Chapter Self-exploration as the

Process for Value Education

2
Recap
In chapter 1, we discussed the need, basic guidelines, content and process
o value education. We saw that the value o any entity is its participation in
the larger order. As human beings, we eel happy when we are ullling our
participation, our role i.e., we eel happy when we are living in accordance
with our value (i.e., living in harmony within, living in harmony with other
human being as well as with every unit in nature/existence). Value education
is about understanding our values and living accordingly. We also mentioned
that the process or value education is sel-exploration.
In this chapter, we will elaborate on the process of self-exploration with the
help o some examples.

What is Self-exploration?
Self-exploration is a process of seeing the truth about a reality on our own
right, by our own observation and investigation. Through this process, we
understand the reality and our participation (value) with it.
For instance, human being is a reality. Through sel-exploration we try to
see and understand the human being as well its participation (value) with
other human being. Our articulation o human being and our role (value)
with other human being is just a proposal or you – to explore, see and veriy
or yoursel.
You can nd out which process is more acceptable, more assuring or you:
• A process o sel-verication, sel-exploration on your own right
• A process of assuming what is given, without verifying on your own right
It is for you to decide what a reality is and what your role (value, what is
valuable) with that reality is. Whatever is given in the book is just a proposal

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A foundation course in Human Values and professional ethics

or you or your sel-verication, sel-exploration.

The simplest way to veriy a given proposal on your own right is by reerring
it to your ‘natural acceptance’. I the proposal is naturally acceptable to
you, it is right or you. I it is not naturally acceptable to you, it is not right
or you.

If you ask yourself, what is naturally acceptable to you – ‘to be in relationship

with your amily members?’ or ‘to be in opposition with them?’ The answer
may be quite obvious and you would come up with a spontaneous ‘to
be in relationship’! How did you get this answer? It is rom your natural
acceptance.

When we reer to our natural acceptance, we directly get the answers.

We don’t have to learn them or get them rom outside or reer to some
instrument!

Sometimes, we might be in opposition with someone, even with our family

members, but that is not naturally acceptable to us. With a eeling o
opposition within, we feel uncomfortable within and want to resolve the
situation. It is the eeling o relationship only that we always aspire or.

Regardless of whether we are living in relationship or opposition, our natural

acceptance is always or relationship.

We are reerring to this aculty as our natural acceptance. It is innate in us,

a part and parcel o our being.

Each one of us has this faculty and therefore, all of us have the potential for
sel-exploration on our own right. We do not need any special qualication
or it. We only have to start reerring to our natural acceptance.

This book systematically presents a series o proposals and, to begin with,

you explore these proposals. As you explore, veriy the proposals you are
able to distinguish between what is right for you and what is not – what is
valuable or you and what is not. E.g., by now you would have been able to
verify that the relationship is naturally acceptable to you and opposition is
not.

This sel-exploration is a process o dialogue. To begin with, it is initiated

24
 Self-exploration as the Process for Value Education

as a dialogue between us and you – we make a proposal and you veriy it.

Soon you start asking such questions to yourself – it becomes a dialogue

within you. You start exploring the answers or your undamental questions
by reerring to your natural acceptance. This internal dialogue is between
“what I am” and “what is naturally acceptable to me” (reer to g. 2-1).

What I am Dialogue What is Naturally Acceptable to Me

Figure - 2.1
The Dialogue Within

The Dialogue Within

This internal dialogue is between the two realities “what I am” and “what is
naturally acceptable to me”.

“What I am” is my current competence on the basis o which I live. It includes

the way I feel, the way I think, how I make decisions, what I expect from
others and all that. It has to do with my desires, thoughts, expectations etc.

“What is naturally acceptable to me” is my natural acceptance. It is my

intention. It is “what I really want to be”. It is a basic reerence which is a
part and parcel o me.

Check i you able to see, be aware o “what you are”. Similarly, check i you
are aware o your natural acceptance. Now, i you want to be aware o your
own desires, thoughts and expectations or your natural acceptance, where
would you look? Of course, you have to look within!

When you are able to see both these realities, you can nd out i they are
same or they are dierent, whether they are in harmony or they are in
contradiction. You may well ask as to why this is important.

Let us take an example to nd out. Let us say that you are thinking
o taking revenge rom someone. Ater two hours o thinking how to
take revenge, you drop the idea. Now, during these two hours, were you
comortable or uncomortable within? Not at all comortable, isn’t it? You
dropped the idea, so nothing was expressed to the other person – it did

25
A foundation course in Human Values and professional ethics

not aect him; but what about you? You made yoursel uncomortable
for two hours! Now if you can see that this feeling uncomfortable was
because you had a eeling that is not naturally acceptable to you.

