BHAVASAGAR: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

What is bhavasagar and what is the cycle of birth, death and rebirth? Why do the devotees pray God or Guru; to sail them across the bhavasagar and free them from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth?

Right in the beginning; it must be appreciated that; as a rule; most of us we are unable to understand and appreciate the concepts such as bhavasagar and cycle of birth death and rebirth; in absence of self realization. These concepts spring from; a prolonged and intense practice of NAMASMARAN i.e. JAP, JAAP, JIKRA, SUMIRAN, SIMARAN; i.e. remembering and reorienting to our true self; and can be understood and appreciated also; in the same process.

What is the nature of bhavasagar?

Usually; as a result of prolonged and intense practice of NAMASMARAN i.e. JAP, JAAP, JIKRA, SUMIRAN, SIMARAN; i.e. remembering and reorienting to our true self; we begin to realize that “we” are different from the ocean of infinite molecules, seventy five trillion cells comprising our body; and our instincts, emotions, thinking, perceptions, memories, aspirations; and overall individual consciousness, which is bhavasagar! But while we are getting this experience; we also begin to be uncomfortable and suffocated by the dragging and drowning effect of this ocean, which we once seemed to have enjoyed! We begin to dread sinking in this ocean! This dread is unlike the dread of losing money, reputation, position, power etc. It is an innate feeling, deep inside our heart.

Hence; the devotees pray the Guru or God; to safely sail them; across the bhavasagar. Since this is an ultimate state of immortality; it embodies freedom from cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

In what way are such prayers related to our day to day problems? If not; what is the relevance of spiritualism in our life?

These prayers embody the ultimate goal and destiny of an individual and the world; although most of us are oblivious to it.
Hence; unwise to assume immediate and direct relevance of these prayers and the concepts and try to impose them from childhood; in as much it is foolish to discard them; as irrelevant.
It is wiser to introduce practices (such as NAMASMARAN i.e. JAP, JAAP, JIKRA, SUMIRAN, SIMARAN; i.e. remembering and reorienting to our true self, which gradually enable an individual; to understand the concepts; and later yearn to cross the bhavasagar and be free from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth); along with the other activities appropriate to one’s constitution, age, sex, occupation, region, religion etc!
In fact; this is being done in many parts of the world.