Namasmaran And Stress Dr. Shriniwas J. Kashalikar

NAMASMARAN

AND

STRESS

DR.SHRINIWAS

KASHALIKAR

NAMASMARAN & NEUROSIS

Indulgence and asceticism, atheism and theism, romance and renunciation; and such variety of apparently

conflicting phenomena render completion to life. If you try to take away anyone of these, the life appears

incomplete.

In fact even as I was convinced intellectually about the value of NAMSMARAN in life and wrote books on it

right from 1992, one of the major hurdles in appreciating and experiencing the cosmic benevolence of

NAMASMARAN was its depiction (or my erroneous perception of the depiction) as an activity of elderly,

neurotic, inactive, pessimists, escapists and failed individuals. Even the books, movies, and dramas on saints and bhakti sangeet (devotional music) made

saintly life and the practice of NAMASMARAN appear miserable and pathetic. I never thought this was the A

grade happiness, implied in spiritualism or self realization.

Partly because of this and partly because of the social justice and freedom implied in the atheism, which I

cherish even today, I could not be involved completely in any particular theist tradition of NAMASMARAN.

But even as I, due to my repulsion for the pathetic life style (as depicted or interpreted by me) felt material

pleasures could not be amputated arbitrarily from one’s

life if one were to evolve healthily, I was not at ease even in the “best” of petty pleasures, which could at best give

B grade pleasure, not A grade happiness, which is implied in (though often ignored) and must be integral

part of global justice.

Thus neither could I identify myself with the ascetics nor with the materialists. I kept on vacillating from one side

to another like a pendulum.

But now it is more than clear, that NAMASMARAN is a panacea, it is an objective phenomenon and it can not be the monopoly of any one camp such as ascetic, indulgent,

theist, atheist, scientific, religious and so on.It is an objective phenomenon with cosmic benevolence for blossoming of one and all. It is as objective and as

vital for human blossoming, as the oxygen is for human life.

It is beyond science, religion and philosophy. It is beyond human thought. It is a matter of practice and experience,

not belief, feeling or imagination.

NAMASMARAN connects you to the center of life, time and cosmic consciousness, i.e. with your true self. NAMASMARAN (according to one’s tradition)

is the privileged express highway to realize maximum potentials in every possible way, for one

and all!

NAMASMARAN, A MAHAYOG, A MEGAFUSION,

EK MAHASAMANVAY

I feel that

NAMASMARAN means remembering the name of God, i.e. one’s innate and true self and thus helps to blossom

from petty self into cosmic self in the course of time!

Namasmaran links all the faculties in an individual and helps him evolve integrity between thoughts, feelings,

instincts and actions.

Namasmaran cements the generation gap with consideration and love.

Namasmaran helps to rise above petty whims and fancies and enjoy sublime bonds of love amongst family

members, relatives and friends. Namasmaran wields the bonds of understanding

amongst people of different professions and of different strata.

Namasmaran builds lasting bonds amongst people of different regions.

Namasmaran builds the bridges of acceptance and love amongst different religions.

Namasmaran helps in uniting different races. Namasmaran helps in nurturing love between people

of different nationalities.

Namasmaran brings the actual spiritualism in day today life in every walk of life i.e. actually catalyzes the

reunification of spiritualism and materialism.

Namasmaran therefore is MAHAYOG, MEGAFUSION OR MAHASAMANVAY

I would be obliged if the practitioners of NAMASMARAN comment whether these views from their point of view; are realistic or are infatuations and/or utopia.

NAMASMARAN THE GOLDEN CHANCE

The life begins with separation of petty self from true self.

The geniuses, seers and prophets have almost

complete awareness of true self.

The others are variably aware of petty self and

true self.

The life manifests as a result of conflictingawareness of a true and petty self.

NAMASMARANisa

GOLDEN CHANCEfor increasing awareness of the true self.

This awareness is usually associated withincrease in braveness, buoyancy andbenevolence in all the walks of life in

different forms!

The other features of this awareness areperspective, policies, plans and actions

forevolving awareness of true self universally

.

NAMASMARAN WHEN & WHY?

If there is a thorn inside, then it hurts badly and the child cries. But if you try to remove it, then it resists and cries more. A sick child refuses to take injection because it is apprehensive about the pain it produces. The list of such instances can be very long in fact unending. The point is simple. If you do not know the cause and nature of your

problem and the efficiency of its solutions, then you tend to despise and reject the solutions.

Today, most of the people are complaining of one thing or another. Some people are not complaining but the others are

complaining about them! This is especially important because “normal” people are suffering! There is no clinical

disease and yet they are suffering or at least they say so!

The suffering is largely because of immature or maturing perception, feelings and actions. The solution is to development and maturation of these. This requires consciousness that emerges triumphantly out of the

biologically dominated perceptions, feelings and actions. This is actually the freedom of your soul or your conscience!

