00_Editorial Board.pmd Relevance of Spirituality on Employee Health and Attitudes Pintu Mahakul Department of Business Administration, Berhampur University, Bhanja Bihar, Berhampur-760007, Odisha, INDIA Email: pintumahakul68@yahoo.com Abstract Spirituality is a path through which people recognize their own identity and know about the super power of the universe. This is not only an alleged immaterial reality but also a deep feeling of super truth behind us and universe. At this modern time health complication becomes major issue. Climate change and natural forces affect human life externally while for employees; organizational burdens affect a lot from internal affairs. In many cases it is seen that people remain ill both mentally and physically due to various known and unknown causes. Unhealthy condition keeps a person in sorrow and pain. Unnecessary pressure creates depression, hypertension and many mental hazards. Both physical and mental illness do not allow a person to work perfectly. In many cases an employee falls in problems in workplace due to unpleasant attitudes produced. Health and attitudes are dependent with each other. One healthy person expresses healthy attitudes. Attitudes are dependent on thoughts generated in mind. Due to temptation of environment sometimes negative forces come in and generate negative thoughts lead to harmful attitudes. But Spirituality pours impact on generating positive thoughts. A Person recognizes his self properly and awakens his conscience due to spiritual awareness. Truly spirituality plays a major role on health and attitudes. This paper contains Introduction, objectives, literature review, Importance, discussion and conclusion. At last references are included. This paper will become beneficial to many employees, scholars, students and others as we hope. Keywords: Spirituality, health, attitudes, consciousness and performance Introduction The vedic verse says, “ Subham karoti kalyaanam aarogyam dhana sampada, Shatru-budhhi-vinaasaaya dipa-jyotir-namostute.” It means, “we salute the light of the lamp who does bring auspicious fortune, happiness and prosperity, good health and abundance of wealth and as well as destroys the intellect of enemy. We obediently honour and bow our head in front of such a lamp of light.” Not only the Hindus but also the other major religions of the world light the lamp during worship. The light is the symbol of the soul that resides inside the body and lamp symbolises the body with soul. Again the offering of the lamp is made for God. From the visible Inernational Journal of Social Science Volume, 3 no. 1, 19-27: March 2014 DOI Number:10.5958/j.2321-5771.3.1.002 Mahakul 20 point of view it is clear that only we worship with a lamp. But in true sense although we remain in the world, we spiritually knowingly or unknowingly remember God. Praying in this verse we need happiness, fortune, prosperity, wealth, and many more without enemy in our lives. These things are attained only by the soul by the help of a material body. It is possible to get above things along with good health when we remain in soul consciousness. Reminding this John says, “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”(3 John 1:2, the Holy Bible, English Standard Version) Apostle John, here species that with well state of soul the body remains in well state. Mental behaviour and status affect the human health. Again good health and mental status are dependent each other. If mentality is affected then the marks are seen on the body. If the body gets injury, or disease, the mind remains in a sorrowful and painful state. The soul expresses his ambiguities on the body during ill condition. John expects that only good health is the key for better work attitudes, as the attitudes of one human individual depend on the mind. Mind remains fresh on the path of spirituality. So he prays for his beloved workers for well going for all. In workplace employee’s health plays a major role. Due to good health an employee behaves and works properly. So it is clear that directly or indirectly sound health makes an employee fit for work. God has given the rights of management to human beings and humans are trustees of various natural resources but not the real owners as the Bible specifies. The real owner of the universe, heavens and earth is only the Supreme Almighty the creator. We can know the mysteries of this only by the medium of spirituality and how spirituality balances the nature and human life can be well analysed. So at first we should understand about the term, “Spirituality” and its commitment for human rights, climate, community health and other creatures. William Wordsworth defines spirituality as a path of journey of life where a soul travels as lonely as cloud and as like a beauteous evening realizes the importance of time becomes calm and free from sorrows, pain and other bondages. Henry David Thoreau says that the body is outward wearing of mind given by the nature and that also changes in every hour and repairs on damage to it even with the change in vain. It is natural and no difference is there. Till some uncalled ray of peace that illumes in most minds is nothing but surely spirituality. Wallace Stevens defines spirituality as a book for life to guide to become calm and quit forever to alive. Robert Frost defines spirituality as the essence of happy and pleasurable living which reserves love for God above and influences an individual to work according to his will. Nirmala (Daniel Erway) defines spirituality as a