Meditation for Student

                                                                 

                                                       

As the exam draw closer, most of the students feels kind of pressure, often they are distracted when they sit down for the study, the mind goes here and there, sometime they are  able to focus on study and sometime not. Usually different topic becomes interesting rather than the study topic, most of the students are overwhelm by so many things when they have to do number of things in one sitting. They have to remember so many events and formulas during exam preparation. It is crucial and important to place students’ attention in only one thing. Worrying is the process imagination, we are expert to make headache out of headache; the worst which worries creates is emotional anxiety. The pressure of study is natural, nothing is wrong with it. It is positive energy which is urging us to focus on right direction; sometime we are not able to understand the inner calling, confused to prioritize the important topic. Most of students are trying to do different thing at a time which is not possible, especially during the time of exam. The vehicle will not move if we press everything at a time like accelerator, break, and clutch.

I love to share an analogy to clear it out, 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 so many plans but no action. This state of mind is not trustworthy. The student has to start the action of reading, just sitting and thinking will not lead to desired destination. There must be good combination between thought and action for the better result.  How to deal with such stressful situation and confusing situation? Meditation could be the best answer.

What is meditation?

Each act it meditation, whether we are eating, reading, dancing or playing, everything is meditation, we just need to add something on it, that is awareness on and it becomes meditation. Reading about mediation will not help, it will be like reading “water, water and water”   in a book which will not quench your thirst of water until and unless you drink it, likewise you have to practice meditation for benefit. Meditation does not involve any religion or philosophy; it is a discipline to achieve deeper state of relaxation or awareness, so let us make a daily routine for meditation. Students have to commit about 20 to 30 minutes a day in order to start seeing benefits. Meditation isn’t just sitting; it is not easy task when we are trained to constantly multitasking.  As the body need physical exercise to keep fit so the mind needs meditation to keep brain cells healthy. Meditation is good for all age group; especially it is very important for students who are using their brain more than normal people.

I would like to share another situation so student can understand the meditation properly, did you ever try to throw a stone in a pond, If not try it. What will you see once you throw a stone in the center of a pond? In response, you will see frequent wave or whirlpool rising from the center, expanding and going out, just keep on watching unless the rippling stop, similarly our mind is rippling with different thought. We just need to sit in relax mood, keep on watching the thought without distracting and judging write or wrong, suddenly a time will come when the rippling of thought stop as the whirlpool was stopped in a pond. Our mind is multitasking like a T.V. frequency where more than hundred of channel are broadcasting at a time, we can’t see all channel, it is impossible, we have to prioritized preferable channel to enjoy the whole series, like wise different subject matter are running in the mind of a student, some are necessary and some are not, focus in one subject, you can do one thing at a time so, schedule your activities and act accordingly, practice meditation with awareness, you will be calm, relax and fresh for the next challenges.

Meditation is known as Raja Yoga (The king of yoga) among Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana yoga and Hatha Yoga. Meditation is best for the students; it is the right age to practice some of the rules and regulation formulated by Patanjali which is not possible for married man.  Students are chaste and innocent so they can be trained for right life. In his eightfold path (Ashtanga Marg), Patajali focus on Yama, Niyama, Ashana, Pranayama, Pratyahar, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

How to start meditation?

The eight fold path work together, first five are Yama, Niyama, Ashana, Pranayama and Pratyahara, these are the basic of Raja Yoga to build the foundation of spiritual life, concerned to the body and brain and last three are not possible without the previous step concerned with the reconditioning with the mind. These eight steps basically act as guidelines on how to live a meaningful and purposeful life. It serves as a prescription for moral and ethical conduct and self-discipline; it direct focus toward one's health; and it can help student to acknowledge the spiritual aspects of our nature. Usually most of modern gurus are not giving importance to the basic of meditation like Yama, Niyama, Ashana, Pranayama and Pratyahara but I would like to share the basic of it so students can understand the alpha the omega of meditation. Yama means abstentions, not participating in the following five activities of Non-violence (Ashimsa), Truth (Satya), Non-stealing (Ashatya), Chastity (Brahmacharya) and Aparigraha (Non-greed) and Niyama means moral observation of following five activities of Purity (Saucha), Contentment (Santosha), Austerity (Tapas), Study of the holy text (Swadhyaya) and Surrender to God (Ishwarasamarpan). Pratyahara means withdrawal of the senses from objects, the natural tendency of the senses is to go out towards the objects of the world; the mediator must be able to pull the senses within to keep the balanced and peaceful mind. Pranayama means controlling the vital energy through breath work.

