NAMAVIJAY24: DR SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

Right from morning throughout the day; whenever we feel low; we try to “elevate”, “refresh” or “entertain” ourselves in many ways. This is true on short term as well as on long term basis!

But do we succeed? Do we succeed in being at ease with ourselves?
If we do, then there is nothing to discuss! But if we don’t then we have to seek a solution!

Often we feel bored or restless because we have nothing to do! Actually; is it true that we have nothing to do, if we have no work, no company, no entertainment or no excitement?

If we think keenly, then we find that being in such a state is far from “having nothing to do”! Actually; it is an opportunity to fulfill the greatest ever mission in life – the mission of self realization – the mission of individual and universal blossoming – the mission of practicing, promoting and getting increasingly involved in NAMASMARAN! The so called idle time or free time; is actually the greatest ever possession of ours; and we can make maximum use of it for our ultimate fulfillment!

But being able to think this way; is possible by virtue of the legacy of the enlightened visionaries throughout history; in the form of stupendous work in different forms! Actually; this is the grace of the ultimate truth flowing through them!

The ultimate truth is nothing else but NAMA! Hence this realization is not an individual accomplishment; but victory (VIJAY) of NAMA; and hence appropriately referred to as NAMAVIJAY!

GURU POORNIMA DR SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

Student: Sir, what is the significance of Guru Poornima?
Teacher: Some say that it is the day, on which Adi Guru Shiva taught the yoga to seven sages (Vishvamitra, Jamadagni, Bharadwaj, Gautam, Atri, Vasishtha and Kashyap). Some maintain; that it is the day, on which the great sage Vyasa was born to sage Parashara and Satyavati. Some say that is a day, on which the Guru principle (the benevolence of individual and universal blossoming) is 1000 times more. Some say that the Brahma sutras were completed by Vyasa on this day.
Student: What is the message for us?
Teacher: The message is clear. We should try to rededicate ourselves to our Guru by trying to practice and spread His message.
Student: How should we celebrate Guru Poornima?
Teacher: The loving remembrance; of Guru and His message; is exciting, inspiring, rejuvenating, revitalizing and empowering! The ecstasy of reverence for Him manifests as a celebration in a spontaneous manner in different ways; with a common feature of practice and promotion of NAMASMARAN and sharing of PRASAD!
Student: Sir, but there is still one problem.
Teacher: What is it?
Student: Sir, many people ridicule the practice of NAMASMARAN as a useless activity. They call it wastage of time. They say that it is escapism from real problems; such as poverty, injustice, hunger, disease, violence!
Teacher: This hurts! Isn’t it? It unnerves us, disheartens us! This is because we are weak in our conviction! We are still vulnerable! Let us understand once and for all; that these people say so; because; they are not as evolved as our Guru! They do not and cannot “see” the vital role (like that of oxygen) of NAMASMARAN in the individual and universal blossoming.
But if we are firmly convinced about it then we are engaged in its practice (and vice a versa), then we would certainly spread it; at least; till we reach the stage of being totally engrossed in it for 24 hours!
However; we practice NAMASMARAN and promote it; according to our constitution, aptitude, inclination, flair, skill, knowhow; and expertise; as our Guru decides!

SATISFACTION AND NAMASMARAN: DR SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

Student: Sir, in spite of years of practice of NAMASMARAN; I am still not able to experience what is described as satisfaction! What should I do?

Teacher: As far as I understand it, satisfaction is even more difficult than achievement of extraordinary feats.
Student: What do you mean?

Teacher: Practice of NAMASMARAN is actually a training of doing an activity where you do not get any “benefit”! Being such a practice; NAMASMARAN does not impart any benefit to us, but actually transforms us to our original omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient state, which is totally devoid of any desires! This is an immortal state. But this may require not years and decades but even more.

Student: I don’t understand!

Teacher: When we are told that don’t expect anything; we think that we should not expect money, name, fame, power etc. So we stop expecting those things and start expecting satisfaction; because we think it is assured by Guru! But this concept of “getting” itself traps us! We mistakenly take the satisfaction referred to by our Guru, to be some kind of gratification or complacence; and keep waiting for it; and are eventually disappointed.

Student: So what to do?

Teacher: Just as we breathe oxygen to survive physically; we ought to practice NAMASMARAN to be what we actually are i.e. to be our self. Just as we breathe at every age and every stage of life, we should practice NAMASMARAN in every condition.
Just as there is no necessity to curb other activities relevant and appropriate to a particular age and stage of life there is no need to suppress any impulses arbitrarily. Our physical, emotional and intellectual needs, desires and aspirations have to be given justice through our efforts; in the light of NAMASMARAN in the form of prompting from deep within; the empowering guidance of our Guru!
Actually our needs and desires go on changing or disappearing in the process of our transformation, without any coercion or suppression. This buoyant life style is called KRAMAYOGA.

Student: In short, we should not expect anything, even happiness, peace, satisfaction from NAMASMARAN?

Teacher: It may appear strange. But it is true. When we feel cold, we should use warm clothes. But how can we expect warmth from a process which actually transforms us to our original state of “fire”? Moreover once we become fire, how can we experience the warmth of warm clothes?

Student: Sir, this explanation is quite different from the overt sentimentality of millions of devotees!

Teacher: Actually, often; we are in need of some solace, some peace; some escapism and so on. Hence we try to cling to some tradition, some cult and feel secure in it. Often we infatuate piety, devotion, surrender, blessings, bounty, freedom from instincts; etc as these are our emotional crutches. We seek some social acceptability, social recognition and some social cohesiveness. This is understandable.

But for me; NAMASMARAN is a straight forward and transcientific process of individual and universal blossoming, which may be termed “holistic evolution” to distinguish it from “organic evolution”. Can we wish to be evolved? Evolution cannot be wished for!
Hence my Guru Brahmachaitanya Shri Gondavalekar Maharaj repeatedly states that practice of NAMASMARAN is appropriate, when it is for the sake of NAMASMARAN only!