This requires NAMASMARAN in every place you go and in situation face. This is why you need NAMASMARAN.

But it is most important to realize that NAMASMARAN is a supreme option open to you and is a golden opportunity.

You are privileged to know about and practice NAMASMARAN.

The answer to “when” NAMASMARAN is; from the moment you come to know about it and always! The answer to “why?” is, because it is an accurate and radical solution to

the problems, for which you seek a solution!

WHAT IS NAMASMARAN?

Namasmaran means; remembering the name of God, Guru, great souls; such as prophets and holy objects such as planets

and stars. It may be remembered silently, loudly, along with music, dance, along with breathing, in group or alone, either with counting by rosary (called SMARANI or JAPAMALA)

or without counting. The traditions vary from region to region and from religion to religion.

However the universal principle underlyingNAMASMARAN is to reorient your

physiological being with your true self. Infact while reorienting with true self you aim

to establish and strengthen the bond orconnection; between; your physiological

being; with your true self. You aim atreunification with yourself!

Since remembering your true self is thepinnacle of or culmination of individual

consciousness, and individual consciousnessis the culmination of every activity in life,

remembering any name of God or Guru (any symbol of your true self) is equivalent to opening the final common pathway

for the individual consciousness associated withevery possible activity to get funneled into or unified with

objective or cosmic consciousness.

Thus NAMASMARAN is in fact theYOGA of YOGA in the sense that it is the

culmination of consciousness associated withevery possible procedure and technique inthe yoga that you are familiar with. It is the

YOGA of YOGA because it is the

culmination of consciousness associated withall the activities in the universe, which it

encompasses as well! It is YOGA of YOGAbecause everybody in the world irrespective

of his/her tradition and the beliefs; wouldeventually, ultimately and naturally reach it

it; in the process of liberation. Even so called non believers also would not “miss” the “benefit of remembering the true

selfthrough one symbol or another”!

Just as NAMASMARAN is YOGA of YOGA it is meditation of meditation also! It is the natural and ultimate

climax of every form of meditation.

These facts however have to be realized withpersistent practice of NAMSMARAN andnot blindly believed or blindly disbelieved

with casual approach!

In short NAMSMARAN is super-bounty ofcosmic consciousness for every individual to

realize it (cosmic consciousness)! This is truly a super-bounty because a person who

experiences it, rises above mercenary,commercial and even professional and

charity planes and manifest super-transactions in his or her life!

These are just few observations to give rough idea about what is NAMASMARAN.

NAMASMARAN is an ocean of bliss. Its true meaning is beyond description in words and has to b experienced, most

preferably, by billions!

WHY NAMASMARAN?

Some said that poverty is due to exploitation. Some said that the misery is due to invaders. Some said the malady is due to

imperialists. Some said the strife is due to religious fanaticism. Some said the stress is due to social oppression and injustice. Some said that the stress is due to deprivation

of biological instincts.

These are not completely wrong, but not entirely accurate also. Such partial understanding usually breeds

indiscriminate hatred and violence, towards others.

On the other hand there are many theories basically indicating the root of the distress in individual frailty.

These are also not completely wrong but not totally accurate either. They usually lead to self abnegation and

indiscriminate violence towards oneself.

There is one simple and practical process that has benevolent and emancipating impact on individual and the environment.

This process is called NAMASMARAN i.e. remembering the God i.e. your true self.

Billions of people of the world actually are engaged in it without using this terminology. If billions more get engaged

in it, the blossoming of the individuals and the world are absolutely inevitable.

There is no proof for this; so; one need not believe in this, but as the idea of proof itself has its limitations one need not disbelieve also! Unprecedented events have no proofs. They

are realized only after they happen!

YOGA KARMA & NAMASMARAN

One of the enigmas of Geeta (Gita) philosophy is NISHKAMA KARMA, which means action without

expectation of a particular result.

How can you perhaps do anything without expectation of a result, when you see that everything is associated with

result?

Excepting perhaps involuntary actions and activities during sleep, every action and its planning are associated with

anticipation or projection of its result.

It is understandable that if you focus on; or get obsessed by a particular result or start day dreaming about it, then it can distract you from the procedural skills and concentration.

But how can you completely forget or get rid of the thought or idea of the result?

It is also true that you should not get involved in the result, because it can disappoint you if you don’t get the expected

result. This is also fair and pragmatic. It can protect you

from imminent reactive depression or psychiatric maniacal elation.

But still, how can you totally dissociate the vision about the result from the action?

While thinking about these questions; suddenly I realized that even as most actions are associated with results, all the actions and their results i.e. cause and effect relationship; do not follow the same logic. This is especially true of subtle

actions; for example, my thinking or feelings are not describable in terms of their physicochemical details and

hence their cause and effect relationship/s with their results and the nature of their also can not be defined!

