Duty, Kartavvyam and the Harada Method

I was delighted to be invited by my dear friend Norman Bodek (popularly known as the 'Father of Lean' in the US) to be with him when he was teaching the Harada method (the best in class method for personal development that has come out of Japan) to one of his clients in India. Norman uses a lot of personal anecdotes to illustrate the steps recommended by Harada. Since Norman has been a long termsaadhaka many of these anecdotes were about his Yoga practice and what he learnt from his guru. Paul Ackers, who calls himself a ‘Lean Fanatic’, was also there, the day was an eye opener in many ways.
 On the commute to the program site Norman and back talked about how the Bhagavad Gita was central to him. We found a lot of convergence between his insights and Yogacharya Krishnamacharya's teachings. One of the central ideas in the Gita is ‘kartavvyam’. This word is often translated as ‘duty’, but Krishnamacharya's explanation is very close to Harada's central idea: 1. Can you be your best and bring it to bear on the situation? 2. Can you take full responsibility for yourself?
 There are four levels of choice that people make according to Krishnamacharya, if we apply them to the way one brings oneself to ones job performance it will make sense in an organizational context. This choice of how much of oneself one invests in the situation/ system is the 'role' one plays not the designated job position. To illustrate, Krishna's job position is a charioteer, but the roles he plays are of a friend and a powerful influencer.
 The four levels of investment of the self in the situation are:

1. The follower- the person invest the bare minimum to stay in the system. Either fear of risk taking or self interest comes in the way of bringing ones ideas, initiatives or talents to weigh in. Only that which is instructed is done.
2. The soldier- the person fills the task space assigned to him/ her. Policies will be followed, but no initiative will be taken beyond the task requirements.

 In Krishnamacharya's frame work, these are people who do not creat a 'bhoomi' i.e., they neither bring in conviction nor do they take a stand that comes from taking full responsibility for the situation i.e., they do not act from 'karthavvyam'. The picture-in-the-mind when one uses the word 'duty' is more akin to the soldier's choice.

1. The committed performer- for the performer, designations and 'job descriptions' are only a starting point. The performer is willing to bring in her/ his capabilities, study the context and act with conviction.

 This person acts from 'karthavvyam' and creates a 'karma bhoomi'. The actions of this person will not only influence the context/ system it will also help the person grow inwardly. An inner space is created simultaneously, and significant learning takes place. In Yoga this stage marks the beginning of inner transformation.

1. The hero- heroism is evoked in a person when one is committed to a set of values that are dharmic. The importance one gives to the dharmic values is far greater than the importance one gives to self centered purposes and goals.

When a person acts from this inner choice, the person creates a 'dharma bhoomi'. If one contrasts the way the Kaurava army was put together, the idea of duty and how this idea can be used to manipulate and oppress a person will become clear. All the people who joined the Kaurava army were compelled to do so because of quid-pro-quo, familial compulsions or the promise of personal gain. The Paandava army comprised of people who acted from a commitment todharma. This is ‘kartavvyam’, and this type of choice making creates a 'karma bhoomi, and a dharma bhoomi'.
Heroic role play reflects a commitment to be ones best and ensure that this 'best that one can be' serves society. This is the central piece of the Harada method too.