Understanding Meditation

A simple Google search engine can give varieties of definition on meditation. There is nothing special which we can claim that this is my definition or my creativity. Whatever we want to expressed is already expressed by someone. We don’t have choice; we are bound to suffer from inferiority complex of belatedness, we are living in the world of copy and paste.

Let us come to the topic, what is meditation? Let us try to define it new way, Meditation is being with self, in-light instead of out-light or introvert instead of being extrovert. We all are out-lighted or gathered lots of information through different agencies like parents, family, school/university, society and nation based on their policies. We are guided by the mass consciousness, we are expressing mass, and whatever we are expressing is kind of copy and paste. We ate lots of information from ears, nose, mouth, eyes and other sensory organs and act accordingly, even the meditation is guided by outsider.

Meditation is giving space to self, not being with mass, the technique to explore inner potentiality or trying to tune with the inner world of self which is like infinite cosmos beyond time and space.  It is the tools to get away from the mass consciousness which is imprinted in our memory disk since ages. Meditation is letting existence to express through us, not by self because we have expressed lots and lots of junk information has been eaten up by us which are giving stress in our mental digestive system. Meditation is like taking fast for a while to give the rest to the memory disk or to refreshing the system to perform efficiently. Meditation is the gate way to going to the original source of self, trying to find originality instead of copy and paste, own wisdom instead of outer knowledge, keeping self away from crowd. The origin of meditation is unknown; however the popular belief is that meditation practices originated in ancient India. Meditation originally was meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life. These days, meditation is commonly used for relaxation and stress reduction. Meditation produces a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. Mediation is referred to as the mental yoga, or the yoga of the mind, because its emphasis on awareness of one's state of mind. Meditation is directing our attention inwardly, toward our true nature which can enhanced our physical and emotional well-being. Meditation is a stepping stone to enlightenment.

The original definition of meditation speak about the Eight-Fold Path of Raja Yoga to achieve the targeted goal; Raja yoga is the best among Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Gyana Yoga, The King of Yoga, which includes observation of the following:

1. Yama (Abstentions): It means not participating in following five activities.

a. Ahimsa (non-injury): It means non-violence or non-injury, implies non-killing, ahimsa means entirely self-denial from causing any pain or harm whatsoever to any living creature, either by thought, word or deed.

b. Satya (truth): It is more than just telling the truth, one's actions should be in accordance with one's words and thoughts.

 c. Brahmacharya (chastity): It is celibacy or controlling of the senses or indriyas. Sex is the one that will be the most depleting to the psychic and nervous system. Most people don't like to hear this but, like the other yamas, everyone should practice brahmacharya to the best of their ability.

d. Asteya (non-stealing): Asteya is non-stealing, Asteya also includes the concept that we should try to be content with what comes to us by honest means.

e. Aparigraha (non-greed): Aparigraha is non-covetousness; Aparigraha includes the notion of not accepting gifts that would bind us to the giver.

2. Niyamas (Moral Observations): It means practice following five things

a. Saucha (purity): The deepest and most subtle aspect of Saucha is purity of thoughts and feelings. But it also means cleanliness of the body; a yogi must also keep his surroundings (home, car, workplace, etc.) very tidy and clean.

b. Santosha (contentment): Santosha is contentment, out of worldly lust.

c. Tapas (austerity): The luxury and comfort of our modern society, with all its advantages, makes our mind soft and weak. To strengthen ourselves physically and mentally we must practice austerities. The highest tapas is meditation on God or the divine Self. Daily practice of yogic disciplines is considered tapas.

d. Swadhyaya (study of the scriptures): Swadhyaya literally means study of the Self. The main practice is the study of the yogic scriptures but it also includes japa (mantra repetition). The best scriptures are the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras etc.
e. Ishwarapranidhana (surrender to God): Ishwarapranidhana is surrender to God's will and devotion.

3. Asana (posture or seat):  Body and mind are intimately connected and if the body is agitated the mind will be agitated as a result. In order to meditate successfully one must develop a very steady posture. One thing necessary for the posture is to hold the spinal column free, sitting erect, holding the three parts- the chest, neck, and head -- in straight line. Let the whole weight of the body be supported by the ribs. Furthermore the posture must be kept still for a long time and therefore it needs to be extremely comfortable.

4. Pranayama (control of vital energy through breath work): Air is the primary physical medium of prana and breathing is our best method to gain control over the prana. To meditate, the practitioner should calm his/her breath down until it is very shallow and even.

5. Pratyahara (Withdrawal of the senses): Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the senses from their objects. The natural tendency of the senses is to go out towards the objects of the world, in doing so they pull the mind out and away from the inner Self and create powerful waves on the lake-mind.

6. Dharana (concentration of the mind): Our mind is wild horse which is roaming here and there, the meditator has to watch the wild horse running here and there until and unless it get tired and take rest or meditator has to fully focused on the object of concentration till the state is maintained long enough, it will lead to dhyana.

7. Dhyana (Meditation): Dhyana means meditation in translation. It is a natural flow of thought or consciousness between the meditator and the object of meditation. It is a very joyous state and is compared to the flow of oil from one vessel to the next.

8. Samadhi (Enlightenment, union with the Divine): The Samadhi is the final destination for meditator where thinker and thought become one in perfect absorption of the mind.

