SIN, STRESS AND SHRADDHA: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

Any thing against religious decrees or ethical norms; is referred to as sin (called paap is Sanskrit) and anything illegal is usually called crime. But this is only broad understanding.

The deeper meaning of sin or paap is actually “being oblivious, ignorant, and unaware and disconnected and separated from God or true self (the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and eternally unifying superlife)”.

As we get entwined and entrapped in; and become proud or ashamed of our external or superficial identities; e get separated from our own core and also; from one another. Then we fail to experience the unity and harmony with ourselves; and others. This alienation from ourselves; and from others; leads to increasing individualistic, mean and discordant behavior; that ranges from mere arguments to brutal and indiscriminate violence; and from personal disturbance to global bloodshed.

Hence ignorance, alienation, forgetfulness, obliviousness, disbelief and separation from God is the common sin at the root of all other sins, which cause stress in personal and global life!

All sins including those generated through superstitions are the activities motivated by pettiness (separation from true SELF or God). Thus when we get blinded by our petty need, greed, bias, prejudice, fanaticism, hatred, passion, pettiness, fear, anger, sorrow, shock and so on! They can make us a blind exploiter or a helpless victim, an arrogant criminal or a meek beggar and a fanatic ruler or a slavish follower.

Thus, actions of a petty person whether fuelled by information and technology or superstition; are against the welfare of any common individual and society; because they are motivated by petty selfishness; and lead to many different crimes and stress in individual and global life.

We tend to highlight crimes of illiterates and superstitious people; and ignore or neglect the heinous barbarism and malevolent activities; of people held in high esteem as “well read”, “well informed”, “scientific”, “rational”, “intelligent” and “progressive”; but cut off from the unifying SELF and hence essentially petty and inhuman individuals.

Why is this so?

The cause is separation from God; because of dominance of right cerebral cortex or left; and not full development of both. Hence we see the world erroneously with either preponderance of right cerebral hemisphere (unintelligent sentimentality) or lopsidedly developed left cerebral cortex (dry callous logic).

Shraddha (which is enlightenment associated with full blossoming and complementary functioning of right and left cerebral cortexes); builds up through NAMASMARAN. Shraddha enables us to vividly see and experience the intrinsic unity and harmony in the inmates of the world and empowers us to express holistic policies, plans and programs (solutions) conducive to the individual and universal blossoming; whole heartedly and bravely.