Leo Tolstoy - a giant of Russian and world literature - at the age of fifty, Tolstoy fell into a deep depression. There was no external cause - he had everything. He was a count, rich, famous, recognized. But inside him, something was dying. Day by day, sadness grew, and life lost its color.

At the age of fifty, Tolstoy discovered how power is powerless in the face of sadness. “Money is nothing. Power is nothing,” he wrote. “I have seen many who have both, and yet are unhappy. Even health is not decisive - the sick often have the will to live, and the healthy are paralyzed with fear.”

One day, walking along Afanasyevskaya Street in Moscow, he saw an orphan. A child, barefoot, lost, without any support. Tolstoy approached, without a word, and took him with him. That evening, for the first time in a long time, he felt peace.

He forgot about himself, his problems, his sadness. At that moment, something broke inside him. From that day on, he renounced the clothes of a gentleman, luxury, privileges. He began to live simply, to share what he had with those who had nothing.

He no longer talked about religion, charity, love - he demanded that all this be shown in deeds.

“Don’t talk to me about religion,” he said, “show me religion in your actions.”

Tolstoy became the first great theorist of nonviolence, he preached brotherhood among nations, and his ideas later deeply influenced Mahatma Gandhi.

Until the last day of his life, he continued to help others.

Many called him crazy for this. In a world where all that matters is having - things, people, power - in a world where everyone wants to take, and no one knows how to give, Tolstoy seemed like a madman.

Once a friend, rich and respected, said to him: “What is the point of all this? Why do you care about others? You should think about yourself.”

Tolstoy replied:
“If you feel pain, you are alive. If you feel someone else’s pain, you are human.”

Today is Indra Jatra. It’s a good day to remember how the Newars got defeated by the treacherous attack of Prithvi Narayan Shah on this day. It’s a dark day for all Newars of Kathmandu valley.

Do we get defeated because our enemy is strong, or is it because of our own weaknesses? Most of the time, the latter is true. And behind every defeat there is a mindset of people. And the questions like:

How does our mindset work?
Who are we loyal to?
What is the strength of our character?

Below is a story going around in about Japan and India. We do not know if this is a true story, but we find it insightful. It is trying to show us the difference between the mentalities of people of these 2 nations. We can say what applies to India, in this context, applies a lot to Nepal and Nepalese too. This is why we are posting the story here.

Here it goes …

Japan, a nation decimated by two nuclear bombs, didn't beg for sympathy or aid. It rebuilt itself with pride and an unshakeable sense of self-respect. In the years since, it has never once stretched out a hand to America for alms. An Indian man living in Japan for over a year noticed something strange. Though the people were polite and helpful, no one ever invited him into their home, not even for a cup of tea. Perplexed and hurt, he finally asked a Japanese acquaintance why.

After a long pause, the friend replied, "We are taught Indian history... not for inspiration, but as a warning."

Confused, the Indian man asked, "A warning?" "Tell me," the Japanese friend continued, "how many British ruled India?" The Indian man thought, "Perhaps... around 10,000?" The Japanese man nodded grimly. "And how many Indians lived there? Over 300 million, right?" "Then who oppressed your people? Who carried out the orders to whip, torture, and shoot them?" he pressed. "When General Dyer gave the command 'Fire!' at Jallianwala Bagh, who pulled the trigger? The soldiers weren't British; they were Indian." "Not one turned their rifle on the tyrant. Not one," he said.

"You want to talk about slavery? That was your real slavery. Not of the body, but of the soul."

The Indian man stood frozen, silent, and ashamed. The Japanese friend went on, "How many Mughals came from Central Asia? A few thousand maybe? And yet they ruled you for centuries. They built empires not with their numbers, but because your own people bowed their heads and offered their loyalty in exchange for survival... or silver." "Your own people converted. Your own brothers became instruments of their oppression. Your own men handed over your heroes. Chandrasekhar Azad was betrayed. Bhagat Singh faced the gallows without even a whisper of help from those who called themselves patriots," he said. "You don't need foreign enemies. Your own people betray you again and again for power, position and personal gain. That is why we keep our distance."

"When the British came to Hong Kong and Singapore, not one native man joined their army. But in India, you didn’t just join the enemy. You served them. Worshiped them. Killed your own people to please them."

"Even today, you haven’t changed. Offer some free electricity, a bottle of liquor, a blanket—and your vote, your conscience, your voice are all sold without a second thought. Your loyalty lies not with your nation, but with your stomach," he said.

"You chant slogans. You march in protests. But when the country needs your character, where are you? Your first loyalty is still to yourself and your family. Everything else - SOCIETY, DHARMA, THE COUNTRY —CAN BURN."

He ended with one final statement: "If your nation is not strong, your home will never be safe. If your character is weak, no flag can protect you." This is not mockery. It is a mirror. It is bitter. But it is true.

~~~

What is left in one
who does not remember?
Love and music.

Not a name but the fullness.
Not the sequence of events
but order of rhythm and pitch,

a piece of time in which to exist.

~~~

A tone traveling through space has no referent,
and yet we infer, and yet it
finds its way between our cells
and shakes us.

