STRESS

EDUCATION
AND

RESERVATION

DR.
SHRINIWAS
KASHALIKAR
Stress at individual and social levels; distorts our
cognition, affect and conation (perception, feelings and
actions); and leads to amongst many other evils;
deterioration of international, national and local
education policy and its implementation. The present day
non-holistic (sectarian, prejudiced, vindictive, malicious,
mercenary, exploitative and malevolent) education
(formal, curricular, co curricular, extracurricular and
informal) is a major stressor that though aids in petty
pursuits; opposes our blossoming and further
perpetuates stress and ill effects in the individual and
social life. Let us review; the present perspective, policy
and practice of education; as seen around.

Even though education is defined in various ways; and

often inadequately or incompletely; there has been a
general agreement on the fact that education is basically
a process of blossoming of an individual and the society.
Hence it included three domains, which are as follows.

The first domain is called AFFECTIVE DOMAIN. This

means the state of mind. In simple words affective
domain relates to how we feel. Thus when our mind is
full of alertness, attention, enthusiasm, buoyancy,
affection, concern, joy, tolerance, self esteem, mutual
respect, mutual trust, commitment, dedication, love,
romance, confidence, positive and victorious spirit, we
would call it healthy affective domain. In addition; the
zeal and concentration needed; in the pursuit of
excellence in intellectual field, tenacity and endurance
required; in skillful activities and patience and
commitment essential; for internally satisfying and
socially beneficial (conscientious) actions constitute
affective domain. The purpose of education is to nurture
this domain by designing suitable curricula and syllabi.

The second domain of education is called

PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN. This implies ability to
appreciate skills and ability to perform physical and
mental skills, with speed, accuracy, elegance, ease of
performance etc. This may involve appreciation and
performance of skills such as surgery, playing a musical
instrument, playing basket ball or doing carpentry! The
purpose of education is to nurture this domain through
not only designing suitable curricula, syllabi but also by
providing sufficient practical and demonstration classes;
with all the necessary equipments.

The third domain is called COGNITIVE DOMAIN.

Cognitive domain incorporates accurate perspective,
contemplation, correct perception understanding,
conceptualization, analysis and recall of fact and
problems, ability to evaluate, synthesize, correlate and
make decisions, appropriate policies, plans and expertise
in the management, administration, etc.

It is clear that all these domains have three components

each viz. Cognition [Perception], affect [Feelings] and
conation [Response].

Thus cognitive domain would have intellectual

perception, clarity and intellectual expression, affective
domain would include feeling, motivation and response
in emotional sphere such as poetry; and psychomotor
domain would include grasp and internalization of a
particular skill, confidence to perform it and actually
performing it.

Let us now see, how in spite of these goals; how it has

come to be conceived as a process of achieving political,
economic, scientific and technological supremacy and
thus deteriorated to the present stage; where all the three
domains are defective; apart from lacking in the spiritual
and productive domains. In short; let us see how it has
become a major stressor.
For this; a brief consideration of the traditional
education system in India would prove useful.

Traditional Education System in India in general;

ensured that:
a] Careers were not selected on the basis of monetary
gains,
b] Careers were not selected arbitrarily on the basis of
idiosyncrasies and whims,
c] Some lucrative careers could not be sought after; in
preference to the others,
d] All careers ensured income and production from early
age,
e] All careers ensured that the society was benefited,
f] All careers ensured security to all the social groups,
g] All the careers ensured intimacy and closeness
between young and old in the families.
h] All careers ensured ethical education and passage of
experience and wisdom; from generation to generation.

These were merits. But it is also true that, the traditional

system was apparently marked by deprivation of
scholastic education on mass scale, apparently
unjustifiable availability of education of jobs based on
caste, deficient infrastructure for collective scientific and
technological efforts, and an element of arbitrary
imposition of hierarchy.

The traditional education system has attained the present

status of being a major stressor as a result of several
stressful factors including the onslaught of the tempting
and impressive individualistic doctrines. Thus the
transition from traditional system to the present one
(whether due to British, American or any other
influence, but basically due to individualistic pursuits);
has become a major stressor tearing apart the cohesive
social fabric of India by failing to preserve and nurture
the merits and discard and dispose off the demerits.

As the education shifted from homes, home industries

and farms to; nurseries, K.G. schools, schools, colleges,
universities, corporate industries, research institutions
etc. the transition became viciously poisonous.