It is true that actions are roughly and in general; associated with successes and failures.

But the human civilization is evolution of actions (including the thoughts and feelings and the vision). As they evolve further; they become subtler and cosmic. Their nature and

results; can not be qualified or quantified by routine gauging and assessment. Further, neither the actions nor the results remain personal or subjective and hence their “Ownership”

or “Credit” ceases completely! So we no longer remain attached to it. This is NISHKAMA KARMA!

Geeta (Gita) inspires us for evolution of our actions from crudity, tight attachment to or insistence on cause and effect

relationships, arbitrariness and subjectivity; to; subtlety

where subjectivity and objectivity and the procedure and the results conceptually merge and the ownership ceases!!

One such absolutely evolved action is NAMASMARAN i.e. remembering God or one’s true self! Billions are already

practicing it in different religions and billions more are most likely to practice it and emancipate themselves and others!

One can ponder over these explanations and decide about the option of NAMASMARAN!

YOGA, STRESS & NAMASMARAN

YOGA is integration of right and left parietal (cerebral) cortex i.e. right and left brain.

Inability to realize the unity of universe, inability to realize unity of different ‘pathies’ in medicine and inability to

understand the interrelationship, interactivity, interdependence and complementarity in various fields of

transactions such as agriculture, science, technology, industry, trade, culture, politics; is due to deficient

development and disintegration between right and left brain.

This inability leads to mismanagement of stress and sectarian prejudices and fanatic bigotry, prevalence of

injustice, exploitation, hatred and crimes in different forms.

Even if a person is intelligent in terms of memory, analytical thinking, and innovation and so on, i.e. (left cerebral

development) he/she can be vicious, perverted and antisocial if not balanced and integrated with right brain.

Conversely; a person with excellent development of right brain but without integration with left brain is likely to be artist or a saintly individual but oblivious to social reality.

Can NAMASMARAN be useful to integrate left and right brain and enhance stress management and blossom

individual and global life?

PHYSIOLOGY & NAMASMARAN

Meru is a golden mountain that supports the heaven, earth and hell. It supports the three levels of consciousness. It also

means Tartar range of mountains north of Himalaya. This golden mountain is analogous to the brain, which supports

all the aspects of individual life. One of the meanings of the word Meru (Sanskrit) seems to be brain. Hence the vertebral

column is called Meru danda (Column or Rod).

Meru-mani means a big bead, in the japamala i.e. rosary.

It is said that while reciting or remembering the name of God; and counting it on the japamala, i.e. while practicing namasmaran; you are not supposed to cross the meru-mani.

What could be the reason for this?

According to me, the penance of any kind; including namasmaran; is aimed at reaching the controlling center of

the inner and outer universe.

Physiologically it is clear that there is a continuous flow of impulses to and fro the cerebral cortex on either side.

Impulses flow from right brain to the left body and from left body to right brain.

When you start counting the name of God, you tend to replicate the above process and go from meru-mani to the japamala and back. This is like going from left brain and

coming back. The next counting is begun by reversing the position of the meru-mani as if starting from right brain to

the body and coming back.

One can tally this explanation with one’s experience.

POSITIVE THINKING AND NAMASMARAN

Most of the times it is said advised by most of the people to most of the people to think positively!

But most of the times it is forgotten that a person does not think negatively by choice and does not have any conscious

plan; of not thinking positively either!

However most of the times this advice of positive thinking is given and taken passively and superstitiously as if there is no

other option!

It has to be appreciated that a person in depression or frustration may have negative thoughts which are destructive and need to be shunned. But the strength for this is what is

utterly lacking at the point of depression or frustration. Hence in this point of depression the positive thoughts are

countered by equally powerful and far more convincing negative thoughts by that person. Sometimes the positive

thoughts sermonized by the others become irritating as they appear too unrealistic and utopian to the person in

depression and frustration; and hence can be counterproductive.

The utter weakness of depression or frustration can be overcome by NAMSMARAN which revitalizes and

rejuvenates the person.It is in fact the best preventive and curative measure against

depression and frustration.

VALUE EDUCATION AND NAMASMARAN

Many people related to the field of education keep talking about VALUE BASED EDUCATION as a panacea to all the

problems in the world.

The idea of value based education is probably well intended in case of some of the proponents, but ….

1. The influence of value system of the society (now global values) (which does not come in the purview of any

formal education) influences ideas and behavior of the students and every one connected with education

tremendously.2. Common men follow the celebrities in different

fields, in the world. The celebrity status is decided by the global value system and the media hype in accordance with

it! Today, all of us in the world are suffering with the disease of “individualism, superficiality and pettiness”. Interestingly, it is disguised in glamour, glitter, hype and glorification! We have become caricature of ourselves. We are unable to think and behave conducive to our happiness and that of others.