In general, a contradiction between “what I am” and “what is naturally

acceptable to me”, will result in disharmony within me. Only when “what
I am” and “what is naturally acceptable to me” are in harmony, we are
comortable within.

What I am Dialogue What is Naturally Acceptable to Me

My Desire, Thought, Expectation My Natural Acceptance
My Competence My Intention - What I Really Want to Be

Sometimes Sometimes Always

Opposition Relationship Relationship

These are in
Harmony

Happiness

These are in
Contradiction

Unhappiness

Figure - 2.2
‘What I Am’ and ‘What I Really Want to Be’

When we are in harmony within, we are in a state o happiness. When we are

in a state o contradiction within, we are in a state o unhappiness.

The very process o being in this dialogue starts acilitating one’s progress
towards harmony. We start becoming more and more comortable within.
That is our sel-evolution.

Through this book, we are trying to initiate and acilitate the process o
dialogue, sel-exploration in you. Let us now identiy the content o sel-
exploration and also look at the process in more detail.

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 Self-exploration as the Process for Value Education

The Content for Self-exploration

What should be the content for self-exploration?
Whatever is essential or us to understand or moving towards a ullling lie
should naturally orm the content or sel-exploration. Isn’t it?
Thus, the content or sel-exploration basically has the ollowing two sub-
parts:
a. Desire: What is our basic aspiration?
b. Programme: What is the way to ull this basic aspiration?
First, we want to explore into our desire as a human being, and second,
we want to explore into the programme to ensure the ullment o that
desire. The desire is essentially the basic aspiration, the aim, the objective,
the purpose, what we want to achieve – what is our goal. The programme is
the process o achieving the desire, the action to achieve our goal.

Are both these questions important or you? Is it important or you to nd
out what your basic aspiration is? Is it important to nd out the programme
or the ullment o your basic aspiration?
These are two important questions or any human being. Now let us see, i
we have answers to both these questions, are there any more questions that
we are let with? That is to say, i we know our basic aspiration and we know
the programme o ullment o our basic aspiration, what other questions
are we left with?
If we can get the answer to these two questions, practically all our questions
are answered! In fact, most of the questions that we have generated are
because o the lack o clarity o these two. I we get the answers to these
two questions, we only have to act!

The Process of Self-exploration

We have already started identiying the process o sel-exploration. Now we
can look at it in more detail.

As mentioned earlier, whatever is stated here is a proposal for your self-

exploration. Veriy it – veriy it on your own right, on the basis o your natural
acceptance. Do not assume it to be true or alse, right or wrong.

27
A foundation course in Human Values and professional ethics

However, verifying it on the basis of natural acceptance is only a part of

the process. What more is needed will now be presented. Look at g. 2-3. It
represents the complete process o sel-exploration.

Whatever is stated is a Proposal

Verify it on your own right
(Do not assume it to be true/false)

PROPOSAL
2 EXPERIENTIAL VALIDATION

VERIFY it
1 Live according to it
on the basis of
2a 2b
your
Natural Behaviour Work
Acceptance with with
Human Being Rest of Nature

Mutual Mutual
RIGHT
Happiness Prosperity
UNDERSTANDING
Figure - 2.3
Process of Self-exploration

The rst part o sel-exploration is to veriy the proposal on the basis o

our natural acceptance. Once we have veried that a proposal is naturally
acceptable to us, we are sure that it is something which we would like to live
with.

The second part o sel-exploration is experiential validation. It means

trying to live according to the proposal. In living there are two parts – one
is the behaviour with other human beings and the second is work with rest
o nature. When we are behaving with human being on the basis o this
proposal, we want to veriy whether it leads to mutual happiness or not.
If it leads to mutual happiness, it is a right proposal; if it does not lead to
mutual happiness, it is not a right proposal. Similarly, when we are working
with rest of nature, on the basis of this proposal, we want to verify whether it
leads to mutual prosperity or not. I it leads to mutual prosperity, it is a right
proposal; i it does not lead to mutual prosperity, it is not a right proposal.

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 Self-exploration as the Process for Value Education

As an example, let us explore the proposal, “the feeling of respect is natural

in relationship”.

• As a rst part o the exploration, you can veriy, whether eeling

of respect is naturally acceptable to you or feeling of disrespect is
naturally acceptable to you.

• The second part is living according to the proposal. That is, you have
the feeling of respect in you, and now, you are expressing this feeling
o respect in your behaviour with the other human being.

Find out whether it leads to happiness in you and in the other (mutual
happiness). I it does, the proposal is right or you, otherwise it is not.

