STRESS, AND KULADEVATA (THE FAMILY DEITY): DR. SHRINIWAS
KASHALIKAR

One of the varieties of STRESS is; one that results from severance from the habitat or childhood atmosphere. In our life this STRESS results because of being away from our native place, family members, and childhood friends and often neglected or ignored but important entity called KULADEVATA i.e. family deity.

Most of us belonging to the Hindu way of life; have their family deity and the temples of family deity in their respective native places. The customs and traditions of worshipping family deities differ some what, but in essence; they involve; regular visit to the temples of the family deities; especially on the occasion of yearly festivals of celebration called jatra.

Many of us instinctively know; the kind of STRESS resulting from the deprivation of habitat; and hence make a yearly religious visit without fail; to the temple of KULADEVATA, on the occasion of jatra.

In our early childhood we used to go to Walaval, where there is a temple of our family deity Laxmi Narayan. We traveled in our neighbor; Mr. Chintamni (fondly called Chintu) Patankar�s hired; van like private vehicle.
The narrow brick red roads to Walaval; flanked by the greenery, the water streams, the rivulets, the typical shacks selling hot tea and bhaji (the smell of which percolated in the atmosphere and titillated the olfactory sense and taste buds), the houses with tiled roofs and lastly the temple of Laxmi-Narayan (also called Dev Narayan) are still very fresh in the memory.

The Laxmi Narayan temple is several centuries old and there is a lake by its side. In those days; the lake appeared fearsome as we did not know swimming and there was the belief that at least one or two persons died in the lake! The pujaris (the people appointed for worship of the deity); had maintained the sanctity of the temple, which created a sense of reverence and awe! These feelings and even the taste of the simple; but fresh and hot food; served by our distant relatives, linger in our minds even today.

But later I came in touch with Marxist analysis of poverty and misery in the society. Since I had no strong enough argument to counter the Marxist analysis, my beliefs somewhat drifted (in search of truth), from the family deity Dev Narayan, who appeared to be redundant and restricted to the temple and provide no solutions to challenges in personal and social life.

But today we are convinced that Marxist analysis; (though definitely more advanced than the indolent, parasitic, helpless and deterministic outlook), has to be culminated quickly into the globally blossoming process of self realization.

Thus God is one, but deities are many. Every family has a family deity. The child is introduced to the deity right from the birth. This introduction is immensely important because it keeps reminding the individual about the destination viz. blossoming into comic consciousness!

Thus the family deity is a forward step, made easy by parents, towards the realization of truth! At that age, no amount of philosophy can work. In fact it can be counterproductive and convert young minds into fanatic fascist robots. It is this introduction, familiarity and actual participation in the activities meted out for individual and social blossoming that constitute; some of the valuable aspects of acculturation called SANSKARA.

Today we are under the stress of being away from our habitat. Let us understand that being educated in alien atmosphere, alien curriculum and alien ideology; boosts and bloats our ego and disgruntlement. We then keep grumbling about our literature, our deities, our history, our capabilities and our future. We turn against our own ancestors and culture as if they were villains and we are heroes! Such self destructiveness; turns us away from the loving ambience of our families and family deities. We egoistically think that the family deity provided no solutions (as if he/she was supposed to provide ones); and hence is redundant and restricted to the temple. This arrogance and disgruntlement itself is the hallmark of stress resulting from the deprivation of habitat.

How can going back to this habitat physically and intellectually be extremely pleasant and beneficial in Total Stress Management?

Return to our families and family deities; is reunification of our-selves with our emotional roots. We are introduced to the family deity right from our birth. When no amount of philosophy can work; or in fact can convert our young minds into fanatic fascist robs; the introduction, familiarity and actual participation in the rituals of KULADEVATA enrich our habitat and ensure; individual and global blossoming. This is how going back (if we are broken away) to our family deity and physically and intellectually would ensure Total Stress Management.

The family deity conceptually then grows into cosmic consciousness and the individual develops cosmic perspective in the course of time.

