NAMASMARAN AND
STRESS DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR
NAMASMARAN & NEUROSIS Indulgence and asceticism, atheism and theism, romance and renunciation; and such variety of apparently conflicting phenomena render completion to life. If you try to take away anyone of these, the life appears incomplete. In fact even as I was convinced intellectually about the value of NAMSMARAN in life and wrote books on it right from 1992, one of the major hurdles in appreciating and experiencing the cosmic benevolence of NAMASMARAN was its depiction (or my erroneous perception of the depiction) as an activity of elderly, neurotic, inactive, pessimists, escapists and failed individuals. Even the books, movies, and dramas on saints and bhakti sangeet (devotional music) made saintly life and the practice of NAMASMARAN appear miserable and pathetic. I never thought this was the A grade happiness, implied in spiritualism or self realization. Partly because of this and partly because of the social justice and freedom implied in the atheism, which I cherish even today, I could not be involved completely in any particular theist tradition of NAMASMARAN. But even as I, due to my repulsion for the pathetic life style (as depicted or interpreted by me) felt material pleasures could not be amputated arbitrarily from one’s
life if one were to evolve healthily, I was not at ease even in the “best” of petty pleasures, which could at best give B grade pleasure, not A grade happiness, which is implied in (though often ignored) and must be integral part of global justice. Thus neither could I identify myself with the ascetics nor with the materialists. I kept on vacillating from one side to another like a pendulum. But now it is more than clear, that NAMASMARAN is a panacea, it is an objective phenomenon and it can not be the monopoly of any one camp such as ascetic, indulgent, theist, atheist, scientific, religious and so on. It is an objective phenomenon with cosmic benevolence for blossoming of one and all. It is as objective and as vital for human blossoming, as the oxygen is for human life. It is beyond science, religion and philosophy. It is beyond human thought. It is a matter of practice and experience, not belief, feeling or imagination. NAMASMARAN connects you to the center of life, time and cosmic consciousness, i.e. with your true self. NAMASMARAN (according to one’s tradition) is the privileged express highway to realize maximum potentials in every possible way, for one and all!
NAMASMARAN, A MAHAYOG, A MEGAFUSION, EK MAHASAMANVAY I feel that
NAMASMARAN means remembering the name of God, i.e. one’s innate and true self and thus helps to blossom from petty self into cosmic self in the course of time!
Namasmaran links all the faculties in an individual and helps him evolve integrity between thoughts, feelings, instincts and actions.
Namasmaran cements the generation gap with consideration and love.
Namasmaran helps to rise above petty whims and fancies and enjoy sublime bonds of love amongst family members, relatives and friends. Namasmaran wields the bonds of understanding amongst people of different professions and of different strata.
Namasmaran builds lasting bonds amongst people of different regions.
Namasmaran builds the bridges of acceptance and love amongst different religions.
Namasmaran helps in uniting different races. Namasmaran helps in nurturing love between people of different nationalities.
Namasmaran brings the actual spiritualism in day today life in every walk of life i.e. actually catalyzes the reunification of spiritualism and materialism.
Namasmaran therefore is MAHAYOG, MEGAFUSION OR MAHASAMANVAY
I would be obliged if the practitioners of NAMASMARAN comment whether these views from their point of view; are realistic or are infatuations and/or utopia.
NAMASMARAN THE GOLDEN CHANCE The life begins with separation of petty self from true self. The geniuses, seers and prophets have almost complete awareness of true self.
The others are variably aware of petty self and true self. The life manifests as a result of conflicting awareness of a true and petty self. NAMASMARAN is a GOLDEN CHANCE for increasing awareness of the true self. This awareness is usually associated with increase in braveness, buoyancy and benevolence in all the walks of life in different forms! The other features of this awareness are perspective, policies, plans and actions for evolving awareness of true self universally .
NAMASMARAN WHEN & WHY?