Cognition suffered because of:

a] Huge number of students, in a single class making
following three things almost impossible. These things
are i] individual attention ii] dialogue iii] discussions,
b] Lack of adequate salary, accountability, incentive and
economic security to the teachers taking away the
initiative of nurturing cognitive domain
c] Increase in alienation with respect to student’s
background and aptitude
d] Lack of adequate incentive to the students in the form
of creativity, production and earning, service to the
family and service to the nation, takes away the
motivation required for building up cognitive domain
e] Lack of conviction essential in the growth of cognitive
domain in the teachers and students because of outdated
practical and demonstration classes, lack of
interdisciplinary dialogue and in general the irrelevance
of education to the realities of day to day life in as much
as almost predictable consecutive unemployment at the
end! The lack of conviction could be partly due to lack of
participation by teachers in decision-making, policy
making, development of curricula, syllabi etc.
f] Emphasis on recall and hence rote learning thereby
denying free inquiry, reading, questioning etc. thereby
directly thwarting the cognitive domain
g]] Too many examinations; with irrelevant parameters
or criteria of evaluation [besides being unfair in many
instances] leading to misguided and in most cases
counterproductive efforts thus adversely affecting the
cognitive domain
h] Competitions where the manipulative skills,
callousness, selfishness are given more respect, destroy
the enthusiasm of growing in cognitive domain
i] Information explosion affecting cognitive domain by
either causing enormous and unnecessary burden on
memory or inferiority complex
j] Pressure of interviews causing constant tension and
sense of inadequacy, right from the tender age,
k] Protracted hours of homework in schools denying the
students their legitimate right to enjoy their childhood
and make them physically, mentally and intellectually
unfit to grow in cognitive domain
l] Irrelevant and unnecessary information loading in
lectures in the form of monologue, leading to suppression
of the spontaneity, originality, interest and enthusiasm so
much required in cognitive development amongst the
students,

Affective domain suffered due to,

A] Isolation of the children from their parents and their
domestic environment at an early age [Making the
parents also equally sad]
B] Lack of warm bonds due to huge number,
C] Cut throat individualistic and petty competition,
D] Inadequate facilities of sports, trekking, educational
tours, recreation and physical development etc
E] Alienation from one’s social environment and culture

Psychomotor domain suffered due to

A] Almost total lack of opportunities to actually
participate in skillful activities such as drawing, painting,
sewing, sculpturing, carpentry, knitting, weaving, music,
agriculture, horticulture, other handicrafts, various
sports, performing arts etc.

It is important to realize that promotion of psychomotor

domain is evident but in its caricature form. It has no
concrete economic realistic basis. The activities have no
economic incentive and no productive element.

Apart from the defects in the three domains; the other

two domains viz. spiritual and productive; have not
TOTALLY ABSENT in the education.

The spiritual domain that imparts universal perspective and

globally beneficial outlook; incorporates inner blossoming
of an individual through introspection, heart to heart
communication (not merely discussion and arguments),
mutual understanding and blossoming of the teachers
and students together; through one of the most universal
practices; viz. NAMASMARAN. Thus the spiritual
domain is a key to conquer lust, whims, fancies, pride,
arrogance, callousness, contempt, ungratefulness,
prejudices, jealousy, hatred, meanness, meekness,
beggary, cheating, stealing, treachery and so on; is never
made available to the teachers, students and the others;
associated with education.

The present education system in India lacks the other

important domain viz. the productive domain that
empowers the people concerned with education. This
prevents a huge section of society such as teachers,
students, clerks, servants, sweepers and many others
such as education inspectors, from being creative and
productive. In addition it causes colossal loss of space,
electricity, construction cost and so on. In addition
because of the typical emphasis on rote learning it leads
to phenomenal waste of “educational material” such as
paper, bags, pencils, ball pens etc.

It has to be appreciated that billions of rupees are spent

on unproductive or rather counterproductive exercise of
construction, decoration and maintenance of schools and
colleges, electricity, and so called educational material,
payment of millions of teachers and other staff members
engaged, and exams conducted to test the “capacity and
merit of rote learning”. This way we weaken the national
economy, jeopardize the developmental activities.

It also causes economic loss to everyone involved in

education; while suppressing and starving their all three
domains nurtured in productive activity. This is a single
most important cause of
1] Reduction in the dignity of labor amongst those who
continue to learn, as well as reduction in the income of
the concerned families and the nation
2] Lack of education, lack of employment and starvation
or criminalization amongst those who are forced to drop
out because the poor villagers’ children normally
contribute to the earning of the family.
3] Inhuman suffering of those millions of students
dropouts, who somehow manage to get into the hell of
cheap child labor for subsistence; due to economic
reasons.

In short, present day education system harnesses

arrogance and diffidence; amongst those who continue to
learn. But their spiritual, cognitive, psychomotor,
affective and productive domains are defective. Their
spiritual blossoming, self empowerment, creative
wisdom, intellectual competence, productive skills, self
sufficiency and even physical health are deficient. Thus
we have increasing number of unproductive criminals
and mental wrecks or highly competitive efficient
maniacs pursuing petty goals at the cost of others!

