A story in Mahabharat goes like this -Krishna runs away after stealing butter from a few homes and the womenfolk are chasing Krishna to punish him. Krishna goes into a house and hides inside a pot and tells the man there, not to let the women who come chasing know that he is hiding. As promised the man tells these angry women that Krishna never came there. Krishna comes out of the pot and shows his true form. The man asks for moksha and Krishna grants it to the man and also to the pot.
The discussion that ensues ater this wish was granted, is interesting. The man asks - how come he gets moksha for telling a lie and Krishna says that there are two types of dharma - saamanya (ordinary) dharma and vishesha (exceptional) dharma. Saamanya dharma includes truth, honesty etc, etc whereas vishesha dharma is about exercising saamanya dharma in exceptional situations like saving a life. One can tell a lie to save a life and that is vishesha dharma and the man and the pot got moksha for exercising vishesha dharma.
In organizations everything is about saamanya dharma, there is a rule book, be it for HR, Technology, Finance....... saamanya dharma is elucidated and documented well and followed. Probably that is why we have managers and not leaders in organization. Are people assembly line products that these rules will apply in all contexts to all?
Semco appears to be the only organization in the world that practices the true ideology of vishesha dharma. (Anyone who is interested in knowing more about Semco - please read Maverick).
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10 comments:
"poimayum vaaimai idathu" appadenu valluvar idhaan solli irukkar
i was reminded of this one TJ, the concept is amazing - it encompasses so many of these exceptions
Good one paavai. Identifying where vishesha dharma applies may be little difficult task unless it is like life saving situation.
wud be interesting to see vishesha dharma practised in management - But may be organisations see it as a risk of defining them !!
kasthuri and dubukku - Maverick is an excellent book that makes practicing vishesha dharma so common sensical and practical too.
wow interesting blog came through Kasthuri
good work paavai
thanks for dropping by Ganesh
definitely a "visheshamaana" post..:)..
A kewl blog uve got here..(Y)
What a lucky man! He helps a thief(even if he is a butter thief!)by lying and gets reward too!!
First time here. Don't get me wrong. But was that an exceptional situation to use 'vishesha dharma'?
krishna - thank you for your comment
me too - telling a lie to save a life is shown as visheshadharma, thanks for reading my post and commenting
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