Body and mind are intimately connected and if the body is agitated the mind will be agitated, in order to meditate successfully one must develop a very steady posture (Ashana). One thing necessary for the posture is to sit cross legged on a comfortable place, close your eyes, left palm over the right palm, 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, and then you have an easy natural posture, with the spine straight. Sometime people need anchoring (Dharana) tools for meditation (Dhyana) like focusing on breath (Pranayama), image of God, reciting mantras or sometime being like a cowboy, let the cow  prances where it wills,  no judgment and distraction just a watcher. According to Osho, meditation is sitting silently doing nothing, the spring comes and the grass grows by itself.  Enlightenment (Samadhi) is union with the divine; Samadhi refers to perfect union of true Yoga. It is like vehicle in neutral gear, no acceleration, Just pulsation, beyond the sensation of pleasure and pain, tuning with cosmic energy. These eight steps of yoga indicate a logical pathway that leads to the attainment of physical, ethical, emotional, and psycho-spiritual health. Yoga Sutra suggests the practice of Asanas and Pranayama as preparation for Dharana, because these influence mental activities and create space in the crowded schedule of our life. Once Dharana has occurred, Dhyana and Samadhi can follow. I would like to suggest visual meditation (Imagination) for the students to internalize the subject what they had read for the preparation for the exam.

What is Visualizing Meditation?

Visualization meditation is a variation on traditional meditation that requires you to employ not only your visual sense, but also your sense of taste, touch, smell, and sound. When used as a relaxation technique, visualization involves imagining a scene in which you feel at peace, free to let go of all tension and anxiety. If you are nerves, worry about exams and revision than practice visualizing meditation, a part of passive meditation. It will be better if you practice jogging every morning as a part of active meditation to balance the body and mind. For the student visualization meditation will be helpful to build confidence on a daily basis. This meditation could be a good master for a student, so let us find a quiet and relaxing environment void of distraction, sit in a comfortable position on the level ground, keep your back straight and relax your entire body, close your eyes, pay attention on your breath because all habit of mind is associated with the pattern of breathing, once you change the pattern of breathing, mind change immediately, after that choose whatever setting is most calming to you, start mindfulness visualization or recall the topic which you have just studied. Visualization can be done on any topic; it is like rehearsal before presentation. Recalling information strengthens it to memory and will facilitate to recall on the day of the exam and this raise confidence levels. Anybody can do this visualization meditation in any topic like a lover can do this meditation, sitting silently and imagining a good time being with beloved one in preferable setting and background. The meditation practitioner visualizes themselves on a movie screen in their minds. Let into the habit of sitting daily intention each morning by simply sitting quietly for a few minutes, relaxing and dealing how you want to feel about ahead and how you will structure your study time. Meditation is extremely beneficial for all walks of life.

Some pretty amazing benefit of regular meditation

# Better brain integrity, efficiency and memory power

# Improve academic achievement for better future

# Improve learning disorder

# Effective to increase creativity or intelligent

# Lower absentees from class

# Help to know own inner potentiality

# Help to develop self-confident

# Reduce psychological disorder including stress, anxiety and depression

# Makes social from antisocial behaviors

# Makes moral and help healthy habits

# Help to overall emotional well being.

Meditation may be frustrating at first, if you find it is difficult to concentrate on your breathing don’t get upset or quite the idea of meditation. Sometime mind goes here and there; bring your attention  back to the present moment, refocus and re-centre your attention, start from shorter period of time and build your way up to longer stretched. I would like to suggest private and public school to adopt meditation class as an extra curriculum activity with the strong support of parents, educators and government. Meditation class should be compulsory for the student because it will help to shape the better future of the student. The great spiritual master Osho of our time suggests, “The base of new education will be meditation”. So, let us plant a seed of meditation in our daily life as early as possible so the plants grow up on time to its maturity to give better environment for peaceful, healthy and prosperous society.

