PRACTICAL NAMASMARAN

DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

Namasmaran means remembering the name of Almighty, God; actually implies true Self. It is accepted and practiced in many religions in different forms. It helps to rise and blossom cosmic consciousness.

Steps: The first thing is provisional acceptance of the concept. Hostility or submission is not conducive to build conviction based on sound foundation. Read the books written on namasmaran. This would give you the idea about the simplicity of the process and why people start and also give it up rather too quickly! Select one place and a particular suitable time. If possible get fresh and sit in any suitable position. Start remembering loudly or silently any name of God that you are familiar with, belongs to your tradition, your religion, or simply you have reverence

about. Practice for about five minutes every day. Continue this practice without expecting anything miraculous. In fact initially you may experience restlessness and feeling of wastage of time because you are used to think, feel and move unknowingly, mechanically and many times inadvertently in response to external and internal influences. Hence namasmaran, during which this thinking, feeling and moving activity is restricted, makes one feel suffocated, empty or useless. Gradually you will get over this phase and enter into the realm free of the shackles of subjectivity, superficiality and pettiness. You will then feel like sharing your experiences selflessly with others. You may happily do it but without discontinuing your namasmaran.

Namasmaran is simple and inexpensive, does not require any gadgets, does not require any change in culture, does not have any external glamour and glitter, does not give any tangible [easily measurable] gains and hence usually quickly started but then also quickly given up. Hence persist on namasmaran irrespective of anything --- because namasmaran takes you beyond everything tangible but transient; towards ultimate freedom. Namasmaran can be done with or without a rosary. Namasmaran can be done while doing pranayam such as anulom-vilom, or simple deep breathing. Namasmaran can be done in any (physical and physiological) condition, anywhere and any situation.

There is no restriction or a prerequisite for namasmaran. Hence nothing [type of food, alcohol, tobacco, age, gender, race, religion, caste etc] comes in the way of starting the practice of namasmaran. Detractors of namasmaran may humiliate or try to dissuade. But through namasmaran you would learn how to overcome criticism and ridicule; without getting perturbed. The experiences of namasmaran are completely intangible and can not be shown or proved. Hence it is preferable not to preach anyone [though sharing is fine] or insist any one about namasmaran. In the course of time you would get increasingly involved in namasmaran and begin to practice it for longer time on priority basis. This is an indication of your blossoming.

Later you would experience lack of hatred, lack of prejudice, lack of fear, lack of worries and greater and greater buoyancy. The addictions and negative thoughts usually reduce one's self esteem and create self doubt and deter one from namasmaran. Hence it is said that irrespective of how you are; start and persist on the practice of namasmaran (jaap or Jap). Practice of namasmaran itself clears the doubts and deterrent negative thoughts and develops the necessary conviction.

DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR