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source:
With Love and Regards,
"Heart2Heart"
RadioSai's e-Journal Team,
In Sai Service
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Life is a game, play it! Treat life itself as a big game. To achieve
a good name and success in this game, you have to cultivate good
habits. Good thoughts, good speech and good actions are the
discipline required in this game. When so much practice and effort
are required to achieve success in games like tennis, how much more
effort is needed to succeed in the game of life! In this game, if
you wish to achieve a good name, uphold your ideals and realize the
Divine. You have to observe in your daily life right thinking, right
conduct and right attitudes.
- Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Vol. IV, P 162.
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The end of education is character. - Baba |
HOW MUCH SALARY DOES A MAN REALLY NEED?
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Loving Sai Ram and greetings from Prashanti Nilayam. The title of
this week’s letter is inspired by a famous story of Tolstoy
entitled, HOW MUCH LAND DOES A MAN NEED? And the motivation for the
theme? Read on to find out!
This is the time of the year when our newspapers and TV channels are
full of news about graduates of our Brand Business Schools, who get
fabulous offers from overseas, with annual salaries touching as high
as $ 200,000. The Public is just floored by this phenomenon – fresh
graduates getting this kind of fat salaries. Understandably, these
young men and women instantly become heroes and heroines and their
pictures are flashed everywhere. The Directors of the Business
Schools beam from ear to ear, Professors who taught these graduates
are full of pride, and hundreds of young people look admiringly,
hoping soon it would be their turn to reach El Dorado.
Recently, we asked some of the students of the Business School here
in Swami’s University what they thought of it all. We had a long
discussion, starting with the curriculum and teaching, and then went
on to discuss various related factors. In this letter, we would like
to share with you some of what we heard and learnt from our
students. This in essence is what they said:
·
In academic
terms, there is really no substantial difference between the
Business School in our Institute and these so-called Brand
Institutes. The syllabus is more or less the same, and we too study
the same books.
·
There are
differences though. For one thing, in the Brand Business Schools,
the students get more exposure to many practical details of today’s
business world. We on the other hand get an entirely different
orientation, which has its own value.
·
Learning about
some of the intricacies of today’s business world does give some
tactical advantages to the graduates in terms of entry into
high-profile corporations. On the other hand, we learn, especially
in a very practical way, more about humans, the way they behave,
their aspirations and so on. In the long run, this experience is
invaluable in its own way. After all, in the ultimate analysis,
business is always done with human beings and Society is the real
market place. Thus, when it comes to matters like really dealing
with customers, and having a good appreciation of what it is that
the public wants, we are much better equipped.
·
For the students
of the Brand Schools, the horizon often is the Corporation they are
in. For them, the shareholders are very important. For us, Society
is everything, and the stakeholders, meaning the public at
large are very important.
·
In the Brand
Institutes, the bulk of the training is in the classrooms. For us,
however, the bulk of the training is really outside the
classroom.
·
To start with,
our Hostel is where we learn most of our lessons, because it is
truly a microcosm of Society.
·
In the Hostel, we
are about ten or twelve to a room. Compared to other colleges, this
might sound horrible. On the other hand, once one gets used to this,
the experience is like living in a commune and teaches many valuable
lessons.
·
The Hostel
authorities make sure that in every room, we have a good mix of
students from different regions, speaking different languages,
studying different subjects and from different strata in life.
Living in the same room, sleeping on the floor, and working with our
brothers all the time on all matters relating to the Hostel and the
College teaches us how to be austere, how to adjust, how to
co-operate instead of aggressively competing, how to help each
other, and so on. It shapes our personality in a subtle but very
significant manner, for the better, we believe.
·
Another important
thing about our Hostel. Compared to other Hostels elsewhere, our
Hostel has very few service staff and as a result, the students
literally run most of the activities in the Hostel. For example, all
minor electrical repairs and plumbing repairs are done by the
students themselves. When a boy is sick, other boys prepare special
food for the sick boy, as prescribed by the doctor.
·
In effect, all
labour is shared. The boys serve in the dining hall, they take care
of the Hostel library and computer centre, they take care of the
intercom, the audio system, they stitch costumes needed for plays
and the Institute Dramas, they have a music group which takes care
of the Bhajans and special music needed so often for various
occasions, they take care of decorations when required, and so on.
·
These multiple
skills come to the fore during the Annual Sports and Festival Meet,
when very complex structures are designed and created by the boys,
entirely on their own. This calls for skills such as welding,
papier-mâché work, a bit of automation and so on.
·
Indeed, our
Annual Sports and Cultural Festival, offers the best commentary on
the training that we receive in the Hostel. It is absolutely unique,
the like of which cannot be seen in any University in India, because
where else do students get such training? It is only those who have
actually witnessed the event who would able to appreciate what an
all-round training we receive in terms of character development,
self-reliance, working in harmony with others and so on.
·
Elsewhere in the
world, Business Schools operate so as to throw up some stars and a
large number of “lesser” mortals. In our Institute we have a unique
system in operation in the Hostel. The principle is that everyone
has some talent in high measure and that person must therefore be
encouraged to make use of that talent for common good.
·
Thus, one boy may
be very good in sports and be the Institute Sports Captain. Here he
is the leader and others follow him. But this same Captain might be
in the Bhajan group, which has its own leader. This happens across
the board, so much so everyone learns simultaneously to lead from
the front, as also to follow. This is a very unique kind of
leadership training that teaches everyone to lead and also to follow
by listening to others.
