Improving your Spiritual Quotient – The Gita way
September 29th, 2008 
Ramkumar
In today’s world, we are ever looking to achieve happiness through material possessions. Would achieving these provide us with a successful and a happy life ?
One way of finding out answers to this question could be to explore the Spiritual Quotient (SQ), relating to our ability to understand and comprehend the spiritual aspects of life
We have heard about Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Quotient
(EQ) so what is the Spiritual Quotient (SQ) we are referring to ?
To be born as a human being alone affords and provides a platform for attaining higher levels in realization. In a recent research work on SQ, 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”. Therefore, for the ‘Wheel of Life’ to roll smoothly, all the spokes of the wheel – IQ, EQ and SQ – have to be equally developed. The journey from IQ to SQ represents moving from gross to subtle, finite to infinite and from tangible to intangible.” SQ has several facets: Improving on reducing one’s ego, spirit of surrender and service to others, showing more compassion and expressing gratitude to others.
Bhagavad Gita has elaborated on all of the above issues and provided several workable solutions to enable a person to grow his or her spiritual quotient. One of the main stumbling blocks standing in the way of a person’s progress and advancement is his or her ego. Ego issues have to be handled with maturity and tact and a person has to learn the act of sublimation. Ego issues, if left uncontrolled can create problems in our personal, social and professional lives. All our scriptures have attributed the cause of most of the problems to this one single factor! Therefore Gita says to focus on the big “I” and not on the small “I”
Great spiritual masters have also echoed the fact that we should try and focus on the inner core rather than on external appearances. They have also demonstrated the act of surrender to their gurus.
When surrender of ones ego takes place, there is just tranquility and peace in our interaction with the world. One such exemplary devotee who exhibited complete surrender to the ultimate was Hanumanji.
As a person surrenders his ego.. the maanava becomes madhava.. Quality of goodness arises in him leading him to Godliness and achieving spiritual realization.
We should try and show compassion and help others in any means possible – by wealth, time or any other means. After all we are the beads strung together in a same garland!
Just as a musk deer runs hither and thither not knowing where the good smell is coming from, but from its very own navel, so also we have forgotten the fact that we are spiritual beings in a human form. Spiritual Quotient is all about discovering of one’s own inner self.
Posted in Lifestyle Management 
Tags: compassion, Ego, EQ, Gratitude, IQ, service, Spiritual Quotient, SQ
Mind is the function of autonomic nervous system (ANS). ANS is largely under hypothalamic control. Hypothalamus is situated very close to optic chiasma known as sixth chakra or ajna chakra in Indian System of Yoga. Practice of concentration to meditate at sixth chakra is considered superior to all other types of meditation. ANS has two sub-system (1) Parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) and (2) Sympathetic nervous system (SNS). PSNS is activated during meditative calm and SNS is activated during stress. I, therefore, discovered a mathematical formula for spiritual quotient (S.Q.) based on the above facts. In this relationship Spiritual Quotient can be expressed mathematically as the ratio of parasympathetic dominance to sympathetic dominance. We can assign numerical values to various physiological parameters activated or suppressed during autonomic mobilisation like heart rate, rate of respiration, supply of blood to interior and exterior organs etc. and can put the values in the above formula for S.Q. and can preditct the state of mind of an individual and can also infer about one’s level of consciousness.
Yoga (Application) which was based on the control of the body physically and implied that a perfect control over the body and the senses led to knowledge of the ultimate reality. A detailed anatomical knowledge of the human body was necessary to the advancement of yoga and therefore those practising yoga had to keep in touch with medical knowledge. (Romila Thapar, A History of India, volume one).
I suggest : Mind and brain are two distinct things. Brain is anatomical entity whereas mind is functional entity. Mind can be defined as the function of autonomic nervous system (ANS). It is claimed that mind can be brought under conscious control through the practice of meditation. But how? ANS is largely under hypothalamic control which is situated very close to optic chiasma (sixth chakra or ajna chakra). Protracted practice of concentration to meditate at this region brings functions of ANS say mind under one’s conscious control.
ANS is further divided into parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS). On the basis of these facts I have discovered a mathematical relationship for spiritual quotient (S.Q.). Spiritual Quotient can be expressed mathematically as the ratio of Parasympathetic dominance to Sympathetic dominance. PSNS dominates during meditative calm and SNS dominates during stress. In this formula we assign numerical values to the physiological parameters activated or suppressed during autonomic mobilization and put in the formula to describe the state of mind of an individual and also infer his/her level of consciousness.