If we follow the non-participants and moral rules like Yama and Niyama than it will help us to arrive in our targeted destination in time, Yama and Niyama is the basic tools which is hardly applicable in our modern living.

Benefits of Meditation

To experience the benefits of meditation, regular practice is necessary. It takes only half an hours  every day. Once imbibed into the daily routine, meditation becomes the best part of our day. Meditation is like a seed. When we cultivate a seed with love, the more it blossoms. Similarly, the sapling of consciousness is within us. It needs to be nurtured with simple meditation techniques. Meditation can help us to come closer to our  true personal, It is tools for personal  transformation. Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that benefits both our emotional well-being and overall health.

I am a simple meditation practitioner, benefited mental and physical health out of it. I can't explain in detail what is the pros and cons of medical benefit of mediation, despite of that I would like to add some of the thought given by medical expert on the physical and mental benefit of meditation.

Mental Benefits of Meditation

Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an Alpha state that promotes healing. The mind becomes fresh, delicate and beautiful. With regular practice of meditation:

• Intuition develops
• Peace and clarity of mind
• Creativity increases
• Happiness increases
• Problems become smaller
• Anxiety decreases
• Emotional stability improves
• Meditation sharpens the mind by gaining focus and expands through relaxation
• A sharp mind without expansion causes tension, anger and frustration
• The balance of a sharp mind and an expanded consciousness brings perfection

Physical Benefits of Meditation

With meditation, the physiology undergoes a change and every cell in the body is filled with more prana (energy). This result in joy, peace, enthusiasm as the level of prana in the body increases.

• Improves the immune system
• Increases the energy level, as you gain an inner source of energy
• Increases serotonin production that improves mood and behavior
• Lowers the levels of blood lactate, reducing anxiety attacks
• Lowers high blood pressure
• Decreases any tension-related pain, such as, tension headaches, ulcers, insomnia, muscle and joint problems

By Giri Bahadur Sunar

Drugs or Deliberation?

MEDITATION FOR STRESS RELIEF

People of our era are busy in their respective jobs, and all the hustle and bustle of daily life. We can hardly even manage time to care for our mental and physical health. Without good health, all our earning is useless, and without a proper combination of body and mind, our life will be miserable. But good health depends on our actions; the genuine software which we install in our mind decides the performance of our hardware.

Desire is the doorway to success, but some desires end in achievements, and some do not. Those unfulfilled desires then turn into frustration, anxiety, insomnia, blood pressure, and crime, which are all interwoven. Many people seek drugs as a solution to these problems, hoping for quick recovery, but it does not give a lasting solution. In fact, the solution is within us. Instead of medication, we need to choose meditation!

But then, what is meditation? It is a mental discipline, mindfulness, non-judgmental awareness, and an exploration of the inner potential of self. It is about mastering our mind, while a drug enslaves the mind. Many people are of the impression that chanting mantras like “Om” repeatedly, focusing on breathing techniques, or concentrating on a statue of a god is meditation, but it is not so. In fact, meditation is an ancient oriental art; it is neither an act that can be performed, nor an object to concentrate on. Such objects could be tools for beginners of meditation. There is quite a lot of difference between concentration and meditation. True meditation is watchfulness and complete awareness. Each individual is unique, the seed of Bodhisattva is within us, and it is up to us whether we nurture it into a full-fledged tree, or let it shrivel like a useless weed.

Meditation is becoming a new-age fashion. However, it should be taken as a rediscovery of the ancient wisdom of oriental masters. Meditation has been given importance by many religions. The meditative state of mind is declared to be the highest state in which the mind exists by yogis. Methods of meditation have been cross-culturally disseminated at various times throughout history. There are different types of meditations which can be practiced, and people of all body type and sizes, gender, age, ethnicity and sexuality can benefit from them. Meditation can facilitate a greater harmony between the mind, body and spirit. Those who regularly practice meditation harvest many physiological, psychological and spiritual benefits from it

Mediation is the only way to master our mind; it is the only tool to control our horse-like mind that prances where it wills. But still, frustrated people who need it most pass over the idea of meditation. They seek quick recovery through tobacco, cigarettes or alcohol, and may even graduate to more expensive (and more addictive) drugs like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, ecstasy, opium, marijuana, and Psilocybin Mushrooms, Phencyclidine etc. Such drugs have an immediate effect on the mind and body, so the users feel a kind of immediate relief, but in fact, it is not a solution to their problems. 

Since 1960s, meditation has been the focus of increasing scientific research of uneven rigor and quality. Many research studies have been published on the various methods of meditation which can influence a person’s metabolism, blood pressure, brain activities, and other bodily processes. Some Western medical practitioners use meditation for counseling and psychotherapy, while relaxation techniques are used for achieving mental and muscle relaxation to reduce daily stress and strain.
Eastern meditation traditions and psychedelic drugs became very popular in America, and it was suggested that LSD use and meditation were both means to the same spiritual goal. Many practitioners of eastern tradition rejected the idea, including many who had tried LSD themselves. Aldous Huxley, English novelist and critic interested in Hindu philosophy, best known for his dystopian novel Brave New World (1931) was a user of LSD. In 1954 Huxley published a book The Doors of Perception, which made him a popular guru among Californian hippies. In contrast, writer Robert S De Ropp says, “LSD is the door to full consciousness, but it does not help to pass beyond the door”. Robert himself used LSD, and confessed through his book In the Master Game that LSD can give a glimpse of consciousness, but it ultimately fails to give consciousness. 

