Stress And Competition: Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar

If we carefully study the stress; then we realize that one of the factors; causing stress; is the stiff and cut throat competition. The competitions for reaching the top and being number one in different fields; such as business, politics, cinema, arts, sports, examinations etc.; is the hallmark of our life.

Since the competitions are painfully stressful some advocate eradication of competitions and some advocate the importance getting trained to succeed in competitions; for maintaining and promoting quality and merit!

But hardly do we realize that the cause of stress is not the competitions themselves but the basis of the competitions prevalent in our society!

Our society is infected by the viruses of individualism and socialism.

With the infection of individualism we have become engrossed in the petty materialistic gains and mean pursuits; oblivious to the material conditions of the others. At best we may participate in some charity.

On the other hand; with the infection of socialism; we have become obsessed; although irrationally and ineffectively; to regimentalize the material gains; for all; often irrespective of; of sincerity, commitment, responsibility, skills and expertise.

But in both cases; the perspective, policies and actions revolve around physical characteristics and material gains and either pursuit of petty gains, or insistence on arbitrary and unjust regimentalization.

In both cases the principle; “simultaneous blossoming one and all” is ignored, neglected, suppressed or shunned.

Thus; the day to day transactions and the value system; revolve around the physical attributes and material gains. The best person, the best activity, the best achievement and everything “best”; in both; individualistic and socialistic societies; is NOT based on; how much that individual or a group; has contributed to the “blossoming of one and all”!

Naturally the competitions are also organized on the basis of physical attributes and material gains; and encourage and promote; petty selfish attitude and pursuits and knowingly or unknowingly ignore, neglect, suppress or shun “the attitude and efforts for individual and universal blossoming”.

They promote the success, which is mean, mediocre and hollow at the core; and bloat the ego, pride and arrogance of the successful people on the one hand; and impart depression, frustration, self pity and humiliation to the failures.

Thus; it is the basis of competitions and not the competitions per se; is the cause of stress!

A healthy society evolves to embody the principle; “simultaneous blossoming of one and all” and the competition based on the contribution for its quest, fervor, study and achievement.

Thus in this competition; both; the winner and the loser; blossom together!

The skills and expertise in the pursuit of petty gains (often at the cost of others); being antisocial; are not respected and are never the basis for any competition. In fact; they dealt with necessary corrective or punitive action.

A practical, simple, traditional, universal and totally safe and inexpensive way to evolve into such a healthy society; is NAMASMARAN.

But, 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; 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 super-bounty because a person, who experiences it, rises above mercenary, commercial and even professional and charity planes and manifest super- transactions 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 be experienced, most preferably not by one or two; but, by billions!

For the first time in India, robotic-assisted Radical Cystectomy and reconstruction of neo-bladder performed at MPUH Nadiad

During the week starting March 5, 2012, three robotic-assisted radical cystectomy and reconstruction of neo-bladder were performed at MPUH Nadiad, for the first time in India. The surgeries were performed by Dr Mihir Desai from the University of Southern California who have been visiting MPUH Nadiad from time to time to mentor and train the surgeons here.
Since the introduction of robotic-assisted surgery in MPUH some 16 months ago, more than 150 robotic-assisted surgeries, mostly radical prostatectomy, have been performed at the hospital. MPUH is the first hospital in the Western India to install the latest daVinci Si Robot.
You may like to watch, below, a TV-9 news on the first robotic-assisted radical cystectomy and reconstruction of neo-bladder.
TV news in Gujarati:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxAi1QfLfig
TV news in Telugu:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bISlxuLgPN8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=bISlxuLgPN8

EGO AND STRESS: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

It is common place to feel sad when things, which we do not like, happen, or when things, which we like do not happen around. Usually this leads to perennial and hysterical grumbling and blame game.

But this is not all.

Ironically; the things, which we like and long for; also; when happen around; do not please us! We often see in different media many benevolent activities going on. We see great achievements. We see sublime stories of the successes of mankind. We see manifestations of nobility and magnanimity.

While we do not feel sad as such; we do not feel buoyant as well. Somewhere in the heart of heart we feel dejected, left out and sunken; because we miss the credit or accolades!

Why is this so?

This is so; because we are living superficially. We have not reached our own depths. At this superficial stratum, we are separated from the universe and hence can not relate with and handle the unpleasant as well as pleasant things appropriately.

As we are far away from our own depths; we fail to realize that the roots of these things are very much within us and we can transform, evolve and emancipate unpleasant; or promote and rejoice the pleasant processes of blossoming.
We can experience this if we reach our roots, which are no way different from the root of universe; the source of cosmic romance. This reaching itself is the panacea that ensures and ensues individual and global blossoming.

Reaching the root of universe is the same as transcending the ego. The ego is nothing else but the state of descending and being imprisoned in “our” sensations, passions, emotions, beliefs, convictions, concepts and ideology.

It is worth noting that; the ego is natural at developmental stages of life. Having ego is not unnatural or abnormal. But because we are merged in our ego unidentifiably; the very thought or imagination of transcending ego and realizing the self; is dreadfully painful, like death.