Meditation is the art of looking within and science of doing nothing. We don’t use anything in meditation. We just try to concentrate to meditate at some point in human anatomy known as ‘chakra’ in Indian System of Yoga. The current of mind is flowing outward through the senses and unconsciously. The mind comes at rest gradually through regular practice of meditation. Then comes self realization and enlightenment. Protracted practice of meditation under qualified guidance will help to manage all sort of psychological problems.
Emotional Quotient can also be expressed mathematically as the product of I.Q. and Wisdom Factor. E.Q. stands for Emotional Quotient. An intelligent person may not be wise. But a wise man will always be intelligent. An intelligent person having certain level of positive emotions can be said as wise. An intelligent person lacking wisdom will turn autocrat. A wise man will always be a democrat who respects others existence.
Some may raise doubt that how could be the Wisdom quantified? The answer is simple -if Mental Age of I.Q. can be quantified then Wisdom can also be quantified, of course, comparatively with more efforts. Wilhelm Stern had given the formula of I.Q.. It is, Mental Age/ Chronological Age x 100. Spiritual Quotient (S.Q.) leverages both E.Q. and I.Q.
Anirudh Kumar Satsangi
Maslow has given Hierarchy of Needs. At the top of it is need for self-actualization or self-realization.
In our society we should learn To Live and Let Live and help to satisfy others need. When the lower order needs, physiological and sociological both, are satisfied then only a person think to satisfy need for self-realization in true sense. Else he/she may spend all his/her life to satisfy at the most the need for self-expression instead of self-realization.
It is, therefore, the duty of every responsible person, at the least, of our society to give serious thought over it.
For the satisfaction of need for self-realization i.e. establishment of harmony of individual consciousness with that of universal consciousness we need following three things:
1. Master or Guru (A Self-Realized Soul)
2. Secret of Levels of Universal Consciousness
3. Method for traversing the path.
Anirudh Kumar Satsangi
I will like to interact with any one particularly in Asia who is doing any researxch related to SQ.
Please Mr. Ram kindly send me your e-mail id so that I can send you a mail for further correspondence.
Thanks and regards.
Hello Sir,
i am puja khilwani, research scholar of banaras hindu university, india.spirituality is one of the variable in my research work.you have written that you want to interact with the person doing research in this area that’s why i am replying.tell me about yourself and if i can help you in any way you are most welcome.
with kind regards
Puja Khilwani
Sir,
I m Niharika Patel from Surat. i m interested in doing my Ph.d
on spirituality or spiritual quotient. Kindly guide me for the same. If there is any charges for Ur guidance i m ready to pay for it. My mobile no is 9898653745.
Thank u.
Niharika Patel.
hi
i’m investigating on S.Q in management. can you send me some references.
thanks
I have just begun my journey towards self discovery. One of the ways is also thro Satsang. I am also in the process of compiling information as i learn new views. I would be interested in finding more about “Scientific and measurable Spiritual Quotient”
Thankyou Anirudh ji for your views. Puja Ji, i would be obliged if you could help with any information relating to my concern area.
Thanks
Shefali
Generally we surrender our ego either to please people, or to avoid conflicts. How does that make us spiritual. Can anyone help with answers?
The SQ measures the actual “growth” of the human being. This growth pertains to one’s realization of the world, and his/her duty in it. When one comes to realize that this lifetime encountered on this planet serves as a platform for personal spiritual growth.
For me SQ is simply letting go and let the Higher intelligence take charge of anything and everything. Embraced the moment of Now. There are no ordinary moments. Be in the present moment.
Great stuff. thanks for this
Hi
I believe mind is a bundle of thoughts and has no physical existance. Desires – good and bad – seem to emanate from the heart (spiritual heart). Desireless person cannot be said to have a mind. But still such person may have a few pure desires in order to sustain his/her body so as to serve the society.
Spiritual Quotient as a subject of inquiry is yet to evolve and any quantification of the same has to take into account all other aspects of the subject. What Anirudh has written is interesting and appealing – hope some thing comprehensive can be thought.
regards
Muthu