path of truth, silence, love, judgement, and surrender to perfection for God which makes fearless at any critical circumstance. World health organization (WHO) defines that health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. National Aboriginal Health Strategy (NAHS) 1989 of Australian Government, Relevance of Spirituality on Employee Health and Attitudes 21 department of Health and Aging has given the definition of health which is adopted by National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organization (NACCHO) of Australia in its constitution on 9, March 2006. This defines health as not just the physical well-being of an individual but refers to the social, emotional and cultural well-being of the whole community in which each individual is able to achieve their full potential as a human being thereby bringing about the total well-being of their community. Some scientists argue that health is not a complete phenomenon but a continuation. So health cannot be isolated from disease. While world rotates on its own axis brings day and night due to fall of sun-shine in one side and shadow of its own in another side. For example while there is a day in India there is a night exactly at the same time in United States of America and vice versa. This is a phenomenon of dialectical materialism. The same world is perceived from opposite angels at the same time and affects human life and human rights. However condition of climate and change affects directly or indirectly to the entire world. Generally community means a mass of people habituated in living in a particular geographical area and having certain equal and common interest, rights, responsibilities and duties. Employees work in organization in mass. When we talk about them community comes in mind. Employee health also is included in community health. When we talk about health status of employees it refers to community health. The holy bible defines community health as a science of service oriented faith of universal brotherhood which move in peace , love and where interests of others are given priority (James 2: 14-17), people do not harden their hearts and hands for each other and poor people but really soften, help each other and share God’s knowledge and resources (Deuteronomy 15: 7-11) so that people feel to give life to their flesh and fruit of the spirit like love , joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control are achieved easily. (Galatians 5:22-23). Nepali doctor cum medical scientist Rajkumar Dhaugoda (2011) defines health in a different way and argues on not accepting the old and traditional definitions. He defines health as the relative dynamically balanced state of optimum level of dialectic materialistic thought and practice in relation to idealistic thought of an individual and relative reciprocal association of intracellular level of anti stress factors in the body of an individual. He argues that health is not complete and permanent. This is a continued dynamic process. Further he claims that health is related to global environment, opposite to disease and related to immunity as a human right, matter of social justice and psycho-social-economical-political mirror. While normally people go to office in day time in India there people take rest due to night. While people work there in day time, in India people take rest at night. American public health expert cum bacteriologist Professor Charles-Edward Amory Winslow ( 1877- 1957) defines community health as science and art of preventing diseases, prolonging life, promoting health and efficiency through organized community, effort for the sanitation of the environment, control of communicable diseases, the education of persons in personal hygiene, the organization of medical and nursing services for early diagnosis and preventive treatment of diseases and the development of the Mahakul 22 social machinery to ensure everyone a standard of living adequate for the maintenance of health, so organizing these benefits as to enable every citizen to realize his birth right of health and longevity. Likewise many authors have given their own opinions about community health. Purpose of the study Evaluating the status of health and work attitudes it is essential to know that how mind plays role over body. What are the factors that affect employees during their work in workplace? Why is spirituality relevant topic here? How does and why does spirituality keep importance in employee work attitudes? Like these many questions grind the minds of many people day to day. Let us fix these questions in our minds and take these as purpose of the study here. So we can proceed ahead with broad visions to know and analyse about this aspect of relevance of spirituality. Literature Review Time influences the act on world. So world rotates around its own axis as well as around sun. World is only the life sustaining planet in our universe. Birth and death both are regulated by time. While a creature does born in this world holds a specific time period in between birth and death. Many American doctors like Doctor Raymond Moody and Carol Bowman have conducted many case studies on near death experience and rebirth among newborn babies, children and persons who remember previous life’s experiences and documented in books as true aspect of natural life cycle. Man is not out of this cycle. Human soul, the conscious energy when enters in to the material body in mother’s womb starts struggling a lot to save his body from injury, diseases and other