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Human needs - A Perspective







‘The human Needs’ – a perspective

What does man NEED?  What’s does he seek?  What are the NEEDS of other living beings apart from man?
Western thinkers have listed the hierarchy of six basic or fundamental human NEEDS as…
1.       Certainty
2.       Uncertainty
3.       Significance
4.       Love and Connection
5.       Contribution
6.       Growth
Ancient thinkers from the East though have concluded that every living being seeks Contentment, Happiness and Peace – that is the ultimate NEED of man.
That is the highest possibility of evolution in Man.

Lower NEEDS
The first three NEEDS, in the above list, namely Certainty, Uncertainty and Significance can be termed as lower NEEDS of man
Certainty deals with security and safety. Humans need security and safety in terms of food, shelter, and clothing as basic needs for living. After the certainty NEED is met, he desires the next higher NEED of Uncertainty or variety or entertainment. Life seems more thrilling with uncertainties. Therefore one chooses uncertainty or variety by the way of playing a sport or game, visiting new places, cultural events, movies and so on. The next NEED is Significance or prominence or importance to oneself or establishing the ‘I’ness or the ego state.
The above three NEEDS or ‘Worldly’ needs are directly related to the worldly existence or sustenance of basic life and mostly materialistic in nature. It is dominated by Matter.
Higher NEEDS
The last three NEEDS, in the above list, namely Love & Connection, Contribution and Growth can be described as higher needs or ‘Spiritual NEEDS’. They belong to the subtler level of our existence. Can also be called the ‘other realm’ or the world that resides in our deeper layers.
Love and Connection is about social living with peace and harmony (Vasudaiva kutumbakam); Contribution is about Seva or being helpful to people and the society. Growth is about self- development, maturity, increasing the level of awareness, understanding, realization and reaching a higher level of consciousness.



Let us look at the needs of other living beings of the world.
‘The world’ (Jagat) can be considered to consist of all the living and non-living matter of our universe.
The non-living matter, though inert has a dormant consciousness in it. It has a lot of ‘Sat’ or energy packed in them (E=mc square)
Plants are next in the evolutionary process of living things, their freedom is higher than matter. They grow but do not have locomotion. Their NEED is to grow. We can find that expression of growth in all plant life. They are non-disturbing and harmonious with nature.
Animals are next in the evolutionary process. They have a higher degree of freedom and NEEDS. Their basic NEEDS include satiating their senses, hunger, sleep, procreation etc. but they do not have much control over their actions. They are instinctive in behavior. In a sense the Lower NEEDS of man are similar to that of animals hence termed as animalistic NEEDS.
It is interesting to note that Plants as well as Animals respond to Love and Connection. So ‘Love and connection’ can be termed as a need of Plants and animals too as consciousness is active in them too.
Man is highest in the evolutionary process of this world. He has a high degree of freedom (intellect or faculty of discrimination).  When man keeps catering to the lower NEEDS he is instinctive and animalistic. He falls in the evolutionary process, when he succumbs to the lower animalistic NEEDS. He rises in the evolutionary process when he feeds on the higher NEEDS.
When the lower NEEDS are being met the sustenance and continuity of human life is ensured. Indulgence in these NEEDS beyond the purpose of sustenance and continuity causes a fall rather than rise in evolution.
Meeting our higher NEEDS are elevating and take us towards the ultimate goal of Bliss, Happiness,  Peace.
An interesting point to note is that, even when we are meeting our lower NEEDS (when our lower NEEDS are satiated) the Bliss and Happiness is available but they are in infinitesimally small amounts and in a short time duration as compared to the higher possibilities of Happiness. Further these are material dependent and not sustainable.
With the satiation of higher NEEDS the happiness derived is non-material dependent and sustainable too.
More pertinent questions…
What is this play of nature, with its non-living objects, living things, evolution of beings? Is this a game? What is the whole purpose of our living, EVOLUTION?
We can postulate that the GROSS playing field of the WORLD, is our planet, solar system, Universe, multi-verse…. including all its living and non-living things. The SUBTLE playing field is our molecular body, mind, thoughts, feelings, and the subtlest of all - the Consciousness.
Moving from the gross to the subtle and then to the subtlest and further to the supreme consciousness is the GAME.
When a sport is played, it is a hypothetical set of conditions and rules made to create a thrill or temporary happiness. As observers and players we know the rules and know that this not the real thing! Its only temporary arrangement for thrill.
This game of life is also a similar. The reality lies beyond the gross levels that we see. When there is a shift of focus from the GROSS to the SUBTLE, one begins to understand the nuances of the game as one  matures and evolves.
Another analogy would be the example of a child playing with his toys and in the process being in a bliss state. As adults we outgrow this state of happiness derived from toys. We no longer see enjoyment or excitement in the toys of the childhood. However we shift to costlier toys (Cars, gadgets etc.) and games, sports or even sex.  Just as we outgrow from a child to adult state, realizing the toys to be tools of temporary happiness, one can similarly outgrow or evolve from the gross worldly matters to the subtler and higher realms, to reach the highest levels of Bliss, Happiness and Peace.
Therefore one can say that our lower NEEDS cater to the gross or lower levels of our existence.
The higher NEEDS move us towards our higher purpose of life, Bliss, Happiness and to our highest possibility, which is the Supreme state of Consciousness.
The author claims no originality to the concepts presented in this article except for the interpretations therein.

- Mukund Magge
  Yogabharati