·
Hostel is not
everything, and we must not forget Swami, who is the One that really
shapes us, in so many different ways too. Take, for example, our
daily visits to the Mandir for Darshan. You know, it takes a lot of
discipline to sit quietly on the ground for hours, without
fidgeting. That is a special training in itself; it teaches
patience.
·
When we are in
the Mandir, what we eagerly look forward to is at least a glance
from Swami, and those fleeting glances do come. Others might not
notice them but we never miss. Sometimes, it is a stern glance to a
boy whose monkey mind is up to no good. At other times, it is a
glance of immense love and compassion, assuring the receiver that He
is there to help in tiding over the looming crisis. On other
occasions, the glance is wrapped up in that matchless smile of Grace
that everyone yearns for. Over the years, all these things add up in
a most effective and miraculous way and that cannot be lightly
dismissed.
·
We must also not
forget how Swami gives us so many chances, like singing Bhajans, or
distributing Prasaadam or presenting skits, opportunities to
speak in His Divine presence, sing songs on festival mornings and so
on.
·
When Prime
Ministers and Presidents come here for ceremonial occasions, who is
it that is in charge of hospitality services? Students of Bhagavan,
both old [now serving as teachers] and new! And how meticulously
Swami instructs those in charge of service! Does this happen
elsewhere?
·
In every possible
way, we here get trained for life in such a manner that it enables
us to fit in wherever we go. An important part of the training is
the Annual Grama Seva or Village Service. Where else do you
see the entire faculty and students working for ten to twelve
days at a stretch, cooking food, packing the food, and carrying the
food, sweets and clothes to over a hundred villages, visiting every
house in every village and hamlet, and distributing all this with
love and compassion? This exposure gives us a deep feeling
for rural India, without which urban India would be nowhere. Indeed,
it has changed the outlook of many students who wanted to go abroad,
inducing them to stay back and serve the country.
·
Above all, what
we learn every single minute is the importance of character and
integrity in life.
·
People ask: “Does
Truth work in the dog-eat-dog business world?” It does because,
increasingly, Corporations prefer transparency, and integrity in
professional work. In this respect, we actually have an enormous
advantage over the graduates of the Brand Institutes.
·
People ask: “Why
does not your Institute have placement service?” The answer is
simple. Firstly, placement deflects the attention of students from
studies to money. Swami is very clear that students must study for
leading a proper life and not for making money. Secondly, stripped
of the glamour attached, placement is like an auction! We value
knowledge and education, and do not think knowledge should be
degraded in this manner. This is quite contrary to the noble
traditions of this country.
·
People ask:
“Look, the graduates of the Brand Institutes are grabbed by the big
corporations paying huge sums. What about you fellows? Do you get
jobs with such fat salaries?” Our answer is simple. First of all, it
must be noted that barring half a dozen “top stars”, the bulk of
students elsewhere get the same kind of jobs and salaries as our
boys do. In fact, over the years, big companies in India have come
to learn that Sai students 1) are not attracted by salaries, but by
the desire to learn through experience; 2) easily adjust to the work
assigned instead of bargaining for work they like; 3) are loyal to
the employer and do not jump jobs simply because someone offers a
slightly higher salary; 4) are very good team players instead of
being temperamental prima donnas. 5) Finally, Sai students actually
improve the corporation they serve by making it a better corporate
citizen. Thus, Sai students have their own “market value”.
·
This is not all.
Swami says, “You are what you are because of Society. So, when you
go out into the world, make sure you serve Society.” Thus, for
Swami’s students, serving Society is the main goal in life, and this
they do in many ways. Firstly, wherever they are, they work for
their employer in the true sprit of Karma Yoga. Next,
they use every spare moment to go out into Society and assist those
in need of help. Some go the villages during weekend and do all
kinds of Seva. Some run medical camps, and so on.
·
Mind you, all
this goes on throughout the year, very quietly, without any
prompting from anyone. Do you know, for example, one of Swami’s
students who is in Nigeria, works in a Leper Camp during his free
time, actually dressing the diseased limbs of lepers? Can you find
one such example from students who have graduated from all the
famous institutions in the world?
The above is only a small sampling of what our students told us. In
quoting all this, we do not want to give the impression that our
students are vain and look down upon others. Far from it; we asked a
question concerning this matter, and they simply said, “Other
Business Schools train students to play a certain role in life,
whereas Swami trains us for something different.” And to drive home
the point that they do not pose as being holier than others they
added:
·
In God’s
Universe, everything has a purpose, and every individual plays his
or her own assigned role in the never-ending Cosmic Drama. Thus, we
do not criticise or condemn the graduates who have studied
elsewhere. If some of them are offered big and attractive salaries,
so be it for that also is what the Good Lord has willed. For us,
that same Good Lord has given other instructions, and over here, we
are trained to follow those instructions when we go out into the
world.
·
We have no right
to condemn others even as we have no right to praise ourselves. God
has given every one a role to play; others play their roles and we
play ours. In the ultimate analysis, who is to say which is better?
But this much we do know: If we live with integrity and offer
everything to God, there can be nothing better. This is possible for
both the king and the pauper. The good thing about our Institute is
that we are constantly reminded of this truth, and that is what
makes us different. And we are mighty happy to be different, for
this is a difference money cannot buy. So, why should we complain?!
Well, we were quite amazed to have this incisive analysis of the
nature of Swami’s University and the Business School of the
University in particular. What do you say? Do you agree or is there
something our boys have missed? Do write and tell us please; we
would welcome your comments!
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source:
With Love and Regards,
"Heart2Heart"
RadioSai's e-Journal Team,
In Sai Service.
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