complications till he does born with it called birth and leaving of the body called death. Inside mother’s womb the health and attitudes of the foetus are regulated by mother. But after birth the baby comes in contact of environment and grows in a society. So, external environment and people around influence him simultaneously. Soul, the spiritual being now with a body called human being tends to forget his spiritual identity and drives him in a material purpose of life. As he thinks himself as a matter of playing, so he suffers a lot and gets pain and sorrows. Due to the bondage of his actions he acquires diseases and injuries in life. The same individual acts as either employee or employer. One employee spends a major part of his life time in workplace. Here his mental health as well as physical health is affected by his performances and influences of his associates. Tensions, depressions, anxiety and many more psychic problems are seen in many employees. However employees working in steel industry, cement factories, fertilizer industry etc. may suffer both physically by diseases and injuries and mentally by mentioned above. It is seen in history that only healthy employees have worked effectively in offices. Directly or indirectly attitudes are dependent on health. Many authors describe attitudes as behaviours of multi-dimensions. A healthy employee expresses healthy behaviours. So working in office becomes smooth with others. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America finds in research that about 90% of problems arise in Relevance of Spirituality on Employee Health and Attitudes 23 the workplace are due to improper attitudes. A person with negative and improper attitudes creates situations full of unpleasant affairs. Due to such condition an employee becomes violent, does murmur, remains angry or sad or cause harm to others. We should face these obstacles very calmly. Only healthy attitudes allow us to grow. When we keep our consciousness more aware towards spirituality we get courage to handle such situations very calmly. In this aspect time influences us. Famous English poet William Wordsworth asks, “Is the shadow of the running sand, dial stick or ticking sound of the clock? Is this year, months, centuries? Actually these are all the measures of time but truly not the time. He defines time as the life of soul. He has truly said a big truth as only soul has the consciousness of time. Life on earth is regulated by sun rays which specify the flow of time by morning, evening, midnight and morning. We can assume sun rise and sunset as natural sticks of clock. Basing on this ancient Indians have developed sun watch. Without having a watch we cannot sustain for a while. Even today many of rural people determine time by observing fall of sun rays on water pot or ponds or, rivers and reservoirs. Birds and animals too follow the same process. Always we should perform our actions in soul consciousness. We are the controller of our bodies and the planet. Time is the regulator of us and always we should walk with time as it does not wait for anybody. Importance of the study Various factors affect the health and attitudes of employees. Many suffer in the workplace. Increasing rate of stress, depression, hypertension and many other mental and physical health complications are seen among them now-a-days. Such conditions affect not only their working mood but also productivity. Employees in metros even do not get proper time to take their food. It is seen that some take food horribly and some take food in running condition. In many offices of busy and developed countries employees take their food in front of computers while working. Grasping such nutrition too affects the mental state of an employee. We are more than a body. So our nutrition not only feeds the body but also feeds the soul through its secret energy. Thus it affects the attitudes of them. There is influence of changing climate on human civilizations. Food grains are dependent on weather. The energy they store is brought up during the process of photosynthesis of plants. Sun rays play major role while chlorophyll molecules start food processing for both plants and animals. So climate influences the process. In the Gita God says, “Food grains are the fundamental life sustaining energy for creatures. They sustain while cloud gives water. Cloud is formed from oblation performed. Oblation is again related to human activities in nature and their duties. Thus it forms a cycle. Because food grains are the products of various types of crops which require rain water to grow and rain water falls down from cloud. Further proper food materials are the resources and sources of energy for unique health. Without them the civilizations cannot exist. So the study requires understanding of life, body and relationship of nature and climate with them. Attitudes are directly proportional to the mental or physical status of Mahakul 24 health. As we are conscious spiritual being it is necessary to study about the role of spirituality on health and attitudes. Relationship of mind, body, nature and climate Eternal self luminous conscious energy is soul. Soul is having three units like mind, intellect and impressions. Mind drives the body and thought process. Intellect decides and gives judgement about any action or reaction. Impressions are the memories of past experiences which a soul carries life after life during birth. New impressions are acquired throughout a life time. Soul is the driver of the body. Body is