STRESS AND PHILOSOPHY: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

Consciously perceived stress increases if the conflicts in our mind increase. The conflicts increase if there are apparently contradictory sets of information bombarding us. Such conflicts cause confusion and chaos (and confused and chaotic behavior) in personal and public life.

We generally turn to philosophy when we are conscious and apprehensive about our stress. But often we come across contradictory statements and we get far more stressed than before!

Why does this happen? Are the philosophies and their study counterproductive? In fact many of us may arrive at such a conclusion and give up reading philosophy; altogether!

One of the aphorisms of various philosophies and spiritual observations; is that; happiness is within.

However; most of us find that pleasures or pains are actually outside; and hence the conflict and stress begins to build up!

Who can deny; that the pleasures of tasty delicacies, haunting music, artistic landscapes, changing skyscapes in the evenings, setting sun, twinkling stars, soul stirring moon, and such sources of romantic experiences are outside us?

The source of pleasure or pain due to the fulfillment or otherwise of bare minimum necessities; is also outside us. Thus supply or deprivation of food, water, shelter and health care; is outside us; and determines our happiness or sadness.

The success or failure of marriage, procreation and rearing of children; is outside us and causes pleasure or despair.

Availability or denial; of employment, business, income, profits, comforts, compliments etc also; is outside and results into our joy or frustration.

The fair or unfair policies for working in farms, factories, workshops and getting proper remuneration, production or price; are all outside us and contribute to our wellbeing or misery.

The good or bad conditions of roads, nature of traffic, status of transport such as buses and local trains; are all outside us and provide comfort or discomfort.

The time has to come to understand once and for all; that; needs, wants and ideas and source of happiness or sadness; vary. Thus for a baby suckling the breast milk, there is nothing like happiness or sadness being inside or outside. Same argument can be put in different situations, for different people and in different words!

The immortal and true happiness; a greatest ever aspiration and ultimate culmination of individual and global life; also; is inside as well as outside! The only fact is; this ultimate happiness is beyond the apparent and changing scenario.

Further; it is only the exceptions amongst us, who transcend the subjective barriers; through practice of NAMASMARAN; and realize this transtemporal bliss.

But they do not merely preach; �happiness is inside�; but inspire us to evolve holistic perspective, policies, plans and administration so that we all (the citizens of the world of all ages, all regions, all religions, all races and all socioeconomic conditions); get materially and spiritually i.e. holistically empowered to share their realization.

Hence; one can at the most say; that �the way to such eternal bliss� is �from within�. But; preaching; �happiness is within�; is irrelevant, absurd and often callously hypocritical; just as it is irrelevant, absurd and callously hypocritical to deny a hungry new born a breastfeed; and preach it; to eat bread!