I can see that this feeling of respect is naturally acceptable to me, therefore,
it leads to my happiness. Similarly, this eeling o respect is naturally
acceptable to you, thereore, it leads to your happiness as well, i.e., it leads
to mutual happiness, and hence the second part of the self-exploration also
holds true. Putting these two parts together, now we can say that the given
proposal “the eeling o respect is natural in relationship” is a right proposal.

We can also veriy this in case o our interaction with rest o nature. Let us
check whether ‘the feeling of nurturing (enrichment) in our interaction with
the environment is natural’. You can veriy whether eeling o nurturing is
naturally acceptable to you or feeling of exploiting is naturally acceptable
to you. This is part one o the sel-verication. Further, we can proceed
to the second part – living according to it. By nurturing and enriching the
environment, does it lead to mutual prosperity? If we can see that the
enriched environment facilitates better food production, leading to our
prosperity and it also leads to prosperity of the environment in terms of its
enrichment, we can conclude that it leads to mutual prosperity. Thus, this
proposal passes both parts o sel-verication. Thereore, this proposal ‘the
eeling o nurturing the environment is natural’ is a right proposal.

What we are verifying for any proposal in the second part is, “does it lead to
mutual ullment in our living”? Mutual ullment means that:

a. Our behaviour with other human beings leads to mutual happiness.

b. Our work with the rest o nature leads to mutual prosperity.

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A foundation course in Human Values and professional ethics

At this point, there may be a question, “is it necessary to experientially

validate a proposal i it is not naturally acceptable”? It is an important
question. What is being said here is that both parts o sel-exploration are
essential. We may not be very sure o our natural acceptance or we may
not have the condence that we really have the right answers within (that
we can really be sel-reerential). So, we propose that you experientially
validate the proposals. O course, i you are very sure that a proposal does
not pass the rst test, you need not go to the second test.

When we are able to verify a proposal, both by way of verifying through

natural acceptance and by way of verifying through experiential validation,
the ultimate outcome is “right understanding”. We will explore into the
details o right understanding in the chapters to ollow.

Natural Acceptance
(Distinguishing between ‘acceptance’ and ‘natural acceptance’)

Natural acceptance has to do with something fundamental, something

related to our purpose, something related to our basic desires. When we
ask a question related to these, we get a denite answer rom our natural
acceptance. For example,

• Is happiness naturally acceptable or is unhappiness naturally

acceptable?

• Is it naturally acceptable to live in relationship or in opposition?

• What is naturally acceptable – to nurture your Body or to exploit it?

For all these questions, we get a denite answer when we reer to our natural
acceptance.

Some of the characteristics of natural acceptance are:

a. Natural acceptance does not change with time: What is

naturally acceptable to you today is the same as what was naturally
acceptable to you yesterday, and what will be naturally acceptable
to you tomorrow. For example, our natural acceptance or the eeling
of trust, for the feeling of respect in relationship remains invariant

30
 Self-exploration as the Process for Value Education

with time: a child naturally accepts having the eeling o trust. Twenty
years later, when (s)he becomes a youth, (s)he still has a natural
acceptance for trust; and when (s)he grows into an old person, (s)
he continues to have a natural acceptance for the feeling of trust –
there is no change in the natural acceptance with time for any given
person.

b. Natural acceptance does not change with place: Naturally

acceptable eelings, like trust, respect, aection, etc. remain
invariant with place. These eelings are naturally acceptable to me
when I am in India, in America, in Africa, in Europe or in any other
place. Like that, my natural acceptance to keep the Body healthy
does not change with place. No matter where we are, we have the
same natural acceptance at all the places.

c. Natural acceptance does not change with the individual:

Natural acceptance is the same for all of us; it is a part and parcel of
every human being; it is part o our human-ness. We can check with
the naturally acceptable eelings once again and nd out i they are
naturally acceptable to Indians, to Americans and to any and every
human being. Our assumptions, our likes and dislikes, our views on
issues may vary; but the feelings that are naturally acceptable to
one are also naturally acceptable to every human being. In that
sense, natural acceptance is universal. That is why by understanding
our own natural acceptance; we can also understand the natural
acceptance o others.

d. Natural acceptance is uncorrupted by likes and dislikes or

assumptions or beliefs: We have taken the examples of this above
also. When we ask the right questions, we can see our natural
acceptance and it is there. Natural acceptance remains unaected
by our likes and dislikes, our belief systems and our preconditioning
even i they are very deep and infuence our thoughts day and night.
For example, even if we are preconditioned for years ‘not to trust
anyone’, i we ask the question as to what is naturally acceptable
‘trust or mistrust’, the answer is in avour o trust.