made of skeleton, cells and tissues. Mainly it is the mass of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, cavities and water with some other biological ingredients which have come from the nature. Nature is made of lakes, streams, rivers, lands, sky, plants, animals and mountains etc. Climate changes and brings seasons on earth normally. But abnormal change of climate adversely affects the human life bringing hurricane, flood, earthquake etc. Climate again forces nature to adjust with it. Body is made of nature now forcefully accepts the change. Soul; the driver now suffers a lot. It affects health as well as attitudes. Understanding of components of health and attitudes from the Vedic Verse Subham (Auspicious):- Mainly favourable thoughts of mind which are invisible and favourable or conductive actions which are visible in eyes are coming under the term auspicious. Employees say favourable when they get information of getting increased salary. Organizations say favourable when they get information about their employees are ready to work mindfully and in unity. Mainly positive thoughts favour all a lot. Thoughts are created in mind. Employees set their minds according to their respective thoughts. Karoti kalyaanam (Does welfare):- An auspicious thought only form mind’s action as per the judgement of intellect towards, health, fortune of him or of group or society and societal reformation for well being of the self and all. This is nothing but welfare. So a person becomes statuary producer, gives social efforts to design and promote both physical and material well being of people. In organizations employees do welfare of both organization and common people by their productivity. Aarogyam (Cure):- Curing from mental illness and physical illness depends on the status of mind and trust. During physical illness although we take medicine to recover without positive thoughts and support of social welfare we remain mentally weak. But auspicious thought does welfare as well as recovers from illness. So we attain good health. Dhana Sampada (Abundance of Wealth):- Acquiring or having large quantity of wealth depends on employee’s labour and performance. But only a healthy employee with positive thoughts can gain wealth gradually by hard works in a true and righteous way. So after auspicious thought, welfare and good health, wealth comes automatically with performing the duties properly. Relevance of Spirituality on Employee Health and Attitudes 25 Shatru-budhhi-Vinaashaaya (Destroyer of intellect of enemy):- Nobody likes enemy in life to bring obstacles in the way. Positive thoughts sharpen the intellect and mind. So judgement comes properly and decision making under risk and uncertainty becomes smooth and valuable. People having positive thoughts, welfare and good health become wealthy and wise. They use their wealth in gaining knowledge and social welfare as well as for the development of the self. So intellect of enemy and bad visions of others do not fall on them. If at all these fall, they easily break. Dipa-Jyotir (of the Lamp):- We do the glory of the lamp. In true sense we do the glory of body with soul due to having auspicious moments, welfare, good health and not having for enemy. So we offer our prayer in the form of a lamp with light to have always positive attitudes. Light represents the luminous capacity of soul, which is bright eternal entity. Nomostute (Obediently honour):- As we get all these things on spiritual awakening we obediently honour the life giving energy in the form of light. While attitudes develop up to a successful state, a soul understands the flow of spirituality on him and becomes calm and quiet in his workplace. As the thread of the lamp burns, becomes ash but shows light to others by sacrificing a lot, so we honour a lot. Results and Discussion Attitudes are expressed as behaviours. These are very much mental in nature as they silently form in mind before action. These are based on the thoughts generated either by positive or negative vibrations. Positive vibrations form positive attitudes. Mental illness is dependent on negative attitudes. Physical injuries also bring sorrows and pain in life that affect mentality of employees and make them week. It hampers productivity as well employee performance inside organization. Human soul is spiritual in nature. Knowingly or unknowingly a soul does search for supernatural happiness. Nobody likes pain and sorrows in life. But these things we cannot avoid in our life time. Due to the temptation of environment people receive many types of situations in daily life which make them puzzle. Their personal attitudes and attitudes acquired or received from others as influential factors put them in complicated condition. But spirituality releases their bondages by speaking about the truth of life. So after knowing this they do not become worried or anxious about pressures they get in workplace rather they work with pleasure always with positive attitudes and remain healthy. Conclusion It is truly said that health is wealth. Employees with better health perform well. After knowing the role of spirituality they become more aware about their consciousness and do awake conscience. Due to this their personality traits become more valuable. Their attitudes become positive and they become able to take instant decisions during risk and uncertainty in the workplace. They maintain unity and Mahakul 26 integrity during work period instead of diversity. 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