Aren’t we all still quivering
like tuning forks
with the shock of being,
the shock of being seen?

~~~

When I die, I want to be sung across the threshold.
Don’t you? Doesn’t the universe,
with its loosening warp
and weft, still
unspool its symphony?

Sing to me — please —
and I will sing for you as all unravels,
as time continues past the final beat
of the stutter inside your chest.

Harmonize, at the edge of that horizon,
with the black hole’s
fathomless B-flat.

If you were a billionaire, what would you eat on your “cheat day”?

English property tycoon John Caudwell’s “guilty pleasure” is a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) hot wings, the ones fried in double-breaded coating. He does not feel guilty when eating it, though; he enjoys every mouthful.

“When I go bad, I go terrible. Of course KFC is disastrous for your health, it’s trans-fats, non-organic chicken, breadcrumbs … but I don’t feel guilty because I don’t have it more than once a month – I say sod it, I love it.”

With the exception of this occasional departure, the billionaire philanthropist, now aged 71 and a father of seven, is a paragon of health and fitness, with the energy of a man half his age.

“Carbohydrates cause disaster,” he says, basing this view on the glycemic index (GI) scale which measures the rate at which a food makes your blood sugar rise.

Foods are ranked on a scale of 0 to 100, with pure glucose (sugar) given a value of 100. The lower a food’s glycemic index, the slower blood sugar rises after eating that food. In general, the more processed a food is, the higher its GI, and the more fibre or fat in a food, the lower its GI.

Eating high-GI foods – such as white bread, white rice, breakfast cereals, cakes, cookies, carrots, potatoes, fruit such as watermelon and pineapple, sweetened dairy products such as fruit yogurts – leads to a rapid increase in blood glucose and insulin. Research suggests many diseases, such as cancer, heart failure, strokes and dementia, are caused by a combination of high blood sugar and high insulin.

Eliminating all carbs is a bit extreme, he agrees. That is why he recommends removing the “low-hanging fruit” first, and working your way down the list from bad to less bad, as he describes it.

“The number one thing everyone should cut out of their diet 100 per cent is cakes and biscuits. It’s gluten, sugar and trans fats. The next level down is bread – all bread. It should just be abolished,” he says.

Next on his hit list is rice – Caudwell points out that much of the world’s rice contains arsenic. Science backs that up, although arsenic levels vary depending on rice type, where it is grown, how it is processed and whether it is well rinsed before cooking.

Potatoes fall near the bottom of his list. He says they are “the least offensive, but still with a quite high GI”.

He limits himself to one or two portions of fruit a day.

“If you eat a lot of fruit, you will end up with fatty liver disease later on in your life. Fructose cannot go into the bloodstream, it can only be dealt with by the liver. When they say [have] five [servings] a day, that’s nonsense.

“Take watermelon – it has a GI of around 72; table sugar has a GI of 63. So watermelon, if you have enough, is doing great damage to cause your glucose to spike.”

“That’s all packed full of nutrition and has very little sugar. The nearer you can get to a healthy diet, the better your chance of living longer and at high quality.”

At Le Provençal, an impressive art deco hotel renovated into 39 ultra luxury flats, it was of utmost importance to include a serious health and wellness facility, with sauna and steam rooms, an ice room, massage therapy rooms, yoga studio, state-of-the-art fitness room and a 30-metre (98-foot) swimming pool.

“It’s a must-have for me, and I find health and well-being is increasingly important to homeowners.”

If actions speak louder than words, he is in remarkably good shape for a man his age. He has cycled here for the interview with his partner, former Olympic cyclist Modesta Vzesniauskaite, aged 40, from their home in Monaco, a good two-and-a-half hour hilly ride; he will cycle back tomorrow.

He is training for a bike race traversing the breadth of Italy called Chase the Sun, on June 22, covering more than 280km (174 miles) with 3,300 metres in elevation. The goal is to get it done in a day.

Before our meeting, he had just had a three-hour sports massage, which he described as “agony, but good agony”. Regular massages help him relax.

While he enjoys the trappings of a billionaire lifestyle, he has a third home in London’s affluent Mayfair. He often opting to fly budget airline easyJet and holiday in affordable all-inclusive resorts in Turkey. It is a way of staying incognito.

“People don’t recognize me that way, or perhaps they do, but don’t believe it could be me,” he laughs.

Caudwell eschews having a dedicated nutritionist or personal trainer, and instead follows doctors’ and fitness specialists’ advice on their YouTube channels.

When he finds that many noted doctors are giving the same health advice, he tests their advice on himself, and if it works well, it becomes part of his regime, he says.

“I desperately want to see my children grow up and I work like mad to make sure I can do the best I can. I do everything in my power to get an extra 10 or 20 years, even though I am pragmatic about it.”

“I’ve had a massive life, though, and I’m not greedy. None of us are entitled to anything.”

Source: SCMP

Background music credit: Miri Miri Jaah Lula / Old Newari Song

Audiobook Production: Sanjay Amatya

Copyrights:

Original Book संस्मरणका पानाहरु
(c) Amatya Family

Audiobook
(c) Amatya Foundation

Wherever you go, you hear people saying Paisa Nadie Kama Hudai Hudaina (nothing should be done without bribing) Paisa Nakhuwai Kama Hudai Hudaina (nothing can be done without bribing) That is true. I came to know that even the payment of your property tax amount could be less or more depending on the bribe you give. I have a neighbour who built six storied houses with the house design and permission for three-storied. That is in roadside and a substantial multi-storied house. He has been paying home and land tax for three stories bribing the corrupt pigs of the municipality ward office. Life is much easier and smoother when you adopt the culture of corruption. If you do not do it, you have to spend much more, ten times more money, face many artificially created hurdles and problems, and suffer physically and mentally visiting the office to get things done many times. You become their target and make it challenging to live. No one helps you.

When I went to my ward office 14 to pay my property tax on 12 September, someone told me that I would need to pay only about 60 thousand rupees without any problem if I would give them about fifteen thousand rupees kharcha (bribe) for my property tax. If not, I would need to pay additional three to four hundred thousand rupees. I was astonished to hear it. The person had no shame and fear of openly asking for a bribe. It seems political party leaders protect them all. But I told them I was happy to pay any amount according to the country’s law without a bribe, not getting an unfair advantage. That was the accumulated amount since the government made it taxable. It was untaxable till the fiscal year 2041/42 BS. At the same time, I learned that they charge tax only for two years, omitting and erasing the other year’s due amount from the computer when you bribe them.

Similarly, I could smell and see that the “Gang of Four” of tax dealing staff was operating that bribe company in that ward office. They must have been collecting millions of rupees as bribes daily. That is an open secret. No auditor and no other official check it. Suppose if anyone wants to see and study that account document right or wrong and wants to punish the culprit for doing illegal work, in that case, one can easily find out the wrongdoing and illegally tax waived by the corrupt official of the ward offices of the Kathmandu Metropolis Corporation. I assume most ward offices have been following corrupt practices to collect property tax for bribes. They think no one would know or catch them for their illegal tax waive to take hundreds of thousands rupees bribe.

Now I became their enemy and target because of my thought of anti-bribery. I have some other land in Kathmandu Metropolis Corporation ward No 14 but not in the compound where I live —land not used for any purpose. According to the law, I have been paying land tax (Malpot). The corrupt officials wanted to supervise that land to see whether it had some building or shade to give me trouble as I was not ready to bribe them. I had to take them to the ground for supervision. In general, they would not visit the site. At the same time, they said they needed to see my house and compound and inspected it though I had submitted the house tax document received from the Government Tax Office. After checking, they tried to tax the remaining staircase of the dismantled house to widen the road, saying it was taxable. I could not get house tax exemption for the house cracked, not living condition because of the earthquake damage for which I had reported to the ward office in 2015. Besides, they included my other plot of land to the house compound to make me pay more tax which did not exist when I built the house and was not a part of the house compound. Not only that, they said that they had to charge me land tax again from the beginning, which I had been paying every year regularly. When I told them about it, they asked me to submit all the land tax bill receipts to be exempted, which we never preserve except the last one. Everybody knows that even the Land Registration Office does not ask for all the receipts to transfer your property. That was their unbearable final endeavour to give me trouble, to make me weak to stand against the bribery. They opened their big evil eye to see many other ways to make me more upset. In this way, my honesty and integrity were punished in many ways.