If there is a thorn inside, then it hurts badly and the child cries. But if you try to remove it, then it resists and cries more. A sick child refuses to take injection because it is apprehensive about the pain it produces. The list of such instances can be very long in fact unending. The point is simple. If you do not know the cause and nature of your problem and the efficiency of its solutions, then you tend to despise and reject the solutions. Today, most of the people are complaining of one thing or another. Some people are not complaining but the others are complaining about them! This is especially important because “normal” people are suffering! There is no clinical disease and yet they are suffering or at least they say so! The suffering is largely because of immature or maturing perception, feelings and actions. The solution is to development and maturation of these. This requires consciousness that emerges triumphantly out of the biologically dominated perceptions, feelings and actions. This is actually the freedom of your soul or your conscience! This requires NAMASMARAN in every place you go and in situation face. This is why you need NAMASMARAN. But it is most important to realize that NAMASMARAN is a supreme option open to you and is a golden
opportunity. You are privileged to know about and practice NAMASMARAN. The answer to “when” NAMASMARAN is; from the moment you come to know about it and always! The answer to “why?” is, because it is an accurate and radical solution to the problems, for which you seek a solution!
WHAT IS NAMASMARAN? Namasmaran means; remembering the name of God, Guru, great souls; such as prophets and holy objects such as planets and stars. It may be remembered silently, loudly, along with music, dance, along with breathing, in group or alone, either with counting by rosary (called SMARANI or JAPAMALA) or without counting. The traditions vary from region to region and from religion to religion. However the universal principle underlying NAMASMARAN is to reorient your physiological being with your true self. In fact while reorienting with true self you aim to establish and strengthen the bond or connection; between; your physiological being; with your true self. You aim at reunification with yourself! Since remembering your true self is the pinnacle of or culmination of individual
consciousness, and individual consciousness is the culmination of every activity in life, remembering any name of God or Guru (any symbol of your true self) is equivalent to opening the final common pathway for the individual consciousness associated with every possible activity to get funneled into or unified with objective or cosmic consciousness. Thus NAMASMARAN is in fact the YOGA of YOGA in the sense that it is the culmination of consciousness associated with every possible procedure and technique in the yoga that you are familiar with. It is the YOGA of YOGA because it is the culmination of consciousness associated with all the activities in the universe, which it encompasses as well! It is YOGA of YOGA because everybody in the world irrespective of his/her tradition and the beliefs; would eventually, ultimately and naturally reach it it; in the process of liberation. Even so called non believers also would not “miss” the “benefit of remembering the true self through one symbol or another”! Just as NAMASMARAN is YOGA of YOGA it is meditation of meditation also! It is the natural and ultimate climax of every form of meditation. These facts however have to be realized with persistent practice of NAMSMARAN and
not blindly believed or blindly disbelieved with casual approach! In short NAMSMARAN is super-bounty of cosmic consciousness for every individual to realize it (cosmic consciousness)! This is truly a superbounty because a person who experiences it, rises above mercenary, commercial and even professional and charity planes and manifest supertransactions in his or her life! These are just few observations to give rough idea about what is NAMASMARAN. NAMASMARAN is an ocean of bliss. Its true meaning is beyond description in words and has to b experienced, most preferably, by billions!
WHY NAMASMARAN? Some said that poverty is due to exploitation. Some said that the misery is due to invaders. Some said the malady is due to imperialists. Some said the strife is due to religious fanaticism. Some said the stress is due to social oppression and injustice. Some said that the stress is due to deprivation of biological instincts. These are not completely wrong, but not entirely accurate also. Such partial understanding usually breeds indiscriminate hatred and violence, towards others.
On the other hand there are many theories basically indicating the root of the distress in individual frailty. These are also not completely wrong but not totally accurate either. They usually lead to self abnegation and indiscriminate violence towards oneself. There is one simple and practical process that has benevolent and emancipating impact on individual and the environment. This process is called NAMASMARAN i.e. remembering the God i.e. your true self. Billions of people of the world actually are engaged in it without using this terminology. If billions more get engaged in it, the blossoming of the individuals and the world are absolutely inevitable. There is no proof for this; so; one need not believe in this, but as the idea of proof itself has its limitations one need not disbelieve also! Unprecedented events have no proofs. They are realized only after they happen!