-By Giri Bahadur Sunar

The author is a meditation practitioner and sociologist can be reached at

 girithejorba@gmail.com

Being Untouchable

                                                                                                             

                                                     

                                                                    

The older, I grow the better I seems to think of caste and feel the discrimination, I remember that day when I was debating on negativity of caste system with Swami Tathagat, Swami Birendra and others at Osho Sansar bookshop in Kingsway, Kathmandu. Swami Tathagat was in favor of caste system and stressing philosophically that caste is not by birth but it is based on quality. In response I asked him, if it is so than why I am still regarded as untouchable despite of my quality. How do you judge the quality?  If it is judge based on education, economic, religion, politics, cultural civilization and others mental and physical well being than I am equally capable as you. I am still confused what does it mean by quality? Why am I regarded as untouchable and discriminated on the basis of my caste if it is not by birth. I know that even changing of occupation does not change my caste, if it so then, many upper caste people who has adopted the job of untouchable like tailoring, metal works and others but they are still high caste, they are not regarded as untouchable nor untouchable as upper caste by changing their traditional occupation. The caste system is rigid, where there is no social mobility. It is easy to express philosophic idea but ground reality is different. The wearer only knows where the shoe pain.

Later on Tathagat Swami Stress his argument by saying, “there is discrimination among untouchable caste group focusing on Kami on top and Sharki, Damai, Gaine on descending order”. Yes, it is there but who has planted the seed of caste discrimination in their mind? Who has condition them to live accordingly? The answer is the dominant Vedic Brahamanical orthodoxy and its stratified caste system with Brahmin on the top, Kshatrieya, Vishay and Sudra at bottom. What about that discrimination which you practice within your own cast group? The Upadhyaya Brahmin are discriminating Jaisi Brahmin, Brahmin group are discriminating Chhetri and other indigenous groups and so forth, despite of that, you enjoy pointing your finger toward untouchable. You must not forget that when you are pointing your one finger toward others, there are three fingers pointing back to you.

Our castes and our institution are apparently linked with our religion which is not a perfect institution. When we look back to the various stage of development of cast system in Nepal, than we must not forget the Manusmriti, a guided book of Hinduism on stratification of caste, The then first Malla King, Jayasthiti Malla of Kathmandu valley in 1382-1395 AD had brought five Brahmins from India, according to their guidance he segregated the masses into a caste system, second was King Ram Shah of Gorkha in 1606-1636 AD who followed the idea of caste system propounded by Jayasthiti Malla and finally the first Rana Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana.

The Nepali Civil code (Muluki Ain) 1854 AD was introduce and promulgated by Junga Bahadur Rana after his European tour. Nepalese caste system is more complicated because this system was previously prevalent in the core Hindu society but since the unification of Nepal in the 18th century, various indigenous tribes have been incorporated within the caste hierarchy of Hinduism. According to the Nepali civil Code 1854, the cast hierarchy system is as following:

Tagadhari (wears of the holy thread): Udadhyaya Brahman, Rajput (Thakuri), Jaisi Brahman and Chhetri etc.

Namasinya Matawali (Non-enslave able alcohol drinkers): Magar, Gurung, Newar, Sunuwar, Rai, Limbu etc.

Masinya Matawali (Enslaveable alcohol drinkers): Tamang, Sherpa, Chepang, Kumal, Tharu, Gharti etc.

Pani nachalne, chhoi chito halnu naparne (impure but touchable): Jogi, Kashain, Khadgi, Muslim and European.

Pani nachhalne chhoi chitto halnu parne (Untouchable or the caste whose water is defiled): Kami, Damai, Sharki, Gaine etc.

Various legal and constitutional reformed has been made in-between like old wine in new bottle. The laws were passed against the caste discrimination in 1962 AD, caste system and legal code were publicly outlawed by the 1990 AD Constitution and finally by the Interim Constitution of Nepal-2007, No person shall, on the ground of caste, descent, community or occupation, be subject to racial discrimination and untouchability in any form. Such a discriminatory act shall be liable to punishment and the victim shall be entitled to compensation as provided by the law” but the discrimination is still continuing though the rules are not as rigid as they were in the past because of western influence, education and modern communication system.

Sometime, upper caste people blame that lower caste people are unclean so they deserve to be discriminated by preventing them entering into the Hindu temple, receiving education, listening to high caste people’s teaching, worshiping, inter-caste marriage, non-acceptance of cooked food from lower caste and participating in fairs and festival. Yes, I accept the charges they are unclean due to their workshop where they have to work with black coal, above the hundred degree temperature to give the shape to weapon, utensils from a raw metal, Shoe maker has to work with leather, Tailors has to stitches clothes so, time and again they have to put their finger in the mouth to sharpen the thread to enter  into the ear of needle and sweeper has to clean the street, this is their nature of work based on Manusmirti and enforce by legal code of Nepal to Nepalese. No choice, it is choice less choice.

