Alia Khan
A Holistic Approach to Business Management- Perspectives from the Bhagavad Gita
From my understanding of what a holistic approach to business management is using the perspectives from the Bhagavad, Gita Yama means restraints, which Patanjali provides as guidelines to help anyone observing them live in peace with everyone around them. Ahimsa means non-violence, it prevents us from committing violence towards ourselves and others. In order to do business, Ahimsa can help us not committing any physical violence in order to obtain our desired goals in our business. Satya is truth, which we need while doing business of any kind. Truth can help us have a clear image of what we are getting ourselves into while doing business. Non-stealing in Yama is Asteya, which can help us not to commit fraud with anyone we are working with. Brahmacharya is walking with God and/or on God’s path. This would prevent us from committing sexual harassment and/or assault toward anyone we are doing business with. When working in a professional setting we should refrain from our inner desires. Aparigraha means non-greed, which keeps us away from obsessing over money while doing any kind of business with anyone out there.
A Saddhu is a holy man who is enlightened with this knowledge about how to do business the Dharmic way. Even though in my personal observation about Saddhus these days is that they are nothing, but fake and just want to rip people off and make money. It might have been different during the ancient times of Mohenjo Daro and Harrapa. The Indus Valley culture honored their gods by having seals depicting their gods. Seals are similar to stamps of today’s day and age we use when shipping packages from one place to another. Importing and exporting goods requires shipping packages.
Business is meant to be about meeting the market’s demand by utilizing the 3C policy of having the capability, capital, and connections. Capital today basically encompasses money, men’s power/labor force, machines/technology, and methods/ways to do the business properly. Capability is important since the worker would know how to get the work done which he/she is doing for a business. The connection is how people network and advertise their businesses. Communication in today’s day and age is how we market ourselves and businesses to make growth. Commitment is the most important element of managing business affairs according to the Bhagavad Gita.
In recent years it has been about professional specializations managing business utilizing human resources, real estate, and wealth. I agree with the analysis of Henri Fayol about dividing business management into five elements such as planning out what your business is going to be. Organizing everything your plan so it can be executed without any challenges. Commanding workers when to start the work for the business and when to have it done by. Coordinating with all workers in a company/organization can help get the work done efficiently, and everything has to be done properly and in a controlled environment to obtain success in the business. I believe that the Indian Hindu caste system was built on the basic principle of how the community should work together. Basically, not everyone is meant for every job. The Hindus divided everyone into mainly four categories such as Brahmans the intellectuals, the Kshatriyas who were the warriors, the Vaisyas who used to be the tradesman as well as those who worked in the financial field of work, and the Sudras who were the poor servicemen. An interesting thing about today’s way of using the term Vaisya is that it is used for prostitutes in India. We see so much today about the Indian caste system being horrible in the news and that it should be outlawed in India even though these specific business applications from The Bhagavad Gita are indirectly being utilized here in the United States of America too. For example, I am not qualified to give medical and life coaching advice on the professional level. Thus, if I do give such advice to anyone without telling them that I am not qualified I may get sued or go to jail for advising anyone.