NAMA, NAMASMARAN AND TOTAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (PART 17) DR SHRINIWAS J. KASHALIKAR

Student: Is there any relevance of the Smrutis here?

Teacher: smrutis means memory or remembrance. These were compiled with the purpose of guiding all the people in society ranging from a worker to a king. The guidance was aimed at harmony, integrity as well as prosperity at all levels in society. The practical guidance in smrutis; is supposed to facilitate emancipation of even a common man who does not understand philosophical texts.
The guidance in smrutis seems to have evolved through enlightened, selfless and prudent discussions and consensus amongst learned and wise men, it evolved within overall historical, geographic, physical, environmental, social, and political compulsions; and limitations of scientific and technological development.
Smrutis aimed at a harmonious, non competitive, orderly and complementary functioning of society. They advocated that each one should do his or her job (whether considered lower or higher) and nurture complementarity in the society. There are a number of smrutis named after Vasishtha, Narada, Parashara, Yajnavalkya Manu etc. Later the smrutis were interpreted in the form of books such as Nirnayasindhu, Dharmasindhu etc. These books provided solutions to a number of questions and served as guides for long time. It is interesting to note that these scriptures provided guidance in terms of daily personal conduct for, a) various age groups, b) males and females from the time of waking up to the time of going to bed, c) the role in life through different stages of life, throughout the year and different occupations and positions of responsibility in family and society. There was guidance about jobs, marriage, care during pregnancy, care of mother and the new born, grooming of children, various ceremonies, festivals, celebrations, pilgrimages and fairs. Guidance was available in diverse matters such as taming and domesticating different birds and animals, eating different articles on different occasions, cooking on different occasions and festivals in different seasons; using of different beds and even sowing on a particular day!
While the pilgrimages served to bring people together and purge their minds of petty considerations, personal grief, pains, frustrations; the compulsory observance of celebrations ensured prevention of loneliness, cynicism and depression. All this nurtured social cohesiveness.

In the interiors of India the support systems took the form Pravachankar, who explains the philosophical principles, Kirtankar, who explains philosophical principles but through more entertaining form of songs, dance, stories, the puranik, who actually reads the puranas, which are scriptures that describe creation of universe, dynasties, traditions, customs conventions, codes of conduct and also gems, astrology etc.), and vaidya, who is family physician & surgeon; and others.
In addition, the support systems included the members of the joint families, elderly relatives, friends and neighbors.
In villages, therefore, one finds a reasonable balance between stressors and support systems.

Student: Would I feel better if I go and stay in some village?

Teacher: Laughs! But overall; the traditional support systems are dwindling and new support systems are yet to evolve effectively. Thus present state of life is full of drastic, rapidly intensifying and complicating stressors with increasing frequency (rapid repetition) and number. The new and individualistic value system drowns us in petty selfishness, superficial glamour and quick personal prosperity (whichever may be the means to achieve them). This leads to; self aggrandizement and arrogance or self pity and guilt.

Student: Some say; that if an individual improves (manages stress) then gradually the family, the society and the whole universe would improve (manage stress). Hence individual purification is most important. Some others say that if we improve the system, then automatically the whole universe, mankind, society and the individual would improve. Hence the purification of the system is most important. Is this not really a tug of war?

Teacher: The individual can be “purified” if the system improves; because he/she lives within the system; and in accordance with the system. Conversely; the system would get “purified”, only if the individuals contributing to it; as well as controlling it, are “purified”. Moreover; an individual; is inseparable from; soul, intelligence, feelings, instincts, body, family, society, culture, art, literature, technology, religion, customs, traditions, conventions, laws; and administrative rules, and regulations and regulating bodies! In other words; individual and system are a continuum.
But this concept of continuum is not an absolute truth. Hence there could be exceptions to this concept; in terms of infinite purification of an individual in spite of a corrupt system; and purification of a system in spite of corrupt majority!
But; barring such exceptions; the individual blossoming has to be combined with universal blossoming! It has to be a holistic and all inclusive process that ensures policies, plans and programs; to optimally fulfill all the physiological needs of all the age groups, races and religions; through the day, month, season, year and life; so as to catalyze individual blossoming!
This is Total Stress Management, Total Well Being, Holistic Health, superliving or Holistic Renaissance. This simultaneous process of individual and universal blossoming can be realized by orienting to the true self common to all; just like the instrumentalists and vocalists; who are oriented to the directions of the master of orchestra! The global unity and harmony would ensue just as harmony, melody and rhythm; are generated in an orchestra! In absence of this; the individual emancipation is bound to remain an illusion; and the universal welfare; an unending mirage!
It is here that I was almost convinced that the traditional, inexpensive; “single, simple, easy to practice democratic and universal solution of individual and universal problems; is NAMASMARAN, JAP, JAAP, JIKRA, SUMIRAN, SIMARAN i.e. remembering the name of God (true self); that involves; steady victory over pettiness, prejudices and all the subjectivity!
Forgetfulness of our true self is the basic root pathology of stress and hence nothing else but the process of reaching our true self is the remedy! I reaffirmed that NAMASMARAN is associated with transcendental perspective, thinking, feelings and behavior. In other words, it is associated with global vision, policy making, plans, programs and their implementation. This may be called SATPRERANA, SADDHARANA, SADVICHAR, SADBHAVANA, SATPRAVRUTTI, SADVASANA, SATSANKALP AND SATKARMA or SADACHAR.

Student: Will you please explain these terms further?

Teacher: Yes! It is interesting as well as essential to understand them! PRERANA is the inspiration and SATPRERANA is the inspiration that dawns on us; from the absolute truth i.e. Guru and transforms us from a subjective individual into an objective being! We develop holistic perspective of unity of universe in every sense! Our thinking, feelings, instincts and behavior are transformed and channelized into the service of cosmic will, the will of Guru! We may not be consciously aware of this process initially, but richly realize it in the course of time. DHARANA is the understanding and conviction and SAT implies the universal principle beyond space, time and consciousness that ultimately controls and sustains the universe and inhabitants. In simple words, it is NAMA or Guru. SADVICHAR means thinking that can act as vehicle to reach and merge with ultimate and absolute truth. SADBHAVANA is the totality of our feelings, which lifts us to reach and merge with the sublime trans-temporal absolute truth! It is characterized by true freedom from pettiness and subjectivity and natural concern for the freedom and emancipation of the whole universe. PRAVRUTTI is convergence of our inclinations, aptitudes, fixations and SAT is Guru or NAMA! SATPRAVRUTTI is bent of our mind; an irresistible yet magnificent obsession to meet Guru, to merge with NAMA and dissolve ourselves in Him. SADVASANA is evolving array of our passions, into the urge to merge with NAMA! We are excited in being mobilized towards the absolute truth and to catalyze the universal process of Self realization! SATSANKALP is synthesis and crystallization of our perspective, thoughts, feelings and instincts into a specific well defined activity; directed at individual and universal blossoming inherent to realization of universal truth! SATKARMA is every different activity of different people, which helps them and others in reorienting and reestablishing in absolute truth (traditionally called being stabilized at the lotus feet of Guru). ACHAR is behavior. Thus the dynamics of our every transaction in the field of politics, science, philosophy, art, industry, agriculture, health care etc at personal, family and social level, when conducive to merging with NAMA, is SADACHAR! In short; every activity and behavior conducive to universalization and infinitesimal manifestation of NAMASMARAN in every nook and corner of universe; embodies SATPRERANA, SADDHARANA, SADVICHAR, SADBHAVANA, SATPRAVRUTTI, SADVASANA, SATSANKALP, SATKARMA and SADACHAR.