Student: My friends from US and UK laugh and ask, "What authority do you (Indians) have; to preach NAMASMARAN; when majority of you; are drowned in abysmal poverty, ignorance, irresponsibility, corruption and so many such evils?" We are treated as hypocrites. Are we hypocrites?

Teacher: Their argument is broadly; not absolutely; correct! Admit to them that; "Like the rest of the world (plagued by sectarian, individualistic, petty, exploitative and such many sick trends); we (Indians) are also ailing, though with somewhat different infections, signs and symptoms. As a result; most of the people of the world including Indians; are either opposed to NAMASMARAN and thereby pamper their petty ego; or practice it in pursuit of personal gains veiled in semantics of liberation, salvation MOKSHA etc! Most of us therefore fail to appreciate the pivotal role of NAMASMARAN and thus manifest its impact in individual and global blossoming! But today; it is high time that we heal ourselves with this panacea � NAMASMARAN; for individual and universal welfare! With regard to being hypocrites, we should find out the root of this phenomenon of hypocrisy!
But most of us; whether Indians or foreigners; are hypocrites. This is a stage during our overall development.

Student: What you say; appears to be true!

Teacher: Actually we all are hypocrites; because we do not understand ourselves, we do not understand others, we do not understand whether others understand themselves and whether others understand us or not! In fact we do not understand whether we understand any of this; or not!
Let us understand that actually; it is impossible to �know� ourselves and others� selves; as the �selves� are beyond �understanding�. They are beyond intellectual comprehension. They are not a tangible and a concrete entity. Further; we ourselves, their selves, our perceptions and their perceptions; all are changing. They are not static or constant!
Thus our hypocrisy is due to our ignorance; and in fact about our ignorance of our ignorance!
When we are trapped in the dilemma of what we expect from ourselves; and what we actually feel and do; we get stressed. We try to overcome such stress by �assuming to be�; �what we think we should be�; rather than accepting what we are (which is very difficult); or �actually being what we think we should be� (which is even more difficult)! This is hypocrisy!
Similarly when we get �sheared� between; what we want others to think or believe us to be; and what we believe; the others think us to be! We get stressed by this pull! We try to manage such stress by hiding things, which we think people would not approve; and show, exhibit and advertise things, which we think people would approve, appreciate and admire! This is also hypocrisy!
Often we condemn others for being hypocrites. But this is merely an outburst of our internal disturbance; a kind of emotional incontinence. This is caused by erroneous perception resulting from; our subjectivity and prejudices, through which the information we get; is filtered. This leads to our inference and deductions! We allege the others to be hypocrites; because of this reason. In short; such judgment is due to our own prejudices or actually hypocrisy!
But as and when we are trapped in hypocrisy (i.e. not being ourselves); we are not at ease. We are uncomfortable! This is a subtle aspect of stress!
Student: In what way; do you think NAMASMARAN can work here?
Teacher: If we practice NAMASMARAN, then over a period of time; we begin to become aware of our ignorance on one hand; and aware of our link with the infinite reality; the Self; on the other. We begin to realize that all our instincts, feelings and thoughts i.e. our knowledge; how much ever perfect it may appear; is at best a relative truth; miles away from factual reality and even further away from the absolute truth!
Through NAMASMARAN, we begin to concede to ourselves; that we behave and communicate only on superficial levels of consciousness. We become aware of the fact; that we are unaware of our deeper subconscious and unconscious; metabolic, endocrine, reproductive, autonomic, limbic and central nervous system activities; and our �true self�, which is even further deep within!
Through NAMASMARAN we begin to experience; that being cut off from the ambrosia in the depth of our heart; we live in the superficial mediocrity and indulge in baseless blame games; based on superficial impressions about ourselves and others! This is how we begin to get freed from our own superficiality and mediocrity; and get passionately driven towards our own interior!
Gradually we begin to live with greater fidelity to our innate core, the true self i.e. our Guru; and understand the essence of the aphorism; �NAMA is the only truth�!
This is the first step towards freedom from hypocrisy!

NAMA, NAMASMARAN AND TOTAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (PART 17) DR SHRINIWAS J. KASHALIKAR

Student: Is there any relevance of the Smrutis here?

