‘Spiritual Quotient’ – The Ultimate Intelligence and the ultimate goal of a human being.
Nirav Parekh
10MBA86
Student
From IQ to EQ, we have travelled this far. The new buzzword most of the people of organisation as well as of society is speaking about now is SQ - Spiritual Quotient. The World, since long, gave much importance to Intelligence Quotient (IQ). In the early 20th century, when psychologists devised tests to measure intelligence (used to solve the Logical Problem), named IQ measured based on certain tests to apply logical conclusion to the problems. The higher the figure, the belief went, the greater the intelligence. In mid-1990s, Daniel Goleman discovered the findings in neuroscience and psychology based on importance of Emotional Quotient (EQ) an ability to respond skillfully to pleasure and pain keeping in mind the feelings of others and himself. Daniel Goleman argued that EQ is the basic requirement for proper use of IQ and argued that if the areas of our brain that feel the emotions are damaged, the decisive thinking ability will be affected adversely. Humans are essentially spiritual beings, they are evolved to question their own purpose / existence with questions like “Who I am?” Why I was born?” and spiritual quotient is the ability to answer questions like these which leads to personal growth of a person. Spiritual Quotient is totally different from IQ and EQ. IQ solves logical problems. EQ allows us to judge the situation and behave accordingly with balanced emotions, while SQ ask whether this is worth being in that situation before indulging in it. It might motivate us to create a new one situation. SQ has little connection to formal religion. Atheists and humanists may have high SQ while someone actively religious may not as SQ is derived from pure thoughts / emotions. Zohar and Marshall (2000) created the term spiritual intelligence. The term derived from the latin word ‘Wind or breath’. This is literally a wind that is blowing through us, the principle that makes us alive and humane. It is the soul’s intelligence, the intelligence of deep self, that with which we ask fundamental questions and with which we reframe our answers. Danah Zoher and Ian Marshal say “While computers have IQ and animals can have EQ, it is essentially an SQ that sets human beings apart”. . Spiritual Quotient is all about discovering of one’s own inner self.
MY STANDPOINT ABOUT THIS TOPIC
These concepts are not new for India. We can find the roots of these in Indian philosophy. The modern psychological concepts already exist in Indian scriptures like in Vedas, Upanishads, Shrimad Bhagvad Geeta, etc. As per this scriptures and opinions of Saints, Rishies and Avatars, Spiritual development is the ultimate goal of human being. Saints like Narsinh Mehta, Mirabai, Tukaram, Eknath, Namdev reached at the highest level of spiritual development .It is the matter of experience. Scholars of various sciences across the world are accepting that as they are growing in such concept they are going nearer to Indian Scripture or Vedanta. There are many ways of Spiritual developments. We can find this ways and direction from Saints and Spiritual leaders. According to Rev. Pandurag Shastri Aathawle(Dadaji), an applied philosopher and the founder of Swadhyay Parivar, the way of bhakti (not by an orthodox way i.e. Puja-Path, Aarti, Prasad, etc.) is the best way of spiritual development. We must have intellectual love towards the god. But where is God? Vedanta says he resides within us. By surrendering the ego we will be able to perpetually experience Spiritual Actualisation, leading to a higher SQ. Bhakti is an understanding. Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita (chapter 12/2 says: “Mayya vaishya mano ye maam….”It means, to concentrate mind in the god. On the basis of that Rev. Pandurang Shastri(Dadaji) said that by the process of Murtipuja, a perfect science, we can make our mind powerful, progressive and sensitive and can reach at the highest stage of consciousness. Thus, Spirituality is the ultimate way of development of human being. So that we must start to think over it seriously and to implement in our life.