ARGUMENTS AGAINST NAMASMARAN DR.SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR  www.superliving.net www.freestress.webs.com

I have been conversant with the concept of NAMASMARAN right from childhood. We called it japa, jaap, jikra etc. But the concept of NAMASMARAN attained maximum importance and gradually became crucial in my life; after I was exposed to the biography and thoughts of Shri Gondavlekar Maharaj and the writing of others on NAMASMARAN.   But the concept of NAMASMARAN has not attained this paramount importance in my life; without several arguments against NAMASMARAN in my mind! I thought penning them down the process of my thinking may be useful to those who also may have repulsive feelings, doubts and arguments about NAMASMARAN.   In childhood I used to practice NAMASMARAN without much understanding. (But this learning experience remained in my subconscious and has been pivotal in being patient and persistent in the practice of NAMASMARAN and could overcome ego born intense impulses of giving up NAMASMARAN! This is why I advocate practice of NAMASMARAN right from childhood).  

During adolescence I used to be charged with physical needs, passions, emotions, thoughts and ideas as may be true for most people. Besides strongly affected my own needs, I used to feel agitated with the pain, poverty and pathetic condition of people! The social circumstances appeared extremely dark and annoying. The revolution appeared to be the only purpose of life, even as the exact program of action and/or blue print of the revolution was far from ready!   The frenzy of all these complex feelings used to be so much, that any proponent of God or NAMASMARAN used to appear as unconcerned about peoples’ true needs, unbothered about real issues such as poverty, injustice; and hence antisocial, hypocrite, parasitic etc or at best; stupid or gullible!   The restlessness within; used to be so much that it used to propel me towards addressing every problem that appeared in the news paper or on TV, apart from those in my own personal life.  

As a result, I used get engrossed in relevant physical work, emotional expression in poetry, intellectual analysis, discussions, public speeches, writing articles and books etc, which appeared to be the methods of self assertion and solution to the problems! Withdrawal from such activities (As appeared to be implied in spiritualism and NAMASMARAN) was suffocating, unbearable and killing! Namasmaran appeared to me a despicable escapism from such “very useful and urgent” activities. As regards it social importance, it appeared to make the people facing problems; parasitic and paranoid! It appeared to make people dependent and helpless. It appeared to dissuade them from accepting the challenges of life in personal and social life and facing them victoriously!   The fervor of my mind would never get calmed by the thought of NAMASMARAN, though many a times I appreciated the honesty and selflessness of the individuals advocating it.  

Later in the course of reading about various arguments regarding NAMASMARAN in books such as the biography of Shri Brahmachaitanya Gondavlekar Maharaj, by Prof. K.V. Belsare; and through my experiences with a variety of activities of service and struggle for justice; I began to get intellectually convinced that NAMASMARAN can evolve and transform an individual in terms of his/her perspective, vision, intellectual framework, emotions and instincts; and evolve him/her into objective or cosmic consciousness. I thought this; if happens in every walk of life; then it could usher in; individual and global blossoming, because; it could actualize globally benevolent perspective and policies and engender the most appropriate revolution!   I wrote many books on NAMASMARAN and VISHNUSAHASRANAM; in Hindi, Marathi and English and besides getting them published, tried to sell or even distribute them free of cost and spread the message of NAMASMARAN with my perspective mentioned above, as far and wide as I could!   Today I feel that NAMASMARAN and sharing its essence with others is the vital essence of life

But at this juncture I would like to address some arguments against NAMASMARAN!   1. What is the basis to prove that NAMASMARAN can lead to global blossoming?   There is no tangible proof that NAMASMARAN does anything, if compared for instance to; scientific research or socio-political manipulations! There is o evidence per se; that it produces results; comparable to those produced by even relatively simple activities; such as agricultural or handicrafts!   2. If I say that NAMASMARAN evolves us into objective or cosmic consciousness or imparts global perspective, then the argument is, “Can you prove the cause and effect relationship?”   The answer obviously is “No”! I can not prove that NAMASMARAN evolves us into objective or cosmic consciousness or imparts global perspective!

Looking back; I realize that my opinions were not changed through “my will”, but were changed due to the influence of factors beyond my comprehension constituting the “field”, cosmic consciousness or God that encompasses and influences not merely “me” but everything; including the people in the universe! Whether the people in the world would get associated with NAMASMARAN and evolve into cosmic consciousness; would also therefore be determined by the same “field” and “I” can not provide any proof for such blossoming (which may be my vision)!   3. What is the proof for existence of such a field?   Obviously; I have no proof that a field exists and influences us! Because even if influences I can not show the cause and effect relationship of such influences on our life.   4. Another argument is; NAMASMARAN has no influence on individual or social life; practicing NAMASMARAN is wastage of time! One may feel that NAMASMARAN has benevolent role, because of erroneously attributing the good changes in him or her to NAMASMARAN! Actually it could be the other way round; that is good changes in him or her have lead to develop interest in NAMASMARAN!  

This argument also, can not be refuted. What can be said is that cosmic consciusness or objective bliss is somehow associated with NAMASMARAN.   5. But even this can not be proved. Neither can I show that some one is linked (through NAMASMARAN) to cosmic consciousness, nor can I can I prove that those; who are not practicing NAMASMARAN; are dissociated from cosmic consciusness or objective bliss!   All in all, practice of NAMASMARAN and the experience associated with it are essentially personal and beyond linguistic communication. One may or may not believe in them; and may or may not provisionally accept, study, experiment out and decide their validity or otherwise!  

It appears however, that soon; the individuals and the societies of world; would get connected; by re-exploring the hitherto imperceptible unity!! They would be freed from the shackling by the conflicts generated from fulfillment or otherwise; of their physical needs, instincts, feelings, and arguments, flights of imaginations, infatuations and restlessness! This is like appropriate linking of the bogies of a train; or assembly of various parts of car; or even connection of various types of cells in body! It seems that the majority of people of the world would get the privilege of being associated with NAMASMARAN, objective bliss, cosmic consciousness, globally beneficial perspective and policies and their implementation; irrespective of the presence and nature of cause and effect interrelationship; which also incidentally; is a product of human intellectual framework!