Teacher: smrutis means memory or remembrance. These were compiled with the purpose of guiding all the people in society ranging from a worker to a king. The guidance was aimed at harmony, integrity as well as prosperity at all levels in society. The practical guidance in smrutis; is supposed to facilitate emancipation of even a common man who does not understand philosophical texts.
The guidance in smrutis seems to have evolved through enlightened, selfless and prudent discussions and consensus amongst learned and wise men, it evolved within overall historical, geographic, physical, environmental, social, and political compulsions; and limitations of scientific and technological development.
Smrutis aimed at a harmonious, non competitive, orderly and complementary functioning of society. They advocated that each one should do his or her job (whether considered lower or higher) and nurture complementarity in the society. There are a number of smrutis named after Vasishtha, Narada, Parashara, Yajnavalkya Manu etc. Later the smrutis were interpreted in the form of books such as Nirnayasindhu, Dharmasindhu etc. These books provided solutions to a number of questions and served as guides for long time. It is interesting to note that these scriptures provided guidance in terms of daily personal conduct for, a) various age groups, b) males and females from the time of waking up to the time of going to bed, c) the role in life through different stages of life, throughout the year and different occupations and positions of responsibility in family and society. There was guidance about jobs, marriage, care during pregnancy, care of mother and the new born, grooming of children, various ceremonies, festivals, celebrations, pilgrimages and fairs. Guidance was available in diverse matters such as taming and domesticating different birds and animals, eating different articles on different occasions, cooking on different occasions and festivals in different seasons; using of different beds and even sowing on a particular day!
While the pilgrimages served to bring people together and purge their minds of petty considerations, personal grief, pains, frustrations; the compulsory observance of celebrations ensured prevention of loneliness, cynicism and depression. All this nurtured social cohesiveness.

In the interiors of India the support systems took the form Pravachankar, who explains the philosophical principles, Kirtankar, who explains philosophical principles but through more entertaining form of songs, dance, stories, the puranik, who actually reads the puranas, which are scriptures that describe creation of universe, dynasties, traditions, customs conventions, codes of conduct and also gems, astrology etc.), and vaidya, who is family physician & surgeon; and others.
In addition, the support systems included the members of the joint families, elderly relatives, friends and neighbors.
In villages, therefore, one finds a reasonable balance between stressors and support systems.

Student: Would I feel better if I go and stay in some village?

Teacher: Laughs! But overall; the traditional support systems are dwindling and new support systems are yet to evolve effectively. Thus present state of life is full of drastic, rapidly intensifying and complicating stressors with increasing frequency (rapid repetition) and number. The new and individualistic value system drowns us in petty selfishness, superficial glamour and quick personal prosperity (whichever may be the means to achieve them). This leads to; self aggrandizement and arrogance or self pity and guilt.

Student: Some say; that if an individual improves (manages stress) then gradually the family, the society and the whole universe would improve (manage stress). Hence individual purification is most important. Some others say that if we improve the system, then automatically the whole universe, mankind, society and the individual would improve. Hence the purification of the system is most important. Is this not really a tug of war?

Teacher: The individual can be �purified� if the system improves; because he/she lives within the system; and in accordance with the system. Conversely; the system would get �purified�, only if the individuals contributing to it; as well as controlling it, are �purified�. Moreover; an individual; is inseparable from; soul, intelligence, feelings, instincts, body, family, society, culture, art, literature, technology, religion, customs, traditions, conventions, laws; and administrative rules, and regulations and regulating bodies! In other words; individual and system are a continuum.
But this concept of continuum is not an absolute truth. Hence there could be exceptions to this concept; in terms of infinite purification of an individual in spite of a corrupt system; and purification of a system in spite of corrupt majority!
But; barring such exceptions; the individual blossoming has to be combined with universal blossoming! It has to be a holistic and all inclusive process that ensures policies, plans and programs; to optimally fulfill all the physiological needs of all the age groups, races and religions; through the day, month, season, year and life; so as to catalyze individual blossoming!
This is Total Stress Management, Total Well Being, Holistic Health, superliving or Holistic Renaissance. This simultaneous process of individual and universal blossoming can be realized by orienting to the true self common to all; just like the instrumentalists and vocalists; who are oriented to the directions of the master of orchestra! The global unity and harmony would ensue just as harmony, melody and rhythm; are generated in an orchestra! In absence of this; the individual emancipation is bound to remain an illusion; and the universal welfare; an unending mirage!
It is here that I was almost convinced that the traditional, inexpensive; �single, simple, easy to practice democratic and universal solution of individual and universal problems; is NAMASMARAN, JAP, JAAP, JIKRA, SUMIRAN, SIMARAN i.e. remembering the name of God (true self); that involves; steady victory over pettiness, prejudices and all the subjectivity!
Forgetfulness of our true self is the basic root pathology of stress and hence nothing else but the process of reaching our true self is the remedy! I reaffirmed that NAMASMARAN is associated with transcendental perspective, thinking, feelings and behavior. In other words, it is associated with global vision, policy making, plans, programs and their implementation. This may be called SATPRERANA, SADDHARANA, SADVICHAR, SADBHAVANA, SATPRAVRUTTI, SADVASANA, SATSANKALP AND SATKARMA or SADACHAR.

