Human Values

Jeevan vidya (or Madhyastha Darshan) is an all encompassing darshan (philosophy). It helps us to understand Reality as it is, to see harmony in Existence. Reality is and stays that way irrespective of the fact that we may assume it to be different. Our assuming the reality to be different from the way it really is, will only have an impact on the way we enter into a relationship with different units (another human being and other entities in nature) in existence. Human beings act and behave according to their perception of reality. The perception is based either on certain assumptions/ conditioning/ belief, which we get from our culture/ home/ education/ media etc. Or it is based on Understanding.

Jeevan vidya is a study of this reality, first by understanding the self and the by understanding rest of the existence. To understand, 8 day course are organized in which the entire philosophy is put forward in the form of propositions. Participants are requested to examine/ verify the propositions at their own right and not on the basis of any text, scripture or words uttered by a great person or on the basis of finding through instruments. An important distinction is made between understanding and agreement/ disagreement. It is proposed to first understand the concept and then take a decision about agreeing with it or not.

During the 8 days attempt is made to understand the self (basic desires, imagination, thoughts - the commonality between human beings and the differences between them). This is followed by understanding the relationship between the self and 1) the body 2) the family, 3) the society, 4) nature and 5) the entire existence. The entire philosophy is absolutely non sectarian, secular and cuts across all boundaries o class, caste, creed, sex, race and nationalities.

For the past few years, it has got across to about 5,000 people in the country and has been introduced to engineering student in IIIT Hyderabad and NIT Raipur with extremely encouraging results. It has been tried with very young children, th people well advanced in age and the propositions have appealed across the spectrum as ti is the self which is responding to the propositions. People have felt more confident (intrinsic confidence and not the confidence based on comparison), motivated , their relationship with the others have improved, and have a better sense of responsibility and commitment after going through the course.