Our mind does two things: thinking and acting. Thinking is like accelerating a vehicle in neutral gear, and acting is like accelerating the vehicle on top gear. If we accelerate the vehicle and increase the gear, the vehicle moves, and in contrast, when we do not increase the gear but continue to accelerate, the vehicle just makes noise. For the vehicle to move there must be a proper combination of gear and accelerator. The noisy vehicle can be compared to a frustrated and disturbed mind which has plans but no action. This state of mind is not trustworthy. 

The mind is like a horse without control. Sometimes we may make a plan to wake up at 5 o’clock in the morning, but fail to do so, missing a plan we make consciously. Many times we make resolutions to stop doing one thing or to start doing another, but most of our resolutions go in vain. Our mind makes plans, and the very mind persuades us to postpone the plan for next day. Can we trust our own mind? There is always a gap between thoughts and action. If we can act according to our thoughts, then there will be no frustration. But that is not always possible, and that is when the mind does not know what to do. Frustrated minds are always seeking some relief which leads to drugs addiction, which is sometimes fuelled by wrong companionship and up-bringing. Once the drug is in, it is hard to get it out. Those who are addicted to drugs are regarded as a burden by their family, society, and the entire nation.

 The rich arts of meditation and yoga, which can provide lasting solutions to frustrated minds, are in shadow. We should appreciate the efforts of those who do their best to make people aware of the benefits of healthy food habits, meditation, yoga and sport. It is never too late to start. Once we know the hidden secrets of meditation, we will be able to distinguish between drugs and meditation. Meditation and yoga are the ultimate tools for a healthy and harmonious living. Let us install genuine software like meditation in our minds, and maintain the hardware part with regular exercise for a progressive, prosperous, peaceful, and healthy nation.

The author is a sociologist

girithejorba@gmail.com

This news item is printed from myrepublica.com - a sister publication of Republica national daily.
© Nepal Republic Media Pvt. Ltd. Kathmandu Nepal. 

Understanding Stress

Understanding Stress

What is stress?

Different people have different interpretation on what stress is about and what causes stress; normally anything that poses a challenge or a threat to our well being is stress. Stress is a biological response controlled by the brain as a reaction to a challenging stimulation of a physical or emotional nature. Stress happens when we can’t cope up with certain situation and such situation may create pressure on our living style. Stress is bad when it undermines our mental and physical health, it is not necessarily negative, and Stress can be used as a stepping stone. We all react stressful situation differently, what one person finds stressful may not be for other person. Stress is not always wrong but rather how we react to stressors; the effects of stress depend on whether we perceive the situation as being positive or negative.

Stressors

An agent, condition or other stimulus that cause stress to an organism is stressor such as school/collage, work place, family, relationship, financial, legal, living situation, health, environment, expectation, time etc.

Effect of Stress

Stress is not always bad, everything can be perceived as stress. Moderate levels of stress may help to improve performance efficiency, less stress may cause boredom and too much stress may cause unproductive anxiety.  Stress has psychological and physiological effects.

Psychological Stress

Psychological means, stress on mental level like, feeling anxious, overwhelmed, angry, upset, sad/depressed, irritable, fearful, obsessive thinking, having nightmares, emotional or angry outbursts, noting poor concentration/memory, poor problem solving or decision making, etc.

Physiological Stress

Physiological mean body level like, feeling fatigue, headaches, sweating dizziness, weakness, nausea, muscle tightness (neck, shoulders, jaw), , shallow breathing, rapid heart rate, teeth grinding etc.

Self Stress management

Our goal is not to eliminate stress but to learn how to manage it; the ability to control a matter lies in understanding, not escaping.  To create a healthy brain that can lead us in a positive and healthy life style where stress is well managed, our brain needs us to provide it with:

Create a balanced schedule

We have to schedule our responsibilities and daily tasks, let us plan at least one fun or enjoyable social activity into our schedule every day, manage a balance between family and works; sometime privacy is important to avoid burnout.

Meditation

 Meditate while travel to work on a bus or waiting for doctor’s appointment, let us try deep breathing while we are doing housework or mowing the lawn, mindfulness walking can be done while exercising dog, getting to car, or climbing the stairs at work instead of using the elevator. Once we learned techniques such as tai chi, we can practice them in your office or in the park at lunchtime.

Exercise

When we move our bodies our heart rate is elevated, which helps to lift our mood, increase energy, and relax our mind and body, let us try to get at least 30 minutes of activity most days. If it is difficult to find that much time in a day, break the activity into two or three shorter segments. Try walking, stretching, or participate in a sport (examples might include football, dancing, etc.)

Massage

Massage is an effective model in treating stress; massages can stimulate blood flow to different muscle groups, can release tension in muscles, energies, and improve posture. Tension soon accumulates in our neck, shoulders and back when we spend hours sitting at a desk, driving, or in meetings. Let us ease the problem with massage that we can do at your desk.

Socialize and Connect with Others

Talk with family or friends when we feel stressed. Simply sharing our thoughts and feelings with someone whom we trust can help. Develop friendships with co-workers, as this can help protect us from the negative effects of stress. Find a trusted friend who we know will listen to us and give objective advice. Listening and supporting one another can relieve stress.