YOGA KARMA & NAMASMARAN One of the enigmas of Geeta (Gita) philosophy is NISHKAMA KARMA, which means action without expectation of a particular result. How can you perhaps do anything without expectation of a result, when you see that everything is associated with result?
Excepting perhaps involuntary actions and activities during sleep, every action and its planning are associated with anticipation or projection of its result. It is understandable that if you focus on; or get obsessed by a particular result or start day dreaming about it, then it can distract you from the procedural skills and concentration. But how can you completely forget or get rid of the thought or idea of the result? It is also true that you should not get involved in the result, because it can disappoint you if you don’t get the expected result. This is also fair and pragmatic. It can protect you from imminent reactive depression or psychiatric maniacal elation. But still, how can you totally dissociate the vision about the result from the action? While thinking about these questions; suddenly I realized that even as most actions are associated with results, all the actions and their results i.e. cause and effect relationship; do not follow the same logic. This is especially true of subtle actions; for example, my thinking or feelings are not describable in terms of their physicochemical details and hence their cause and effect relationship/s with their results and the nature of their also can not be defined!
It is true that actions are roughly and in general; associated with successes and failures. But the human civilization is evolution of actions (including the thoughts and feelings and the vision). As they evolve further; they become subtler and cosmic. Their nature and results; can not be qualified or quantified by routine gauging and assessment. Further, neither the actions nor the results remain personal or subjective and hence their “Ownership” or “Credit” ceases completely! So we no longer remain attached to it. This is NISHKAMA KARMA! Geeta (Gita) inspires us for evolution of our actions from crudity, tight attachment to or insistence on cause and effect relationships, arbitrariness and subjectivity; to; subtlety where subjectivity and objectivity and the procedure and the results conceptually merge and the ownership ceases!! One such absolutely evolved action is NAMASMARAN i.e. remembering God or one’s true self! Billions are already practicing it in different religions and billions more are most likely to practice it and emancipate themselves and others! One can ponder over these explanations and decide about the option of NAMASMARAN!
YOGA, STRESS & NAMASMARAN
YOGA is integration of right and left parietal (cerebral) cortex i.e. right and left brain. Inability to realize the unity of universe, inability to realize unity of different ‘pathies’ in medicine and inability to understand the interrelationship, interactivity, interdependence and complementarity in various fields of transactions such as agriculture, science, technology, industry, trade, culture, politics; is due to deficient development and disintegration between right and left brain. This inability leads to mismanagement of stress and sectarian prejudices and fanatic bigotry, prevalence of injustice, exploitation, hatred and crimes in different forms. Even if a person is intelligent in terms of memory, analytical thinking, and innovation and so on, i.e. (left cerebral development) he/she can be vicious, perverted and antisocial if not balanced and integrated with right brain. Conversely; a person with excellent development of right brain but without integration with left brain is likely to be artist or a saintly individual but oblivious to social reality.
Can NAMASMARAN be useful to integrate left and right brain and enhance stress management and blossom individual and global life?
PHYSIOLOGY & NAMASMARAN Meru is a golden mountain that supports the heaven, earth and hell. It supports the three levels of consciousness. It also means Tartar range of mountains north of Himalaya. This golden mountain is analogous to the brain, which supports all the aspects of individual life. One of the meanings of the word Meru (Sanskrit) seems to be brain. Hence the vertebral column is called Meru danda (Column or Rod). Meru-mani means a big bead, in the japamala i.e. rosary. It is said that while reciting or remembering the name of God; and counting it on the japamala, i.e. while practicing namasmaran; you are not supposed to cross the meru-mani. What could be the reason for this? According to me, the penance of any kind; including namasmaran; is aimed at reaching the controlling center of the inner and outer universe. Physiologically it is clear that there is a continuous flow of impulses to and fro the cerebral cortex on either side.
Impulses flow from right brain to the left body and from left body to right brain. When you start counting the name of God, you tend to replicate the above process and go from meru-mani to the japamala and back. This is like going from left brain and coming back. The next counting is begun by reversing the position of the meru-mani as if starting from right brain to the body and coming back. One can tally this explanation with one’s experience.
