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| Need for and Nature of Values
Source: Booklet “Twelve Wonder Values for a Better World” published by the BKIVV, Mt. Abu/India – page 4-6
Everyone aspires for Love, Freedom and Bliss or Respect and Restfulness or Power and Paradise. And, it has also been found that, in the well-being of all lies our own full-fledged well-being; also that the law governing the result or fruit of human action is that if we cause disturbance or put obstacles in another person’s way towards the achievement of health, wealth and happiness or purity, peace and prosperity, then we also suffer in the process or as a result thereof. This, in other words, is the basic law of karma which states that if I cause pain to others, I too will suffer in the result sooner or later.
So, the conduct and behavior, or the thought, speech and actions, that conform to this quality or kind are called moral or ethical. It means that these are of a nature or a standard as should be called good or right because, while these enable the person to achieve inner beauty and bliss, happiness and health, purity or truth and beauty, freedom and prosperity and super sensuous pleasure, these do not snatch purity and peace of others also, nor do these deprive others of their natural rights or open opportunity to achieve this ultimate goal. In other words, these thoughts, words and actions do the greatest good to the greatest number over the greatest area for the longest possible period of time. These are of the highest real utility and have, therefore, the greatest worth. Naturally then these qualities that enable the doer to achieve these high and valued goals are valuable to him and are, therefore, called Moral Values or Ethical Values. These Values enhance the worth of human actions because these enable his actions to earn valuable benefits or high results and rich inner rewards. These increase the merit of his doings and are, therefore, known as Virtues also. They give special, noble or finer characteristics to the person and, therefore, constitute his high character, i.e., these give human actions a stature, much higher than that of all other animals and, thus, entitle him to be called a Human being and are, therefore, known as Human Values. These qualities raise his actions from the mere instinctive or impulsive to the level of being regulated, controlled, disciplined or refined according to high standard and, thus, promote his spiritual growth and richness and facilitate the self to be a noble, higher or divine spirit and are, therefore, called the Spiritual Values. Similarly, there may be Political Values, Social Values, Cultural Values, Corporate Values, etc. These values, are specific to each field of human activity. But, here we will focus on those values which form the common core of all human activity and enable human beings to attain the goals or objectives, enunciated above. In fact, deep reflection would enable a person to come to the conclusion that any set of virtues or Values – whether one may call them Political Values, Corporate Values, Commercial Values or by any other name, e tc. which are not in consonance with Moral, Human, Social and Spiritual Values, will, sooner or later, vitiate society and the human individual and will deprive him of peace and inner solace. It will create a conflict in his conscience and in the society. It will pollute the physical or natural environment, make the society corrupt increase insecurity, give rise to crime, poverty and human sufferings and lead people away from the cherished and shared vision of humanity which has been summed up in the three pithy words. – purity, peace and prosperity, or health, wealth and happiness or truth, well-being and beauty or Love, Freedom and Bliss or Respect, Restfulness and Richness or Piety, Power and Paradise. If the moral or the spiritual laws are violated, it would be futile to expect the achievement of these goals. This explains the need for observance of Values. | |
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