Take Breaks, Time away

When we become aware that stress is mounting, let us take a quick break to move away from the situation. Go on a quick brisk walk, take a minute to meditate or pray. Sometimes physical movement, engaging in positive self-talk and changing your environment can help us to “reset” and enhance our ability to cope.

Make Healthy Food and Drink Choices

Eat healthy meals and snacks, including fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Drink plenty of water to keep hydrated. If we get hungry between meals, eat snacks with protein (such as groundnuts, cashew nuts, etc.) to keep our energy up during the day. Avoid foods with lots of salt, sugar (including sweets, juice and soda drinks), and processed foods, as these types of foods can make us tired and more vulnerable to health problems.

Avoid Drinking, Smoking or Taking Pills or Drugs to Relax

Alcohol can temporarily reduce stress, but it can be hard on the body and lead to abuse and dependence. Similarly, the nicotine found in tobacco can be temporarily calming, and later lead to higher levels of anxiety and health problems. Medications to ease pain, like any drugs, can help us to feel better in the short term but do not address underlying stressors and can become addictive.

Practice Healthy Sleeping Habits

Getting adequate sleep is critical. When we are rested we are better equipped to deal with stress during the day, aim for eight hours of sleep a night and take naps if we are able. Let us arrange our sleeping area so it is comfortable for us and avoid watching TV, working on the computer, worrying, arguing, etc. before going to bed.

Enjoy Cultural, Spiritual and Social Activities

Get engaged with our community for song, dance, and cultural activities. It is good to express ourselves and socialize with our neighbors. Another critical part of self-care involves nurturing our spiritual side, so try to make time for self-reflection, meditation and prayer.

Look for humor

When used appropriately, humor can be a great way to release stress. When we feel things are getting too serious or heavy, look for ways to lighten the mood by sharing a joke or story. It is important to have fun and laugh, even at work.

Know your limits

Don’t over commit ourselves! Don’t try to fit too much into one day. If we feel we have too much on your plate, prioritize and drop tasks that are not essential. Ask for help. Learn to say “no” and set limits when we are asked to take on more than we can handle. If we feel overwhelmed at work, ask to meet with manager and discuss how best to prioritize the tasks at hand.

Benefit of Stress Management

Many people don’t think about stress management unless they are already on the verge of burnout, we are all familiar with stress with the rapid pace of modern living, it feels increasingly  difficult to keep up, Sadly, the negative effects of stress are widespread. It requires a commitment to take the necessary time and effort to learn stress management skills to benefit .

“Relaxation is the best solution of stress”

                                                                                                                    -By Giri Bahadur sunar

A struggle to the top

One may find an exclusively Dalit expedition to Everest, as has been organised by the Climber Club Nepal, rather peculiar and the need for it questionable. But before arriving at conclusions, probing into the reasons for this initiative would be useful. 

British explorer George Mallory had mysteriously vanished in his attempt to become the first man to conquer Mt. Everest in 1924. Mallory’s body, preserved in the mountain’s climate, was found by American mountaineer Conrad Anker in the year 1999. Whether Mallory succeeded or not in reaching the summit before his death remains a mystery till this date, but when asked by the media once on why he wanted to climb the Everest, he had casually answered, “Because it is there.” 

If the media ever posed the same question to me, my answer, given the Nepali context, would be, “Because no Dalit has ever climbed the Everest yet.”

It has been 58 years since climbers the world over have tasted success in climbing the Everest, but none have come from a Dalit background. It is unnecessary to mention that Dalits have been socially, politically, economically and religiously excluded from the mainstream and that this has demoralized them psychologically. The revolutions in the past two decades for a more democratic society have brought no big change in the treatment of Dalits by people who supposedly belong to the upper castes.

Given this context, the main goal of the Dalit-exclusive expedition to the Everest is to empowering Dalits and downtrodden people by proving that they can do anything if given equal opportunities and access to resources. The expedition is meant to sensitize the world, the media, donors and development agencies, political parties and religious leaders towards the Dalit condition and programmes for Dalit empowerment. A successful expedition to Mt. Everest will help a demoralised psychology grow stronger and more confident and will counter to some extent the discouragement brought on to Dalits by the neglect they face in so many sectors despite of comprising 20 percent of the total population. 

The Everest expedition could be a doorway for many Dalits to enter the tourism industry, which is supposed to be the largest in the country— a trained climber can be expected to contribute more in the field of mountain tourism, if opportunity is given.

Besides, attempting to climb Mt. Everest is not an easy task. Since 1965, about 203 people have lost their lives in trying to conquer the Everest and about 2700 have been successful in their venture. The worst years have been 1993 when 8 people out of 129 died and in 1996 when 15 people out of 98 surrendered their lives too. Among all routes, the Khumbu Icefall is said to be the most dangerous one as it has taken about 19 lives until now. Such a task is definitely likely to add to the esteem of the Dalit troupe. 

The idea seems worthwhile and one with positive consequences for the Dalit community. However, the Government’s behaviour has been adverse to it and reflective of the discrimination traditionally cast against Dalits. The budget proposed for the expedition was Rs 3,64,0000, but the government only allocated Rs 2,000000 for the 11 Dalit climbers. This is noteworthy against the amount allocated for the civil servant expedition in 2010, which was a sum total of Rs 3,030,000 for the 11-member team.