31
A foundation course in Human Values and professional ethics

e. Natural acceptance is innate; we don’t need to create it: Whatever

be the background o a person, this aculty is very much there. For
example, the moment we think of disrespecting someone, how does
it feel within? Comfortable or uncomfortable? Similarly, the moment
we think of opposing anyone, how does it feel? Are we at ease or we
eel uneasy? O course, uneasy. Why is this happening? Because we
have the faculty of natural acceptance as a part and parcel of our
being and it keeps hinting that what we are feeling, thinking or doing
is in harmony with our own natural acceptance or not. We can start
reerring to it at any time, it is always there.
f. Natural acceptance is defnite: It is for relationship, harmony and
co-existence which is universal. This we can directly veriy by asking,
what is naturally acceptable to us – relationship or opposition,
harmony or disharmony, co-existence or struggle? When we look into
the details of relationship, harmony and co-existence, in chapters
to follow, we will ask these questions again regarding each and see
that these three – relationship, harmony and co-existence, ultimately
provide the guidance or our living in harmony, happiness.

Our natural acceptance is innate in each of us; it is uncorrupted and it is

universal, i.e., it is invariant with respect to time, place and person.

It may seem very simple to begin with, but we shall see that this becomes
a very powerful way for us to know what is ultimately true for us on our
own right. All we have to do is to start reerring to it and validating it in our
living. Since we have so many strongly held belies, we may conuse them
with our natural acceptance. The experiential validation gives us another
opportunity to examine the proposal. That is why both the parts o sel-
verication are essential.
Let us not assume even this to be true – let us explore and nd it out or
ourselves!

What Natural Acceptance is Not

If we ask, “is eating rice naturally acceptable or eating wheat is naturally
acceptable”? One may preer rice and another may preer wheat. So, the
answer to this question may not have all the characteristics mentioned

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 Self-exploration as the Process for Value Education

above. On the other hand, if we ask “is nurturing your Body naturally
acceptable”? The response will have all the characteristics mentioned above.
These are two dierent types o questions. The rst question is about a
specic choice o ‘how to nurture the Body’, while the second is about our
basic participation with the Body.

Natural acceptance is about value, our participation with an existential

reality. It is not about choices o how to ull that participation.

Distinguishing between Acceptance and Natural Acceptance

Our acceptance may be based on likes and dislikes, assumptions, pre-
conditionings, belies, world-view, perspective, etc.

Let us say, you like the taste of a particular food item, you have an acceptance
or it. To check i this acceptance is same as your natural acceptance, you
can ask a more fundamental question ‘will this particular food nurture the
body or not’. I you nd that it will not nurture the body, you can conclude
that particular choice of the food is not in line with your natural acceptance
– your acceptance or that particular ood is not your natural acceptance.

Like that we may develop acceptance for many things which are not naturally
acceptable to us at a undamental level. We may have an acceptance or
competition, exploitation while our natural acceptance is for cooperation,
nurturing. We might have accepted ‘struggle or survival, survival o the
ttest’, but our natural acceptance is or relationship. We have a natural
acceptance for peace, but we might have an acceptance for war…
Like that you can see that your acceptance and natural acceptance are two
dierent things.

Appraisal of the Current Status

In forming our perspective on how to live our life, we get many inputs from
amily, riends, educators, newspapers, social media etc. There is social
pressure to ollow societal norms. We tend to conorm to be accepted, to
avoid being the odd one out. We also accept authority unquestioningly.
All these external infuences play a major role in the development o our
perspective.

33
A foundation course in Human Values and professional ethics

Most people can be seen living by prescribed rules and guidelines, essentially
letting others or circumstances dictate their lives – a sort o enslavement.
Their conduct is also quite varied – one at home, another at work, yet
another with riends, and so on. Largely, this seems to be the state o aairs
in our world today.

Despite these challenges, there remains an innate human desire to live a

happy, meaningul lie. For that, deep down we want to know, to understand
things as they truly are and live by that understanding. We look or avenues
to ull this need – in the amily, educational institutions and the society in
general.

The state o present-day society indicates that ullling this need to know
has to become a central theme o education. When we evaluate how society,
homes, educational institutions, colleges, and universities deal with youth
today, we can discern two distinct approaches.

In some cases, the educational and societal inputs are structured as

proposals. These environments encourage sel-verication, critical thinking,
questioning, and open discussions. Youth in such settings are empowered to
draw their own conclusions. This approach augments independent thought
and sel-condence, aligning with the idea o sel-exploration.

Conversely, in other instances, inputs are delivered in the orm o rigid do’s
and don’ts, along with given statements. Youth are oten guided to ollow
what is provided without room or questioning or independent thought. This
approach tends to reinforce preconceived assumptions and can result in
youth accepting assumptions without critical examination or rejecting them
completely.