But as we mature; and actually transcend ego and reach the root of our own being we become truly ecstatic!

Truly; the universal practice of NAMASMARAN with top priority; without fanatic insistence on anything else; is a universal and most fulfilling superactivity that reaches us to our own core i.e. the center of universe; and engenders individual and universal blossoming.

One can also say; “The center of universe, the source of cosmic romance and the core of our own selves; referred to as GURU or SACCHIDANANDA; “frees” us from the imprisonment in our ego; at appropriate times and absorbs us in Him (with ubiquitously benevolent side effects!); by way of prompting the NAMASMARAN.

STRESS AND TEMPLES: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

The stress is ubiquitous. But it becomes increasingly troublesome if we are sensitive. It becomes more irritating if we begin to understand solutions and can not implement them. However it becomes extremely and unbearably agonizing when millions of people seem to understand the solutions and agree; and yet nothing seems to work!

The immediate issue is that of the condition of thousands of temples in India, which for millennia; have been the sacrosanct sites of evolving consciousness, conscience and enlightenment.

Today; with few exceptions; these are surrounded by filth, garbage, pathetic beggars, undisciplined crowding, traffic jams, badly maintained roads and often antisocial activities. Many priests literally threaten and coax the devotees to squeeze maximum DAKSHINA money. They use different techniques such enforcing a sacred SANKALPA of donation.

There are several reports of indulgence in; marihuana, sexual abuse, cheating, monitory corruption, involvement of goons, interference of partisan politicians with vested interests; and so on.

This scenario of temples has lead to severe and almost fatal blow on our feelings; whether we visit these temples as mere travelers, tourists, visitors, pilgrims or devotees.

The very foundation of our life has been shattered. Our respect for our ancestors, our religion, our traditions, our customs and most importantly ourselves; has been eroded.

These temples have become the centers of deceptive escapism and sterile solace. Often they provide comfort to fraudulent criminals, who give vent to their guilt by donating. Truly; they have become serious lesions rather than healing centers! They have nothing to do with our life and the challenges we face every day. They neither educate nor empower us. They neither provide solace nor do they give healing touch.

However; in spite of all this many of us harbor superstitions because of the hope of personal gains and fear of personal losses; while many others lose all hope from these institutions and begin to resent, dislike or even loathe them.

Is this not really stressful?

What could be the reason?

We have to appreciate that; the individualistic pursuits and petty considerations (Kaliyug) have taken toll of the original ideas, concepts and functioning of temples. As a result, the centers of excellence in every possible way; which served to emancipate individuals and the society and emanated rejuvenating and revitalizing influence on most of the individuals visiting and participating in the temple activities (conducive to individual and global blossoming); have become the focuses of diseases.

Majority of the temples have not been able to keep pace with the time. They have lost their status of being centers of transcendental evolution. They are not even the caricatures of what they once were.

In these temples; no one studies, no one teaches, no one learns. No one works, no one produces, and no one creates. Hence these temples have become economically helpless and parasitic institutions dependent on the mercy of; government, politicians, donors and volunteers; most of who have ulterior motives. Thus pseudo and hollow celebrations and devotional activities have become means of ugly show, despicable pomp, criminal wastage, obscene vulgarity, offensive exhibition, bullying advertisements and cheap propaganda, through unpardonable extortions.

As this goes on: the properties of these temples; however; attract; the crooks, who are ever eager to capture them.

Can this be rectified? Can we conquer this stress?

Yes.

The ever nurturing core of cosmos and the cosmic consciousness is NAMA. NAMASMARAN is the way for all of us.

Through universalization of NAMASMARAN we can re-explore, rejuvenate and reestablish the glorious vitality, vigor, richness and benevolence of the temples. Because; through NAMASMARAN; we can evolve and inspire holistic perspective, policies and programs; such as holistic health, holistic medicine, and holistic education for global welfare.

STRESS AND READING: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

The purpose of reading philosophy, biographies of saints and scriptures is to get freed from the delusion of being a mere a mortal body and identify one’s true self.

However, irrespective of the initial intention; such reading frequently leads to fancying and/or assuming oneself a guru or a spiritual savior of a caste, creed, religion or even mankind! The subjective experiences (often illusions and hallucinations) are publicized as miracles. There is a maniacal obsession also; to preach, persuade, coax, brainwash, convert; or oppress, repress, persecute and even kill others!

The person is pathetically confused and/or in conflicts; and makes others also miserable; in the delusion of emancipating mankind.

Does it mean that one should not read?

No! What it means is that this risk has to be preempted, by a simultaneous activity of NAMASMARAN i.e. remembrance of NAMA i.e. name of God.

NAMASMARAN sets free an individual from the state of inflated ego and the fancy of being a guru or a savior; and thus overcome the behavioral aberrations. In this way; it empowers one; to actually realize the truth; and contribute in his/her field; to the individual and global blossoming!