 149 and the noblest of Advaitik philosophers, but he was essentially an inspired champion of Hinduism.’18 He set a model in thinking and ex- position which subsequent philosophers in India have striven to follow. His Advaita reasoning is grandiose, brilliant, and special. It is an arrange- ment of intense way of thinking and sensible nu- ance. It is exceedingly fascinating, rousing, and lifting. No other way of thinking can remain be- fore it in strength, profundity, and unobtrusive reasoning. Acharya Shankara’s way of thinking is finished and flawless. Acharya Shankara was a compelling, heavenly virtuoso. He was the greatest logician. He was a significant scholar of the principal rank. He was a sage of the most astounding acknowledg- ment. He was an avatara of Lord . His way of thinking has brought comfort, harmony, and enlightenment to endless people in the East and Entrance to Acharya Shankara’s Cave, Srinagar the West. The Western masterminds bow their the Upanishadic philosophy so that even today heads at his lotus-feet. His way of thinking has Sanatana can face modern challenges. relieved the distresses and burdens of the most has always come to be identi- pitiful people, and brought trust, delight, know- fied with Acharya Shankara’s Advaita Vedanta.19 ledge, flawlessness, opportunity, and comfort to A philosopher says: many. His arrangement of theory commands the Advaita system(s) can be divided on the basis profound respect of the entire world. of four doctrines 1. Nirguna-brahmavada, 2. Acharya Shankara was a scholarly and pro- brahma-, 3. anirvacaniya-khyati- found genius. He could encounter that radi- vada and 4. jivanmuktivada. In post-Shankara ant, supernatural state, turiya, wherein the jiva Advaita, these four doctrines go hand in hand. The first two doctrines have metaphysical im- realises its identity with Brahman, simply like plications, the third has both metaphysical the Upanishadic soothsayers. Along these lines, and epistemological implications and the the incomparable Acharya Shankara could af- fourth has great soteriological significance. firm and legitimately outline the vision of the The works of Shankara and post-Shankara old rishis of Sanatana Dharma, the reality of Advaitins are meaningful only when viewed Advaita. Before he left his human loop, he im- against the metaphysical background of the movably settled this way of thinking by his skil- nature of the self and the theory of the iden- ful discourses on the prasthanatraya, the three tity of self and Brahman.20 essential branches of Vedanta, namely, Upani- Acharya Shankara believed that all the shads, Gita, and the Brahma Sutra. Acharya schools, except Advaita Vedanta, had misinter- Shankara made the edifice of Hindu religion preted the Upanishads and missed their actual strong and sturdy by his scientific exposition of spirit. Shankara’s main intention was to produce

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the correct interpretation of Upanishads. In order 12. ‘Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address: “Your Time Is Limited, So Don’t to do this, Shankara skilfully drew from the reli- Waste It Living Someone Else’s Life”’, Huff- gious and philosophical concepts of his predeces- post, 5 October 2011 accessed 02 De- ture of his own, the Advaita Vedanta system. Thus, cember 2019. 13. M., The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, trans. Swami Adi Shankara is best characterized not as a Hindu Nikhilananda (Chennai: Ramakrishna Math, thinker or a ‘crypto-Buddhist’ but as an Upani- 2002), 82. shadic Indian philosopher.21 P 14. Anindo Bhattacharjee, ‘Modern Management Through Ancient Indian Wisdom: Towards a References More Sustainable Paradigm’, Purushartha 4/1 1. K Rajan, ‘Life and Message of Adi Sankara’, (March–August 2011), 14–37; 22–4. Speaking Tree, 1 May 2018 accessed 02 December 2019. 16. See Dr Surendra Pathak, ‘Adi Shankara- 2. Acharya Shankara, Brahma-jnanavali-mala, 20. charya: Contributions and Influences on 3. See ‘Advaita Vedanta’, Inner Quest ac- May, 2016 accessed 02 December 2019. accessed 02 December 2019. 17. See V Krishnamurthy, ‘I am Neither the Doer 5. See ‘Saints of India—A comparison of two Nor the Experiencer’

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