POSITIVE THINKING AND NAMASMARAN Most of the times it is said advised by most of the people to most of the people to think positively! But most of the times it is forgotten that a person does not think negatively by choice and does not have any conscious plan; of not thinking positively either! However most of the times this advice of positive thinking is given and taken passively and superstitiously as if there is no other option! It has to be appreciated that a person in depression or frustration may have negative thoughts which are destructive and need to be shunned. But the strength for this is what is utterly lacking at the point of depression or
frustration. Hence in this point of depression the positive thoughts are countered by equally powerful and far more convincing negative thoughts by that person. Sometimes the positive thoughts sermonized by the others become irritating as they appear too unrealistic and utopian to the person in depression and frustration; and hence can be counterproductive. The utter weakness of depression or frustration can be overcome by NAMSMARAN which revitalizes and rejuvenates the person. It is in fact the best preventive and curative measure against depression and frustration.
VALUE EDUCATION AND NAMASMARAN Many people related to the field of education keep talking about VALUE BASED EDUCATION as a panacea to all the problems in the world. The idea of value based education is probably well intended in case of some of the proponents, but …. 1.
The influence of value system of the society (now global values) (which does not come in the purview of any formal education) influences ideas and behavior of the students and every one connected with education tremendously. 2. Common men follow the celebrities in different fields, in the world. The celebrity status is decided by the
global value system and the media hype in accordance with it! Today, all of us in the world are suffering with the disease of “individualism, superficiality and pettiness”. Interestingly, it is disguised in glamour, glitter, hype and glorification! We have become caricature of ourselves. We are unable to think and behave conducive to our happiness and that of others. 3. The value system (enlightenment and inclusiveness or otherwise) of the constituent assemblies decide the contents and drafting of the laws. 4. The laws (whether they represent the noble aspirations of the millions or not) and the legal system (whether it provides any kind of assurance, support or solace against being subjected to injustice and/or crimes) influences common man’s (and hence of every one related to the field of education) beliefs and interactions. 5. Our listlessness and emaciation to rise above individualism, pettiness and superficiality and our sectarian and fragmented perspective and thinking (the cause of global problems) are because of getting disconnected from our powerhouse (our true self)! NAMASMARAN can reconnect us with our powerhouse. In other words, this is like watering our roots! 6. In absence of NAMASMARAN, arbitrary teaching of some arbitrary values, become pitiable and utterly ineffective in serving the purpose viz. providing any kind of solution to global or individual problems. 7. One need not believe in this, but think over the issue and verify the empowering and rejuvenating experience of cosmic benevolence of NAMSMARAN and its byproducts.
TOP PRIORITY AND NAMASMARAN For all those; who believe that all the human efforts should culminate in individual and universal blossoming, the holistic perspective and activities in tune with it; form the only way of success! If you believe in realizing and manifesting the universal unity and harmony, then the simple way is NAMASMARAN. Through NAMASMARAN you begin to blossom and realize universal unity and harmony and ironically, land up in magnificent bliss and infallible conviction (some may call it obsession) of NAMASMARAN! It is through such conviction, that you realize the need for top priority to training of children (and also adults) in first aid, nursing, home remedies, cooking, farming, gardening, stitching, carpentry and various such household skills and crafts, power sports, gymnastics, athletics, martial arts and everything related to physical and mental fitness, which have to be aimed at empowering the individuals to streamline the resources in problem solving; and achieve individual and global prosperity and profundity.