For those who are unable to continue the education; the

abyss of being child labor, stealing, delinquency,
criminals, perverts, beggars is wide open!

The piecemeal approach or facilitation of petty pursuits

(under the guise of development and progress) is not only
useless but are in fact counterproductive! It leads to
cancerous spread of industries with uncontrolled
production of unnecessary utilities and their maddening
marketing. These industries consume energy, fuel and
add to undisposable waste and pollution. This sickening
and stressful atmosphere nurtured by the present
education; promotes the growth of terrorism on the one
hand; and pretends to act against it (in a
counterproductive way) on the other!
Mainstream Education System and the courses and
careers in it; revolve around and serve the grossly petty
and superficial considerations, motivations and interests
and this state of affairs; is strongly protected and
strengthened by the elements with similar interests!
Hence the present laws, rules and regulations also
promote present education and its ill effects.

Some institutions and individuals, for whom we have

great respect, are involved in the holistic approach to
education (mainstream, formal, informal, curricular, co
curricular, extracurricular as well as education of
physically and mentally challenged children). But these
efforts are too feeble to make a difference to our life.

While piecemeal approaches are failing; there is no

adequate awareness and promotion of holistic education,
which leaves the vicious cycle of stress distorting
education and distorted education creating, aggravating
and spreading the stress; to continue unabashedly and
unabated.

Hence; the ill effects of stress on present education and

vice versa; can be eradicated if we understand and
propagate the defects in present education and promote
holistic education as an international solution. It has to
be appreciated that no statesman, no political leader, no
policy maker and no administrator can bring about
change in an existing system (in democratic set up);
unless, we evolve a consensus about the changes in the
majority of people; whose cooperation is very vital.

In short; the policy of holistic education; demands that

every school, college, university etc must become the
center of production and service, self sufficient and must
aid in self sufficiency and blossoming of everyone
involved in education and also of the nation.

The students, teachers and others associated with

education; must blossom as independent and empowered
individuals; spiritually, intellectually, mentally,
instinctually, physically and economically.

In practice; everyday; approximately

20 % of the time must be spent in production, service etc.
20 % of the time must be spent in physical activities
20 % of the time must be spent in personality (conceptual
and spiritual) development and
20 % of the time must be spent in entertainment
20 % of the time must be spent on cognitive domain
20 % of the time must be spent in production, service etc.

1. The productive domain should be an essential ingredient of

education System, but no particular job should be enforced.
The teachers and others should participate in the productive
domain. Production and service can involve community
projects such plantation of medicinal herbs, rearing of
cows, home flower gardening, production of chalk sticks,
carpentry, pottery, cleanliness, crafts, skills, arts and their
sale according to the situations.. Working physically in
different ways and earning is not a burden. It is an opportunity
to grow from within. It is an opportunity to develop our self
esteem. It is an opportunity to become self sufficient.

2. This leads to self sufficiency in schools. They do not have to

depend on heavy fees or federal grants or donations and this
way they become accessible to all; rendering the reservations
redundant!

3. Through productive domain the hypokinetic stress,

emotional stress of being dependent and intellectual stress of
excessive memorizing is averted.

4. Due to productive domain, the dropping out due to lack of

earning (as is common in case of millions of students in many
parts of world) and then turning into helpless, vulnerable and
cheap child labor would come down.
5. Being empowered, the students would not go through the
stress of unemployment and turn into helpless, frustrated
mental wrecks or criminals.

6. The emphasis on productive domain (and hence

psychomotor and practical aspects) would bring down the
necessity and also the capability and possibility to “copy” and
associated crimes and corruption in procedures of
examinations, certification, providing grants and so on!

The caste based or any other kind of reservation for education,

jobs and promotions; responsible for social divide and strife; in
many parts of the world; (especially India) can be rendered
redundant and thus; peacefully and advantageously done away
with, by consensus!

Most importantly; we have to introduce and incorporate

examinations, which examine the actual skill, capacity or
performance of the student, rather than his/her ability of
repeating or reproducing things and/or copying.

20 % of the time must be spent in physical activities

Physical activities can include pranayama, sports,

exercise, trekking, hiking, a variety of physical fitness
training programs and methods to avoid monotony and
improve efficacy. A variety of sports prevalent in every other
parts of the world can make the programs more interesting,
entertaining thereby promoting global unity.

