1. STRESS
AND
SELFISHNESS
DR.
SHRINIWAS
KASHALIKAR

2. If we study the Total Stress Management and various
philosophical and spiritual issues related to it; such as
elfishness; then we are left with following questions in
mind!
1. Do we understand the difference between “self” and
“Self” or “true self”?
2. Do we practice; Self exploration, Self introspection?
3. Do we understand the signals of Self; constituting the
agony or the satisfaction; generated from within?
4. Do we spend time to understand the propulsive,
inspiring or motivating impulses or signals; coming
from the Self i.e. from within? Do we practice Self
expression, Self assertion and Self satisfaction?
5. Don’t we suffer from Self pity, Self abnegation, Self
ridicule, Self deride and Self guilt?
The answers to these questions are:
1. We do not understand the nature of true self or Self.
One of the most important and logical proof of this is
that; most of the times; we are merely elated or

3. depressed; but never happy. We never experience
fulfillment. Our life may be apparently beneficial or
troublesome to others. But it lacks the element of
simultaneous blossoming of one and all, which is
possible only through “True Selfishness (not petty
selfishness)”
2. We do not practice Self exploration and Self
introspection adequately.
3. We do not understand the signals from within as we
do not introspect Self adequately.
4. We do not express or assert our Self adequately and
are not satisfied adequately.
5. We suffer from Self pity, Self abnegation, Self
ridicule, Self deride and Self guilt.
This is because;
Our education system is heavily influenced and
governed by the Self ignorance, fragmented, superficial
and petty perspective, reductionist and sectarian
thinking, misguided motives, and inappropriate aims,
objectives, ideals and protocols! This leads to
individualistic but anti Self pursuits. Our whole life is

4. drained in the anti Self petty pursuits instead of Self
exploration, Self knowledge, Self realization and Self
expression.
Besides education system and the curriculums, all the
fields of life such as laws, health care, agriculture,
industry, trade, entertainment and even our belief
systems, which constitute informal and extracurricular
education; are also; heavily vitiated by the ignorance of
Self.
Hence our curricular, co-curricular and
extracurricular education is unable to train and inspire
us for Self exploration and Self realization.
Hence we do not know and are not on the way to
explore, understand and realize the true Self.
We are guided by darkness and grope in the wilderness
of degradation, degeneration and destruction of
ourselves and the others; and hence in true sense; we
are Self less or Self traitors or suicidal!
We can be Selfish; involving simultaneous blossoming
of one and all; through NAMASMARAN; the vital
heritage and crucial legacy; that has come from the
seers; through millennia. This valuable treasure has

5. come to us in a noble and sublime manner; through
supertransactions and superliving; by virtue of being;
beyond commercial, professional and charitable
perspectives!
Total Stress Management (the core of which is
NAMASMARAN); is being truly Selfish; through Self
introspection, Self exploration, Self knowledge, Self
realization, Self assertion and Self expression by
conquering the petty self within us and within the society
we live in!