Holistic Wellbeing

The idea of holistic wellbeing for global peace teams from following ancient Vedic wisdom which is a part of most of religious rituals in India.

However, we find that contemporary materialistic society has emerged with more complex social issues leading to unrest, disharmony, inequality, violent minds, erratic lifestyles, environmental degradation, and unending internal and external conflicts. Science and technology development has given us sensory pleasures and added comforts but no inner peace. Global conflicts, the old war, and unrest are rising everywhere with no definite solution. There is an erosion of social values everywhere. The blind practice of religious rituals devoid of humanity and ignoring consciousness is also a major factor in the growing crisis. The need for better education and enriching children with the right knowledge is very important in this industrial and materialistic age.

The philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi also called Gandhism gives simple solutions for holistic wellbeing. Gandhian principles include Non-Violence, Truth, celibacy, self-sustainability, simple living

Sarvodya (development for all), Industrialization not to cut labor, use of Khadi, Fasting, Freedom, and respect for all religions.

The holistic solutions to Global Peace stem from the above Gandhian principles. The key areas where  we need to focus are:

• Educational Reforms  
• Economic upliftment to curb inequality.
• Good Governance and strict accountability.
• Renunciation of politicians and administrators.
• Redefining science and technology areas for a peaceful world.
• Shift from ritual-based religious practices to humanity.
• Better life management, relationship, and productivity through the adoption of yoga therapy.
• Targeted disarmament including nuclear weapons.
• Isolating violent and terror groups and nations.
• Globe Peace Forum and UNO

 

“May all living being be happy, free from pain and suffering, and may all see good in others and find peace.”

Ways to achieve holistic wellbeing

Change starts from yourself

Peace starts from within us from the self to the eternal soul, but we ignore self-consciousness due to our ego and run after physical comforts and materialistic world. Ignoring self-consciousness and caring only for physical body comforts, we create all types of problems around us whether it is our self, or our family relations or our society, or our nation, or our world. The unrest that starts from self spills over to the world due to our egoism. Establishing self-consciousness through yoga for mental peace will lead to a better world and holistic wellbeing. 

Educational reforms for holistic wellbeing 

Uniform and free education till High School

The education system should help build peace and sustainable societies. Education must inspire to address the needs of individuals (body, mind, and soul) and society, and nature. The school education system in many nations is very expensive. We have elite and luxury schools for the rich and free schools with very poor infrastructure for the poor. Unfortunately, education today is largely a roaring business catering to the rich, giving them the skills to get richer. It sponsors competition and hence crime.

The school system today is dividing the children from school age into two classes haves and have-nots. This economic disparity is a major reason for unrest and crime in the nation. The public schools are expensive and a major portion of parents’ income goes for schooling costs for children and brings economic strain /stress on parents leading to lifestyle evils in society.

Both female and male parents have to work hard to earn enough for the school education of children. Society cannot change if we continue with this system which is dividing society. The only way out is to free the education till High School for all. No separate schools for the elite rich class.

Schools can be nationalized and a uniform schooling system can start in which rich and poor children sit together and learn and treat each other as human beings. This will also lead to equality and harmony in society.  Funds can be arranged by state through Social Security Funds. Social Security Funds are created through the contribution of employees and their employers as students start earning. Such systems are prevailing in Europe and other countries.

Value based education  

Modern children are exposed to violence through childhood by addicting them to children’s comics, toys and video games, news channels, cinema, and TV soaps play it out in every home and heart. Hence, self-development through yoga should be an integral part of the school curriculum for holistic wellbeing. Subjects like nonviolence, conflict management, democracy, human rights, nonviolence, social and economic justice, gender inequality, environmental sustainability, disarmament, international law, human security, and meditation for stress relief, peace science, self-development through Yoga and dissolving ego, Conflict management, health management, etc. should be included.

