DREAMS AND REALITY DR SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

One of the greatest obstacles in spiritualism is similar to that in routine life. It is the bondage in petty self.

In routine life this bondage propels towards laziness, irresponsibility and crimes. In spiritual context it pushes us into pursuits of mystical personal achievements and experiences”.

The essential trio of UAPASANA, JNANA and SWADHARMA, which are analogous to continuously blossoming study and perception (cognition), feelings (affect) and action (conation) gets disrupted.

Millions of people involved in various spiritual practices fail to realize this and get entangled in the illusory mirage of some extraordinary, esoteric and exotic personal experiences and achievements. They either misguide others and/or get misguided by others. The effect of this is visible in the form of alarmingly dangerous chasm; between extraordinary spiritual theories and dreams and stark realities in personal and social life.

For example; we get obsessed by the dream of the conquest of SHAD RIPUS without integration of UPASANA (study); perspective, policies, plans, programs (cognition and affect); and actions (affect and conation) of universal welfare. Thus we get trapped in some fetish or idiosyncrasy (so called UPASANA) on the one hand; and petty pursuits of personal experiences and achievements on the other; and rot in schizophrenic life of dreams of heaven on the one hand; and stark reality of degeneration, disease, destitution, dependence and delusions; on the other.

This is also evident in the growing egos, pettiness, fetish, idiosyncrasy, fanaticism and restrictive and rigidity and venomous prejudices, jealousy, hatred and animosity; amongst our cults and organizations; even as most of them teach and preach universal unity, harmony, brotherhood and welfare!

In other words; in absence of our involvement in learning and promoting holistic education, holistic medicine, holistic health, and holistic solutions to universal stressors such as global warming, global recession, child labor, accidents etc. freedom from the chasm between dreams and reality i.e. individual and universal blossoming i.e. holistic renaissance is impossible.
The chasm between dreams and reality is nullified; only if we learn to reunite and integrate UPASANA such as DHYANA, PRANAYAMA, NAMASMARAN etc (study); perspective, policies, plans, programs (cognition and affect); and actions (affect and conation) of universal welfare; as so; in Total Stress Management or superliving. This process itself is full of ultimate fulfillment in life.