SPIRITUALISM, MATERIAISM AND NAMASMARAN
In the district of Satara in Maharashtra state there is a place called Gondavle (Budruk). I first visited this place; where there is a samadhi mandir (shrine) of Sadguru Shri Brahmachaitanya Gondavlekar Maharaj; about thirty years ago. I have also visited the place called Shirdi where there is a shrine of Shri Saibaba and Shegaon; where there is the shrine of Shri Gajanan Maharaj. These are the places where millions of devotees visit with reverence; every year. I respect their feelings. However the questions that used to gnawing me were; “Why are these places full of activities responsible for the downfall of mankind? Why can’t these (and other) spiritual masters change these (and other respective) places for better; through their devotees, local administrative heads and/or the political leaders? Why are these places immune to spiritual rejuvenation and or revitalization? Why do we come across the socioeconomic and political misery? Why do we find people in pitiable life conditions in most respects?” The answer to all these questions; is the development of the split or chasm; between the spiritualism and materialism! The saints and their shrines provide the enlightenment and empowerment; but we are intoxicated by petty selfishness to such an extent that we visit these and
other places of pilgrimage in a parasitic mindset. We visit these shrines and temples with beggarly mentality. We approach these abodes merely for trivial gains for our own selves or our families. All this is because we have forgotten our DHARMA, which is different from the concept of religion. We have forgotten the concepts of pitru dharma, matru dharma, putra dharma, acharya dharma, kula dharma, raja dharma etc. (duties or privileges assigned to father, mother, son, teacher, pedigree, ruler etc. respectively for individual and global blossoming). As a result; we are being dragged by petty, narrow, superficial, glamorous, and individualistic considerations born out of disrespect (for our ancestral traditions; wherever we belong to); and leading to; hollowness on the one hand; and we are being compelled by our insecurity to visit shrines and temples out of helplessness and meekness on the other! The split between the spiritualism and materialism is evident today in the form of lopsided materialism associated with the cancerous growth of mercenary vested interests on the one hand and lopsided spiritualism associated with unjustifiably glorified pathetic escapism on the other!
Namasmaran is the solution, which follows the answer to our questions! Namasmaran empowers, enlivens and enables us to get reoriented to and explore the dharma concept and reestablish the dynamic harmony and justice within ourselves and the society; ensuring individual and global blossoming! In nutshell, with namasmaran; we begin to understand and get inspired to rectify individual and social conditions so as to achieve individual and global blossoming (including the places of worship). Further, it is to be noted that namasmaran lifts us up conceptually; above the dehumanizing and shackling concepts of development prevalent in socialistic and/or capitalistic ideologies and societies. With namasmaran we evolve holistic intellectual, emotional, instinctual and physical responses in the form of perspective, policy making, planning and implementation; in all the walks of life. Namasmaran helps us to live holistically; and neither lopsidedly spiritually nor lopsidedly materially!
MIND MANAGEMENT AND NAMASMARAN The physical needs, passions, emotions; at different ages; are governed by physiological principles.
We need a society and laws; in which these are neither suppressed, nor unleashed, because both are counterproductive! Gita, Dasbodh and such light houses guide us in developing such a society, in which the physiological needs are neither condemned nor glorified. They guide us to sublimate our needs smoothly into individual and global blossoming! But as it may not be possible for every one to study these and interpret them, as it was in my case and many like me. Hence I have written a book SUPERLIVING describing some simple tips (the most important being NAMASMARAN) for people from every possible field; but especially children, so that empowerment and enlightenment rejuvenate the society (which in turn would revitalize me and many like me)!
YOGA MANAGEMENT AND NAMASMARAN I think yoga has been discussed by many scholars with more or less common perspectives, which lead to drifting of yoga from the mainstream life of vast majority of common persons. Thus; either yoga is left for the privilege of ascetics, or it is practiced in the form of physical exercises, posture and breathing exercises.
Yoga is an art of learning to ride and manage the horse that life is! Due to the dominating influence of barbaric forces of regimentalization in the past several centuries and crudely individualistic and/or socialistic ideologies, in the modern times, the Indian fabric of society was terribly damaged. It is important and urgent to salvage the Indian and the world society by beginning to re-explore the wisdom from the scriptures. But that requires a simultaneous practice of yoga, which is the art of reorienting yourself to the concept of simultaneous blossoming of individual and the universe. This; in other words is purification. There are many ways for this. But the simplest and most feasible way, which can revitalize and rejuvenate the mainstream life style, is NAMASMARAN.