At last, they determined three hundred sixty-five thousand seven hundred seventy-eight rupees, and I deposited that amount to the Bank on 2 November because I preferred it. After visiting the ward office many times, I could only deliver that considerable amount after 51 days facing much humiliation and torture. I sent my nephew to pay for it. The officials told him that I was a most dangerous person. They considered my honesty most hazardous. Despite all these problems, they told me I would get my tax clearance document only after getting approval from the head office. We were to go to the head office with the file. On 10 November, I with my nephew went to their head office at Babar Mahal, but the director told us the approval was the jurisdiction of the ward office. We were not supposed to come to that office. So he asked us to go back to the ward office. So we went back there, but the officer told us to come the next day. My nephew could get my tax clearance receipt only on 14 November after hours of unnecessary arguments with many calls and the help of the director. It proves that one needs to suffer without reason when not feeding these dirty pigs in human form. It has become a necessary way of life. You should have a motive and mentality to get an advantage from the bribe system, knowledge, and information of a contact person who could bribe and get the things done economically. The man with that thoughts and learning is considered a wise and practicable man in our country. That is very important for your life’s smooth running. People enquire about and search now. Most people think I am a big fool not to get a substantial advantage from bribing a few thousand rupees and putting myself at risk because they could give me any trouble in the future, whatever way they could. It made me so sad, weak and despairing that I often thought this was not the land for me to live in. It forced me to think that I should adopt a culture of corruption if I want to live here or run away somewhere if I cannot.

When I experienced it, I could imagine how much corruption would be in big projects of the different development works of roads and buildings, industries, hydropower, irrigation, etc. I thought no one would be able to run the government, offices, industries, and business smoothly and efficiently without adopting the culture of corruption and doing business under the table in this country. Corruption and bribes have become a part of your life and culture in Nepal now. Honesty and integrity are the enemies of present Nepal. If you do not know that culture and cannot adopt it, you will hardly have a place to live in this country as you need to know about the iPhone, iPad, computer, etc., these days to survive. My lips get dry, I get weak, feeble, and sick, disturbed, and nervous when I remember I need to go to any government and municipality offices for work, reflecting the system of bribery, so difficult for me to see and tolerate. I get scared I lose my temper there and indulge in shoutings and fighting against my noble nature and disturbing my peace. The rampant corruption everywhere in the country is known to all. But the most disturbing and frustrating to me is that I do not see any civil societies, activists, social workers, political parties, or the high-powered offices established for this purpose are showing any severe concern to eradicate it. People are readily adopting the culture of corruption in our country as if this is the way of life. I lost a good response, help, support, love, and smile from those corrupt officials after I presented my honesty. Due to my anti-corruption motive, I had to face intolerable artificially created problems and challenges paying vast amounts of tax. What would a misfortune of this land be more than that? People need to suffer for paying the taxes everywhere, not getting or earning anything – Municipality, Land Registration Office, Transportation Office, etc.

I wrote about how I suffered and fought against the bribe and wrongdoings in the Land Office, Patan in People’s Review, on 28 April 2021. I must confess I often feel now I may not be able to fight that problem with my old bones, frail body, tired mind, and being a helpless person if I face those problems again. So, I pray God not to put me again in any trouble. I still hope the saviour of this severe problem will appear soon. I pray to God let him send someone who could destroy these corrupt people forever and ever. I pray to God not to live only in the holy books and epics as omnipresent and omnipotent and show his power and strength in action.

— Narayan Prashad Mishra

Note: This article was first published in PeoplesReview. It has been published here with author's permission.

This infographic of GDP Growth for 2021 Q1 highlights how the biggest economies of the world are doing.

Source: Global Times

Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara had an extraordinary life for many reasons. For starters, the Japanese physician and longevity expert lived until the age of 105.

When he died, in 2017, Hinohara was chairman emeritus of St. Luke’s International University and honorary president of St. Luke’s International Hospital, both in Tokyo.

Perhaps best known for his book, “Living Long, Living Good,” Hinohara offered advice that helped make Japan the world leader in longevity.

Here's a summary of what he said:

#1 Don’t retire. But if you must, do so a lot later than age 65.

Hinohara certainly practiced what he preached: Until a few months before his death, he continued to treat patients, kept an appointment book with space for five more years, and worked up to 18 hours a day.

#2 Take the stairs (and keep your weight in check).

Hinohara emphasized the importance of regular exercise.

“I take two stairs at a time, to get my muscles moving,” he said. He also pointed out that people who live an extremely long life have a commonality: They aren’t overweight. Indeed, obesity is widely considered one of the most significant risk factors for increased morbidity and mortality.

Hinohara’s diet was spartan: “For breakfast, I drink coffee, a glass of milk and some orange juice with a tablespoon of olive oil in it.” (Studies have found that olive oil offers numerous health benefits, such as keeping your arteries clean and lowering heart disease risk.)

“Lunch is milk and a few cookies, or nothing when I am too busy to eat,” he continued. “I never get hungry because I focus on my work. Dinner is veggies, a bit of fish and rice, and, twice a week, 100 grams of lean meat.”

#3 Find a purpose that keeps you busy.

According to Hinohara, not having a full schedule is a surefire way to age faster and die sooner. However, it’s important to stay busy not just for the sake of staying busy, but to be active in activities that help serve a purpose. (The logic is that one can be busy, yet still feel empty and idle on the inside.)

“It’s wonderful to live long,” Hinohara said in the interview. “Until one is 60 years old, it is easy to work for one’s family and to achieve one’s goals. But in our later years, we should strive to contribute to society. Since the age of 65, I have worked as a volunteer. I still put in 18 hours seven days a week and love every minute of it.”

#4 Rules are stressful; try to relax them.

While he clearly promoted exercise and nutrition as pathways to a longer and healthier life, Hinohara simultaneously maintained that we need not be obsessed with restricting our behaviors.

“We all remember how, as children, when we were having fun, we would forget to eat or sleep,” he often said. “I believe we can keep that attitude as adults — it is best not to tire the body with too many rules.”

#5 Remember that doctors can’t cure everything.

Hinohara cautioned against always taking the doctor’s advice. When a test or surgery is recommended, he advised, “ask whether the doctor would suggest that his or her spouse or children go through such a procedure.”

Hinohara insisted that science alone can’t help people. It “lumps us all together, but illness is individual. Each person is unique, and diseases are connected to their hearts,” he said. “To know the illness and help people, we need liberal and visual arts, not just medical ones.”

#6 Find inspiration, joy and peace in art.

According to The New York Times, toward the end of his life, Hinohara was unable to eat, but refused a feeding tube. He was discharged and died months later at home.

Instead of trying to fight death, Hinohara found peace in where he was through art. In fact, he credited his contentment and outlook toward life to a poem by Robert Browning, called “Abt Vogler” — especially these lines:

"There shall never be one lost good!
What was, shall live as before;
The evil is null, is nought, is silence implying sound;
