STRESS AND ASMITA: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR
 
These days; one of the major causes of STRESS; is the unabashed and unabated indiscriminate arson and violence; that is being perpetrated; by the restrictive, vicious and mean elements (who have nothing to do with anybody else; excepting their own petty gains); through the misuse of primitive and restrictive identity.

When we are born our first identity; of which we are not even aware of; is that of our body! We do everything unknowingly to survive!

Subsequently, we begin to identify ourselves; with our mother, father, family members, friends, nursery, school, college, village, language, culture, traditions and so on! Gradually we start growing further and get awareness of nationality and the world in which we live.

It is important to note that one identity is not contraposed to another, and we live with these identities in harmony. Just as we care for our body, so do we care for our parents, family, friends, school, college, spouse, children, society, village, region, nation and world; with an almost automatically developed sense of proportion.

However, the life is not always simple and smooth!

As we begin to grow and mature; and internalize the concept of universal unity; we begin to develop a value system; that involves; prioritization of our activities and choices; in view of the importance attached to our identities. So, we begin to sacrifice; what could be called the gains of one identity; for the sake of other identity! This is how the process of �gradation of identities� and �not denying them�; begins!

Thus we can sacrifice our body needs; for our emotions and convictions; and our emotional needs and convictions for our family, where the family identity is given preference; over my identity. Similarly; we can sacrifice the interests of family members; if they go against the interest of our country. Our national identity is given preference over our family identity.

Not only this, we begin to rise above our identities related to our traditions, culture, customs, rituals, religious practices, if they go against the interests of the mankind!

Here our identity associated with the mankind is given preference over the identity associated with traditions, customs, rituals, religious practices etc.

It is important to realize that this is a process of unfolding of and manifesting of our true self; where we do not become the �enemy�; of our identities associated with our body, family, institutions, village, region, culture, customs, religious practices, traditions, and nation! But we actually blossom!

But the leaders misusing the primitive and restrictive identities may attract us; because; restrictive concepts justify and pamper our own sectarian thinking, mean selfishness, petty ego, and disgruntlement and dissatisfaction due to our own drawbacks!

Not only by such chauvinism; but; we may also get trapped in fanatic and terrorist ideologies, which promote primitive and restrictive identities! This is usually; because of our own; often subconscious agreement with them; due to our stunted inner growth and mental dwarfism; making us perverted, arrogant, jealous, and violent from within.

Let us understand that; the �asmita� is; any primitive and restrictive identity; either oppressed and humiliated; or hyped and glorified disproportionately; and thus converted into an oversensitive and sentimental issue.

We must understand that if our blossoming is punctuated; then our inner growth is stunted. In as much it is unnatural to deny our physical and subsequent identities; it is antinatural; to stop growing; and to get saddled in; one or more of the �primitive identities�. Such stunting leads to suffocating STRESS and creates a conflict in our mind when it comes to judging humane and inhuman acts.

If a person committing some inhuman acts; is our family member; and a person serving mankind selflessly happens to be unrelated to us; then whom should we identify ourselves with?
Whom should we consider as �ours�?
Whom should we accept, love and respect?

This holds true for other identities such as our caste, nation, and religion and so on; as well!

There is no denial whatsoever that we have all our identities; but we are not merely identified by restrictive identities such as; our body, family, caste, village, religion; but by all these; together with our spirit of individual and global blossoming!

Seekers of truth involved in the blossoming of mankind; whether belong to any of our family or caste; are our soul mates! It is said that the simplest way to realize this; is the practice of NAMASMARAN. It is up to us; however, whether to keep blossoming together with the universe, or get trapped in the restrictive identities and throttle our soul!