Also, the budget allocated for the Dalit expedition to Mt. Everest was not an initiative of the Government of Nepal, but of energetic Dalit youth and Climber Club Nepal. The vision was fully supported later by the National Dalit Commission, the United Dalit Political Struggle Committee, the Dalit NGO Federation and other Dalits around the nation.

I myself have the passion and vision to be the first Dalit to have climbed Mt. Everest. In 1995, I had a self-funded formal basic training from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling, India and in the year 2000, I had climbed the 17000 feet tall mountain Frey Pick with members of the Indian Army via Sikkim. Since then, I have been looking to climb Mt. Everest but have not successful as it costs about Rs. 35, 00000 to Rs. 40, 00000 for a single Nepali. Joining the Climber Club when it was preparing a historical team for the first Dalit expedition to Mt. Everest in coordination with the Dalit NGO Federation, was an answer of sorts to my long-held dream. There are 10 other members beside myself who are receiving formal training free of cost with the support of Da. Gombu Sherpa, the Chairman of Climber Club and a mountaineer of international repute, who had successfully completed the women’s expedition in 2008. 

The team is now ready and the budget is allocated after much struggle by the Dalit community, but Government has been reluctant to give recognition to the team which has officially selected through nationwide announcement. The government wants to organise an expedition through its own agencies when they have had no role making constructing its vision and mission. Government wants to bypass those who have been actively involved in making the expedition successful.

Given this attitude and the insufficient budget allocated for the Dalit expedition to Mt. Everest, it is perhaps time that we knocked the doors of donor agencies to fill in with the necessary. 

  1

Giri Bahadur Sunar

Sunar is a Sociologist

girithejorba@gmail.com

Posted on: 2011-10-30 08:59

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Comments

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• puskar_91@yahoo.com Oct 30, 2011, 5:01 pm

Kirtipur

"Cosmetic Program" Although it is not undesirable to provide financial support to Dalit climbers for climbing Everest by government, the size of the budget allocated and the priority given to the expedition program by the government make us worrying. The size of the budget is too high as compared to the handful of the people who actually benefit from it. Instead of targeting to handful of Dalit youths this budgets could be used for the sake of thousands of Dalits. I think climbing Everest by Dalits does not contribute any significant to the empowerment and to increasing self-esteem of Dalits as Sunar claims. More than this, we need to pay attention to the other side of the story: the nature of the program. This is a type of cosmetic and flimsy programs that the government and some Dalit leaders and organizations are tempted to formulate. The reason is obvious: they are driven by cheap popularity. The government policies and programs so far are all cosmetic; take example of National Dalit Commission, or Bikas Samity or the government's giving allowance to inter-caste couples. So the need is to formulate programs that have deeper and wider impact on Dalit community. Eulogizing and demanding such cosmetic programs like the Everest Expedition one does not help to engender a quick and true emancipation of Dalits.

The Teaching Of Shivapuri Baba

Published in The 'Rising Nepal TRN Friday Sept 2013 

Gandhi Vs Lord Krishna

Published in The Rising Nepal, TRN Friday Supplement Page 1 Dec 202

Fatalistic Karma of Lord Krishna

Published in The
Rising Nepal- Friday Supplement Jan 10,20142

Sex in the City

The street food and safety matters

Street food vending is found around the world which has variations within both regions and cultures. Street food means ready to eat and drink in public place by hawker or vendor, often in the form of portable stall. Due to today’s busy lifestyles, people do not have time to cook food therefore they prefer fast food which contains more and more additives in it. Street food culture is getting popular day by day in Nepalese society due to number of reasons, such as to obtain in reasonably cost within short time in comparison to average restaurant meals. Panipuri, Chanachatpata, Chowmein, Momo, Chat, Aloo tikkies, Samosha, Sweets, chicken souses etc. are very much popular menu among them. There is no doubt that traditional foods prepared in the street are attracting more consumers and tourist but it is also true that the country is struggling to come up with international standards. Food sold in the street of Nepal is not hygienic in compared to those in developed countries due to its poor infrastructure.

Sometime, I do love to go for street food but I was surprised when I encounter with a situation where plate, spoon and cup were cleaned with the same water which has been previously used. Observing the incident, I had vomiting then and there and had fever and diarrhea later on at home. Observing the situation, we can imagine that most of the cup and plates which served to us were not properly clean. Not only the street vendor, the so called modern cafeteria, bakery and restaurant runner are not clean on this issue, there is no proper toilet, no smoking zone and refrigerator for the public display.  Regarding the issue, news has been appeared in media that the department of food technology and quality control has raid in some beverage factories, food store and sweets home. It is praised worthy job but it is not enough to control the growing number of food manufacturing. The department of food technology and quality control are appearing like a full moon which is not enough to maintain the quality control of food and hygiene. The food inspector need to go shop to shop to collect sample without being bias  and provide the proper license to sale the manufacturing food product on the street. The food stall over the open drain of foot path must be banned as it poses health risk. There must be proper rules and regulation for the street food seller. Government must intensify the drive of registering and licensing the street food business operator.

