Here and How of Spirituality: Focusing Global Mental health

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Here and How of Spirituality Focusing Global
Mental health

• Prof. KAILASH TULI
• IILM Institute for Higher Education
• New Delhi, INDIA
• Email kailash.tuli_at_iilm.edu

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Spirituality

• Human beings exist at various levels
• They are the bodies
• They are the mind
• They are the spirits
• They are the Social creatures
• They are product of their cultures
• They function at physiological plain
• They are the functions of age
• They have Emotions
• Their geography influences them
• Their climate influence them
• They are part of infinite system

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Spirituality

• But They Have a Soul
• Each one of Us has a Soul
• Body with Soul is Living
• Body without Soul is Dead
• Soul is the indicator lamp of the Body
• Spirituality is the characteristic of the Soul
• Version of spirituality and soul have few
  variations in different religions
• According to Myers, There is spiritual hunger in
  the age of Plenty
• Spirit rises, Matter falls

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Spirituality and Religions

• Most of the religions rely on the soul (mystical
  in nature) phenomenon. Sounds enigmatic
• Various religions differ in explanation of the
  soul
• Yet there is some convergence in their
  explanations
• Spirituality is more closer to mysticism
• Scriptures often induce spirituality
• It is highly experiential in nature
• Concepts in religion are often not questioned
• Truth may be accepted but normally without
  questioning
• Counter questioning is not a common norm

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Scientific Spirituality

• It is the activity of the brain which gives riser
  to MIND ----Penfield
• Best example of scientific spirituality is of
  Albert Einstein interpreted the Universe with
  Theory of Relativity, Energy mass relationship
  Emc2 etc.
• The scientific interpretation of environment is
  equally spiritual experience
• Knowing the truth is always fascinating
• Focus is on exploration, sharing, disseminating
  of knowledge and truth
• Everyone having quest can join in the race for
  unfolding the mysteries of Knowledge Truth

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Spirituality and modern world

• Spiritual thinking modes help in creating peace,
  harmony, order and Gestalt
• If in turbulent world people consider
  spirituality, then that can inculcate global
  harmony
• Technology has brought many comforts but at the
  cost of mental calmness
• Materialism in the age of plenty eventually makes
  many people insecure
• Spirit rises, matter falls That can be panacea
  for various human materialistic problems
• A balance need to exist in material desires
• Beware of GREED and its fallout

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Happiness Index

• According to Jigme Wangchuk, The king of Bhutan,
  Gross national happiness is more important than
  gross national product.
• Happiness is not always dependent upon material
  comforts
• Happiness is an inner state of mind and spirit
• Materialism brings comforts but is not a
  guarantee to happiness
• Giving, sharing, communing with others, brings
  new joys, satisfaction, contentment and hope
• Caring for poorest of the poor was the life
  Motto of Mother Teresa, the angel like lady, The
  Nobel Laureate, who kindled millions of lives

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Seductive Technology and Greed

• Materialism seduces people.
• Affordance is the quality of material objects
  to mentally catch-hold the people
• Greed is root problem of many sufferings
• Mahatma Gandhi said, Nature has provided for
  everybodys needs but NOT for Greed
• Need and Greed need to be differentiated with
  wisdom and self analysis
• Prudence is required to stop vicious circle of
  needs and greed
• Check when greed is superseding need
• Greed can eventually be killing self or others

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Civilized Mans Eight Deadly Sins

• Konrad Lorenz visualized eight grievous blunders
  of mankind. These are
• 1) Overpopulation,
• 2) Devastation of Environment,
• 3) Mans race against Himself,
• 4) Entropy Feeling,
• 5) Genetic Decay,
• 6) Breakdown with Tradition,
• 7) Indoctrinablity, and
• 8) Nuclear Weapon Proliferation.