What about the so called upper caste people? Are they clean enough if it is the matter of cleanliness? What about those Brahmin who are unconsciously laying in the gutter due to excessive consumption of alcohol? You must have notice those Brahmin sitting entrance of the Hindu temple as their business to recite the mantra and other ritual things.  If yes, then I must say that they are the most unclean creature for that holy business because of their ugly uncut nail, stinking shocks and mouth, having cigarette and offering holy thread and vermilion with same hand, polluting surrounding and holy rivers banks with plastic and flowers, offering falls promises of heaven to the innocent one. Did you ever notice the cleanliness of the Church, Mosque, Synagogue, and other type of Monasteries? Which one is clean? Definitely, other temples are clean in-comparison to Hindu temple. The Brahmins are the unclean one who has been polluting the Hindu temple since aged. If I am right, cleanliness means pure consciousness which is possible through the process of clean and health body, healthy vegetarian food, honesty and clean vision with moral living. We must not forget that our consumption disrupts the psychological balance which reflects itself in mind and therefore the consciousness of consumers.

I want to say that untouchables are the most creative people. Can you imagine those times when there was no global market system? In those days people were depending in their own internal local market. Blacksmith/ Goldsmith were the one who used to make utensil, weapon, ornament, musical instrument and statue of God and Goddess, Shoe makers were the one who used to make shoes, tailor used to make clothes and others works like  singing and playing musical instrument in fair and festival etc. What did you make and gave to the humanity? Nothing accept the misinterpreting the perfect holy scripture into imperfection. The Holy Scripture is misinterpreted by you to divide the other cast group to rule, for dirty politics and to discriminate. You must not forget that untouchable were the one who made you civilized, they made weapon for you to expand the territory of nation, they made the statue which you worship, and they made the clothes, ornament and shoes to protect you from heat and cold. What have you given to them, nothing accept hatred and discrimination. Can you imagine yourself without cloths and utensils? I can visualize you as beggar, a jungle man without cloths and utensil.

Not only that, you don’t accept the water touch by untouchable but in the time of urgency, you accept their blood to protect your beloved one, you enjoy the hidden sexual relation with the brother and sister of untouchable groups, sometime forcefully raped and abuse them but you guys remain still holy because you got that privilege by birth. You upper caste people are just nursing your false pride of birth; you are hypocrite, living in double standers.

You ask untouchable to read and write to be like Upper caste, forget about education, how it was possible than while untouchable were not allowed to reading and hearing from educated Brahmin. You were the privileged on by birth not us. The then existed system denied untouchable to read and write. We have the brain and more energy and more guts than you but we were chained by your law, now time has change, untouchable are educating themselves but still you are discriminating innocent brother and sister by not letting them sit together in school and not letting them drinking water from the same water jar of the very class room.

Many untouchable are turning into Christianity and other religion, why? Don’t think that this is due to their hunger and lust of other opportunity; it is because of your discrimination in religious practice, social affairs, political participation, economical and other daily affairs. Person like Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar know as Babasaheb converted to Buddhism and is also credited with providing a spark for the conversion of hundreds of thousands of lower caste into Buddhism.

Dr. Ambedkar was appointed chairman of the constitution drafting committee, charged by the assembly to write India’s new constitution in 1947. He declared that he was born as a Hindu but will not die as a Hindu”.  I would like to add one more saying from Swami Bibekananda, According to him, “We are day and nights calling out to them don’t touch us! Don’t touch us! The religion has entered in the cooking pot. Is there any compassion of kindliness of heart in the country? Only a class of don’t touchism; kick such custom out! Don’t touchism is form of mental disease”.

Tathagat swami ji, I know what you mean by, I accept that caste system was designed for division of labor, stability of job in society but the noble idea has been corrupted by so called cunning criminal minded Brahmin. They became more intelligent than lord Krishna so, they interpreted the noble idea into their own intelligence to dominate other caste group. The Bhagvad Gita, Chapter-4, Verse: 13 lord Krishna say, “The fourfold caste has been created by me according to the differentiation of Guna and Karma” He is therefore the creator of the four divisions of the social order, beginning with the intelligent class of men, Brahmins who are predominated by Sattva-guna and they are assigned the task (Karma) of Meditation due to their being situated in the mode of goodness. Next is the administrative class, Kshatriyas, they are predominated by Raja and Sattva guna and they are assigned to be warrior due to their being situated in the mode of passion. Third is the mercantile men named as Vaishya, they are predominated by Raja and Tama-guna being situated in the mixed modes of passion and ignorance, assigned to be farmers and traders and finally comes the Sudras or laborer class, predominated by Tamas and Raja-guna and their Karma (task) is to serve other, they are situated in the ignorant mode of material nature.