Economic upliftment to curb inequality

Economic measures so far all over the world have failed to reduce the gap between rich and poor. So we need to change existing economic systems and make people self-sustainable. Some areas that need to be addressed are for holistic wellbeing:-

• Corporate India must strive to bridge the gap between rich and poor. Said Mr. Narayan Murthy in his book “Corporate Gandhi – Narayan Murthy “. At the management corporate level, peace means –serving shareholders, employees, customers, sales vendors, government, and society at large with utmost honesty, integrity harmony, and fair returns. This means reducing the ratio between highest paid and lowest-paid. The maximum ratio of ten should be fixed with a little bit of variation. Corporate wellness programs, including corporate yoga sessions, can help employees lead healthier, stress-free lives while improving productivity.
• Model Industries using local resources should be developed on Cooperative.
• Society working where each employee is a shareholder depending upon his skill and contribution.
• Factory automation should be used for accuracy and quality and not to curtail manpower.
• Health services to include Naturopathy and yoga therapy as these are affordable compared to expensive allopathic systems.
• Government schemes and NGOs should provide freebies like free food, shelter, clothes, etc to the disabled or physically unfit, the rest poor should be supported by self-sustainable means through local employment generation schemes.

Shift development to rural areas

There is a need to shift development from urban areas to rural areas to decongest towns and generate employment through the development of agriculture, local resources, tourism, etc.

NGOs in rural pockets can provide support to rural populations for better education, skill development, self-employment schemes, holistic wellbeing and finding jobs in close interaction with Government agencies and their projects. Thus NGOs can play a vital role in bridging the gap between the local population and  Government Schemes and projects.

Good governance and strict accountability

Spheral democracy should be the structural institutional mechanism for coordination, balance, proportion, and consent (coherence) of political, legal, financial, and administrative processes as a whole, in unity with each other and in harmonious accord with the SPHERONS’ (Peace loving people ) interests covering 100% of the population. 

India has a very poor, slow, and lethargic judicial system. Bureaucrats have no accountability. The people in power and politics often misuse their power to meet selfish motives. Political rivals use media to negate reforms and positive development of the government in power. In such an atmosphere, drastic changes are required where the law can be enforced with strictness. Bureaucrats should be suspended or given punishment for nonperformance.

There are few generic defects of traditional liberal democracy leading to the growth of militarism/ terrorism, inequality, and corruption. Too much democracy is counterproductive and often misused. Human rights and freedom are necessary but not at the cost of disharmony, or causing loss to national integration, counter to national goals, and hurting others.  

New political system

The political system worldwide today is the most corrupt and root cause of unrest everywhere. The greed for lust and power makes politicians commit crimes to beat rivals in elections. There is a need to allow only selfless dedicated persons who accept to take a vow of celibacy and live life like that of a monk, renounce like a church priest so that he can dedicate his life to the betterment of the public.

Redefine science and technology areas for research

Science and technology for sustainable development for mankind are required, which gives an abundance of renewable energy like electricity, water, and clean air, projects that generate employment, energy-efficient vehicles and machines, etc. 

Science and technology should focus on sustainable development, renewable energy, and holistic health solutions such as yoga for corporate employees and meditation-based therapies. including Allopathy,  Ayurveda, Naturopathy, and yoga. Science and technology should do research on spiritual science and para science for self-exploration that gives happiness to the mind, society, and nations across. Research on   Military science and war machines has to be stopped.

Sift rural based religious practices to serve humanity

All religions must respect each other’s religion and work for humanity and the welfare of society and holistic wellbeing. Yoga therapy for emotional balance should be universally accepted to unite people beyond religious differences.

Adherence to the following practices should be adopted universally by all.

1. No one should follow the diktats of hardcore religious leaders if they hate other religions and if their diktats are against humanity and human rights.
2. Spirituality should be a part of all planning whether it is science and development, governance or politics.
3. The adoption of yoga for the purification of mind and body should be an integral part of society.
4. Religious processions need to be banned if they cause traffic blockages or cause air or water pollution.
5. Religious community kitchens providing  24 x 7 food from religious places should be restricted. The food should be provided during normal lunch and dinner times and not 24 x 7 as unlimited distribution of food is waste and diversion from most needed people to non-needy people who can afford to buy their own food.  The religious organizations providing food should also restrict food distribution to those tribal and rural areas where people need most in place of areas which are in towns and urban pockets and less needy compared to tribal and remote scary areas.