Family deity is a very important and vital component of the process of individual and global blossoming and emancipation!

Our family deity lives in the beautiful temple located in the beautiful place mentioned above viz. Walaval in Kudal Taluka, Sindhudurga district, Maharashtra state, India. Even as Dev Narayan is my family deity, any one who visits the temple, would be reminded and reoriented to the cosmic consciousness in the course of time, besides being rejuvenated by the especially invigorating ambience!

However the humility and openness; is very much required for the physical and intellectual return to KULADEVATA i.e. family deity (and Total Stress Management); and subsequent orientation to the cosmic consciousness; becomes possible through the practice of NAMASMARAN.

We may not believe all this; but can think over and verify!

PRACTICE, PREACHING AND PROMOTION: DR. SHRINIWAS
KASHALIKAR

It is often said that practice is more important than merely preaching and promotion. This is obviously true; in case of those who preach and promote something for petty gains; and practice something else; for money, power, adulations or more lowly gains; at the cost of others.

But this is also true for those who unknowingly preach and promote NAMASMARAN more; and practice less!

Why does this happen?

Living (practice); and sharing (preaching and promotion) of impressions, understanding and experiences; go hand in hand!

We tend to preach and promote more; because we share a common dream with the whole world; the dream of global welfare. This is called (VISHVACHE ARTA by Saint Dnyaneshvar). But we rarely identify it; and unknowingly are charged and possessed by it according to our predisposition and capability.

Some of us get satisfied with ad hoc (incomplete, superficial and symptomatic) solutions; and enter political, social, commercial, artistic, academic, industrial, agricultural, philanthropic careers.

Some are not satisfied with ad hoc solutions; and try to go deeper to realize the dream of universal welfare.
Out of these; some get lost into the fleeting ideologies, unrealistic concepts and self deception. They come to terms with the deception and in turn; deceive people under the guise of political revolution, spiritual renaissance, sat yug and so on!

While remaining few; try to go to the roots of the problems for realizing the dream of global unity and harmony; with holistic perspective. They almost reach holistic solutions in terms of universal perspective, policies, plans and actions. The most important common factor amongst them is the indescribable bond of blossoming together.

NAMASMARAN is found to be the eternal source of holistic solutions; and in NAMASMARAN; there is an experience of the whole universe coming closer. Due to this experience; people cannot resist themselves from preaching and promoting NAMASMARAN; in every possible way; as a matter of greatest privilege, golden opportunity.

But still; it must be clarified here; that the practice of NAMASMARAN is far more real, vital, crucial to us; and the welfare of universe; than preaching and promotion.

The practice however; at times can be tiring; and hence the next best thing to do is; preaching and promotion.

In view of the overwhelming dark forces; the preaching and promotion are very much needed; so as to inform and inspire (not coax) maximum people; for the inner blossoming through NAMASMARAN. However; if we do not practice, then we are likely not to blossom from within and not get the objective experience of universal benevolence (BHAKTI); and hence indulge in loud propaganda, gaudy advertisements and create aversion and repulsion about NAMASMSRAN!

STRESS AND BHAKTI: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

The activities in body cells, various exocrine and endocrine glands go one and contribute to peculiar activities in nervous system. These contribute to our body consciousness, pains and pleasures. These pains and pleasures; in turn lead to desires, ambitions, hopes and despair or pride.

The sum total of these; however eludes most of us. Hence we remain discontent and disturbed irrespective of failures and successes.

The body however undergoes aging in the course of time and our restlessness and anxiety begin to deepen in view of impending end of our body.

This is the reason the saints have repeatedly preached to begin the activity of self realization in the form of NAMASMARAN; right from childhood; irrespective of whether we understand the essence of it or not.

NAMASMARAN has been emphasized also because; other activities e.g. exercise, diet, social norms, career building, etiquettes, manners, customs, traditions, conventions, rituals, festivals, hobbies, art, entertainment; are generally followed without much resistance and without much reluctance! But all these in absence of NAMASMARAN; are elusive and illusive.