Society, homes, and educational institutions play a crucial role in shaping

the youth. Largely, the second approach is taken in education today and
youth are not well enough prepared to navigate the complexities of modern
lie, make inormed choices, and contribute meaningully to society.

For yoursel, do refect on which o the above methods is naturally acceptable

to you. In this book, we are taking the rst approach o sel-exploration.
We encourage you to take everything as a proposal, neither assuming it

34
 Self-exploration as the Process for Value Education

to be true nor alse, but veriying it on your own. This approach empowers
you to engage critically and independently with the material, fostering self-
assurance and inormed decision-making.

We aim to explore our inner selves to discover our true desires, which,
when pursued, can lead to mutual happiness and prosperity. This book
oers proposals to help us grasp reality. As we delve into these proposals
and nd meaning, they become our thoughts and potentially shape our
understanding.

The Way Ahead

I we observe a child, it has great deal o curiosity. It naturally and
enthusiastically seeks to understand what’s right, learn various skills and do
what is right.

Initially it goes by what is given, learns by observation and practice. The

child learns language like this, or example. However, as the child grows,
it yearns for assurance that whatever it has picked up will indeed lead to
happiness and prosperity. They do take inputs rom those who understand
life, like parents, friends, and teachers, but for true understanding it requires
internalizing the inputs – it requires sel-exploration. Only ater we are able
to see or know the reality as it is, we become sel-assured, sel-condent
and happy. We are then able to make decisions or mutual ulllment, ree
rom external pressures.

Let us now see what happens, if we are able to go by exploring within; and
what happens otherwise, by assuming without exploring.

If we can see things clearly for ourselves through self-exploration and if

these are reinforced by observation and practice, it becomes part of our
understanding. Once we have understood something, we are sure, we are
sel-assured, we are sel-condent that living like this will lead to mutual
ullment. In living, when we are able to validate this understanding, it
gets urther reinorced. Such a state may be called sel-organised. We
are able to make decisions that are right, i.e., decisions in the interest o
mutual ullment, i.e., mutual happiness and mutual prosperity. In this
self-organised state, we can absorb external input without succumbing to

35
A foundation course in Human Values and professional ethics

external pressures, peer infuence, or personal whims. Instead, we see things

clearly for ourselves and help others recognize their potential for living in a
mutually ullling, sel-organised manner.

On the other hand, if we are unable to see the things for ourselves and
our assumptions remain unveried, the eeling o assurance is absent; and
we are not sel-condent. Rather, in adverse conditions, we may become
reactive and try out various, even arbitrary options. In this process, we
are susceptible to outside infuences and pressures as our own unveried
assumptions are not stable. In this case, generally, we tend to live by
prescriptions, do’s and don’ts; i.e., our living is largely dictated by others
(human beings or prevailing conditions). This is a state o enslavement
(enslaved by our own wrong assumptions)!

As we have seen, in the developmental journey o any child, imitation

serves as the initial building block o understanding. They learn language,
behaviours, and various aspects o lie through imitation. Initially, they
obey instructions, work within basic disciplinary boundaries, and exhibit
obedience. However, as they mature, the child’s desire to question and
make independent decisions naturally emerges.

At this juncture, the child requires both appropriate content in the

orm o proposals and the right process o sel-exploration. They need
encouragement to verify information through self-exploration, fostering
a holistic perspective on human existence, as discussed in Chapter 1. This
perspective encompasses understanding harmony across various levels
of human existence, from the individual to the family, society, nature, and
existence itsel. Moreover, it involves the development o the competence
to live harmoniously at all these levels, ultimately leading to a ullling lie
indicated by happiness and prosperity. We will discuss it in more detail in
chapter 9, when we discuss education as one o the crucial societal systems.

This holistic approach, emphasizing harmony and holistic living, is

anticipated to become a central focus of future education and cultural
development.

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 Self-exploration as the Process for Value Education

Important Implications of Self-exploration

It will be quite educative to learn that the process of self-exploration can
results in the following important implications, which will be conducive to a
ullling lie.

1. It is a process of knowing oneself and through that, knowing the

entire existence.

2. It is a process o recognizing one’s relationship with every unit in

existence and ullling it.

3. It is a process o knowing human conduct and living accordingly.

4. It is a process of being in harmony within and in harmony with the

entire existence.

5. It is a process of identifying our innateness and moving towards

sel-organisation and sel-expression.

6. It is a process of self-evolution (evolving as a human being) through

sel-exploration.

Now, let us elaborate at bit on each point.

1) It is a process of knowing oneself and through that, knowing the

entire existence.