COW BEEF AND HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE Once; someone ridiculed the idea of consuming cow urine; as a therapeutic agent. I had not studied Ayurveda in those days and was not sure whether the cow products such as ghee, curd, milk, urine and dung, of cow are really beneficial for health and if so in what way and how. So I argued that it was not fair to ridicule the
ideas without proper study and research, merely on the basis of some unfounded prejudices and delusions. Cow and many other animal products can be useful medicinally. Having said that; it must be realized; that mere utilitarian view point can be counter productive. It is important to acquire and practice holistic perspective and holistic rectification of our concepts and our actions in every field, which is possible only through the individual and global blossoming, through NAMASMARAN i.e. remembering your true self. (You can get more explanation about NAMASMARAN in my articles and books). Presently we are being governed by superficiality, pettiness, dullness, lassitude, parasitism, ethnocentricity, individualistic obsessions, and many perverted elements (which we justify and feel proud of) at the cost of other living and nonliving elements in the nature, hence we come across such statements. At that time I was not in retaliatory mood, so I did not point out that every person who consumes meat in one form or another actually consumes dead bodies of animals (can be called some kind of necrophagia) and also consumes the urine and the dung of that animal (can be called some kind of urophagia and coprophagia)! Even as we uphold the principle of nonviolence we are slaves of our cruel obsession to keep on practicing not merely violence per se, but viciously perverted violence in killing and eating dead animals and glorifying and glamorizing it as if it is the ultimate pleasure in life! The shameless hype of all this
leads to perpetuation of the perversion into the next generations far and wide in the world! I do not want to blame any one but only to appeal to find out if we are in inner harmony through all this or we are simply delirious! Such introspection is possible through universally acceptable and practical process of NAMASMARAN! NAMASMARAN is like a process of oxygenation of the dying organism! We urgently need it! More explanation about NAMASMARAN is given in my articles and books, uploaded for free download (like this article)!
COW OR MOTHER? Once; someone ridiculed the idea of consuming cow urine; as a therapeutic agent. I had not studied Ayurveda in those days and was not sure whether the cow products such as ghee, curd, milk, urine and dung, of cow are really beneficial for health and if so in what way and how. So I argued that it was not fair to ridicule the ideas without proper study and research, merely on the basis of some unfounded prejudices and delusions. Cow and many other animal products can be useful medicinally. Having said that; it must be realized; that mere utilitarian view point can be counter productive. It is important to acquire
and practice holistic perspective and holistic rectification of our concepts and our actions in every field, which is possible only through the individual and global blossoming, through NAMASMARAN i.e. remembering your true self. (You can get more explanation about NAMASMARAN in my articles and books). Presently we are being governed by superficiality, pettiness, dullness, lassitude, parasitism, ethnocentricity, individualistic obsessions, and many perverted elements (which we justify and feel proud of) at the cost of other living and nonliving elements in the nature, hence we come across such statements. At that time I was not in retaliatory mood, so I did not point out that every person who consumes meat in one form or another actually consumes dead bodies of animals (can be called some kind of necrophagia) and also consumes the urine and the dung of that animal (can be called some kind of urophagia and coprophagia)! Even as we uphold the principle of nonviolence we are slaves of our cruel obsession to keep on practicing not merely violence per se, but viciously perverted violence in killing and eating dead animals and glorifying and glamorizing it as if it is the ultimate pleasure in life! The shameless hype of all this leads to perpetuation of the perversion into the next generations far and wide in the world! I do not want to blame any one but only to appeal to find out if we are in inner harmony through all this or we are simply delirious!
