A HOLISTIC PRESCRIPTION: DR SHRINIWAS JANARDAN KASHALIKAR

As we go on evolving; we begin to appreciate that a doctor’s prescription has to be HOLISTIC. It has to be aimed at healing an individual as well as a society; because; the health of an individual affects the health of a society; and the health of a society in turn; affects the health of an individual.

But this is not all!

The prescription can be holistic only if, it ensures complete and permanent health!

What is this complete and permanent health?

The complete and permanent health is actually an experience of ever effulgent benevolent bliss and vitalizing vitality! In other words; this is a state where there is no trace of pain, fear, worry, anxiety, insecurity, frustration, indolence, apathy, indifference, agitation, jealousy, hatred, viciousness, anguish, vindictiveness, revengefulness, selfishness, meekness, possessiveness and so on!

Hence ideally; the prescription should include all the guidelines about the preventive, curative and rehabilitative measures; applicable to; an individual’s health and also to; the health of a society. Thus the instructions should include all the international, national, regional and local policies, plans and programs; in every field of life!

This is especially essential as; the patient may be a lay person; medical student, a medical teacher, a practicing doctor, a paramedic. He or she may be even a policy maker, a leader or a health minister. He or she may be a scientist, a philosopher, a writer, an artist, whose thoughts, feelings, instincts and behavior influence; directly or indirectly; the international, national, regional and local policies, plans and programs in education, agriculture, industry, health care. All these are crucial determinants of the health of the society. The health of the society in turn; influences the health of an individual!
However; if we aim to include all such details in a prescription, then it would be impractical. A doctor is usually not trained in holistic health, holistic medicine and holistic medical practice. Moreover; even if a doctor is very well trained; and can include all such details, it would be extremely time consuming and the prescription would too huge!

In such a situation; how can we make a prescription holistic without having to train the doctors in holistic medicine? How can we make a prescription holistic, without having to write all the details? How can we make a prescription without spending excessive time? How can we make prescription holistic without making the prescription clumsily big and difficult for the patient; to read, understand and comply with?

The answer to this question is; to add an essential core to every prescription!

What kind of essential core?

The essential core should be such that it would add the holistic essence and make the prescription a holistic one! The criteria of such an essential core are;

1. It should nurture and evolve all the levels of consciousness.
2. It should be safe.
3. It should be noninvasive.
4. It should not involve technicality.
5. It should not involve skills e.g. singing.
6. It should not involve intellectual labor.
7. It should not involve learning a new language.
8. It should be inexpensive for the participants.
9. It should be acceptable to all cultures.
10. It should require minimum of classroom training
11. It should not interfere with daily routine.
12. It should be easy for compliance.
13. It should be accessible even to the individuals with handicaps such as physical, visual, auditory, vocal and so on.

The essential core of a holistic prescription that fulfills all the above criteria and is practiced across the cultures for millennia; is called NAMASMARAN, the synonyms of which are JIKRA, SUMIRAN, SIMARAN, JAP and JAAP.
The concept of NAMASMARAN actually involves remembering the true self; as NAMA actually implies the true self. Remembering the NAMA is actually trying to reorient and reunite with one’s true self; because; this true self is usually inaccessible to one’s thinking, feeling and sensing!
This true self or innate core of an individual is traditionally referred to; as God or omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent eternal truth.
From physiological point of view; NAMASMARAN involves:
1. Gradual central anchorage, control, regulation, progress, evolution and sublimation of the belligerent infatuations, whims, fancies, ideas, thoughts, feelings and instincts.
2. NAMASMARAN heals us by rectifying our physical needs, passions, feelings, motivations, thoughts; and vision (perspective) and behavior.
3. This is characterized by victory of over the dualities of thoughts, emotions and passions. But it does not stop here. There is triumphant ascent through the opposing nervous activities (e.g. sympathetic and parasympathetic), opposite thoughts, antagonistic emotions, conflicting passions; contra posed motivations and even the duality of anabolism and catabolism!
4. Later the NAMASMARAN is associated with the realization of being one, with the immortal and true self.
5. This is a difficult to conceive; as we are entrained to believe our beginning and end; in the end of our body. Moreover; the fact that we are immortal; is only experienced by only few; and we have no experience of it. Hence not only world consensus; but even the world literature in general; including scientific; does not uphold the idea of immortality.
6. Lastly; this is a protracted journey, but the most appropriate one! Moreover; while the other components of a prescription ensure prevention, cure and rehabilitation in concrete manner; NAMASMARAN ensures immortality! It is not concrete. It is not tangible. It is abstract! But what can be a more successful culmination than the state of immortality; of preventing, preempting or treating any disease?
7. NAMASMARAN is traditionally practiced for millennia and is centered on this state of immortality called Sat (True, Eternal) Chit (Vital, Living) Anand (Bliss); and normalizes the responses to internal and external stressors as one of the many byproducts. Hence it is safe as well as sure. It would prove to be central and crucial to a prescription; in preventing, preempting, or treating hundreds of other diseases and ailments; in terms of not either annihilating them, or overpowering and conquering; and thus getting freed from their sinister spell!