Student: Will you please explain these terms further?

Teacher: Yes! It is interesting as well as essential to understand them! PRERANA is the inspiration and SATPRERANA is the inspiration that dawns on us; from the absolute truth i.e. Guru and transforms us from a subjective individual into an objective being! We develop holistic perspective of unity of universe in every sense! Our thinking, feelings, instincts and behavior are transformed and channelized into the service of cosmic will, the will of Guru! We may not be consciously aware of this process initially, but richly realize it in the course of time. DHARANA is the understanding and conviction and SAT implies the universal principle beyond space, time and consciousness that ultimately controls and sustains the universe and inhabitants. In simple words, it is NAMA or Guru. SADVICHAR means thinking that can act as vehicle to reach and merge with ultimate and absolute truth. SADBHAVANA is the totality of our feelings, which lifts us to reach and merge with the sublime trans-temporal absolute truth! It is characterized by true freedom from pettiness and subjectivity and natural concern for the freedom and emancipation of the whole universe. PRAVRUTTI is convergence of our inclinations, aptitudes, fixations and SAT is Guru or NAMA! SATPRAVRUTTI is bent of our mind; an irresistible yet magnificent obsession to meet Guru, to merge with NAMA and dissolve ourselves in Him. SADVASANA is evolving array of our passions, into the urge to merge with NAMA! We are excited in being mobilized towards the absolute truth and to catalyze the universal process of Self realization! SATSANKALP is synthesis and crystallization of our perspective, thoughts, feelings and instincts into a specific well defined activity; directed at individual and universal blossoming inherent to realization of universal truth! SATKARMA is every different activity of different people, which helps them and others in reorienting and reestablishing in absolute truth (traditionally called being stabilized at the lotus feet of Guru). ACHAR is behavior. Thus the dynamics of our every transaction in the field of politics, science, philosophy, art, industry, agriculture, health care etc at personal, family and social level, when conducive to merging with NAMA, is SADACHAR! In short; every activity and behavior conducive to universalization and infinitesimal manifestation of NAMASMARAN in every nook and corner of universe; embodies SATPRERANA, SADDHARANA, SADVICHAR, SADBHAVANA, SATPRAVRUTTI, SADVASANA, SATSANKALP, SATKARMA and SADACHAR.

NAMA, NAMASMARAN AND TOTAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (PART 15) DR SHRINIWAS J. KASHALIKAR

Student: But are the stressors always dangerous?

Teacher: No. The environment neither remains unchanged nor does it change within a given restricted range. So the living beings are equipped to overcome (and even get benefited from) stressors!
This is why; physical exercise, emotional excitement, intellectual work etc. are often beneficial when moderate or optimum. Sometimes this beneficial stress is referred to as �eustress�. EU is used as a prefix, meaning good or well.
When the stressors increase in number, frequency, duration, intensity or complexity, beyond the capacity of an individual; the internal environment undergoes greater change (distress) with greater variations and with greater speed! This results in adverse effects on body cells, with or without clinical signs and symptoms! This is what is happening today; as we have seen earlier.

Student: Can we call the ill effects of stress; prarabdha?

Teacher: When we seem to understand (although superficially) the causes; we term it pathophysiology of stress! When we fail to understand the root causes of the pathophysiology; we term it prarabdha!

Student: Sir! I have reasonably understood the nature of stress and its causes! But why it is me who is suffering from stress?

Teacher: As I said earlier; stress is ubiquitous. It is darker side of life; and the brighter side is Total Stress Management! Hence; every one of us, although to a variable extent, suffers from stress. Some fortunate realize it earlier and some are destined to realize it later.

Student: But I was never aware of the ghastly nature of this menace! Why is this so?