Such introspection is possible through universally acceptable and practical process of NAMASMARAN! NAMASMARAN is like a process of oxygenation of the dying organism! We urgently need it! Through such introspection what I have realized is, eating animals is a matter of slavery to one’s own cravings, which are aggravated by media hype, promotion, glamorization, glorification of such slavish trends; upheld by many slaves in the positions of leadership (political, economic, cultural, scientific etc.)! I have begun to understand that: 1. Considering cow as a mother is far more evolved and cultured than killing and eating her. 2. Considering rivers as mothers is far more evolved and cultured than simply treating them as utility of life. 3. Treating plants as goddesses such as holy basil i.e. ocimum sanctum and ceremoniously worshipping them, is far more evolved and cultured than treating it is as a living element low in the scale of evolution. 4. This applies to the earth also. Considering earth as mother viz. DHARANI MATA is far more evolved and cultured than treating it as obvious element on which we live! 5. In short, it is a far more advanced culture, in which the nature around is worshipped with festive spirit and never exploited. 6. The cruelty, exploitativeness, ungratefulness are (even if they are glamorized, glorified, hyped and promoted as superior)
counterproductive and cast detrimental influence on others; thus throttling, suffocating and thwarting the blossoming process of individuals and universe!
ANIMAL SACRIFICE AND NAMASMARAN In the process of evolution at some stage, the art, skill and courage involved in hunting (RAJOGUNA) were vital in view of the fact that the survival of the individuals and the societies depended on hunting. In the process of protecting from the predators, the animals were killed in as much as they were killed to satisfy the need of food. The fishing and hunting were practiced not only without any guilt, but in fact with some kind of pride and dignity, because of their utility for the society! When the mankind began to sense the influence of unknown and unseen deities, he began to offer his food (sacrificial animal) to the deity. To celebrate and cheer up; the yajnas were performed and bravery was invoked, admired, promoted and celebrated! This is probably the logical basis of the dignity that the sacrificial killing (RAJOGUNA) enjoyed in yajnas. The respect and honor for hunting and killing animals; was logical also because cowardice (TAMOGUNA) in those circumstances could have meant destruction of the individual and the specie.
As and when the mankind evolved further, the tradition of sacrificing animals in yajnas became redundant and did not signify bravery (RAJOGUNA) but signified basal, carnal, animalistic and cowardly behavior (TAMOGUNA); in view of preferred vegetarian food being easily available; and hence gradually declined to almost zero. But I was once told that the practice of sacrificing animals as offering to their deity still goes on! Irrespective of the region or religion; this is not bravery (RAJOGUNA) but cold blooded risk free cowardly cruelty; worst than mere cowardice and hence worst than TAMOGUNA. In my view this is a perverted and brutal (and not brave) hangover of the redundant traditions and customs belonging to the primitive stage of the development of the society, which belonged to RAJOGUNA and were much required in those times. But those traditions are rendered retrogressive and detrimental (TAMOGUNA) in the present context! Once my friend asked, why don’t majority of the people offer animals to the deities? I did not have instant and satisfactory answer at that time and thought that probably it could be blind following of the egalitarian or god fearing tradition of offering vegetarian food to deities.
But later I came to realize that unnecessary killing belongs; as alluded to earlier; to worst form of TAMAS OR TAMOGUNA (fanaticism) and those who evolve in the course of evolution; rise from TAMOGUNA and RAJOGUNA to SATVA GUNA and choose not to opt for brutal, cruel and absolutely unnecessary killing of cows, bullocks, sheep, goats and other animals or birds for any purpose; eating, offering or any other luxury! Through probably the practice of NAMASMARAN, I realized that as the mankind evolves, the SATVA GUNA becomes preponderant and hence he gradually does not need to perversely assert his bravery by killing; especially when absolutely not required for protection or feeding. A SATIVK individual irrespective of his or her region or religion; does not fancy killing harmless and in fact loving and serving animals; ungratefully; for so called offering and/or eating but prefers vegetarian food, for all offerings and celebrations.