The four-fold order is designed for human evolution; Lord Krishna verse has been misused by social criminals to justify the perverted form of the Caste System. “Varna” or caste refers to different shades of color but not in the context of the color of a person’s skin but Hindus are discriminating European and American brothers and sister on the basis of color and not letting them entering into the Hindu temple while they do not discriminate Hindus entering into their Church and Mosque. God does not discriminate but the so called Brahmin does so.

 Lord Krishna does not belong to any of these divisions, because He is not one of the conditioned souls. Human society is similar to any other animal society, but to elevate men from the animal status, the above-mentioned divisions are created by the Lord for the systematic development of Krishna consciousness. Lord Krishna emphasis on Guna (aptitude or modes of instinct) those are pre-installed in all being and Karma (function), not on caste by birth. The Verna whom we belong is independent of sex, birth or breeding.  A Verna is determined by temperature and vocation not by birth or heredity. There is caste in religion but no caste discrimination; it is social custom which is discriminating certain caste group by few cleavers Brahmin.

I remember that day too when swami Tathagat’s eyes became wet when he read my status on face book with the title of “Kami Dai”, I know that you are not the man who discriminate the untouchable. I am happy that we are sannyasin (monk) initiated by Osho where a man from the highest caste and a man from the lowest caste become equal, no discrimination, and I believe that it is a perfect communism where we meditate together, eat together, worship together and celebrate together. Sannyas system is the ultimate communism where there is no discrimination on the basis of cast.

I sometimes feel the urge to break the barriers of untouchability by bringing together to those who are downtrodden and discriminated on the basis of cast, a bloody revolution to terminate the evil practice of society. The problem of untouchability supposed to be a matter of class struggle, struggle between caste Hindu and the Untouchables, a class struggle for social status but so called Brahmin had divided untouchable into many class so there is no question of unity among them though they have similar type of class consciousness, few untouchable elite group are silently running their business out of it in the name of NGO and other type of organization, untouchable are divided into many political parties. For the unity, untouchable have to mingle with each other to eliminate untouchables practice within and united together under one umbrella system to bring revolutionary social change but they are enjoying the blessing of political parties for their personal goal rather than communal. I don’t mean to say that they have not done anything politically, they have, but it is in black and white form, not in practical. I like the idea of  Karl Marx, “Change comes from the barrel of a gun” but I don’t want to seize the opportunity of fighting in the name of caste, I am not a influential political figure for that job, no use of fighting on which cast is high and which cast is low, what success will it achieve? It will divide us, weaken us, and degrade us; the solution is not by bringing down the upper caste but by raising the lower caste up to the level of higher with positive discrimination, no privilege for anyone, equal chance for all.  It is the nature of society to form itself into group. I can perform my on duty in social life and you another; there is no reason why you are greater than I.  We are dependent to each others.

 I just want to let you know that my quality will not change my caste neither your effort because the Holy Scripture has been already polluted, raped and murdered by so called Brahmin. I am unique in my quality and happy for it.  It is not my mistake to be born in untouchable family. You can’t change my caste because it is by birth, you just need to cooperate with us and support us by not discriminating and not humiliating. After all untouchable are also human being as you are, they are God’s creation, how can you neglect them? Are you superior to the God? Don’t you love God’s creation?

Religion is major concern of man. Lord Krishna is encouraging people to change their existing miserable life through different means of Yoga like Bhakti yoga, Karma yoga, Gyana yoga and Raja yoga while Brahmin are discouraging people from attempting to change their life situation.The Brahmins are the part of superstructure in society; they are misinterpreting Holy Scripture for controlling and maintaining social inequality through means of religion. Brahmin are promoting and trying to sustain the existing religious practice, socio-economic and political inequality. How long the social injustices remain? The present social reality is different than lord Krishna’s Gita. The Brahmins are imposing falls consciousness in society, they are trying to distract the present situation of people blaming to their past Karma, creating more hopeless situation for untouchables. Hello! Lord, Krishna, your Gita has been misinterpreted, raped, abused and polluted, why do you providing more fertile ground for such Brahmins? When do you supposed to come back to punish these criminals? What about your promises of “yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamy aham” (whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion--at that time I descend myself.)? The issue of caste-based discrimination against untouchable is of great importance in the 21st century, and remains one of the last customary bastions of discrimination, resulting in a mixture of both short term atrocities and long term effects on untouchable’s dignity. We want liberation from the bondage of caste system which you designed.