What was good shall be good, with, for evil, so much good more;
On the earth the broken arcs;
in the heaven a perfect round."

Source: CNBC

If you're a doctor, nurse, or healthcare worker, you probably see a lot of eye-opening things and know a lot of important information.

"Doctors and medical professionals of Reddit, what one medical fact do you wish everybody knew?"

1. "Vaccines are safe and save lives."

2. "Priority is given to patients according to their state at the time. Be a patient patient. It's not a simple 'first come, first served' system."

3. "If you're admitted to the hospital, don't lie about how much you drink."
   "There are drugs we can give you to take the edge off of withdrawals. It's safer for you and safer for us. We're not judging you. We have safety in mind."

4. "Your immune system is one of the greatest assets you have, and you never thank it."
   "In your life, your body will autonomously eradicate between 6 and 10 cancers without you even realizing. It will fight your infections, repair micro-traumas, and police the entire population of billions of cells in your body without your asking. All it requests in return is a little bit of health to preserve it. Stop smoking, maintain a healthy weight. Maybe exercise a little. Don't drink so much. Your diet is so much more important that you realize."

5. "Keep an eye on your weight. Rapid unintentional weight loss is often a sign something serious is up."

6. "Most important rule: Know your own history and drugs. Our electronic medical records are too inefficient to depend on, especially if you've been to many different institutions."

7. "If your kid has a fever and you give them acetaminophen or ibuprofen to bring it down, they are STILL. SICK. You're only treating symptoms temporarily, not curing anything."

8. "It's significantly more effective to prevent cancer than it is to treat it."
   "Don't smoke. Wear sunscreen. Don't drink excessively. Get a bit of exercise and eat some goddamn vegetables. Those habits reduce your risk of getting cancer."

9. "Do not keep medicine in the 'medicine cabinet' in your bathroom. The steam from a shower and the temperature fluctuations will degrade your medication."

10. "Viral infections cannot be treated with antibiotics."

11. "Smoking will kill you."

12. "Mental illness can be as serious as a physical one. Get treated. You wouldn't ignore a broken leg."

13. "No matter how bad it is, we have seen worse. Don't be ashamed."

14. "Get that new mole checked, especially if it is painful or bleeds spontaneously."

15. "Dentist here: Just because a toothache goes away doesn't mean it's all better."

16. "If exercise were a pill, it would be the most prescribed drug in existence."

17. "Clinical psychologist here. If you need mental health treatment, try your local college campuses."
    "Oftentimes, there are training clinics supervised by some of the best clinicians around. Most will provide a generous sliding fee scale. Treatment works…especially for sleep problems, depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc."

18. "If you're sexually active, go for STI testing once or twice a year. HIV can take up to six months to show, and it's possible to have an STI with no symptoms."

19. "You should not stop an antibiotic treatment because you feel better already."

20. "Medical fact: Emergency means potential loss of life, limb, or eyesight. It does NOT mean inconvenience, irritation, or chronic condition."

21. "Keep things out of your ears. Seriously."

22. "The pregnancy test you get in the ER is no different from the one at the store, and they're just as accurate."

23. "Don't stop your medications by yourself. Just don't, no matter how good you feel. Don't stop any drug unless cleared beforehand with your doctor."

24. "I work in a burn unit. Don't put accelerants on bonfires. Even if it 'just won't light.'"

25. "Doctors are there to help you; stop lying to them. They have to protect your privacy."

26. "Carry an up-to-date list of medications in your wallet, or take a picture of your various pill bottles at home and keep it on your phone."

Source: Buzzfeed

Eating two mushrooms a day could lower cancer risk by 45 per cent, study finds. Eating 18 grams of mushrooms a day could lower the risk of cancer, a new study suggests. Individuals who eat two medium-sized mushrooms daily have a 45 per cent lower risk of cancer compared to those who do not eat mushrooms, according to Pennsylvania State University research, published in Advances in Nutrition.

For centuries, Chinese medicine practitioners have used mushrooms, which are rich in vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants, as a treatment for illness including lung disease. Some of the chemical compounds in mushrooms are believed to strengthen the immune system.

The Penn research examined 17 cancer studies from 1966 to 2020, analyzing more than 19,500 cancer patients. The team’s findings showed that even though shiitake, oyster, maitake and king oyster mushrooms have higher amounts of the amino acid ergothioneine than white button, cremini and portobello mushrooms, people who incorporated any variety of mushrooms into their daily diets had a lower risk of cancer.

“Mushrooms are the highest dietary source of ergothioneine, which is a unique and potent antioxidant and cellular protector,” said Djibril Ba, a graduate student in epidemiology at Penn State College of Medicine. “Replenishing antioxidants in the body may help protect against oxidative stress and lower the risk of cancer.”

Source: South China Morning Post

I have been a regular meditator since that 2017 summer trip to Pecatonica, a small town near Chicago. The ten-day Vipassana retreat was one of the turning points of my life, where I learned this ancient meditation technique practiced by Buddha himself some 2600 years ago.

When you read about it and hear from others, you can only imagine what it will be like. There is a curiosity and doubts if you can do it.
"Ten days of noble silence."
"Only one meal a day."
"Waking up at 4 AM for meditation."
"Over 6 hours of meditation every day."

After driving almost five hours along the lonely highways of Iowa and Illinois, we arrived in Dhamma Pakasa Vipassana Center - a beautiful place with little ponds, trails, beautifully maintained lawns and gardens.

After all, leaving everything behind, without even a phone for communication and away from family, and living a monk-like life for ten days, is a drastic change for a layperson.

These ten days were very special to me. In this quietness, I had the opportunity to reflect and contemplate. I was already interested in Buddhism and practiced meditation before this, but after the trip, my resolve strengthened, and I was able to take my Buddhism study further. Here are a few things I learned.

#1 There's a lunatic in all of us

The lunatic is in my head
... you lock the door
And throw away the key
There's someone in my head but it's not me

-- Pink Floyd / Brain Damage

Not me, I am perfectly sane - you must be thinking. But all it takes is taking a little deeper dive into our minds to see all its idiosyncrasies at play.

"What exactly meditation gives you?" people often ask. The short answer is like Pink Floyd sings, it will bring you face to face with yourself and let you see the lunatic in your head.

And you ask, who is this lunatic? It is the one sitting in some corner of all of our heads: the obsessive lunatic who always needs to be doing something, the one who wants to impress others, the one who wants to own the whole world and be wealthier than the wealthiest person, the one who wants to experience all possible lust and sensual pleasures out there, the one who is constantly chattering inside, telling stories, creating and recreating dreams and so on.

There's a story about a man I read. He was a wise man, who used to sing songs of "beauty of life" and how blessed we are to be alive, and that we should all appreciate this life. Once, he learned about the suicide by a young guy in town, and he told others how this young man did not understand life and wasted God's gift. Years later, the neighborhood people learned of the sad news that this wise man committed suicide. They were shocked. How is it possible? What this story tells us is until things happen to us, we are all sane. But few know that there is a very fine line separating the sane from the insane. As long as the situation is good for us, we are all happy and ready to sing songs of joy. But once it is not, the lunatic strikes back.

There's another song I like that depicts the sad state of our lunatic mind.

.. somebody stole my car radio
And now I just sit in silence
Sometimes quiet is violent
I find it hard to hide it
My skin will scream reminding me of
Who I killed inside my dream

-- Twenty One Pilots / Car Radio

"Sometimes quiet is violent" - when I had first heard this song, I had smiled and thought: "He stole my words." Like it or not, this is the state of our minds - we simply cannot not do anything. You need to stop for a moment, sit with yourself to see how this silence will turn violent.

This is why Freud declared: "Man, as he is, can never be happy."

#2 Searching for a solution and why the God question is a distraction

After my mother's passing away in 2014, there was a big void in my heart - that just wouldn't go away. I remember the nights when I searched for answers on the Internet for questions like "What is bardo?", "Is there a life after death?", "Is there a soul without a body?"  

