1. FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE
DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR
Even as political and economic freedom is hailed time and again, the
freedom of conscience is rarely spoken about.
However, if you look at the matter of freedom closely, then you would
appreciate that political freedom and economic freedom are important but
not sufficient. They do not solve many subtle yet genuine problems of
human life. In fact political and economic freedom in isolation i.e.
without inner growth and development i.e. inner blossoming; i.e. freedom
of conscience; can prove to be counterproductive!
In fact the people in different parts of the world have gained political
and to some extent economic freedom, but still they are in turmoil and
tribulations due to various causes fundamentally related to inconsiderate
and intolerant attitudes, bigotry, religious, racial and other cancerous and
malignant vested interests, fanaticism, terrorism, and pettiness of
perspective, policies, plans and transactions!
In turn, the laws, the conventions, the traditions, the fashions, the
beliefs and even literature, media and advertising are being built and
shaped in such a way, that they are suffocating our conscience! These
things are too high walls of a prison in which our conscience is
imprisoned!
But there is nothing to be worried about.
The global conscience; still can explode the walls, barriers and shackles
that throttle it and get freed! We all can then blossom together if billions
of people apart from all other brilliant and valiant efforts, practice
NAMASMARAN!
BUT WHAT IS NAMASMARAN?
Namasmaran means; remembering the name of God, Guru, great souls;
such as prophets and holy objects such as planets and stars. It may be
remembered silently, loudly, along with music, dance, along with
breathing, in group or alone, either with counting by rosary (called
SMARANI or JAPAMALA) or without counting. The traditions vary
from region to region and from religion to religion.

2. However the universal principle underlying NAMASMARAN is to
reorient your physiological being with your true self. In
fact while reorienting with true self you aim to establish and strengthen
the bond or connection; between; your physiological being; with your
true self. You aim at reunification with yourself!
Since remembering your true self is the pinnacle of or culmination of
individual consciousness, and individual consciousness is the culmination
of every activity in life, remembering any name of God or Guru (any
symbol of your true self) is equivalent to opening the final common
pathway for the individual consciousness associated with every possible
activity to get funneled into or unified with objective or cosmic
consciousness.
Thus NAMASMARAN is in fact the YOGA of YOGA in the sense that
it is the culmination of consciousness associated with every possible
procedure and technique in the yoga that you are familiar with. It is the
YOGA of YOGA because it is the culmination of consciousness
associated with all the activities in the universe, which it encompasses as
well! It is YOGA of YOGA because everybody in the world irrespective
of his/her tradition and the beliefs; would eventually, ultimately and
naturally reach it; in the process of liberation. Even so called non
believers also would not “miss” the “benefit of remembering the true self
through one symbol or another”!
Just as NAMASMARAN is YOGA of YOGA it is meditation of
meditation also! It is the natural and ultimate climax of every form of
meditation.
These facts however have to be realized with persistent practice of
NAMSMARAN and not blindly believed or blindly disbelieved with
casual approach!
In short NAMSMARAN is super-bounty of cosmic consciousness for
every individual to realize it (cosmic consciousness)! This is truly a
super-bounty because a person who experiences it, rises above
mercenary, commercial and even professional and charity planes and
manifest super- transactions in his or her life!
These are just few observations to give rough idea about what is
NAMASMARAN. NAMASMARAN is an ocean of bliss. Its true
meaning is beyond description in words and has to be experienced, most
preferably, by billions!