Teacher: This is because; as you can appreciate; stress is usually; a slow process. It acts like slow poisoning and hence goes unnoticed until it acquires serious dimensions. When noticed; we attribute it to more apparent entities; such as infection (which itself can result due to stress!). You can understand this if you appreciate the fact that we �see� the dust particles moving in a dust storm but fail to notice the wind, which actually moves the dust particles! Moreover; even if we identify �stress� we don�t have proper understanding of it; just as we don�t understand democracy, socialism, secularism, god, dharma etc. Besides; we are habituated to put up a brave face even when we are suffering; because of shyness and apprehension of being insulted, humiliated, ridiculed, pitied, sympathized or even exploited. Other more obvious reasons are illiteracy, poverty, lack of time, lack of information, lack of dialogue, lack of communication, lack of curiosity, apathy and so on (which are actually due to stress).

Student: In view of the wide range of the mechanisms, causes and the incidence of stress; the extent of medical ailments and general suffering due to stress are also enormous! Isn�t it?

Teacher: Yes! It is true! The effects of stress are numerous. But the most important damage common to all varieties of suffering; is forgetfulness about the true self. This is dehumanization. This is true dying before physical death!
The stress harms our mind. It produces tension, anxiety, worry, fear, despair, helplessness, dejection, irritability, restlessness, apathy, suffocation, lack of confidence, listlessness, depression, self pity, sadness, frustration, unpleasant dreams, disturbances of sleep, suicidal tendencies, abnormal and excessive fear of cancer, heart disease, diabetes etc. and undesirable habits such as nail biting and habit of moving a leg or hands unconsciously. It harms our family. Thus, there is lack of; warmth, dialogue, mutual respect, love, indifference towards one another, petty quarrels, bitterness, violence, impatience, intolerance, lack of harmony, lack of cleanliness etc. It reduces our performance. Inefficiency, absenteeism, indifference, irresponsibility and carelessness towards duty, lack of discipline; are the results of stress. In addition; intelligence is also affected. Thus; forgetfulness, confusion, indecision, difficulty in problem solving, lack of imagination, difficulty in learning are caused by stress. It deteriorates our social behavior also. It leads to Pettiness, dishonesty, lawlessness, lack of punctuality, unreliability, deception, corruption, crime and our matrimonial relations leading to discord, separation, divorce etc.
Stress adversely affects our body! Thus it harms our sexuality, immune system, eyes and vision, ears & hearing, nose and sense of smell , mouth, heart and blood vessels, muscles and joints, connective tissues such as tendons, ligaments, respiratory system, digestive system, genital - Urinary system, reproductive system, endocrine system, nervous system, blood and so on!

It affects our posture, skin, hair and looks also; distinctly and unmistakably! If you compare a photo of your childhood & a recent one, then you will appreciate this!

Student: I have noticed this!

NAMA, NAMASMARAN AND TOTAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (PART 13) DR SHRINIWAS J. KASHALIKAR

Student: Sir, Will you explain; apart from satisfying my curiosity this account of stress will be useful to me also; isn�t it?

Teacher; Yes! In us; physical, chemical, biological and instinctual stressors; are present and in fact; all these become more in severity and complexity. All these stressors cause and aggravate emotional and intellectual stress! Moreover there are emotional (related to our feelings) and intellectual (related to our thinking) stressors; in their own right!
Thus; in human beings; there is excessive stimulation of the receptors for vision, smell, taste, hearing, touch, pressure, vibrations, and pain. This is due to sensory stressors in the form of reading, dirty smells, lack of sunlight. enclosure in air-conditioned spaces, commuting, crowding, vibrations, loud speakers, glittering & flickering lights, strange and rapidly mixing frames with aggressive and loud advertising on TV, electrical /electrostatic strong fields, radiations due to various articles containing radioactive materials or computer and color TV screens! In addition; other stressors are exhaust of vehicles, mills, factories, excreta, lack of open space, lack of fresh air, lack of breeze, new cancer promoting chemicals, infectious microorganisms, parasites and vectors.
The instinctual Stressors are multiplied in human beings because of overexposure to glorified display of brazen and crude sexuality, indiscriminate violence, perverted eating and drinking, perverted struggles, conspiracies, manipulations for material success, perverted parental behavior, petty selfish achievements etc. causing undue stress on instincts. Child in cr�che, KG, schools, boarding schools etc. develops insecurity. Lack of enough privacy due to small houses and crowding disturbs sexual life and causes stress. Similarly, inability to breast feed causes stress on parental instincts. Violence in the form of murders, mass killings, hijacking, terrorism insurgency etc. has brought stress on survival instincts in cities as well as villages. The instinctual stressors contribute to emotional stress.