20 % of the time must be spent in personality (conceptual

and spiritual) development and

Personality development includes affective domain,

spiritual domain and embodies broadening of perspective
through various means such as; NAMASMARAN, by
hearting and chanting prayers, poems and songs from
different languages and countries thereby promoting
global unity, invited guest lectures, seminars, discussions
on holistic health, educational tours and visits to places
where the student gets exposed to rapid developments in
the society such as laboratories, airports, government
offices, share market, farms etc.

20 % of the time must be spent in entertainment

Entertainment that enriches the soul; not only should

include playing musical instruments, dance, painting,
mimicry, singing, story telling, drama, movie etc. but
everything that nurtures the affective domain and
spiritual domain as well.
20 % of the time must be spent on cognitive domain

Development of cognitive domain can include teaching of

languages, history, geography, mathematics etc with
utmost emphasis on interpretation and relevance in day
to day life. Thus typical irrelevant questions in the
examination of history, languages, mathematics; should
be totally done away with. The subject such as
economics, psychology, civics, philosophy, logic, sociology
etc must include field work and made relevant to the
present society.

We must encourage maximum and daily person to

person interaction and dialogue amongst the teachers
and students; so that analytical, synthetic, contemplative,
decision making, trouble shooting and problem solving
capacities are developed optimally.

Let us realize the fact that the vicious cycle of stress

distorting education and distorted education causing and
multiplying stress e.g. in the form of RESERVATION
POLICY and its ILL EFFECTS; in individual and social
life; can NOT be managed effectively unless and until; a
situation where millions are “imprisoned” in
unproductive work and millions are forced into
unemployment and inhuman cheap child labor; is
eradicated through holistic education policy and its
implementation; at international, national and local
levels; through the laws, government rules and public
awareness, consensus and participation.

The details of practical steps can be developed by

interactions amongst the people active in the field of
education all over the world. But we all need;

1, Perspective and conviction of Global Unity and global

welfare
2. Readiness to accept and introduce physiological
insights and principles in the holistic education
3. Readiness and openness to have dialogue with experts
in other fields
4. Participation from the society and governments and
the media including internet websites, so that holistic
education activists all over the world can have a
meaningful dialogue and share views, work and
experiences and may be, inspire others!
5. Administrative proficiency and due care and concern
for the physical capacities of the children (normal as well
as the physically and mentally challenged) and should
not be painful and troublesome.
7. The opportunities for psychomotor activities and
productive activities; without impositions.
8. Every kind of open mindedness and tolerance amongst
teachers and students; so that better international
relations can be realized.

The physical, instinctual, emotional, intellectual, spiritual

and economic empowerment and blossoming; of all those
involved in holistic education is integral to Total Stress
Management (the core of which is NAMASMARAN); i.e.
individual and global blossoming; culminating into
global unity, harmony and justice.

Can NAMASMARAN be useful in this? To find out that;

we must find out what is NAMASMARAN!

Namasmaran usually embodies; remembering the name

of God, Guru, great souls; such as prophets and
whatever is considered as holy e.g. planets and stars. It is
remembered silently, loudly, along with music, dance,
along with breathing, in group or alone. Further,
NAMASMARAN is either counted by some means such
as fingers, rosary (called SMARANI or JAPAMALA), or
electronic counter; or practiced without counting. The
traditions vary from region to region and from religion
to religion.

However the universal principle underlying

NAMASMARAN is to reorient our physiological and
social being; with our true self and establish and
strengthen the bond between; our physiological and
social being; with our true self; and finally reunification
or merger with our true self!

Since individual consciousness is the culmination of every

activity in life; and NAMASMARAN the pinnacle of or
culmination of individual consciousness;
NAMASMARAN is actually opening the final common
pathway to objective or cosmic consciousness; so that
individual consciousness in every possible activity gets
funneled into or unified with Him!

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 we 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 NAMASMARAN as they may
remember true self through one symbol or another”!

Just as NAMASMARAN is YOGA of YOGA it is

meditation of meditation also! This is because the natural
and ultimate climax of every form of meditation; is
remembering true self or merging with cosmic
consciousness effortlessly!

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 b experienced, not by one or few person
sporadically; but most preferably, by billions!

The last point is; NAMASMARAN would certainly

enlighten, empower and enable some people; out of those
billions practicing NAMASMARAN; to evolve, guide and
consolidate the global conscience and thereby manifest
global unity and harmony and justice, through globally
benevolent proper policies!

References:
1. Stress: Understanding and Management: Dr. Shriniwas
Kashalikar
2. Conceptual Stress: Understanding and Management: Dr.
Shriniwas Kashalikar
3. Hitaguj (Marathi): Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar
4. Smiling Sun: Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar
5. Namasmaran: Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar
6. Sahasranetra: Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar
7. Holistic Medicine: Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar

All available for free download on

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