Sense of Balance in Indian Conceptualisation of Psychological Well-being
The concept of psychological well-being (PWB) engages the attention of those who live in the Global North, as well as those in the Global South. Similar to the Western concept of PWB, its Indian conceptualisation too, has a long history dating back to at least 3,000 years. This article accentuates t...
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Uniwersytet Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego w Warszawie
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae |
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| Online Access: | https://czasopisma.uksw.edu.pl/index.php/seb/article/view/9582 |
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| author | Joseph Jeyaraj Swaminathan Giuseppe Crea Zbigniew Formella |
| author_facet | Joseph Jeyaraj Swaminathan Giuseppe Crea Zbigniew Formella |
| author_sort | Joseph Jeyaraj Swaminathan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The concept of psychological well-being (PWB) engages the attention of those who live in the Global North, as well as those in the Global South. Similar to the Western concept of PWB, its Indian conceptualisation too, has a long history dating back to at least 3,000 years. This article accentuates that, in India, a ‘sense of balance’ (sama in Sanskrit) is an overarching principle that guides ecological, social, and personal well-being. This sense of balance is discussed in the exposition of concepts, such as hedonia and eudaimonia, which are found in both the Western and Indian concept of PWB. Major differences include the collectivist nature of Indians, their emphasis of spirituality and their belief that suffering and happiness are two dimensions of a single reality. Through a comparative narrative method, it is evidenced that Indian constructs, namely, Sama, Dharma, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas resonate meaningfully with universal principles, such as ethical living, social commitment, and spiritual awareness. In short, Indian conceptualisation of PWB holds that it is holistic, integrated, and balanced. An extended prospect of this sense of balance is its appropriateness in enabling people to achieve ecological balance, irrespective of their cultural affiliations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f4187a265c904483902e1e3ec1cff2fa |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1733-1218 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Uniwersytet Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego w Warszawie |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae |
| spelling | doaj-art-f4187a265c904483902e1e3ec1cff2fa2025-02-02T06:18:25ZengUniwersytet Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego w WarszawieStudia Ecologiae et Bioethicae1733-12182022-01-0119410.21697/seb.2021.19.4.05Sense of Balance in Indian Conceptualisation of Psychological Well-beingJoseph Jeyaraj Swaminathan0Giuseppe Crea1Zbigniew Formella2Don Bosco Institute of Psychological Services in Chennai,Institute of Psychology, Salesian Pontifical University in Rome,Institute of Psychology, Salesian Pontifical University in Rome,The concept of psychological well-being (PWB) engages the attention of those who live in the Global North, as well as those in the Global South. Similar to the Western concept of PWB, its Indian conceptualisation too, has a long history dating back to at least 3,000 years. This article accentuates that, in India, a ‘sense of balance’ (sama in Sanskrit) is an overarching principle that guides ecological, social, and personal well-being. This sense of balance is discussed in the exposition of concepts, such as hedonia and eudaimonia, which are found in both the Western and Indian concept of PWB. Major differences include the collectivist nature of Indians, their emphasis of spirituality and their belief that suffering and happiness are two dimensions of a single reality. Through a comparative narrative method, it is evidenced that Indian constructs, namely, Sama, Dharma, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas resonate meaningfully with universal principles, such as ethical living, social commitment, and spiritual awareness. In short, Indian conceptualisation of PWB holds that it is holistic, integrated, and balanced. An extended prospect of this sense of balance is its appropriateness in enabling people to achieve ecological balance, irrespective of their cultural affiliations.https://czasopisma.uksw.edu.pl/index.php/seb/article/view/9582well-beingIndiaIndian psychologysense of balancecollectivist societysmam |
| spellingShingle | Joseph Jeyaraj Swaminathan Giuseppe Crea Zbigniew Formella Sense of Balance in Indian Conceptualisation of Psychological Well-being Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae well-being India Indian psychology sense of balance collectivist society smam |
| title | Sense of Balance in Indian Conceptualisation of Psychological Well-being |
| title_full | Sense of Balance in Indian Conceptualisation of Psychological Well-being |
| title_fullStr | Sense of Balance in Indian Conceptualisation of Psychological Well-being |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sense of Balance in Indian Conceptualisation of Psychological Well-being |
| title_short | Sense of Balance in Indian Conceptualisation of Psychological Well-being |
| title_sort | sense of balance in indian conceptualisation of psychological well being |
| topic | well-being India Indian psychology sense of balance collectivist society smam |
| url | https://czasopisma.uksw.edu.pl/index.php/seb/article/view/9582 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT josephjeyarajswaminathan senseofbalanceinindianconceptualisationofpsychologicalwellbeing AT giuseppecrea senseofbalanceinindianconceptualisationofpsychologicalwellbeing AT zbigniewformella senseofbalanceinindianconceptualisationofpsychologicalwellbeing |