Going through this process of self-exploration we are able to know about

ourselves; we are able to see our natural acceptance, we are able to see
‘what we are’ in terms o our desires, thoughts and expectations; we are
able to see whether things are in harmony or disharmony within. It is a
process o knowing onesel.

The Sel is the knower. When we know the Sel, through the Sel we can
know about the other: the other human being, the rest of the nature and
ultimately the entire nature and existence.

It is important to know onesel rst. When we are sure about ourselves,

only then we can know about other things properly, we can be sure that
we are not looking at the world through our coloured perception.

On the other hand, when we try to understand things around us without

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A foundation course in Human Values and professional ethics

rst being sure o ourselves, all the pre-conditionings we have within,

the contradictions we have within, refect in our perception o the world.
With that, when we interact with the things around us, we end up with
mixed results – sometimes happy and other times unhappy.

2) It is a process o recognizing one’s relationship with every unit in

existence and ulflling that relationship.

Through sel-exploration, when I know about mysel and I know about

the other, I know about the nature and the whole existence; then I am
able to recognise my relationship with other units in nature and also, I am
able to see how to ull that relationship. It is a process o recognizing
one’s relationship with every unit in nature, in existence and ullling it.

3) It is a process of knowing human conduct and living accordingly.

Denite human conduct is living in a manner that we are able to ull our
denite relationship with other units in nature/existence. When we know
what denite human conduct is, we express it in our living. It is mutually
ullling conduct.

Thereore, rst we know the Sel and through the Sel we know the
other units in nature, in existence. Second, we are able to identiy our
relationship with the other units in nature, in existence; and third, we
know what our conduct as a human being needs to be, and then we live
accordingly leading to mutual ullment. This is how we can develop
this competence to live with denite human conduct. The major role o
education is to facilitate the development of the competence to live with
denite human conduct.

4) It is a process of being in harmony – within oneself and with the

entire existence.

When we know what denite human conduct is, we can live accordingly.
In this way, we are able to live in harmony within and with others and
ultimately, we are able to live in harmony with the entire existence; it is
desirable and also naturally acceptable to all o us.

5) It is a process of identifying our innateness and moving towards

self-organisation and self-expression.

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 Self-exploration as the Process for Value Education

Now, we can see that through sel-exploration – rst we know our

natural acceptance, what we really want to be, what is our essence, our
innateness. Once we know what is naturally acceptable to us, we are able
to live in accordance with it. Then we are in harmony within. This is the
sel- organisation. When we are in harmony within, our behaviour and
work is going to be naturally acceptable to the others also, therefore, we
will be living in harmony with others too. And when we expand this to
every unit in nature, in existence then we will be able to live in harmony
with the entire existence. This is the sel-expression in its real sense.

6) It is a process of self-evolution through self-exploration.

When we do this self-exploration, we discover what is naturally

acceptable to us and also become aware o ‘what we are’. The very
process o being in a dialogue within acilitates sel-improvement. We
are basically aligning ‘what we are’ and ‘what we really want to be’. We
are lining up our desires, thoughts and expectations with our natural
acceptance. By doing this, gradually we are more in harmony within and
thereore, more in a state o happiness within. Thus, this process leads
to our evolution.

In g. 2-4, the sel-evolution and sel-expression is shown.

Knowing your Natural Acceptance
What you really want to be
Natural Acceptance

Living in accordance with your Natural Acceptance

Living in harmony within
Self-organised

Living in harmony with others... with the entire existence

Self-expression

Everything is in harmony = Universal Human Order

Figure - 2.4
Self-evolution and Self-expression

39
A foundation course in Human Values and professional ethics

The purpose o this book is to initiate or augment a process o sel-exploration

in the reader. You can check or yoursel, whether this is desirable or you
or not.

We are placing this up-front so that you have a full view of where we aim to
reach. It is this exploration that will help us develop a holistic perspective
that was mentioned in chapter 1. As we go into urther chapters, these
points will be detailed and claried.

To conclude, the complete process o sel-exploration which is depicted

below (g. 2-5) yields right understanding as the tangible outcome. Right
understanding can be recognised as follows:
a. It is assuring: We eel assured, we have no doubt about it. This is
because it is based on our natural acceptance, which is intrinsic to
us, inseparable rom us. We only have to become aware o it. Once
we are aware o it, once we know it, it remains obvious. No amount
o input or preconditioning otherwise can infuence or change
understanding based on natural acceptance.

b. It is satisfying: We all have the need to know, to understand. When

we understand something, it is satisying, it is ullling or us.