BHAKTI is not mere subjective feeling. It is an objective benevolence to entire universe. It is true freedom. It is true selflessness and true fearlessness. Hence it is the real conquest of stress; and is the greatest �gain� from NAMASMARAN. Hence emergence of BHAKTI makes us richest source of ambrosia to blossom the whole universe.

STRESS, AGING AND DYING: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

We are blessed with the opportunity to realize the SELF and experience the process of simultaneous blossoming of one and all.

Life is like a ripe alfanso (hapoos) mango. Should we care to taste it or worry about its getting deteriorated?

It is like being jasmine flowers. Should we smell and relish it or worry about its drying out?

Our body is meant to realize the SELF and experience the process of blossoming of one and all. Should we waste time in getting worried and anxious about when and how it is going to deteriorate, decompose and destroyed? Should we not use our body, consciousness and all the means and modalities; to merge in NAMASMARAN the immortal, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent ambrosia?

Practice of NAMASMARAN is a golden opportunity; irrespective of our religion, race, age, sex, occupation, nationality etc. If we begin NAMASMARAN right from now; then the fear of aging and death would vanish because we would have �won the race�; with the rapid processes of bodily decay and death!

STRESS AND FREEDOM: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

We experience STRESS; when our freedom is jeopardized.

In cellular jails the freedom is throttled in terms of even making movements and meeting people apart from all other things. Vast majority of suffer from lack of freedom of availability; of security, food, water, clothes, shelter, health care and education.

Lack of freedom of building shelters, cultivating and using medicinal herbs, cultivating land, running businesses etc; because of coercive and harrowing license system; or throttling restrictive laws; is denial of freedom.

Lack of freedom of moving to other countries, doing business in other countries, expressing ourselves in paintings, music, literature, movies, dramas and so on; is also a STRESSOR.

Lack of freedom from superstitions is also a major STRESSOR!

Thus; both the atheism and theism harbor the superstition of believing blindly; in existence and nonexistence of God.

The word existence is actually very deep and meaningful. We tend to ignore the deeper aspects of this word! Existence of a stone, existence of electricity, existence of laser rays, existence of space, existence of time, existence of a bird, existence of a boy, existence of mind, existence of feeling, existence of thoughts all are described by a single word existence. As a result of ignoring the different meanings of the word �existence�, the followers of so called atheism and theism go on arguing endlessly! Due to lack of appreciation of these meanings of the word, the truth i.e. the sense of satisfaction, unity, fearlessness, joy etc. keep on eluding us.

Let us understand that The God does not �exist� and does not �non-exist�; in routine sense of the word existence! The God experience is beyond the routine, crude and restrictive meaning of the word �exist�!

Lack of freedom to assert our conscience causes major STRESS. This is due to obstacles in our blossoming; such as; bigotry, religious and racial impositions, vested interests, fanaticism, terrorism, and pettiness of perspective, policies, plans, programs, and transactions inside and outside us! This imprisonment is fortified by restrictive laws, conventions, traditions, fashions, beliefs, films, literature, media and advertising.

Lack of freedom to be together (physically and mentally) also causes STRESS. We do not realize the unifying link, between us and others. Actually; every particle is connected by gravity, space, time and so on, and similarly but not exactly in the same way; we are connected with others; through consciousness.

When we define and hail political freedom; we have to consider these different aspects of freedom and see; whether majority of us in the world are FREE! Then we can work together; for total freedom to realize the unifying link. Moreover; through our perspective, thinking, policies, plans, administration, arts and creative efforts; create an atmosphere conducive to such individual and universal blossoming.

This is possible through the practice NAMASMARAN (JAAP, JAP, JIKRA) i.e. reorientation and realizing true self; supplemented by complementary efforts; in different walks of life. This is a process of overcoming subjectivity and being objective as taught by the immortal gurus; and is a core of Total Stress Management, superliving or holistic renaissance.