Traditional Indian Philosophy - Lecture Notes - Indian Philosophy - Kendra Carpenter, Study notes of Indian Philosophy

Download Traditional Indian Philosophy - Lecture Notes - Indian Philosophy - Kendra Carpenter and more Study notes Indian Philosophy in PDF only on Docsity! Traditional Indian Philosophy: A New Model of Cross-Cultural Competency By Kendra Carpenter and Vivek Saxena, Tradewinds Consulting In the course of our work as intercultural trainers and researchers, we came to realize that competencies when working across cultures such as awareness of self, knowledge of others and personal qualities like flexibility, equanimity and a non-judgmental attitude were also the very same qualities that as yoga practitioners we strove to embody. We asked ourselves, can yogic and other aspects of traditional Indian philosophy inform our cross-cultural work? The answer we found is yes, and in our presentation at the recent SIETAR Conference in Chennai, we decided to share our framework of cross-cultural competency which connects powerful concepts in Indian philosophy with the contemporary competencies deemed necessary when working across cultures. Although the modern concept of cross-cultural competency has originated in and been developed mostly in North America and Europe, there are cultures that have historically held values, thought processes, and practical beliefs that in fact match those that are considered essential to cross-cultural qualities and skills. Traditional Indian Vedic and yogic philosophies, around for over 5,000 years, offer us just this comparison. As Indian philosophy is vast, we explored only some aspects of it through the concepts of pranayama, yoga, nataraj, guna and maya within a framework of cross-cultural competency. Additionally, we are not experts in these philosophies. They do, however, hold a place in our hearts, and impact us in practical ways. We hoped that participants would gain a better understanding of aspects of Indian philosophy, its alignment with intercultural competence, and how this connection can inform intercultural training/education, as well as trainer facilitation skills and trainer credibility with Indian audiences. Our model, shown below, displays three concentric circles. Within the innermost circle is the cycle of self-reflection and corrective action that skilled global workers bring to interpersonal interactions across cultures, which we’ll term ORRR: observe the situation, reflect on one’s own reactions and interpretations, reassess the situation from multiple perspectives, and respond effectively. This understanding is not new, as it is represented in various ways within the intercultural field. We’ve housed the ORRR process within two outer circles, however. The middle circle includes the concepts of pranayama, ashtanga yoga, guna and nataraj from Indian philosophy; these concepts represent tools that can assist one to be more successful in the ORRR process. The outer circle, where maya resides, represents what could be holding one back from success. Maya Let’s start with the concept of maya, a concept that indicates that the way we understand the world is in fact an illusion, as all is impermanent. We attach ourselves to the maya of physical reality, wealth and our own version of reality and keep ourselves in ignorance. In terms of culture, we tend to see the world through our own maya, through our version of reality, while often failing to see other equally valid realities. This may keep us from being successful, as we remain stuck in our own perceptions, biases and habitual style, unable to see our cultural blindspots and limiting our effectiveness. This happens, for example, when a foreign national comes to Bangalore and expects an indirect and relationship-oriented cultural style that is reminiscent of a more traditional India and instead finds herself in a more task-oriented environment. This is maya. MNC IT-driven Pranayama Maya Ashtanga yoga Guna Nataraj Observe Reassess Respond Reflect great example of this point. Despite a history which includes multiple invasions and British colonization, India never lost her core identity. Instead, India absorbed and integrated many elements of foreign cultures into her identity which has remained grounded and strong. (Additionally, India greatly influenced foreign cultures that it came into contact with as well.) Gunas Pranayama and hatha/ashtanga yoga offer powerful actionable strategies to break out of your maya. Our next concept, gunas, offers us another way to frame our responses and strategies when working across cultures. Gunas are the three diverse qualities, temperaments or attributes of nature called tamas (solidity, inertia), rajas (dynamism, turbulence) and sattwa (luminosity, clarity). These three qualities are also part of our own human nature, and the goal is to balance these temperaments through your yoga practice and in your body/mind/soul. These three attributes are constantly in flux, and can cause you to lose your balance and cause instability. A guna is not absolute; it’s a continuum and could have both negative and positive impacts. Intercultural competence includes understanding how to adapt and change one’s approach in each situation; it helps to recognize that adapting to your environment by balancing your gunas is a choice available to you. Let’s briefly discuss each attribute: Tamas refers to a state of solidity, which could also be perceived as inertia. An expat who has recently moved to a “difficult” country may choose to enter a state of solidity and ground himself by restricting his world to his apartment and workplace. But this same solidity could morph into inertia if it prevents him from exploring the world outside after he’s gotten more familiar and comfortable. Rajas refers to a state of dynamism, which could also be seen as turbulence. An expat from New York in a senior management position in Chennai may have a lot of new energy and new ideas. She could be seen as dynamic if she implements change while respecting the order, but it could come across as turbulent if she pushes her agenda aggressively, without accounting for the cultural nuances of Chennai. Sattwa refers to alertness and luminosity. We like to use the Buddhist term here ‘beginner’s mind’ which is a sense of openness that this quality imbues. Beginner’s mind allows one to remain humble and receptive when learning new or even known subjects. It encourages you to have the eagerness to understand even when at an advanced level; and is the ability to step outside your own ego and look at reality in uninhibited and honest ways. Rather than reacting with negative emotions, this state of being allows one to approach situations as questions for investigation, conversation and synthesis. The interplay of these gunas forces is of crucial importance in our intercultural practice. The key is learning to identify, and to adjust and balance their proportion as required in various situations. You are like an artist with basic pigments on her palette, forever remixing and blending them in order to express the right combination. Nataraj Our last concept, Nataraj, is possibly one of the best known symbols of Indian philosophy. Nataraj in Sanskrit means the Lord of Dance. The dance portrays the attempt to release one from the illusion of maya and from ignorance. The image of Nataraj is rich with symbolisms – the fiery ring around the sculpture, the snake, Shiva’s flowing hair, the posturing of his hands and legs – all are loaded with unique interpretations. However, the overarching symbolism is that of dance, which is in several ways integral to Indian culture. So far, we’ve talked about awareness, perceptions, discipline and adapting. What Nataraj brings to the forefront is the attitude of combining all of that with the additional skill of balance and fluidity. There’s also the element of a sense of lightness and joy – which are again core to any form of dance. There are times when living in a new culture gets to be very daunting, and in spite of all our knowledge it can be difficult to accept and adapt to different styles of living without compromising on our values and ethics. Nataraj reminds us to have the skill to evolve and mould ourselves to be able to navigate life with a sense of fluidity and lightness, in essence, to appreciate the dance of life itself. Conclusion Interpersonal competence when interacting across cultures is critical for long-term professional and personal success. We have attempted to gain a better understanding of a few foundational concepts of pranayama, yoga, guna, nataraj and maya from traditional Indian philosophy, and to share how these concepts are aligned with and support intercultural competence. Ultimately, we are interested in how this connection can bring about positive transformation within individuals and organizations. We see immense mobility of this philosophy to cross cultures and be adapted in ways that work in various settings, and see these concepts as a way to enhance the toolbox of organizations when considering not only intercultural competence, but also personal leadership and even change management. We invite a dialogue on how this might inform your work with individuals and organizations and could be made actionable in your intercultural setting. Kendra and Vivek can be reached at Kendra@Tradewindscc.com and Vivek@Tradewindscc.com.