Being member of different international organizations, Nepal has many food safety related obligations to comply with rules and regulations of those organizations. Food safety related issues started to become matter of increased concern and one of the priority areas of the government after the country has become member of the world trade organization (WTO) in 2004. The World Health Organization too has designated food safety as one of its priority areas, however, it is recognized that developing countries have long way to go in building system that can ensure food safety.

The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control has recorded food adulteration in 2009-10. The department report shows that about 125 samples were found to be substandard out of 832 food samples examined by the department. Around 140 food samples were recorded as substandard a year ago though there is no significant change in the quality All food manufactures, retailer, wholesaler, supplier, hawkers, weekly market sellers, small scale industries, restaurant and hoteliers, fruits and vegetable vendor, paanbhandar owner, Catering service, fish and meat sellers, milk and beverage industries etc. all need to be raided time and again to insure the food quality. 

Food additives play an important role in today’s complex food supply, to meet the huge demand of street food, several shopkeepers add harmful colors to make them look attractive which could lead to serious health disorder in the long run, as we know that food additives have been used for centuries with the purpose to the food in order to affect foods keeping quality, texture, consistency, appearance, odour, taste or to serve any other technological functions in the manufacturing processing or the storage of the food. Long term consumption of such foods filled with food additives my create problem in immunity system and a tumor in stomach that can lead to cancer. The foods born disease are caused by eating food or drinking beverages contaminated with bacteria, and other type of preservative chemical.

There is no proper mechanism to control the cross border manufactured food directly imported to Nepal. Most of edible item has loose packing, no proper price tag and date of expiry. The consumer awareness is very important on this matter. Everybody knows that it is impossible to have a Zero risk situation in foods but regular monitoring from government may minimize the risk. Government must identify and license to those street vendor across the city. Those recognized street vendor need to   teach through workshop about the ways of maintaining food quality and to inform them about how this business will boost up their income. Not only the government, the street vendor themselves need to organize to ensure acceptable standard of food quality and hygiene to run their business for long time.

If we can manage to address the issues of hygienic and quality of food, packaging and maintenance of hygiene during preparation than it will automatically increase the demand of street food to sustain the healthy and fit life. The practice of disposable cup, plate and spoon can minimize the health risk. The health is naturally a major priority of us so government must inspect all vendor, hotel and restaurant to check the quality food time and again. It is the right time for the government of Nepal to take note on the growing number of street food vendor sold over the footpath. We must not forget that the right to life and human dignity encompasses the right to have quality food and beverage which should be free from harmful chemicals. 

By Giri Bahadur Sunar

The author is Meditation Practitioner and sociologist by profession can be reached at girithejorba@gmail.com

Freedom of Bagmati River

Bagmati River has many brook as its tributaries, originates from Shivapuri hill, 25 km north of Kathmandu City at an altitude of 2650 meter above sea level. There was a time when people used to go to Bagmati River for swimming and ritual prayers but today it turned into stinking river of sewerage. It is facing a number of ecological and environmental challenges, 21 kilometer of river stretch from Sundarijal to Chovar Danda need to be clean.

Kathmandu district covers an area of 395 km2 and is the most densely populated district of Nepal with a population of 1,744,240 in 2011 but there are hardly few people who are concern about cleaning the Bagmati River. Every Saturday, different government organizations, citizen forum, students, artist, sportsmen, police, metropolitan staff, NGO, club, religious organization and even few foreign tourist are gathering around Bagmati River for cleaning proposes. Religious organization like Osho Tapoban has recently joined on the mission. Shanti Shakya by profession is architecture engineer and one of the trusty member of Osho Tapoban suggest that, “if we build a vertical fence in both side of Bagmati River and flat fence on over bridge than only we can stop garbage throwing business in the dark night” I personally appreciate her idea and it could be additional work to stop pollution but how long? What about the beauty of the river? Isn’t it like imprisoning the river? In fact, the river has no freedom; we have already confined its territory.  

Another friend of mine Ravi Shrestha, former journalist disagrees with the cleaning team, according to him there are more than hundreds of NGO in the name of Bagmati but the plight of Bagmati is same. The Saturday gathering is useless, it has been already more than eight month but we are still around Tilganga and Tinkune area. He further said that river cleans itself every year in the monsoon. No human effort is needed, only one thing we can do cooperating river by not throwing garbage into it.  

All cleaning team are gathering around the Bagmati River, What about the other tributaries like Bishnumati, Dhobikhola, Manohara, Tukucha and Nakhhu? Why discrimination with them?  What about the station like Guheshwari, Pashupatinath and Gokarneshwor which has great religiously important, enlisted in world heritage. Up to now, we covered about four kilometer of Bagmati River, still need to go ahead of 21 kilometer till Sanepa area. What a long journey?  Few groups are cleaning and thousand of civilized people are polluting! Trucks of waste were collected from Bagmati River but the situation is still the same.

It is well know that Water gets contaminated with many different substances like organic and inorganic matters, Chemicals and other contaminated stuff, waste from industries, slaughter houses, restaurants and hospital are directly dumped and discharge into the Bagmati. I felt ashamed with those household owners who were looking at us from their window instead of joining hand together. They have no shame that their neighbor and foreigner are coming to clean their corridor. Those house owner and people living in rent, including slum dweller are the responsible for making Bagmati River polluted. If each household owner who is residing beside the Bagmati River become aware of  the fact than only it is possible to keep cleaning the  Babmati River and its tributaries.