-By Giri Bahadur Sunar

Email: girithejorba@gmail.com

Mahaveer

I had my childhood schooling among the friends of Jain families, my master Osho was born in Jain family who has given discourse on “ Mahaveer Meri Dristi Me”,  all these environment inspired me to write down something about Mahavira, the twenty fourth Tirhankara of Jainism, before starting my article, I have visited to the Jain temple in Kamalpokhari, Kathmandu to know more detail about Jainism, I got surprised seeing the temple of both sects Swetambar Jain and Digambar Jain in the same building in different floor. What a unity? I found similarities in the idol of different twenty four Tirthankara and ask the reason behind the similarities and came to know that they represent the quality and virtue of Tirthankara not any physical body, however, at the bottom of each idol a unique symbol is placed to differentiate them, Load Mahavira idol is recognized by the symbol of a lion.

Jainism existed before Mahavira; He was reformer and propagator of an existing religious order rather than the founder of a new religion. He was revolutionary thinker, questioned the dominant Vedic Brahamanical orthodoxy and its stratified caste system with Brahmin on the top. Jainism is offshoot of Hindu religion, the center tenet of their faith is to renunciation of violence in all its form and a concern for all form of life. Jain teaching is simple and natural, free from elaborated ritual complexity. Jaina does not ask any favor or material benefit from their God or from Tirthankara, they dissonance the worship of God and Goddess as a means of Salvation.

Mahavira was the last Tirthankara among twenty four of Jain religion, all Tirthankara were born in human form and attained a state of enlightenment through meditation and self realization. Tirthankara are known as Arihants or Jinas, Tirthankara is the one who established the four fold order  of Monk, Nun, Layman and Laywomen,  Arihants  means who destroys inner enemies like anger, greed, ego, possession etc and Jina means the one who conquered inner enemies like greed, ego, anger, possession etc , so the follower of Jina  are known as Jainas.

Jain followers and historian believe that Mahavira was born in 599 BC in a Royal family, place in Bihar, India and place his date of birth on the month the thirteen day of the rising moon in the Vira Nirvana Sambat calendar (Gregorian calendar March/April), His father name was King Sidhartha and mother name was queen Trisala. The Jain scripture kulpasutra says that, “before Mahavira’s final birth, when he was after many life times ready to achieve enlightenment, he took the form of an embryo in the womb of Devananda a Brahmin women, The Indra, King of Gods believe that it was not fitting for a future great spiritual leader to be born to a women of a Brahmin caste and that he should be born instead into a Royal Family of warrior caste Chettriya. Accordingly mother Tirsala experience fourteen auspicious dreams, the very dream image was seen by Devananda also when Mavhavira was in her womb. Mahavira was subsequently born to Trishala and was given the name Vardhamana.

As a prince, Mahavira had all luxury at his command though he abandons all the comfort of Royal life; left his home and family at the age of thirty to live ascetic life for spiritual quest as Gautam the Buddha did at the age of twenty nine. He underwent sever penance, even walk without clothes and accepted the alms in the hollow of his hand for more than twelve years, he neglected his body and abandon the care of it. He used to pluck out his long hair to embark on the path of austerities; Today Jaina monk and nun still pluck their hair in their initiation ceremony.

The word Mahavira means “Bravest among Brave”, during the year of wandering as a homeless ascetic he endured great hardship, including cruel treatment by men and animals attacks. He spend the next twelve years in deep silence and meditating to conquer his desire and feeling, we went without food for long period, he carefully avoided harming or annoying living being. He got enlightenment after Thirteen years of wandering. After achieving Kevala Jnana (enlightenment) he travelled all over the India for next thirty years in bare feet preaching to the people the eternal truth which he realized, He attracted people from all walk of life, rich and poor, kings and public, men and women and beggar to Priest, touchable to untouchable.