Better self life management, relationships and productivity through yoga

The practice of yoga for holistic well-being enables a healthy body and purifies the mind. A pure mind leads to pure thoughts and keeps one away from evils and one performs satvic  (selfless) deeds. Pure thoughts kill the enemy within us i.e. ego, lust, anger, greed, and attachment and one becomes calm and humble and respects all as humans irrespective of status, caste, religion, and culture. 

Yoga is the science of both body and mind. It is universal and can be adopted by all irrespective of religion. Yoga can be a common thread for connecting all people under one social platform. Imagine a society in which all people practice yoga. This will reduce conflicts, ego ego-centric problems, will lead to nonviolence, develop tolerance, and harmonize the society faster.

Yoga is not just doing exercise it means the adoption of ethics (for self-character and ethics for behavior in society), Pranayama for conditioning of the breathing system and purification of mind, asanas to stay physically fit, pratyahara/detachment (control of sense organs i.e. control of anger, ego, greed, lust, desire, etc), concentration (focused mind and connecting to supreme God), meditation and enlightenment.   

Evils of society begin from minds leading to the rise of hidden enemies within us which are the rise of ego, pride, greed, jealousy, lust, attachment, anger, selfishness, injustice, cruelty, or violence. Thus the practice of  Yoga is a MIND CHANGER  from Violence to Non-Violence. Yoga means the union of the soul with the supreme soul so called intelligent designer of the universe. Thus world can be united through the umbrella of adopting yoga by all.

Thus practice of yoga will lead to better self-management, better family and friends relations, good character and ethics, and productivity. The people will be more honest, efficient, and free from addictions such as drugs, and smoking, and respect women and humanity.

Isolating violent and terror groups

The world has violent groups such as  North Korea, Pakistan which is home to various terror groups, China which has conflicts on border issues with almost all its border nations and  Middle Eastern Islamic nations where peace rarely descends.  One effective way could be if all nations start isolating the above nations like imposing restrictions on trade, imports, exports, diplomatic relations, etc. Without the support of the world, such nations may not be able to sustain long.

Targeted disarmament

Various Global Forums can put pressure on advanced nations to cut down their annual military budget by 10 % every year and let those funds be used for the development of cheap renewable energy and fighting hunger in poor nations.

Underdeveloped and poor nations should also be persuaded to cut their annual budgets by 10 % and use funds for the welfare of the poor.

Future wars are going to be due to scarcity of earth resources such as fossil fuels, water, and Food insecurity. So science and technology must be developed to find better alternate renewable resources. The budget of nations on Military Science should be diverted for renewable resources in a phased manner under the direction of UNO.

Effective disarmament campaigns should be launched at various social platforms over the globe by existing various global peace forums. Regional conflict groups should be formed to resolve conflicts through local social activities and experts.  

Global peace forum and UNO

The world needs a new UNO Body that is unbiased and devoid of Western influence. A new UN body can be developed which will have equal representation from all nations. The New UN Body will also elect Global Peace leaders for international conflict resolution, besides framing rules and regulations for international cooperation based upon Harmony, Humanity, and Peace.

All international peace forums should affiliate with UNO for coordination. The UNO thus will unite the efforts, thinking, and ideology of all peace loving NGOs and institutions under one banner. The recommendations of the Global Peace Forum will become the goal of the New UN Body for implementation. 

CONCLUSION

The article describes how working on areas like education, economic inequality, disarmament,  better governance, adoption of yoga for workplace wellness and personal growth will lead to a better future society that will be more peaceful, contented, stable, and healthy. The world society needs firm action plans with the support of UNO for implementation and move towards one world and one parliament.