From
the Desk of Coordinator, Bioinformatics Centre
Business
of Spirituality
The
fast changing life style, ever increasing competition, growing urge to
earn more and acquire more are destroying the peace of mind today making
more people turn towards spirituality. Quest for the Divine and peace has
resulted in organizing Millennium World Peace summit by religious and
spiritual leaders and global alliance for new humanity by Global
celebrities, Presidents, film makers and writers to create a compassionate
world and instill softer values in business, entertainment and politics.
Matters of spirituality and faith are no more personal preferences with
usurping of globalization, liberalization and aggressive
commercialization. Earlier business and spirituality were looked as
different walks of life. Rapid growth in business is not possible with
charity and ethics. Nowadays Corporates are opting for spirituality as one
of the components of corporate culture with meditation rooms for their
staff. However how a really meditated person works with ruthless
competition and targets, a company demands, is to be seen.
Commercialization of spirituality is making some spiritualists and Gurus
earn millions and in the process the non-material and divine aspects of
spirituality is suffering. As spirituality is turning into profitable
activity, number of ‘Gurus with Palacial
Ashrams, Satsangs and Bhajan mandals are coming up with
considerable organizing and marketing skills to attract devotees. However
some organizations are still working quietly maintaining its spiritual
nature with emphasis on simplicity, divinity and service of humanity.
Marketing
opportunities have also engulfed spirituality with their beneficial and
harmful effects. The market is flooded with books, music, insignia, VCDs
and DVDs related to spirituality. Some TV channels in India with spiritual
discourses, Bhajans and clips of holy places are enchanting the masses and
at the same time flourishing with commercial advertisements on
products and services, some spurious and with unproven claims. In
America as per the International Association of Yoga Therapists, 2.2
million Americans are practising yoga with 80 percent of commercial health
clubs offering yoga classes. It is estimated that people were spending
about $20 billions a year on yoga
and meditation. Five to six
new yoga books are published practically every month. With American
marketing touch, yoga is taking various shapes and styles. Yogic exercises
are combined with eastern martial arts and conventional exercises, calling
it “Fusion” yoga to suit sportspersons including weight lifters,
according to a report in “The Washington Post”. Yoga is offered under
various names, including yogabutt (squeezing a grapefruit size blue rubber
ball between thighs), yoga - pilates - resist - a- ball; yoga bar for
weight lifters, combining submerged yoga with tai chi and pilates, hot
yoga done in a 105 degree room etc. with availability of Trendy yoga
clothing. Twelve hundred modified yoga teachers met in Washington area and
demonstrated their techniques, changing ancient discipline of yoga with
its divinity for commercial exploitation. As the competition increases
Gurus are going for trademarks and copyrights. The Art of Living (AOL) has
registered the name ‘Sudarshan Kriya’ based on exercise of breath and
its rhythm to ‘reestablish balance on life’. Only licensed instructor
can teach it, possibly making it authentic. The founder of ‘Bikram
Yoga’ in US plans to copyright Bikram books and Bikram yoga asanas,
which are conducted in heated room. (Consumer Voice, Sep-Oct. 2004)
Positive
aspect of globalization of spirituality is research using modern
scientific tools to assess the beneficial aspects of yoga, meditation etc.
in more objective fashion for reduction of suffering in chronic diseases,
resulting in the development of discipline
Body – Mind Medicine.