If rebirth is true, I wondered; by now, my mother has been reborn somewhere. Will I be able to see her again in this life? Will I recognize her if I met her?

Have you ever looked into the eyes of an older person with dementia? What feelings has it evoked in you? What does that silent stare into nothingness tell you about the person sitting next to you? Can you imagine yourself asking your son or daughter: "Who are you? Have we met?" It is a terrifying feeling. You feel sorry. You wish you could find a way to help. And behind the mind, a thought is rising, and a certain fear grips the soul. It's the fear that we are all in a queue, to the same destination, and it is just a matter of time, and we will also be there. We come face to face with our mortality. Death is the mother of all fears, as they say. 

I felt, whatever I knew, everything I had read, all the rituals of my religion - was simply useless. I needed answers. And this is when I found Buddha - with a clear message and a clear path to follow. And he proves Freud wrong. Buddha said the questions of God and a Soul are a distraction and mask the fundamental problem of human suffering. And I realized, at that very moment, he is right. How will it help if someone told us that there is a God? There is a God, but you still suffer. Then, you will ask what use is God. 

You are like a man who has been shot, who is bleeding and suffering. But instead of treatment, you are asking stupid questions: Who is the shooter? What kind of bullet have I been shot with?

How can we get to the answer if all this time we had been asking the wrong questions? I didn't care if there is an Almighty God out there somewhere. I didn't care if there was a heaven or if there was a soul. I cared about this deep-seated anxiety that I faced right here and now.  

This is how a new chapter started in my life - diving into Buddha's teachings and practicing the meditation technique he gave us. 

#3 Understanding sage Durvasa's rage

Coming from a Hindu background, I have always wondered about our angry Gods and sages. For example, why is sage Durvasa always angry, always cursing anyone and everyone he meets? He curses Indra to lose all his powers. He curses goddess Laxmi to be separated from her husband ( Sita ). He even curses Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva. And take Indra - the king of the Gods - always running after lustful things - women, power, and whatnot. And the silly and crazy things he does to top it all - it goes beyond my understanding why is he even called the King of Gods. Is this the picture of a fully enlightened being?

And then there's a picture of the Buddha - calm and peaceful, and of course, always compassionate.

After Vipassana, I seemed to find a hint for the answers to my questions. In Vipassana, we learn that both concentration and insight are essential to get enlightened. Could it be that our Hindu sages practiced only concentration and just got the powers, but they did not have insight and therefore lacked compassion? My small mind wondered.

Vipassana - the direct translation of this ancient Pali word into English is insight. But then again, we might ask what insight is? Insight into the nature of things and the ability to look at things as they are. Reading this one sentence, it seems simple and straightforward, but it is not. It took me some time to understand what precisely this insight meant, what it has got to do with meditation, and why Buddha called it the highest wisdom. 

Vipassana, as taught by Goenka, might be slightly different than what Buddha must have taught. It seems to be the simplified version to suit the laypeople. There is no such sutta as Vipassana, but references can be found in Satipatthāna Sutta discourse. 

So the next question we might have in our minds is how is Vipassana different than the meditation techniques that have existed for thousands of years, even before Buddha. It is difficult to say what kind of meditation was practiced 2000 - 3000 years ago, but what we can say, with some level of confidence, is the meditation techniques before Buddha mainly focused on concentration ( Samatha ). Samatha meditation can indeed bring deep levels of absorption and is responsible for higher states of Jhanas. But according to Vipassana, Samatha is only one aspect of the mind. It should go hand in hand with Vipassana for the final penetration of reality.  

So concentration can give you powers, but insight is needed for final liberation. Could this be the reason why sage Durvasa had powers but not insight? They say even Devadutta had powers and reached higher levels of Jhanas but lacked the insight. Because once you have the wisdom through insight, you are not capable of cursing anyone. You will be compassionate to all and everything - like Buddha was.

#4 Losing and then finding my religion

To everyone who is not a Buddhist already, this question is always at the back of our minds. Born a Hindu, I also had my doubts and fears. Do I need to give up my gods and goddesses? Do I need to give up my rituals? This fear comes from the fact that we have not understood what we call my Dharma. 

It is easy to declare: "I am a Hindu," "I am an atheist," "I believe in God," and so on.

But if we look a bit deeper into our own words, we understand that what we believe is some hollow words and concepts that have been put into our heads by someone else - that are loud but have no meaning. Our Gods and beliefs, or non-beliefs, are made up by our minds. 

Buddha shows us a new meaning of Dharma. 

"All that we are is the result of our thoughts,
It is made up of our thoughts
If a man acts or speaks with evil thought,
Pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage"

"The world does not know that we must all come to an end here;
But those who know it, their quarrels cease at once."

-- Buddha / Dhammapada

Dhamma is one and universal. There is no Hindu Dharma and Buddhist Dharma, my Dharma or your Dharma. Dharma is eternal, a reality of nature and our lives - a natural phenomenon. Dharma is to be able to see and understand the impermanence in nature and our own lives. Good deeds will bring good to you; evil intentions, thoughts, and acts will eventually make you live in a state of hell. There is no need for a God who oversees this task - to keep records and punish. As Buddha said, these natural laws were there before me and before all the buddhas of the world, and they will continue to be. 

Thus the Buddha declared: "Es Dhammo Sanatano ( Dharma is Eternal )"

#5 Stop counting others' cows

This is one of the biggest lessons for anyone, in any field. So it gets its own title. You can read all Vedas and Puranas, you can have all the knowledge in the world, but the realization is far from you unless you practice. And that practice is meditation. As long as we just read books and listen to nice YouTube talks, we are like that cowherd who counts others' cows but has none of his. Buddha is asking us to talk less and practice more. 

#6 The path is simple, but it's not easy

We start with our breath as the object of meditation. Such a simple thing, it seems. But watch your mind for the next ten seconds, and you will see how your mind has fleeted away from breath to something else. And now you have to bring the awareness back to your breath - again and again. Simple, yes. Easy, definitely not. And breath is just the beginning. 

Before we begin something, we need to have a clear understanding of what we want to achieve. When we talk about motivation to meditate, some want just to relax, some want to fall asleep, some want to do it because now everyone started doing it, and some want nirvana. 

To me, the motivation are these words by the Buddha:

Meditate, don't be negligent,
lest you may later regret it!

-- Buddha

I first heard these words by the Buddha to a monk in a discourse called Introduction to Jhanas by Bhante Gunaratna. Bhikku Analyo's book Sattipathana Sutta also starts with these words of the Buddha. Whenever I am negligent and lazy to meditate, these words are sharp reminders to get up and meditate. Hearing these Pali words gives me some sense of how Buddha's original discourse must have been like. It feels like Buddha is directly talking to you. This has been my motivation.  

#7 The mind is the master

Buddha, as part of Sila, laid out five precepts for laypeople and then extended it to eight precepts for more serious practitioners (or for laypeople during certain times of dedicated practice):

• Refrain from killing living creatures

• Refrain from taking what is not given

• Refrain from sexual misconduct ( as part of 8 precepts, this will mean no sexual activity )

• Refrain from false/hateful speech

• Refrain from intoxicants

• Refrain from eating outside the time ( #6 )

• Refrain from dancing, singing, music, going to see entertainments, wearing garlands, perfumes, and cosmetics ( #7 )

• Refrain from high or large sleeping beds ( #8 )

The ten-day Vipassana course is the practice of 8 precepts. I had doubts about #6. What to do if you are hungry in the evening? I noticed that there were pangs of hunger the first few days when the body asked for food. But after that, no more. It showed me first-hand how the mind is the master. Once the mind accepts and tells the body there is no food in the evening, the body obliges and stops the revolt.