Student: This is really a revelation! We used to consider stress very superficially!

Teacher: The emotional stressors; come into play; because of further development of nervous system in us! This development makes us stronger in one sense; but vulnerable because of sensitivity in another sense!
Thus; the sources of emotional stress can be our body; because of pain, disease and poor self image due to obesity, dwarfism, disfigurement, handicap, aging etc. The source can be our family. Ageing, disease, disablement, handicap, addiction, death, discord, harassment, loneliness, unwantedness, individualistic thinking, undue craze for quick money, social status, popularity, glamour and glitter, political power and the resultant behavior; tear apart the human bonds amongst the family members. All these become much more unmanageable because of nuclear family.

NAMA, NAMASMARAN AND TOTAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (PART 11)
DR SHRINIWAS J. KASHALIKAR

Student: What are the characteristics of this internal environment?

Teacher: The internal environment has certain concentration of hydrogen, sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, magnesium etc. It has certain osmolality, temperature, viscosity etc. The text books of physiology, describe these in details, but it is not necessary to burden our memory with all the details.

Student: What is the importance of this internal environment?

Teacher: The importance of the internal environment is that, various physical and chemical characteristics of the internal environment have to be maintained within a certain range, if the body cells and hence the organism; have to function in a normal i.e. healthy way. If the characteristics undergo drastic variations, then functioning and even living becomes difficult and/or painful. This should explain to you; the importance of the internal environment as well as the importance of any factor/s, which may bring about drastic changes in it.

Student: This has crystallized the concept of stress and Total Stress Management to some extent. But now; I am curious to understand the mechanisms underlying stress; though not in details; at least grossly!

Teacher: OK! For the moment; we will keep aside the philosophical aspects of stress, such as previous birth, past life, sanchit, prarabdha, rebirth, soul etc and also; the traditional ways of managing stress.
The mechanisms; as we understand today; were progressively discovered in last century by conducting experiments on animals. Hans Selye is known to be the pioneer of stress physiology. He discovered the effects of various stressful stimuli in animals and called them General Adaption Syndrome GAS.
Stressors stimulate special cells or special molecules in the cells. These special cells are called neural receptors and the special molecules are called molecular receptors. There are receptors inside the body; called internal receptors and on surface of the body; called external receptors. Stimulation of these receptors brings about changes in the internal environment proportionate to the intensity, frequency, variety, complexity and pattern of stressors.

There are four main and well known mechanisms by which stress and its effects are produced.

a) Various stressors act on the part of brain called limbic system. This leads to secretion of various chemical substances. These are called neurotransmitters, because they transmit information from one nerve cell to another. They are secreted in small quantity in a central funnel like part at the bottom of brain called hypothalamus. The hypothalamus in turn secretes hormones, which are chemicals directly released in blood and are carried to the pituitary gland, which is underneath the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland in turn secretes hormones which are released in the blood and reach various glands but especially the Adrenal cortex. It secretes cortisol, which, when in excess; is responsible for various ill effects of stress; such as on liver, heart and immune system responsible for body resistance.

b) Stressors can act on the pineal gland, which is located in the neighboring area above the hypothalamus and secretes hormones called melatonin, 5 Hydroxytryptamine (5HT) and norpinephrine. It is conical in shape hence called pineal. Because of stressors; the proportion, the quantity and the type of secretions can become abnormal and this can cause several ill effects on hypothalamus, pituitary, testes, ovaries, thyroid gland, adrenal cortex, pancreas and parathyroid. It can cause disturbances of biorhythms, sleep. It reduces the resistance to cancer, infections and overall stress.

c) Stressors can be in the form of certain changes in blood, bacteria in blood, certain chemicals called antigens in the blood etc. All these act on the different types of white blood cells (WBC), which in turn; produce several substances which cause the effects of stress.

d) The stressors act on hypothalamus; but in this case the hormones secreted by the hypothalamus; can directly enter the blood and produce the effects of stress by direct action on various tissues. The details of all this; are given my book; �Understanding and Management of Stress� available on internet for free download.