The ultimate objective of his teaching was to attained the total freedom from the cycle of birth and death, according to him every living being is in bondage of Karma, under the influence of Karma, the soul is habituated to seek pleasure in materialistic belongings and other type of possession which are the deep rooted causes of self centered violence thought, deeds, anger, hatred, greed and such other vices. He preached Right Faith (Samyak Darshan), Right Knowlage (Samyak Jnana)  and Right Conduct (Samyak Charitra) together to attain the liberation from the cycle of Karmic life and five great vows for the jainas as Nonviolence (Ahimsa), Truthfulness (Satya) Non-stealing (Asteya), Chastity (Brahmacharya) and Non-possession (Aparigraha) which is similar to the Yama of Raja Yoga as stated by great sage Patanjali.

Jaina receives their inspiration from the five benevolent for the right path of true happiness and total freedom from the misery of life. So the Jaina bow their heads with the Navakar Mantra as I bow to the enlightenment soul (Namo Arihantanam), I bow to the liberate soul (Namo Siddhanam), I bow to the religious leaders (Namo Ayariyanam) , I bow to the religious teacher (Namo Uvajjhayanam) and I bow to all monk of the world (Namo Savva Sahunam) as the Buddhist prayer Buddham Sharanam Gachhami (I bow to the all enlightenment one), Sangham Sharanam Gachhami (I bow to the all organization) and Dharmam Sharanam Gachhami (I bow to the all Dharma).

There are some similarities between Buddhism and Jainism, Buddhism and Jainas practice form of Ahimsha (Non-violence), Buddha and Mahavira believe to be contemporary, Buddhism received the royal support and patronage of king like Asoka but Jainism did not receive strong royal support and patronage so Jainism did not travel outside the Indian boundary while Buddhist spread to foreign land.

Most of the followers of Jainism are from the merchant family, they are lowly populated in different part of business city of Nepal like Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Jhapa, Morang, Parsha etc. Out of the 24th Tirthankaras, 19th Tirthankara was Mallinath, a female who was believe to be born in Mithalapuri (Janakpur) in Nepal and twenty first Tirthankara, Naminath was also said to be born in same place.

As I have already mentioned, there are two sects in Jainism, one is Swetambar and another is Digambar Jain. There is only little noticeable difference between two sects regarding the sex of the nineteenth Tirthankara named Malli. If I have to analyze the both sect from Gender perspective than Swetambars are more liberal to women than the Digambars, the Swetambars believe that Malli was a woman while Digambars think that Mallinath was a man. Swetambar Jain believes that women can attain enlightenment in this life which they call Sabastra Mukti while Digambar Jain believes that women cannot attain enlightenment in this birth but only in future birth. Digambars deny of Swetambar belief about Mahavira’s embryo was taken from the womb of a Brahaman women Devananda and transferred to the womb of Chhetriya queen Trisala, Swetambar followers believe that Mahavira was married and had a daughter while Digambar followers does not accept it. Digambar monk wear no cloths, they believe that they are wearing the sky (Dig+ Amber = Space cloth) while Swetamber wear cloths (Swet+ Ambar = White clothes).

Lord Mahavira purified soul left his physical body at the age of 72 attaining complete Moksha (liberation), According to Mahavira, “A living body is not merely an integration of limbs and flesh but it is the abode of the soul which potentially has Perfect Perception (Ananta Darshan), Perfect Knowledge (Anant-Jnana) and Perfect Bliss (Anant Sukha). I believe that religious scripture and Satasanga (fellowship) shape the believers’ consciousness, I am happy that I had good fellowship of Jaina family in my childhood and my master Osho in my adulthood to shape my mind of non-violence.

The author is a meditation practitioner and sociologist can be reached at

 girithejorba@gmail.com

Women Domination

We know that primitive societies had a communal mode of production, which meant that there was no stratification in their society, it was classless. Men were physically stronger, so they hunted, while women, being biologically weaker, performed other tasks like looking after children and gathering produce to eat. In those days, there was no legitimate father of a child. Because people lived together in communes, even the mother had no idea of the real father of her baby. Babies used to belong to the entire commune. Women could accept or reject their mating partners by choice. With the emergence of agrarian society, people started cultivating animals in their field. Since then, men who were stronger began possessing woman as their private property. Such individualistic mode of production gave rise to a patriarchal society and institutionalized marriage, which became instrumental in women’s domination.