Another incident that taught me something about the mind was when I felt excruciating pain sitting hours in a half-lotus position. The pain started on the 3rd day, and on the 5th day, I decided to use a chair instead. After all, many were already doing that. Then that day, after lunch, I got a knock on my door, and a senior student told me the teacher wanted to see me. I was surprised. Why would she want to see me? When I went there, she asked me about using the chair. I told her about the pain sitting in a half-lotus position, and she smiled and said, "look at your Samkharas - observe the pain, and they are bound to go away. Don't give in so easily." And I gave up the chair, and yes, the pain went away the next day.

So the lesson is: the mind is the master. We are not aware of what we are capable of until we do it.

#8 The 10000-hour rule and the point of no return

Meditation does not come easy. It is not something you can force or learn. It is not a magic pill that someone can give you to make you happy. It takes hard work and determination. Some time back, my friend reminded me of the 10000-hour rule that makes us experts in a specific skill, recommending me to read a book called Outliers. I had read an article earlier about this 10000-hour rule. And it made sense to me. We have to put our hours to be good at a meaningful skill. Some might have had good luck being born with carry-over of good karma from previous lives. For the rest of us, the only formula to get results is hard work.

The last time I looked in my meditation timer, I had almost 1000 hours logged. And maybe 1000 more before I started tracking? It seems silly, but I am curious about this and how it will play out in my practice.

Many have taken the Vipassana course. They tell stories about how wonderful it was and so on. But as time passes, we seem not able to keep up with the two-hour meditation routine. It seems much easier to binge watch TV, browse the net, social media or do something else to forget yourself. It is a real problem, but we have to come back to it repeatedly, just like the technique.

Those who cross the river are few
Most will just wander around the banks

-- Buddha / Dhammapada

On the bright side, there comes a stage or a moment in a meditator's life when he has a beautiful experience.

"Wow! There's a state like this!" he wonders.

Yes, there is a state that is better than anything else you have experienced in your life: better than any sensual pleasures, better than when you felt rich when your best stock skyrocketed, better than any intoxicants, and better than the best food you ever had—a state of total silence. It's a paradox because we always associate happiness with some external activity or happening. Until this moment, we are skeptical; we have doubts about the meditation practice. But after this moment, there is no return. We will move on and will not look back. Our doubts about Buddha and the path will disappear.

#9 All imaginations are just imaginations

"I felt an out-of-body experience," "My chakras are awakening," "I think my third-eye is opening" - I have heard and read some stories like these. People telling such stories have no clue what they are talking about. If your third-eye opened, you wouldn't be talking about it. But it definitely makes us smile to hear such stories. 

These imaginations are more prevalent in visualization meditation techniques, where meditators start imagining all kinds of things. That is why Vipassana emphasizes bare attention that should see these as mere mental formations and let them go. 

But are there not special experiences happening to meditators? Yes, there are. If you read Gunaratna's A Critical Analysis of Jhanas, he describes in detail all the stages of these meditative states - and what you will encounter. But there is a clear distinction between what you "imagine" and the energy-level changes that happen during meditation.

#10 Gurus and shops

Sometimes, I wished for a guru like Ramakrishna was to Vivekananda. According to Vivekananda's biography, something that happened to him on his second visit to Ramakrishna shocked him. Ramakrishna had touched Vivekananda with his foot taking him to a different realm. I think we all have wished for such a guru.

But where are gurus like Ramakrishna these days? Yes, there are gurus, but all of them are busy building billion-dollar empires. There are shops everywhere, and I try to stay away from anyone trying to sell something to me. I found Goenka's Vipassana center different from this perspective. The center relies on dana ( generous offering or gift ), not a fee. It is based on what one is capable of giving vs what is asked for. Just like your visit's cost has been paid by someone else before you, your dana is paying for the students who visit after you.

Buddha's teachings and teachings of other great gurus should be free for all humanity. Be wary of gurus setting shops of religion and putting a price on the teachings of the original gurus. Buddha has said, the Dhamma dana is the greatest dana. We should be careful of anyone trying to set up a shop and create their spiritual business empire.

If you did not find a guru, no problem. Buddha is your guru. Shiva is your guru. Try to get to their original teachings. Study their original works. I don't think I need more gurus. Buddha has already laid out in detail the path in his eight-fold path. All you need to do is diligently and honestly follow it.

#11 A word of caution ...

I have read several articles recently that are anti-Vipassana or anti-meditation in general. Here's one from Harper's magazine I came across recently:

More than fifty published studies have documented meditation-induced mental health problems, including mania, dissociation, and psychosis. In 2012, leading meditation researchers in the United Kingdom published a set of guidelines for meditation instructors, noting "risks for participants," including depression, traumatic flashbacks, and increased suicidal ideation. Four years later, the U.S. National Institutes of Health cautioned that "meditation could cause or worsen symptoms in people with certain psychiatric problems."

-- Harper's Magazine / Lost in Thought

So, is meditation dangerous? I think it could be.

But let's be clear about a couple of things -

(a) Buddha taught Dhamma, not just meditation

In my Vipassana retreat, I had the opportunity to meet and talk to a fellow meditator who was a neuroscientist and a professor at a university studying the effect of meditation on the mind. It was a good talk on how the mind is so complex, and scientists have not understood everything and still figuring out how meditation works.

But the important thing is Buddha taught Dhamma as a way of life, not just meditation, which is being used as a quick remedy to mental problems. It is only recently the Mindfulness meditation gurus have started taking bits and pieces of Buddha's teaching and packaging into small bundles as a remedy for relaxation, calm, and some mental issues.

When we say Dhamma, it includes:

Sila - the morality aspect,
Samadhi - meditation or concentration aspect,
Panna - final wisdom to see things as they are.

We see that people do not want to follow the Sila or the morality aspect, which is the foundation for Samadhi.

(b) Understanding Buddha's teachings in the context

Buddha taught his Dhamma more than 2600 years ago. Now, we need to understand the context and his teachings as a whole. So meditation should go hand in hand with Buddha's core philosophies. Without that, we just get attached to a few ideas that appeal to us.

(c) Understanding one's mind and facing the fears

"I have anxiety and depression. Without a cause."

Have you heard such words before? I have. The first part is fine, the problem is with the second part - "without a cause." According to Buddha, everything that arises ( what is called Samkhara ) has a cause and a condition and is bound to recondition ( disappear into some other form). So, the answer is no - nothing happens without a cause and condition. The mental phenomenons happening inside our minds are no different.

Bhante Gunaratna, in one of his discourses, talking on fetters, asks, "Have you seen a small plant in a desert? It is so small, but when you try to take it out, you can't do it because, below the ground, it has a huge network of roots." 

Yes, our mind is like that small plant in a desert. What we can see and grasp is just the conscious mind. Down below, there is a vast unknown - the subconscious mind. There has been much research, but even scientists do not know how this unconscious mind works. 

Imagine this. You sit to meditate. It's all quiet. Suddenly you realize that at this moment, all the tags and labels you have been accumulating are slowly disappearing - "I am an engineer," "I am a father," "I am a mother," "I am a doctor," "I am a celebrity," "I am famous." The world goes on without you. And you thought it would stop. In this quietness, there are no relationships. In this quietness, it's time to face yourself. And for most of us, it is the most challenging thing to do - to face oneself. To face oneself is to face one's egos and demons lurking around in the subconscious mind. They bubble up when you meditate. It is indeed difficult to face these fears and feelings we weren't even aware existed. And that small lunatic in you becomes a monster lunatic and totally overwhelms you.