Kathmandu and other big cities of Nepal experiencing river pollution which has great religious important, the population is increasing day by day while water level in decreasing. The fast growing development of housing, unplanned urbanization and industry is increasing pollution in river. Water is regarded as a purifying object in each religion, Hindu believe that holy river bath will wipe out any sign of previous defilement so, they takes bath and offer water to the God every day but the water which we offering to God is impure, taking bath in holy river like Bagmati is risking our skin sensitivity and infecting us with other water related disease. Christian is practicing initiation ritual dipping into the water to their believer, known as Baptism. Muslim obliged to perform Ghusal and Wadu (cleaning) with pure water before the five daily prayers but present condition of water is not like that, the direct disposal of waste water into the river without treatment has disrupting its natural process and biodiversity. Polluting water is the biggest misuse of fresh water. We must not forget the significance of water sources in our religious living. Almost, all human civilization flourished around the water sources but we have no respect for it.

We are facing fresh water problem since the day when we started to drain our waste water into the river. There is common perception that water has infinite resources due to it hydrologic cycle of evaporation, condensation and precipitation but it is not like that, water resources are drying up with the increscent of population, pollution which is causing global warming and massive climate change around the world. All together water covers more than 71% of the earth; only about 4% of the earth’s water is available source for drinking water. Global warming around the world is causing the melting of Water towering mountain of Himalayas, solid water from glaciers and ice cap of Antarctica and Greenland, sea level is rising up which is destroying the city developed around the coastal area, due to global warming. There is change occurring in rainfall pattern which is causing severe storms and intense heat waves  affecting growing crops, forest in fires, causing floods and damaging infrastructure. Recently we had observed the incident of Darchula district of Nepal and Kedarnath/Badrinath in India where many people died and lost billions of property including infrastructure.

Time and again many awareness campaigns were organized with the support of artist, singer, and religious organization, couple of workshop has been conducted on Bagmati River but the so called civilized people of Kathmandu are still unaware and supportive to cleaning process accept few elite lover of Bagmati.

As we know that ministry of Urban Development has already developed separate sewerage system along the Bagmati River which should be immediately implemented without delay, concerned stakeholder of Bagmati River must adopt the sustainable strategy and plan for keeping clean Bagmati. The government of Nepal had already unveiled Solid Waste Management Act   that directs the segregation of household and commercial wastes, depending upon the type of waste, such as biodegradable and non-biodegradable which should be effectively implemented.

Developing country like Nepal is not aware of the fact that sending untreated water directly into the river and streams is affecting its natural balance. Waste water treatment plant can minimized the direct discharge of untreated water into the river. Existing wetland for waste water treatment should be utilized and further wetland should be identified for proper management and operation. Effort of each citizen residing inside the Kathmandu valley need to joint hand together to make the Bagmati River and its tributaries clean and healthy. General people must stop throwing tones of sewerage into the river and those who are found guilty should be penalized and those who caught someone read handed on this business must be awarded. A tole lane organization need to be form alongside the Baghmati River and its tributaries so they can monitor and penalized the guilty one. Watchful citizen forum can make big difference if they really want to clean the Baghmati River and then only the time will come when people can take holy bath in Bagmati River without fear and children can enjoy the swimming.

By Giri Bahadur Sunar

The author is a sociologist and can be reached at girithejorba@gmail.com

Ed-Ul-Fitr for Social Cohesion

Social cohesion had already become a major issue in politics, issues of cultural assimilation, the role of religious group and its impact on society, the impact of ethnic diversity on social cohesion in communities’ level and lack of solidarity among them is the topic of concern.  Nepal is a state of religious tolerance and co-existence among different religious group, each religious group has their own sense of religious identity within diverse community. These religious communities are varying in respective caste, class, ethnicity, language, cultural tradition, believe structures and social evolution. All groups promote different ways of life, mode of worship, food habits, clothing and notion of what is sacred.

Islam is not a homogeneous religion as Hindu. Islam originated in Saudi Arabia in the sixth century, before that they used to worship idols as Hindu doing but within a short period of time Islam’s monotheistic belief structure spread across the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Africa.  The Quran is unequivocally accepted by Muslims as the final message of God, Quran was gradually revelation to the Prophet Muhammad through angel Gabriel which contains a socio-political, economic and legal system based on canonical (shariah) prescription of guide human behaviors at all  levels of society.

Under the Mogul Dynasty 16th and 19th centuries in India, Islam found a theological home by adapting to local Hindu customs and traditions which spread into Nepal through those Muslim who came to Nepal via Indian province. So, there are some similarities between Hindu and Muslim in cultural practice like fasting, marriage ceremony and others. Historical record of Nepal revels that Muslim came to Nepal in 15the century A.D. during the rain of King Ratna Malla for the trading purpose from the Indian province Kashmir and few from other part. Kashmiri Jame Masjit beside the Trichandra Multiple Campus could be an example of it.  Muslim is in minority group of Nepal so they are claiming to be recognized as a separate minority group and not to mix them with ethnic group like Madhesis. According to the census report of 2011, Islam is the third largest population of Nepal (4.4%) after the Hindu (81.3%) and Buddhist (9.0%) and rest Kirat (3.1%) Christianity (1.4%) Prakriti (0.5%), Bon (13,006), Jainism (3,214), Bahai(1,283) and Sikhism(609). Most of the Nepalese Muslim is from Sunni community,they are scatter around the 75 district of Nepal. The most Muslim populated district of Nepal is Kapilbatu, Banke, Bara, Rautahat, Siraha and Parsa.