We know that primitive societies had a communal mode of production, which meant that there was no stratification in their society, it was classless. Men were physically stronger, so they hunted, while women, being biologically weaker, performed other tasks like looking after children and gathering produce to eat. In those days, there was no legitimate father of a child. Because people lived together in communes, even the mother had no idea of the real father of her baby. Babies used to belong to the entire commune. Women could accept or reject their mating partners by choice. With the emergence of agrarian society, people started cultivating animals in their field. Since then, men who were stronger began possessing woman as their private property. Such individualistic mode of production gave rise to a patriarchal society and institutionalized marriage, which became instrumental in women’s domination.
In all ages, women are the center of attraction, and they are characterized by love and care. With the passage of time, they acquire different social roles like that of a daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother, and grandmother. Every man is related to a woman, Hindus believe that a woman is “Ardhangini,” half of a male body. Hindus define female as divine and creative, but they also have shameful stories like the Ramayana, where Sita was asked to walk into fire to prove her sexual purity. No man has ever been examined by a woman for his sexual purity and virginity.

Family is the center of women’s oppression. The rearing of children, including gender based parenting and socialization are based on male ideologies. In Nepal, practices like Chaupadi, Deuki/Jhuma, Badi, and living Goddess Kumari are the outcomes of a male chauvinist society which puts women’s lives in danger. If not, then why are menstruating females oppressed in Hinduism, when they are respected before menstruation and after menopause? Men are scared of women’s sexuality, hence the domination. A woman’s behavior during her energetic and creative age is strictly regulated.

A simple look from a beautiful woman is enough to accelerate man’s desire. A man can be muscular, handsome and strong on the outside, but he knows that he is not as powerful as he appears. Research says that females prefer a longer sexual intercourse, but men cannot last up to women’s expectation. A woman can have multiple orgasms in one intercourse, but a man can have only one. It is well known that men have only one sexual organ, their genital, while each part of a woman’s body is alluring. Being unable to surpass women in these respects, men want to dominate women through different socio-cultural tools.

Men always want to be on top, because they know their weakness, and dominating women is a ploy to hide their weakness. If a woman tries to be playful during sexual intercourse, men suspect her character. Women always have to fear men; since their desire to be playful during sex could ruin their family life. They have to suppress their natural desire in order to be accepted by a patriarchal society. This suppression is the major cause of the appalling state of their reproductive health.

The fear of sex is behind the separation of men and women in monasteries and camps. Women are conditioned in such a way that they have to struggle hard to make space for themselves in a male chauvinist society. Manu has said that women are the gateway to hell. Manu must have wanted to be in heaven, but since he could not be, he spit out such an ugly epithet for women. In fact, a woman is the gateway to heaven. She is mother of all, a doorway to existence.

 I remember a word in English dictionary, “Human being” which, if twisted into a pun, means “the process of becoming a human.” Most of us are not yet human, apart from a few advanced individuals. The psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud has said that people have animal instincts. Social rules, norms and values are protecting us, and if they did not exist, men are ready to be animals at any moment. Abuse of women and rape of children and old women could be a few examples to prove that men are still in the process of becoming human.

 Men are always lusting after women, and continue to fight each other for women, like dogs during mating. Many movies, dramas, and poems created by men, like the story of Trojan war and Ramayana are based on men fighting for women. There are few movies or dramas by women which are about fighting for men. It is hard to find a story or news of a woman raping a man. Why don’t women lust after men or resort to violence for men? There must be something wrong with men’s psychology. 

Family is the center of women’s oppression. Gender based socialization is based on narrow male ideologies. Most of our holy scriptures, which are written by men, contains examples of domination of women. In the story of Ramayana, Sita was used as commodity; a trophy for a bow competition, likewise Draupadi was used as a commodity for gambling in Mahabharata. Women are not treated as human beings, but as men’s property and means of their entertainment.

And it is not only Hindus who dominate women; Muslim women are conditioned through religion to cover their whole bodies so that no one other than her husband can see her. Muslim women are not allowed to enter some parts of Mosques, just as Hindu women are not allowed to touch some gods. Christians believe that women are only helpers of men, and have no personal identity except as a motherly figure like Mary. According to the Bible, woman was created from the ribs of the first man, to be his “helpmeet”. There is no concept of Goddesses in Christianity or Islam.

 Sentences like Yatra Naryastu Pujyante, Ramyante Tatra Devata (where women are honored, there divinity blossoms) just pay lip service to womanhood. Women are given just two statuses in Hindu culture, one is a Goddess (Devi) and another is slave (dasi). In-between the real woman is missing. Inside, all men know that they are inferior, which is why they use man-made social tools to dominate women.

The author is a sociologist

girithejorba@gmail.com

Published on 2013-04-16 01:10:23, Republica in association with International New York times