A Note on Indian approach to motivation

In Indian approach to motivation, there are four methods :

A.      Three Paths of Yoga. According to this, traditionally, g four paths have been suggested to motivate.

(1)     Cyan Yog : Path of knowledge of right or wrong and person is motivated through discussions, debate and contemplation.

(2)     Bhakti Yog : Emotional path; he feels that devotion alone will satisfy his psychological needs.

(3)     Karma Yog: Action orientation – cause and effect relationship. He takes right step. Does his duty religiously. Gita teaches karma yog.

(4)     Raj Yog: Mystic experiences – Internal psyche brings in a change.

According to the pshyce of an individual, any one or a mix of the above-mentioned methods can be adopted to motivate an individual.

B.     LAW OF PURUSHARTHA : According to this tradition, a person is motivated to satisfy fourfold Purusharthas or missions of life. They are Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. The word Purushartha is derived from two Sanskrit words ‘Purusha’ meaning person, and ‘Artha’ meaning aim or goal. Therefore, the term Purushartha means aim of life or missing of life.

(1)     Dharma : It is the rightful duty of a person. An individual is guided by his inner instincts to follow his Dharma. Also one has to follows one’s ‘Swadharma’ which is beneficial to him as well as to the society.

(2)     Artha : It is the pursuit of material wealth. However, Artha is only a means to achieve the ends, viz., to get comforts of life. But it must be remembered that Artha hopas to be acquired through dharmic means only. The most important thing to remember is that one should not have any attachment with money.

(3)     Kama : It means ‘desire’. According to this, one’s desires (needs) must be fulfilled. However, one must keep desires to a minimum level so as not to miss the ultimate aim of life, which is to realise the soul within oneself.

            (4)     Moksha : It means ‘liberation’. It implies self-realisation which is the ultimate aim of a human being. It is the ultimate experience of union of self with the superme self. By obtaining Artha, through Dharma, one fulfills one’s Kama – desires and finally attains Moksha.

C.     THEORY OF RIN : According to this theory, man is born to repay the ‘Rin’ (Debts) of all his past lives. This motivates a person to act in such a manner so as to repay these debts. Right from the birth, one is indebted to the following :

            (1)     Deva Rin : Here, Deva means all the Pancha Bhutas viz., Agni Dev, Varun Dev (Air), Vasundhara (Earth), Akash Dev, and Jal Dev. All living beings should be indebted to these five cosmic forces for their existence. They should repay their debt by preserving them.

            (2)     Rishi Rin : Our Rishis have given us great scriptures which have enriched our lives. Therefore, it is our duty to live our lives according to these thoughts. So also we must spread the knowledge given in the scriptures.

            (3)     Guru Rin : Our teachers have taught us so many things in life and made it wonderful. Hence, we should feel indebted to them and repay these debts by using these knowledge. Also we must respect our teachers.

            (4)     Pitru Rin : Our parents and grandparents have brought us into this world and gave us the value system which gives us peace. Therefore, we are indebted to them. We should do our best to look after them.

            (5)     Matru Rin : The word ‘Matru’ has double meaning. The first one is mother, who rears a child in her womb and brings him/her in this world and sacrifices her life for her children. The second one is the mother earth which sustains the life of all the living beings without any expectation.

            (6)     Bandhav Rin : Man is a social animal. Therefore, besides having good mental and physical health, he must possess a good social health. For good social health, one must contribute towards society’s improvement and peace. According to Indian ethics, we believe in ‘VASUDEV KUTUMBKAM’ which means that entire world is our family and therefore we must take care and love every human being in this world.

            (7)     Nrip Rin : ‘NRIP’ means the King. In the present context, it means the government. In this sense, we must be indebted to the government and be a law abiding citizen.

            (8)     Bhuta Rin : According to this concept, a man is indebted to all his ancesstors who have died. Indians worship their deceased forefathers. For this purpose they perform ‘SHRADDHA’ – a ritual, every year, to remember their departed forefathers.

            Also, Indians believe that an indebted man cannot go to heaven, after death. Therefore, every Indian would like to repay all his debts, before leaving this world.

D.      Ancient Technique of Motivation : According to this technique, there are four methods of motivation, viz., SAAM (Association), DAAM (Reward), DAND (Punishment) and BHED (Difference).

            (1)     SAAM : Man is social animal and he would like to be a part of the group to which he belongs. Therefore, a person can be motivated by the values, beliefs, ideology and lifestyle habits of the social and official groups.

            (2)     DAAM : Man can be motivated by offering rewards. Rewards should be such so as to satisfy the unfulfilled needs of an individual. These can be in terms of money or recognition, or both.

            (3)     DAND : Sometimes the fear of punishment or losing a thing, may motivate a person to do a job.

            (4)     BHED : This technique believes in the method of ‘DIVIDE AND RULE’. Groups are created in the society and competition is set between them. This competition motivates the individuals in the groups.