Festival like Ramadan and Ed-Ul-Fitr has great important and best opportunity for social cohesion. Ed-Ul-Fitr celebration starts with the end of Ramadan, a month when People from Muslim Community fast throughout a day and eat only at night after prayer. It is the Festival of feast and family get together. The first Eid of the year is known as Eid- Ul-fitr. It is celebrated on the first day of “Shawaal”, the tenth month in Muslim Calendar to mark the end of a month long fasting during Ramadan. Ul Fitr literally means breaking of fast. Those Muslim who has good income source put on new clothes, visit mosque to attend “Salatul EID” (Eid Prayer), greetings of “Eid-Mubarak” or a “blessing Eid” are exchange. It is the third pillar of religious obligation to Islamic people, Muslim believe that fasting has many benefit like self-control, day light fasting increase one’s spiritual quality to help them to come closer to Allah. Fasting means experiencing the hunger and develops the sense of compassion among them to support the unfortunate one who has nothing to eat. Taking fasting is good for healthy living and it is the way to thank god for all of bounties.

Ramadan is the most holy month for the Muslim community which falls in the 9th month of the Islamic calendar the term Ramadan literally means scorching in Arabic. It was established as a Holy Month for Muslims after the Quran was gradually revelation to the Prophet Muhammad through angel Gabriel. Holy book Quran’s Chapter of Surah 2, Ayah 185: speak about the observance of Ramadan is mandatory to Muslim. Most of Muslims persist on the local physical sighting of the moon to mark the beginning of Ramadan; Ramadan started since the evening of July 8th with the first full day of fasting on July 9th and continue for 30 days until Wednesday, the 7th of August end with Eid-Ul-Fitr . The date of Ramadan is shifting every year approximately 11 days due to the cycle of the lunar calendar. According to Mohammad, Ramadan is the month when the gate of heaven is open and the gate of hell would be closed.

Still Non-Muslim of Nepal is not able to mix up with the Muslim community people as they are mixing up with other religious group like Christian, Jain, and Buddhist. The Christmas and other religious festival are widely celebrated in Nepal with the participation of other religious group while in Muslim festival no such cohesion is seen, except few invited political leaders. What could be the silent feature of social cohesion? Is it fear?

I have a good experience with my Muslim friend when I was abroad, named Guljar Bhutt from Kashmir; he was having fasting in the month of Ramadan. As my nature of no-prejudice in other religion and interest of religious learning for social cohesion, I joined hand with him and I had fasting for the whole month of Ramadan for my own spiritual quest. we all belong to the one creation but approaching path to God may different.  He used to do five prayers in each day: early morning, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and in the evening, sometime even in traveling vehicle if it is appropriate time for prayer. I have no idea about the word which he use to chant during prayer, I used to closed my eyes with due respect to all mighty God Allah!  I just learnt “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasoolu Allah” which means there is no true God but God Allah and Muhammad who is the messenger of God. I enjoyed his company and got chance to know more about Holy Quran. During the month of Ramadan, he used to divide the Holy Quran into daily reading segments that conclude on Eid ul-Fitr at the end of Ramadan. I share him about Nepalese Muslim in Nepal and the Mosque which is situated in the heart of Kathmandu city. He was very happy to know about it. We were good care taker of each other, very nice and friendly.  He was such an honest Muslim who shares me more about Holy Quran. Friendship and learning like these greatly help us in fostering emotional integration, social cohesion and promote national and international unity.

Regrettably more and more often, Islam has been associated with terrorism, after the 9/11 Islamic terrorist attack by Al-Qaeda in America, The bombings of Bali, Madrid, London and attack on Taj Hotel in Mumbai made people  suspicious toward the Muslim community. The killing of 12 Nepali hostages by militant in Iraq on September 1, 2004, unexpected attacked occurred up on Jame Masjid (Mosque) in Kathmandu which is the dark side of Nepali History. The Nepalese Muslim has not done anything against the Nepalese but they suffered here due to that incident in Iraq. Muslims claim that their faith promotes justice, peace, and freedom, Quran does not promote violent and armed warfare. The holy Quran speaks about hope, faith and peace among community. The overpowering message is that peace is to be creating through faith in God, and justice among fellow human beings.

We need to celebrate festivals like Eid- Ul-Fitr together with full cooperation, friendship and unity, irrespective of any religious considerations which will promote national integration and unity for growth and development of the country. Islamic people who came from Indian province and Pakistan have knowledge of powerful URDU language which has great impact on Nepali society and language so festival like Gazal, Sayari, Quwali singling and other cultural exhibition could be a great tools to make social cohesion in Nepal from Muslim community. I believe that the first Eid of the year Eid- Ul-Fitr may become brighter as ever and bring bliss, Peace, harmony, Progress, health and wealth among us. Eid-Mubarak to all!

By Giri Bahadur Sunar

The author is Meditation Practitioner and sociologist by profession can be reached at girithejorba@gmail.com