One of the major causes of STRESS; is conflict of values also called value crisis. One such conflict is between selfishness and selflessness. Let us resolve this conflict and conquer the STERSS!

The plant and animal life is apparently almost free from choices and hence almost free from such conflicts and the STRESS! We are however; evolved and “free” to make choices on the one hand; and are “trapped” in the conflicts of choices; on the other!

We need oxygen, water, food, protection, nursing, shelter, clothes, education, entertainment, pampering and so on!

Gradually our “needs” begin to get converted into “wants”! We start “wanting” better food, better protection, better nursing, better shelter, better clothes, better entertainment, more pampering and so on!

Soon, all these “wants” necessitate the physical, political and monetary power and thus “craving” for power is produced in us! The “craving” leads to all our actions to fulfill the “craving” irrespective of; or rather at the cost of others!

Strange it may appear, but; even if every craving of ours is fulfilled, we are still unsatisfied!

Barring the period of infancy, the different conflicting choices begin to hover around and produce STRESS and erosion!

Satisfaction of physiological needs, instincts, emotions, thoughts and behavior (selfishness) are influenced variably by ethics, rules, regulations, laws, conventions, traditions, religious precepts, commandments (selflessness)!

They create a conflict; “Whether to satisfy our interests or not?”! In other words; “should we be selfish or selfless? This causes STRESS!

The STRESS; is especially marked; because, neither can we; revert back to animal behavior and escape from the conflict; nor can we cope with the precepts of selflessness!

How to resolve this conflict?

As infants we are selfish (very happy) in suckling and as mothers we are selfless (very happy) in breast feeding! Aren’t selfishness and selflessness natural, complementary and inseparable parts of our life?

Hence; even if our cravings, wants and even needs are fulfilled (selfishness); the subtle desires that we should be heard, loved, respected, admired, cared for, obeyed served and so on; still remain active! Alternatively suppression of our needs, wants, desires, and cravings appears incompatible with life. Thus; in absence of satisfying the needs from the early childhood, we would not be alive and there would be no progeny to continue the species.

We can tally this with our experience of being “selfish” and the feeling of guilt for not having given a donation; and our experience of being “selfless” and the feeling of being cheated by giving away donations! We can assess our feeling of guilt; of selfishness (having denied our services to needy poor); and our feeling of hurt due to insulting treatment; of selflessness (having taught or treated free of cost).

Thus mere fulfilling (selfishness) or mere suppression or denial (selflessness); of our needs, wants, desires or cravings; is not a solution. Hence there must be other way out. Thus; what is required; is to evolve our selfishness as well as our selflessness!

Most of the times even if the others consider us selfish or selfless; we are actually not evolved in terms of selfishness or selflessness! We are only foolish; being dragged into ego-born compulsions; which are either called ‘selfish’ or ‘selfless’!

One way of conquering the STRESS of this strenuous and tardy transition from selfishness and selflessness; to enlightened objective wisdom; is; the practice and propagation of NAMASMARAN. Practice; because “the love of NAMASMARAN”; is not as “strongly physiologically inbuilt” as the “compulsions of acquiring; and impulses of sacrificing” and propagate; because; we want to defeat the propaganda and forces (inside and outside); that hinder the culmination of selfishness and selflessness; into cosmic consciousness with its benevolent holistic expression!