c. It is universal: We are able to see that right understanding is denite

and invariant with respect to:
i. Time: It holds good in all time – past, present and uture
ii. Space: It is the same at all places or locations

iii. Individual: It is the same for every human being

To take an example, let us examine the proposal ‘the eeling o respect

is natural in human-human relationship’. We can veriy that the eeling
o respect is naturally acceptable to us. We can validate that when we
behave with other human being with a feeling of respect, it is naturally
acceptable to the other as well. We can conclude that having a eeling o
respect leads to mutual happiness. When we understand this by way o
sel-exploration, we can see that it is very assuring. Assuring in the sense
that we have no doubt anymore; whether feeling of respect is natural
or feeing of disrespect is natural; whether we need to have a feeling

40
 Self-exploration as the Process for Value Education

o respect or disrespect in our relationship. This will remain certain in

us, even if we may have feeling of disrespect from time to time, due
to our preconditioning. It is satisying, as it ulls our basic need to
know. Further, we can see that it is universal: as this is true in all time –
today and tomorrow; in all places; and or every human being. Do keep
exploring it.
Assurance

Test Satisfaction

Universality
Right
Understanding Applies to all

Time Space Individual

Figure - 2.5
Characteristics of Right Understanding

In case the outcome o sel-exploration does not ull any o the above
three criteria, it means that it is not the right understanding. It could be
a pre-conditioning or we have made a mistake in looking into our natural
acceptance and so, we need to continue exploring.

Self-exploration ultimately results in right understanding of the entire

existence, i.e., “realisation o co-existence”, “understanding o harmony” and
“contemplation o relationship”. Once we have this right understanding and
when our imagination is fully guided by it, we reach to a state of continuous
harmony and happiness within. This is expressed in our behaviour, our work
and in our participation with every unit in nature in a harmonious manner. It
ultimately becomes the foundation for an undivided society and a universal
human order. Further, when this is passed down rom one generation to the
next in continuity, generation after generation, it forms a human tradition
o happiness and prosperity or every human being. This is the coveted
outcome o value education.

The process by which we try to understand is very important. What we

intend to do through this book, is to initiate, facilitate and support a process
of self-exploration in you which is starting as this dialogue between us and
you.

41
A foundation course in Human Values and professional ethics

Salient Points
• The process o understanding human values is sel-exploration, i.e.,
by exploring within, on the basis of natural acceptance; and with
that, experiential validation, i.e., by exploring outside in our living.

• Natural acceptance is the innate capacity of every human being to

see the intrinsic purpose, to see what is natural, what is right and
thereby conclude what is not right. It is not the same as the likes-
dislikes or assumptions and belies but something denite that does
not change with time, place or person. It is innate, invariant and
universal. There is a natural acceptance or relationship, harmony
and co-existence in each one o us.

• Self-exploration is a process of dialogue within us – between “what

I am” (my desire-thought-expectation) and “what is naturally
acceptable to me” (my natural acceptance). Once we start reerring
to our natural acceptance for questions relating to feeling and
purpose, we get the right answers rom within.

• When “what I am” (my desire-thought-expectation) is in harmony

with my natural acceptance, I am in a state o happiness. When there
is a contradiction between these two, I am in a state of disharmony
and unhappiness.

• The content o sel-exploration is:

a. Desire or basic aspiration of human being, which is for continuity

of happiness and prosperity and

b. Programme to ull the basic aspiration.

• The process o sel-exploration is sel-verication. Whatever is

stated is a proposal. Do not assume it to be true or alse, right or
wrong. First, veriy it on the basis o your natural acceptance. Next,
verify it experientially – if the behaviour with human being results in
mutual happiness and the work with rest of nature leads to mutual
prosperity, only then the given proposal is right for you, otherwise it
is not right or you.

42
 Self-exploration as the Process for Value Education

• One evolves through self-exploration – by knowing oneself, knowing

the entire nature/existence and the inter-relationship with every
entity in nature. Through sel-exploration, one is able to know human
conduct; and live in harmony within oneself, in family, in society and
in nature/existence.
• The outcome o sel-exploration is development o right
understanding. Right understanding is the understanding of the
harmony rom the Sel to the entire existence, i.e., realisation o
co-existence, understanding of harmony and contemplation of
relationship; and on that basis, understanding human conduct.
Right understanding is denite; it is assuring, it is satisying and it is
universal.
• Living on the basis of right understanding (living with right
understanding as our internal guide), one is in a state of harmony
within, i.e., one is sel-organised. With the state o harmony within,
one is able to live in harmony with the outside world – the behaviour
with human being leads to mutual happiness and work with rest of
nature leads to mutual prosperity. This is reerred to as sel-extension,
extending the harmony within to the world outside. Being in harmony
within and being in harmony with the outside world is living with
continuous happiness which is the basic aspiration o human being.
For this, sel-exploration is the essential starting point.

