Facilitating Workplace Spirituality: A Philosophical Lens Through Kashmir Saivism

Abstract

‘Work is Worship’ is a philosophical idea that comes from ancient Indian teachings and is deeply rooted in Indian Philosophy. Workplace spirituality is a Western approach, but missing its Indian ingredient, i.e., our Indian philosophy. Workplace spirituality has increasingly gained attention in modern organizational studies as scholars explore how inner awareness, meaning, and connectedness influence individuals at work. In modern workplaces, employees often seek not only professional success but also a sense of purpose and harmony in their environment. A spiritual approach derived from Indian philosophical traditions offers valuable insights into understanding such experiences within organizations. In Indian culture, spirituality refers to the realization or experience of oneness with all beings. This sense of oneness is reflected in workplace spirituality through feelings of interconnectedness among individuals. In this context, Indian philosophical traditions provide meaningful perspectives that can help understand and enhance workplace spirituality. In this study, we combine the emerging Western approach of Workplace Spirituality, merging some concepts of Indian philosophy, specifically Kashmir Saivism. This conceptual paper explores workplace spirituality through the philosophical lens of Kashmir Saivism. The goal is to understand the concept of workplace spirituality by examining selected philosophical insights from Kashmir Saivism and seeing how these ideas can support its development. The paper focuses on strengthening individual spirituality at work through three primary dimensions of Kashmir Saivism: Universal Consciousness (Chaitanya), Self-Recognition (Pratyabhijñā), and Unity of Existence (Advaita). By aligning these philosophical ideas with workplace spirituality, the study examines how awareness, interconnectedness, and self-realization can lead to meaningful work experiences and ethical engagement in organizations. This thorough research underscores the importance of Indian philosophical thought in the modern management framework and suggests that insights from Kashmir Saivism can strongly relate to our understanding of spirituality in organizational life.