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Peace Inducing Activities (PIAs)

• Peace in Global context is both at Micro and
  Macro level
• One Vedic hymn pray about peace in ALL domains of
  Universe like water, air, fire Earth, flora and
  fauna and everything in Universe
• PiAs are a way of life to create culture and
  civilization of peace on Earth
• If every individual wishes and conceives for
  peace then finally world peace can emerge
• PIAs can include activities like Prayer, health
  care, Mediation, Loving and caring for the poor,
  spreading messages of peace and harmony,
  coexistence, forgiving and forgetting

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Spirituality, Gestalt and Yoga

• Spirituality has correlates like Yoga,
  Meditation, Prayers, Gestalt,
• Activities which have synergies with each similar
  philosophy are good to follow to achieve the
  major goals of world peace
• Yogic practices by Mahesh Yogi (like TM ) and
  Swami Ram Dev have such kind of impact on large
  segments of population
• Spiritual leaders like Dalai Lama, Ramakrishna,
  Sai Baba, Ninh Thanh have great impacts
• Combining Yoga , Gestalt and Spirituality has
  good impact in Counseling Psychotherapy

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Concept of Time Space

• Meditating on Time dimension is very unique
  exploration of the inner psyche
• Imaging that human race is in continuity, yet no
  one is living for ever
• Imagining the vastness of this planet and beyond
  is wonderful and spiritual experience
• While flying one gets a glimpse of this vastness
• Powers of Ten by Charlie and Ray Eames will
  demonstrate this (To show 9-minutes video)
• Meditate on this experience in terms of
  infiniteness of time and space (Brief activity
  workshop). Attain calmness-Think collectively

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Conceptualizing and loving the GAIA

• Gaia is the Greek word for Mother Earth
• Human existence on this planet is very delicate
  balance of numerous variables
• Excessive tampering will harm the Gaia
• It is like the huge organism and if anything
  worst happens to it then it may not survive
• Earths death means the death of everybody living
  on that
• Everybody has a global responsibility
• We can be good to Mother Earth if wee are loving
  fellow human beings
• Sound mental health is essential to have loving
  attitude

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Journey towards Utopia

• Human race needs a clear future vision
• To think of Sustainability in times to come
• Promising future are good to dream but require
  commitment to achieve
• Threats of war, violence and Terrorism need
  eradication and these thoughts leading to
  horrendous acts lie in minds , which require
  sound MENTAL HEALTH
• Sound mind in sound body on sound society
• Spiritual humanity can dare to achieve UTOPIA
• And Thinking positively it will be achieved

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Spirituality Works!

• There are many instances in which spiritual
  people have bailed out the world from dire
  consequences
• Consider the preaching and holy messages of great
  people
• History tells, after every act of war and
  violence on Earth, only peace has provided balm
  effect
• Consider the contributions of 95 Nobel Laureates
  and 20 organizations who were conferred the Nobel
  Peace Prize
• Evaluate what great scientists and inventors have
  given to this world, which makes our lives
  amazingly comfortable. Express your Gratitude

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What Envelopes Us?

• Watch the places in which we live.
• Our three environments are
• Nature
• Man-made
• Social
• These three are simultaneously enveloping each
  one of us
• Keeping a balance is essential
• From timer to time watch this envelope, which
  encases everybody on this Earth
• Honoring Gaia is essential for sustainability

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Summarizing in Mirage form

• Paths of Knowledge and enlightenment is
  never-ending and infinite
• We can always look for reality but it never
  reaches so easily
• Keep exploring, questioning, investigating
• Quest for truth is enlightening intellectually
• Objectivity in spiritual matters will bring us
  closer to spiritual reality
• 
  
• THANK YOU
• 
  

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Rabindra Nath Tagores Gitanjali quotation

• Thou hast made me endless, such is thy pleasure.
  This frail vessel thou emptiest again and again,
  and fillest it ever with fresh life.
• This little flute of a reed thou hast carried
  over hills and dales, and hast breathed through
  it melodies eternally new.
• At the immortal touch of thy hands my little
  heart loses its limits in joy and gives birth to
  utterance ineffable.
• Thy infinite gifts come to me only on these very
  small hands of mine. Ages pass, and still thou
  pourest, and still there is room to fill.