3. The value system (enlightenment and inclusiveness or otherwise) of the constituent assemblies decide the

contents and drafting of the laws.4. The laws (whether they represent the noble

aspirations of the millions or not) and the legal system (whether it provides any kind of assurance, support or solace against being subjected to injustice and/or crimes) influences common man’s (and hence of every one related to the field

of education) beliefs and interactions.5. Our listlessness and emaciation to rise above

individualism, pettiness and superficiality and our sectarian and fragmented perspective and thinking (the cause of global

problems) are because of getting disconnected from our powerhouse (our true self)! NAMASMARAN can reconnect us with our powerhouse. In other words, this is like watering

our roots!

6. In absence of NAMASMARAN, arbitrary teaching of some arbitrary values, become pitiable and utterly

ineffective in serving the purpose viz. providing any kind of solution to global or individual problems.

7. One need not believe in this, but think over the issue and verify the empowering and rejuvenating

experience of cosmic benevolence of NAMSMARAN and its byproducts.

TOP PRIORITY AND NAMASMARAN

For all those; who believe that all the human efforts should culminate in individual and universal blossoming, the

holistic perspective and activities in tune with it; form the only way of success!

If you believe in realizing and manifesting the universal unity and harmony, then the simple way is

NAMASMARAN. Through NAMASMARAN you begin to blossom and realize universal unity and harmony and ironically, land up in magnificent bliss and infallible

conviction (some may call it obsession) of NAMASMARAN!

It is through such conviction, that you realize the need for top priority to training of children (and also adults) in first aid, nursing, home remedies, cooking, farming, gardening, stitching, carpentry and various such household skills and crafts, power sports, gymnastics, athletics, martial arts and

everything related to physical and mental fitness, which have to be aimed at empowering the individuals to streamline the

resources in problem solving; and achieve individual and global prosperity and profundity.

SPIRITUALISM, MATERIAISM AND NAMASMARAN

In the district of Satara in Maharashtra state there is a place called Gondavle (Budruk).

I first visited this place; where there is a samadhi mandir (shrine) of Sadguru Shri Brahmachaitanya Gondavlekar Maharaj; about thirty years ago. I have also visited the

place called Shirdi where there is a shrine of Shri Saibaba and Shegaon; where there is the shrine of Shri Gajanan

Maharaj.

These are the places where millions of devotees visit with reverence; every year. I respect their feelings.

However the questions that used to gnawing me were; “Why are these places full of activities responsible for the

downfall of mankind? Why can’t these (and other) spiritual masters change these (and other respective) places for

better; through their devotees, local administrative heads and/or the political leaders? Why are these places immune to spiritual rejuvenation and or revitalization? Why do we come across the socioeconomic and political misery? Why

do we find people in pitiable life conditions in most respects?”

The answer to all these questions; is the development of the split or chasm; between the spiritualism and materialism!

The saints and their shrines provide the enlightenment and empowerment; but we are intoxicated by petty selfishness

to such an extent that we visit these and other places of

pilgrimage in a parasitic mindset. We visit these shrines and temples with beggarly mentality. We approach these abodes merely for trivial gains for our own selves or our

families. All this is because we have forgotten our DHARMA, which is different from the concept of religion.

We have forgotten the concepts of pitru dharma, matru dharma, putra dharma, acharya dharma, kula dharma, raja

dharma etc. (duties or privileges assigned to father, mother, son, teacher, pedigree, ruler etc. respectively for individual

and global blossoming).

As a result; we are being dragged by petty, narrow, superficial, glamorous, and individualistic considerations

born out of disrespect (for our ancestral traditions;

wherever we belong to); and leading to; hollowness on the one hand; and we are being compelled by our insecurity to visit shrines and temples out of helplessness and meekness

on the other!

The split between the spiritualism and materialism is evident today in the form of lopsided materialism

associated with the cancerous growth of mercenary vested

interests on the one hand and lopsided spiritualism associated with unjustifiably glorified pathetic escapism on

the other!

Namasmaran is the solution, which follows the answer to our questions!

Namasmaran empowers, enlivens and enables us to get reoriented to and explore the dharma concept and

reestablish the dynamic harmony and justice within ourselves and the society; ensuring individual and global

blossoming!

In nutshell, with namasmaran; we begin to understand and get inspired to rectify individual and social conditions so as to achieve individual and global blossoming (including the

places of worship). Further, it is to be noted that namasmaran lifts us up conceptually; above the

dehumanizing and shackling concepts of development prevalent in socialistic and/or capitalistic ideologies and

societies. With namasmaran we evolve holistic intellectual, emotional, instinctual and physical responses in the form of perspective, policy making, planning and implementation;

in all the walks of life.

Namasmaran helps us to live holistically; and neither lopsidedly spiritually nor lopsidedly materially!