So if you want to meditate, be prepared to face the dark side of your mind. 

#12 There is no tomorrow - hurry!

Buddha says, there can only be 2 mistakes on the path: (1) Not starting and (2) Not finishing what you started.

The time is now, not five-years later, not ten-years later. Green leaves are turning yellow, if you noticed. You do not know how much time you have before the yellow leaves dry and fall down. Therefore, Hurry!

You are as the yellow leaf.
The messengers of death are at hand.
You are to travel far away.
What will you take with you?

You are the lamp
To lighten the way.
Then hurry, hurry.

When your light shines
Without impurity or desire
You will come into the boundless country.

Your life is falling away.
Death is at hand.
Where will you rest on the way?
What have you taken with you?

You are the lamp
To lighten the way.
Then hurry, hurry.

When your light shines purely
You will not be born
And you will not die.

-- Buddha / Dhammapada

Source:

Notes & Thoughts

Vipassana: What I Learned

I have been a regular meditator since that 2017 summer trip to Pecatonica, a small town near Chicago. The ten-day Vipassana retreat was one of the turning points of my life, where I learned this ancient meditation technique practiced by Buddha himself some 2600 years ago…

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5 years ago · 3 likes

कृषीमा प्रबिधिको आवस्यकता छ। हामिले ल्याउने प्रबिधी हो।कथित लगानीका नाममा मोन्साण्टो भित्र्याउन खोज्नेले जमैकाको हालत हेर। देखाउ भुटानमा कस्को लगानी छ। बिदेशीको जुठो खान पल्कीएकाहरु नै तेस्ता भाइरस हुन जस्ले गुलामी गर्छ। कृषीमा सरकारले किसानलाई संरक्षण गर्नु पर्ने अवस्था छ। राज्यले ठुल्ठुला फार्महरु निर्माण गर्नु पर्छ, र सहकारी खेतीका लागि किसानहरुलाई सहयोग गर्नु पर्छ।

भारतले तरकारी उत्पादकलाई सब्सिडी दिएका कारण नेपालको बजारमा नेपाली किसानको कन्तबिजोग छ। मलमा भ्रस्टाचार हुन्छ। उदारबादका नाममा हिजो खुलेका चिनीमिल, जुट मिल, कट्न उद्योग सबै कौडीका दाममा बेचे। अहिले कृषिमा बिदेशी लगानीका कुरा गर्दै छन।

१. हिजो चियाबगान निजीकरण गरे। हजारौं बिघा सरकारी जमिनमा लगाएको चियापत्ती बेचेर ब्यापारी धनी भए, तर मज्दुरको शोषणको सिमा छैन। अब ती बगान मास्दै छ्न। अब बगान मासेर प्लटिंङ्ग हुन्छ। लगानीका नाममा जमिन ओगट्ने माफियातन्त्रले राम्रो योजना बनाएको छ। कति कमायो राज्यले निजीकरणबाट। यी चिया बगान समाप्त पारेर जनताले के पाए?

२. ५० बर्ष भयो अलैंची उत्पादन भएको? अलैंची प्रशोधनमा लगानी आएन। सबै अलैंची भारत जान्छ। अलैंची प्रशोधन गर्ने उद्दोगमा लगानी गर्दिएको भए किसान धनी हुन्थे।

३. उखु किसानको बिजोग छ। किन लगानी आएन चिनि उत्पादनमा?प्रस्न लगानीको होइन, प्रस्न नेपाली जनताको संरक्षणको हो।

४. अब बिदेशी लगानीका नाममा जग्गा कब्जा हुन्छ।

५. नेपाली किसानलाई सक्षम बनाउन होइन, कृषीलाई आधुनिक गर्ने होइन, बैज्ञानिक गर्ने होइन बरु नेपाली किसानलाई मोन्सान्टो ल्याएर उन्मुलन गर्ने होला!

जब कथित पढेका अल्पज्ञानिको बिगबिगी हुन्छ, तब देशको आत्मा मर्छ। बिदेशी लगानीका नाममा नेपाली किसानले दूध, तरकारी तथा फलफुलमा गरेको धेरथोर उपलब्धी समाप्त गरिदिए पछि नेपाल भारत र चीनको बजार हुन्छ। मलाइ गाली गर्नेहरु भुटान गएर हेर कसरी हुन्छ देशको बिकास। देशमा बस्न नसक्ने अनि बिदेश गएर रास्ट्रबादी भनेर फोहोर ओकल्ने को पीडा खप्नु म जस्ताको नियती हो। हो, म यो देशमै बसेर देश बनाउन सकिन्छ भन्ने मानिस हु। यो देश हामी आफैले बनाउनु पर्छ। हमिलाइ चाहिएको बिदेशी लगानी होइन, इमान्दार नेता, स्वच्छ प्रसासन र भ्रस्टाचार बिहिन माहौल हो। माफियाको उन्मुलन हो। एक दिन त्यो दिन आउने छ। नसामा रगत बगेको देखिन्न, तर बग्छ। असल चराहरु बास बस्न राम्रो रुख खोज्छ्न। मैले बिदेशीको टट्टी खाएको छैन। नेपाली किसान र रास्ट्रको पक्षमा उभिन डर पनि छैन।

By: Yubaraj Sangroula
Source: FB Post

परम्परा अनुसार बुंगद्यो जात्रा थालनीकालागि टंग:बहा:बाट जट्टाधारी लोकेश्वर - चाक्वाद्यो (मिननाथ) को रथ पुल्चोक सम्म पुर्याइने र गा:बहा: सम्म यीनकै पछि बुंगद्यो रथ तानिने परम्परा रहेको छ । जनचाहना र जात्राबारे राज्यले सुनुवाई नगरेको आक्रोश स्वरूप आज स्थानीयहरुले मछिन्द्रनाथ रथ तान्दै गर्दा यता मिननाथको रथ पनि मंगलबजार पुर्याइएको अवस्था छ । उता प्रशासनले निषेधाज्ञा तोडिएको भन्दै स्थिति नियन्त्रणमा लिनकालागि पानीको फिहोरा र अश्रुग्यास प्रहार गरेका थिए भने स्थानीयहरु थप आक्रोशित हुंदै नाराबाजी गारिरहेका थिए । स्थिति नियन्त्रणकालागि ललितपुरमा भोलि ललितपुरमा बिहान ४ बजेदेखि राती १० बजेसम्म कर्फ्यु आदेश जारी भएको स्थिति छ ।सम्भवत: नेपालको इतिहासमा पहिलो पटक ललितपुरको बुंग:द्यो (मछिन्द्रनाथ) जात्रालाई लिएर आजका दिन राज्य र जनताबीच स्थिति तनावपूर्ण भएको छ ।

यस अगाडी भिन्नै प्रसंगमा बिगतमा संस्कृति संरक्षणका सवालमा काठमाडौंको इन्द्रजात्रामा राज्यको हस्तक्षेपबिरुद्ध पनि नभएका होइनन । यस बिषयमा उत्पन्न अवस्थाको चिन्तनसंग जोडिएर बिशेषत: जात्रा सम्बन्धि सकारात्मक दिशाउन्मुख हुने यो लेखको उद्देश्य रहने छ ।

रथयात्रा अवरोधका दुई महत्वपूर्ण इतिहास

युगौंदेखिको स्थानिय संस्कृतिलाइ थप परिमार्जित गर्दै मल्लकालीन समयमा स्थापित हालको मछिन्द्रनाथको रथयात्राबारे सो समयमा राजकीय शोक भएपनि बाजासहित यो जात्रा संचालन गर्न दिइएको पाइन्छ भने राज्यको प्रमुख प्रत्यक्षदर्शी भएको इतिहास रहेका छन । बिभिन्न समयको इतिहासको अभिलेखमा यो जात्राकै माध्यमले स्थानिय र राज्यको सम्बन्ध यसलाई सांस्कृतिक रूपमा प्रगाढ बनाइएको पाईन्छ । शाहकालिन र राणाकालीन समयमा पनि प्रतिनिधिमूलक राजकीय सहभागिता रहेको र पछिल्लोकालमा भोटोजात्रामा राजा हुंदै राष्ट्रप्रमुखको सहभागिता हुने यो जात्रा सम्पन्न गर्नाले देशमा सहकाल कायम रहने जन आस्था रहेको छ ।

अनिकाल भोगिरहेको तत्कालिन जनताको समस्या समाधान गर्न राजा नरेन्द्रदेवको स्वंय आचार्य बन्धुदत्त र रथंचक्र ज्यापूको पहलमा ल्याईएको सहकाल देवताको रूपमा बुंगद्योलाई पूजिन्छ । कालान्तरमा जात्रामा बौद्ध, बैष्णव, शाक्त, सनातन र हिन्दु सबै धर्मावलम्बिहरुको एकताको प्रतिक बनेको यो जात्रा अवरुद्ध भएको यो प्रथम पटक पनि होईन ।

इतिहासमा पटक पटक रथयात्रामा अवरोध आएको भएपनि जात्रा सम्पन्न गरि बुंगमति पुर्याइएको पाइन्छ । सन १८७५ मा पाटन दरवार क्षेत्र नजिकै पुग्दा रथ दुइ टुक्रा भै भांचेको र दुई शाहकालिन राजाहरुको देहावसानले १३ दिने राजशोकका कारण रथयात्रा दुइपटक स्थगन गरिएपनि श्रावण चतुर्थीमा मात्र बुंगमति लगिएको पाइन्छ । पछिल्लो पटक २०७२ सालमा १२ वर्षको जात्रा परेका कारण बुंगमति देखि रथयात्रा गरिएको थियो । बैशाख ६ गते रथारोहण गरि ९ गते यात्रा शुरु भएकोमा १२ गतेको महाभूकम्पका कारण छ्यासिकोटमा रोकिएको रथ पुन: निर्माण गरि असोज ४ गते रथारोहण र ५ गते जात्रा शुरु भएको ताजा इतिहास हाम्रो सामु छ । सो वर्ष असोज २४ मा जावलाखेल र कार्तिक १ गते बुंगमतिमा सम्पन्न भोटोजात्रा नै अत्याधिक ढीलो सम्पन्न जात्राका रूपमा रहेको छ ।

यस पटकको स्थानिय आक्रोशको कारण र सम्भावित समाधन

यस वर्षको जात्रा सम्बधित कार्यहरु कोभिड १९ का कारण प्रभावित भएको सारा नेपालीहरु अवगत छन । नेपालमा चैत्र ११ गतेदेखि शुरु गरिएको लकडाउन जेठ २९ गते खुकुलो गरियो । तत्पश्चात संक्रमण बढेको पाईएपछि भदौ ३ गतेदेखि लागू गरिएको निषेधाज्ञा अझै जारी छ ।

तर यो जात्रा सम्बन्धित कार्यमा रथनिर्माणकालागि आवश्यक सामाग्री जुटिसकेका थिए । रथनिर्माण कार्य पनि भयो जसमा राज्य वा प्रशासनका तर्फबाट हालको अवस्थामा नगर्न पत्राचार वा कुनै अवरोध पनि भएन । महास्नान कार्य परम्परा अनुसार गत २०७६ चैत्र २७ गते बैशाख कृष्णपक्ष प्रतिपदा तिथिमा सुसम्पन्न भएको थियो ।

त्यसपछि २०७७ बैशाख १२ गते बैशाख शुल्कपक्ष प्रतिपदाका दिन ललितपुर पुल्चोकमा रथारोहण कार्य भएपछि रथयात्रा आरम्भ हुनुपर्नेमा लकडाउनका कारण सो कार्य २०७७ श्रावण १० गते सम्पन्न गर्ने भनि सरोकारवालाहरुको बैठक ललितपुर महानगरपालिका बैठक हलमा प्रमुख चिरिबाबु समेतको सहमतिमा बसेर निर्णय गरिएको थियो । सो अनुसार नै लकडाउन अवस्थाबीच रथारोहण पनि गरिएको थियो ।

परम्परा अनुसार रथारोहणको चौथौं दिनदेखि रथयात्रा शुरु हुनुपर्नेमा लम्बिएको लकडाउनका कारण पुन: स्थगित भएपछि रातो मच्छिन्द्रनाथका मूल पुजारी, बाराही नाईके, यंँवा:, घकू नाईके, घकू र ज्योतिषीहरुको श्रावण २६ गते बसेको बैठकले धार्मिक, सांस्कृतिक रुपमा नगरी नहुने पुजाआजा गरी रथयात्रा अघि बढाउने निर्णय गरेको थियो । यस सम्बन्धि मूल निर्णयको आधार भनेको रथ निर्माण र रथारोहण भैसकेपछि स्थानिय कर्फ्यू जारी गर्दै सानिटाइजर, मास्क लगायतका सुरक्षा उपाय लगाएर भएपनि जात्रा गर्नुपर्ने अनुरोध गर्दै राष्ट्रपति कार्यालयमा समेत पत्राचार गरिएको थियो ।

यस बिषयमा सम्बन्धित निकाय, स्थानिय तह र प्रशासनका तर्फबाट स्पष्ट कुरा नआएपछि जात्रा गर्नुपर्ने र कोभिड महामारी अवस्थाको कारण अन्य उपाय गर्नुपर्छ भन्ने जनताबीच दुइ धारमा आएको मतले बिशेषत: नेवा: समुदायको एकता अनि संस्कृतिमा प्रहार तथा बिभाजनको प्रयासका रूपमा पनि अभिब्यक्ति आउन थाले । यस वर्ष कार्तिकमा मोहनि बडा दशैं पनि रहेकाले मलमास शुरु हुन अगावै जात्रा सम्पन्न गरि बुंगमति लग्नुपर्ने मान्यता अनुसार समय घर्किंदै थियो भने जनतामा धैर्यताको सीमा पनि बिग्रंदो थियो । यस सम्बन्धमा रथयात्राका प्रत्येक्ष सरोकारवाला र गुथि संस्थानबीच आज भाद्र १८ गते निर्णायक बैठक हुने भनिएकोमा समय परिवर्तनको समेत कुरा आएपछि निर्णयकालागि दबाब दिन भनि पुल्चोक पुगेका स्थानियहरुले नै रथ तान्न थाले । त्यसपछि निषेधाज्ञा तोडिएको कारण प्रहरीले पानीफोहोराले भीड नियन्त्रण गर्न खोज्दा आक्रोशित जनताले ढुंगामुढा गर्दै प्रतिकार गरेका थिए भने प्रहरीले अश्रुग्यास र लाठीचार्ज समेत गरेका थिए ।

कोभिड १९ का कारण यो वर्ष देशभरिका सांस्कृतिक जात्रापर्वहरु र बिशेषत: नेवा: पहिचानले स्थापित जात्राहरु पनि सम्भवत: पहिलो पटक स्थगित भएका छन । कोभिडको परिस्थितिबीच पनि भ्रष्टाचारका आशंकाहरु, संक्रमण ब्यवस्थापन लगायत बिशेषत: आदिवासी जनता र नेवा:हरुको चाहना बिपरित सडक बिस्तार र गुथि बिधेयकको चर्चाले पनि सरकार बिरुद्ध आवाज उठिरहेको नकार्न सकिने अवस्था छैन ।

राष्ट्रीय महत्वको जात्राका रूपमा स्थापित मछिन्द्रनाथको रथयात्राका सवालमा हालको बिशेष परिस्थितिमा सहानूभुति राखेर वा आधुनिक भौतिकवादी युगको बिकासका सवालमा राज्य र प्रशासनको भूमिकालाई केलाउंदा पनि चित्त बुझ्दो सहकार्यको अभाव निश्चित रूपमा खट्केको अनूभुत नेवा: लगायत आम नागरिकले गरेका छन । अर्थात महामारीको डरलाई मात्रै बढावा दिएको जस्तो हुने गरि निषेधाज्ञा र यसरी निम्तिएका प्रशासनिक दमन अवस्था भन्दा पुराना एतिहासिक घटनाको जानकार रहेको सदाचार प्रकट गर्दै आम जनता र सरोकारवालालाई धैर्य र बिकल्पको खोजिको अनुरोध सहित राज्यको जनतासंग जोडिने प्रयास खट्किएको अवस्था हो आजको परिस्थिति ।

