STRESS AND DESIRES: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

Is it appropriate to advocate desirelessness; or fulfilling of all desires; right from childhood? This is very important question in Total Stress Management i.e. individual and global blossoming.

In general; many ascetics advocate arbitrary suppression of desires; and austerity; and the individualists uphold indulgence and fulfillment of all desires right from childhood!

Irrespective of the semantics, both aim at maximum fulfillment, which is embodied in a state called STHITAPRAJNA. The meaning or purport of this state is neither annihilation of; nor indulgence in desires; but culmination or sublimation of all the individual desires into the cosmic desire. This is an evolved, buoyant and a dynamically fulfilled state. This is not a state of surrender; but sublime, victorious and ecstatic state of merging with the cosmic consciousness.

The suppression and indulgence are double edged weapons. Suppression can inflate ego and indulgence can spill the life into vanity. Hence; what is required; is grooming and channelizing life; into ultimate fulfillment. Hence; the needs of the newborn babies, infants, toddlers, children, youths and the elderly are variable and ought to be fulfilled; by holistic perspective, policies, plans and programs and their implementation; at all levels.

This requires NAMASMARAN, which reorients us to the precise and sublime duty (SWADHARMA) at every stage of and every walk of life; and helps us to march joyously and victoriously; from; the states of enjoying the personal desires; to the state of sublimating them in cosmic desire! Hence the leadership of the world; should introduce the study and practice of JAPA, JAAP, JIKRA, NAMASMARAN i.e. remembrance of one’s true self; in all the courses; at all the stages of education; and in every walk of life!

STRESS, DEATH AND REBIRTH: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

One of the worst kinds of STRESS results from imminent death. We feel stressed even with the thought of our death; or that of our near dear ones. Usually we remain occupied in something or other and keep on escaping from such thoughts, calling them “negative”. If we are for some reason; in a hospital, we prefer to remain engaged in “positive thinking”!

We are not only afraid of death, but we are afraid of rebirth; as it forces us into; an unforeseen and possibly painful life; of an “individual or animal”.

The fear of death is a common phenomenon; with a physiological basis. Thus the fear is actually a sensation that results from autonomic outflow (impulses) causing visceral activities; such as pain in the chest, throbbing of heart, sinking of stomach, cold clammy extremities, and giddiness due to reduction in blood supply to brain.

The fear of death is actually because we identify strongly with these phenomena causing unpleasant sensation. The fear is more as and when we experience these unpleasant sensations (till we are able to detach ourselves from them). Hence the children are possibly not afraid due to inexperience. The very old ones are also probably not afraid as they too experienced to be afraid; as compared to us!

In other words; the STRESS is due to the fact that death of “our body” is considered to be or actually deeply convinced to be “our” death. In fact many of us believe that everything in life comes to an end after the death of the body. According to them the idea of rebirth is merely a vain imagination. They think it is an excuse; to deny the sovereignty and supremacy of nature and “our” inevitable mortality.

Let us understand the death and rebirth little more; so that our STRESS is reduced.

Let us appreciate that; the death (rebirth) does not always refer to the whole body. Our body cells are dead and lost to a variable extent; and new cells are born from time to time. Even our passions, emotions and thoughts are undergoing changes; in terms of vanishing of the old ones and appearance of the new ones. But we remain the same individuals!

Thus without denying our association with the changing existence, we can; to start with at least imagine; and later experience that we are changeless backdrop or background or substratum on which the changing cells, tissues and also; bodies are born, grown and perished. The consciousness is constant and the cycles of birth and rebirth continue on and within it!


In fact; the birth and rebirth; as we see and perceive; are the product of our physiological senses, our cerebral cortical capabilities and their limitations. The consciousness however “exists” beyond our limitations!

Rebirth; thus is not a matter of belief or disbelief. It is not a hypothesis, a postulation or a theory and certainly not a wild imagination or bluff; to explain the results of good deeds and bad deeds; or anything else. It is not a psychological tool for consoling or pacifying the suffering of people.

Rebirth of identities pertains to concurrent consciousness and memories. This is observed in case of certain historical figures such as Shripad Shrivallabh and Narasimha Saraswati (1378 to 1458). Others do not have the memory or consciousness to endorse rebirth.

The proof of the rebirth; through science; needs an accurate identification, definition and understanding of consciousness as a separate entity. Because; we have to show; birth (easy), death (easy) and the individual consciousness and its relation to the individual who is born and dead; that “persists” after death (very difficult; unless we have a gadget that can capture the existence of individual consciousness).

So far; we do not have such a gadget. Moreover; our consciousness can not capture our consciousness in its entirety. “Our consciousness” cannot identify or demonstrate “our consciousness”; as a separate entity; to “our own consciousness”! Hence currently; it is not possible to “prove” rebirth!

However; if we practice NAMASMARAN; we can verify; these otherwise mysterious and esoteric aspects of birth, death, rebirth and immortality.

STRESS AND STRAY DOGS: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

When we see the dogs wandering on roads we react according to our mood and our past experience. But usually we develop a mixed feeling of pity, sympathy, disgust and irritation. This causes consciously perceived or unconscious STRESS.

When we exude with sympathy; as we often do; we feed the stray dogs and feel ennobled like an egalitarian hero in Hindi movies! But we seem oblivious or callous (like villains in Hindi movies) to the menace of these dogs in terms of their untimely barking, yelling, their urination and defecation, their attack on unprotected children and their horrifying and often fatal bites.

Is it not true that we may be allowed to pamper our ego by feeding the stray dogs in public places; only if we take the responsibility of and prevent their nuisance to others?

Is it not true that as policy makers, judges and administrators; we should decide the fate of stray dogs; by weighing; the sentiments, whims, fancies and idiosyncrasies; against the public safety at large?