Test Your Understanding

Part 1: Questions for Self-evaluation
(Have we grasped the basic proposals made in this chapter?)
1. The process o value education has been proposed as ‘sel-
exploration’. What could be some other possibilities or the process
of value education?
2. Explain the process o sel-exploration. What is the expected result
of self-exploration? Please explain the process, content and natural
outcome of self-exploration with a neat diagram and two examples
rom your lie.

43
A foundation course in Human Values and professional ethics

3. What exactly are the following realities:

a. “What I am”
b. “What is naturally acceptable to me”
c. The dialogue between “what I am” and “what is naturally
acceptable to me”

Explain each with any three examples.

4. Describe the term ‘Natural Acceptance’. How do you make out i it
is your natural acceptance or not? Describe the characteristics of
Natural Acceptance. Explain with examples rom your own lie.
5. Distinguish between Natural Acceptance and Acceptance with a few
examples.

6. Given any proposal, if one is not doing self-exploration, what are the
other possibilities? Give two examples to explain.

Part 2: Practice Exercises for Self-exploration

(To help connect the content to one’s lie, at least at the level o thought,
these exercises may be done individually or in a group, particularly with
friends and family members)
1. Find out if the following are naturally acceptable to you

Statement My present thinking Is it Naturally

(beliefs) about the Acceptable?
statement
I want to be happy
I want to make others happy
I want to be healthy
I want to live in relationship
I want to have more than others
I want to have more than what
I really need
Respect elders
Respect all
This is just a sample list. Please make your own list.

44
 Self-exploration as the Process for Value Education

Can you observe that when you really try, you can refer to your natural
acceptance?
Note any ve things that appear naturally acceptable to you. Now, veriy
or yoursel that your ‘natural acceptance’ does not change with time or
place. It does not depend on your belies and past conditionings and that
it is always there. I not, would you still call it your natural acceptance?
And if not, what can it be termed as in place of natural acceptance?
e.g., eating sweets. It may appear naturally acceptable. Now explore,
whether it changes with time, place and individual or not. You will see
that sometimes you like eating sweets, while sometimes, you do not feel
like eating sweets. Same thing happens with place. And not everyone
wants to eat sweets. Thus, it does not ull the criterion. It is not your
‘natural acceptance’. Then what is your natural acceptance? Find it
out (here, while eating sweets is your liking, nurturing your Body is the
natural acceptance).
2. Look into yoursel, into ‘what I am’ and into ‘what is naturally acceptable
to me’. Make a list o at least ten things you can observe in your thought,
behaviour or work. Now note these down (a sample table is given below):

What I am What is Naturally Are these two Do I feel Dialogue

(My thoughts, Acceptable to me in Harmony or Comfortable or
behaviour or Contradiction? Uncomfortable?
work)
I make my I want to make my Harmony Comfortable
parents happy parents happy all
the time
But I get Getting angry Contradiction Uncomfortable See
angry is not naturally example
with them acceptable to me. (b), below
sometimes I really want to
stay calm all the
time
Write down Write down Harmony or Comfortable or
other thoughts your natural Contradiction? Uncomfortable?
you have acceptance here

45
A foundation course in Human Values and professional ethics

a. Can you see that “what I am” and “what is naturally acceptable to
me” are two realities within you? Who else can see these two realities,
other than you? Are you able to see that all those things that are
naturally acceptable to you are really valuable for you? Write down
the conclusions you have arrived at rom seeing these two realities.

b. Can you see that self-exploration only means that you become aware
o your natural acceptance, become aware o “what I am” and start
the internal dialogue? You are basically asking the question “is it
naturally acceptable to me” to yoursel?

e.g., i I do not want to get angry ever, why do I then get angry?
Find out if you have assumed that on some occasions, it is a must to
get angry otherwise the situation will become worse, thus anger is
required at times. But when I am angry, I eel uncomortable within
as it is not naturally acceptable to me to get angry! Then what to do?
Can there be some other solution?

Observe how the dialogue is taking place in you and note it down.
What did you learn from observing the dialogue?

3. Look into what you really want to be and prepare a document (like a
resume) as you see yoursel three years rom now. We can call it “uture
resume”. Please include the ollowing ve sub-sections:

a. About you:

i. Your academic scholastic and proessional qualications

ii. Your qualities as a human being (what kind o person you will be)

iii. Your ability to live in relationship with people

iv. Your health

v. Your work skills (what you will be able to do independently,

without any help)

vi. Your hobbies, co-curricular and extra-curricular interests

b. About your role in your family (what responsibility you will take in
your family and also what you will expect from your family)

46