IS NAMASMARAN USELESS IN STRESS MANAGEMENT? When I used to be charged with physical needs, passions, emotions, thoughts and ideas, I used to feel agitated with the thought of similar plight of the people! The social circumstances appeared extremely dark and annoying. The change, the revolution
appeared to be the only purpose of life, even as the exact program of action and/or blue print of the revolution was far from ready! The frenzy of all these complex feelings used to be so much, that any proponent of God or NAMASMARAN used to appear as unconcerned about peoples’ true needs, unbothered about real issues such as poverty, injustice; and hence antisocial, hypocrite, parasitic etc or at best; stupid or gullible! The restlessness within; used to be so much that it used to propel me towards addressing every problem that appeared in the news paper or on TV, apart from those in my own personal life. As a result, I used get engrossed in relevant physical work, emotional expression in poetry, intellectual analysis, discussions, public speeches, writing articles and books etc, which appeared to be the methods of self assertion and solution to the problems! Withdrawal from such activities was suffocating, unbearable and killing! Namasmaran appeared to me a despicable escapism from such “very useful and urgent” activities. As regards it social importance, it appeared to make the people facing problems; parasitic and paranoid! It appeared to make people dependent and helpless. It appeared to dissuade them from accepting the challenges of life in personal and social life and facing them victoriously!
The fervor of my mind would never get calmed by the thought of NAMASMARAN, though many a times I appreciated the honesty and selflessness of the individuals advocating it. Later in the course of reading about various arguments regarding NAMASMARAN in books such as the biography of Shri Brahmachaitanya Gondavlekar Maharaj, by Prof. K.V. Belsare; and through my experiences with a variety of activities of service and social struggle for justice; I began to get intellectually convinced that NAMASMARAN can evolve and transform an individual in terms of his/her perspective, vision, intellectual framework, emotions and instincts; and evolve him/her into objective or cosmic consciousness. I thought this; if happens in every walk of life; then it could usher in; individual and global blossoming, because; it could actualize globally benevolent perspective and policies! I wrote many books on NAMASMARAN and VISHNUSAHASRANAM; in Hindi, Marathi and English and besides getting them published, tried to sell or even distribute them free of cost and spread the message of NAMASMARAN with my perspective mentioned above, as far and wide as I could! But at this juncture I would like to address some arguments against NAMASMARAN! 1. What is the basis to prove that NAMASMARAN can lead to global blossoming? NAMASMARAN does not seem to do
anything, if compared to for instance; scientific research or sociopolitical manipulations! It does not seem to work and produce results; even comparable to those produced by relatively simple agricultural activities or other handicrafts! 2. If I say that NAMASMARAN evolves us into objective or cosmic consciousness or imparts global perspective, then the argument is, “Can you prove the cause and effect relationship?” The answer obviously is “No”! I can not prove that NAMASMARAN evolves us into objective or cosmic consciousness or imparts global perspective! Looking back; I realize that my opinions changed due to the influence of factors beyond my comprehension constituting the “field”, cosmic consciousness or God that encompasses and influences not merely “me” but everything; including the people in the universe! Whether the people in the world would also change and begin to get associated with NAMASMARAN; would also therefore be determined by the same “field” and hence I need not feel restless about “this mission”! 3. What is the proof for existence of such a field? Obviously; I have no proof! 4. Another argument is; NAMASMARAN has no influence on individual or social life; practicing NAMASMARAN is wastage of
time! One may feel that NAMASMARAN has benevolent role, because of erroneously attributing the good changes in him or her to NAMASMARAN! Actually it could be the other way round; that is good changes in him or her have lead to interest in NAMASMARAN! This argument also, can not be refuted. What can be said is that cosmic consciusness or objective bliss is somehow associated with NAMASMARAN. 5. But even this can not be proved. Neither can I show that some one is linked (through NAMASMARAN) to cosmic consciousness, nor can I can I prove that those; who are not practicing NAMASMARAN; are dissociated from cosmic consciusness or objective bliss! All in all, practice of NAMASMARAN and the experience associated with it are essentially personal and beyond linguistic communication. One may or may not believe in them; and may or may not provisionally accept, study, experiment out and decide their validity or otherwise! It appears however, that soon; the individuals and the societies of world; would get freedom from the conflicts generated from fulfillment or otherwise; of their physical needs, instincts, feelings, arguments, flights of imaginations, infatuations and restlessness, and get the privilege of being associated with NAMASMARAN,
objective bliss, cosmic consciousness, globally beneficial perspective and policies and their implementation; irrespective of the nature of cause and effect relationship (which also incidentally; is a product of human intellectual framework!)!