माथि उल्लेखित एतिहासिक घटनावलीहरुको कसीमा हेर्ने हो भने हाम्रा अमूर्त संस्कृति सम्पदाको उत्पत्ति, बिकास र संरक्षणको दायित्वमा बिभिन्न कालखण्डमा आएका ब्यवधान कसरी ब्यवस्थापन भए? सामजिक सदभाव र राज्यको सम्बन्ध कस्ता थिए? यो सम्बन्ध बिग्रदा के कस्तो प्राकृतिक प्रकोप तथा ती शासनकालमा के के समस्याहरु भए? राज्य, सरकार तथा स्थानिय तहका प्रशासकहरुले पर्याप्त ध्यान दिन जरूरी देखिन्छ । जात्रा सम्बन्धि आजको घटनामा एकाअर्कालाई दोषारोपणले दिर्घकालीन समस्याको रूप लिएर आन्तरिक द्वन्द्वसंगै सत्ताकालागि अनुचित राजनैतिक रणभूमीका रूपमा दुरुपयोग हुने स्थिति यसले ननिम्त्याओस । जनश्रुतिको कुरा बैज्ञानिक नलागेपनि जनभावनाले इंगित गर्ने "अनिष्ट" सामाजिक सदभावमा नपरोस । हाम्रा मौलिक संस्कृति यहाँको सामाजिक आर्थिक बिकासको मनोसामाजिक प्रतिबिम्ब र हाम्रा मौलिक अमूर्त सम्पदाको बिकास "माथिको संलग्नता र तलबाट माथिको सम्बन्ध"ले नै बिकसित भएको देखिन्छ, अनिकाल हैन सहकालका प्रतिक बुंग:द्यो मछिन्द्रनाथले कमसेकम हामी सबैलाई एतिहासिक भौतिकवादी दृष्टीकोण प्रदान गरुन ।

— Rajesh Bajracharya

Hridya Chandra Singh Pradhan was born in 1972 B.S, at Maruhiti, Kathmandu. His childhood name was Chandra Prasad. He was white, lien and dwarf. Early in the life he was caught by asthma at the age of 5years.

One day, Hridaya Chandra went to great poet Lekhanath Poudel and requested the poet to teach him to write poem. But, the great poet dominated him. He said “you uneducated form Newar community with unclear pronunciation, how can you write the poem? It is not easy to be a poet. You can’t be a poet.”

The domination, hate and degradation of poet Lekhanath pushed Hridaya to be a poet. He promised to be a poet in future. In fact, he was not an academically qualified student. His bad health condition compelled him to discontinue his school education. He was from poor family he could not get the nutritious food too. He was a chronic asthma diseased person usually with 102 °F fever and continuous coughing. Instead of his worse health condition, he never accepted the defeat. He spent his all time to add literal heritage in Nepali literature.

He is not only a poet; he is a dramatist essayist, a successful criticizer of Nepali literature. He is also a progressive writer. His writing pushes the people for patriotism, equality in society and social changes. His writings are against the conservative tradition and domination in the society.

Simplicity, clarity, intellectuality, superiority of thought, impressivity is character found in his literature. His some famous creativity are Tis Rupiyako Note, Kehi Nepali Natak, Chheu Lager, jungleko Chita, Maruvumiko Lekhak, Swasni Manchhe, Chhoro Sita, Bhanubhakta Ek Samikshya, Napali Kabya Ra Usaka Pratinidhi Kabi. Next his important output is “Sabda suddi Bichar” which teaches the Nepali to speak Nepali language correctly. It is also answer to Lekhanath Poudel.

It is better to say Hridaya is the first literature to initiate progressive current in Nepali literature. He provided fix roadmap to the upcoming offspring by explaining theoretical and practical aspect of progressive literature with his creative opinion. According to his opinion, people’s literature should not only be simple, understandable by peasants, illiterate and labors, it should not only for people; it should be for upgrading the consciousness of them. Creation without the thought is a dead body. But only the thought is not enough, the art is also essential, according to Hridaya.

Such a progressive literature with chronic asthma could not serve Nepali literature for a long period. During his life, he was caught by T.B. He could get cooperation from no one. He had gone to prime minister; Bishweshwor Prasad Koirala didn’t extend his hand for Pradhan’s worst condition. Later on, Pradhan was successful in treating his disease in India but lost his six ribs and one part of lung. So he was never a completely a healthy person. He always struggled with disease, starvation, and financial means - but never tired to write literature. He was very poor. During his treatment, the doctor suggested him to have eggs daily but he could not afford to.

His poverty and continues struggle compelled the progressive literature Hridaya Chandra Singh to sleep forever in the lap of God at the age of 44 years in 24 January , 1960.

Source:
GoodReads.com

We have to create a new society. A society without any religious conflicts, where one religion does not oppress another, where people are helping each other for each other’s upliftment and development and where a certain economically backward class does not stay like that forever. So that each one of our 20 million Nepalese people is educated, cultured, developed to their fullest potential – so that we never have to bow down to anyone. No one should have to make a living as a porter or coolie for others. No one should have to make a living as a thief, robber, pickpocket, or a prostitute. Imagine a country without alcoholics and drug abuse. It is for these reasons, let’s dream not just of a new society, but also the birth of a new kind of human being. 

A man can stoop low, and go down to the lowest level. But a man can also become great and there are no boundaries to human greatness. 

Going low, a man can go as low as to become a ghost or vampire. And the same human being can rise, to become a Shiva, Ram, Krishna, Lord Buddha – or Marx and Lenin. Or a prophet like Jesus or Mohammad. He can be a Duryodhan, a Yudhiṣṭhira, or a Kamsa or a Ravan. He has the potential to be any of these characters depending on his efforts and thoughts. 

Buddha’s teaching is:

“Your mind can make you a Buddha. The mind can also make you behave like an animal. A man in illusions is like a monster. Therefore pay attention to the mind and guard your mind.” 

Another teaching of Buddha:

“The body is not Buddha. Those who see only the body did not see me.”

Inside all human beings, there is a source of infinite energy. Let’s harness and grow this energy, and utilize it to develop, if not the whole world, at least our own country and people. 

Let’s try to learn what being a real human means. 

Other than humans, the capabilities of all other creatures are limited. A bird can fly, but cannot survive or play in the water like a fish. A horse can run, but cannot fly like a bird. A sparrow can fly from tree to tree, but can it fly to the moon? 

A person who does not work hard is capable of even less than a bird or horse or fish. But the same person with hard work, effort, and dedication can go anywhere he or she wants to – inside the ocean, fly to the moon, from one corner of the earth to another, and can see the world from inside the house. 

Today, we Nepalese are in an economically backward state in every aspect. We are good consumers of all sorts of goods, but we do not use our own hands to produce anything. 

Of course, we can make some nanglos, dokos and some carpets. Our government has limited our potential for producing such small things in the name of the cottage industry. But we do not dare to imagine ourselves taking over challenging engineering projects – like designing planes, manufacturing telecommunication equipment, computers and so on. 

Not just this, we should be able to take on projects that even others could not take on. Countries as small as ours are working on projects and producing goods needed by their people, making them independent. They are doing all this utilizing their minds and doing hard work. Nepal also has that potential. Utilizing that potential, we have to move forward and develop our country. 

Being the best of ourselves – getting rid of greed, anger, hate, and lust – we can transform ourselves into a new and great human being. 

Human birth and fate is determined, to a great extent, by the conditions of our parents. The body is nourished by food. The development of the mind is determined by food, education, and experiences in life. And the body and mind together are directly affected by the human condition. With the change in that condition, both body and mind can change for the better. 

Therefore, let’s work towards creating a society that empowers people and provides the right conditions and opportunities to develop to their full potential. 

By: Tulsi Lal Amatya
Source: Samsmaran Ka Panaharu (Memoir)
Edit/Translation: Sanjay Amatya

I have respect for all religion, castes, races and each culture that is associated with them. Each one of them have their own physical features, specialty and importance. Each one of them is different, but not less or inferior than any other. Comparing one to the other would be only for the sake of finding out the differences, and not deciding on which is superior to the other. This should be clarified to everybody. As being born and raised in the environment that we were, each one of us are and should be proud to belong to a specific caste, race, religion, and as a whole, to a specific community. So, it is very important for us to keep in mind these points when we discuss further.

Having said this, let us move on to a briefly stated History of Newars.

Jyapus were the first settlers of Kathmandu valley. They were the descendants of the Gopal Vanshas / ‎Krishna Vanshas. They have been important part of the Newari community, and in those days, they were represented as the farmers of high skill and physical strength. Originally, Jyapus were at first Aryans who came down to the valley. Out of 621 castes, 411 castes belong to this community.

Kathmandu Valley witnessed its first King, Bhuktaman, from the descendants of the Gopal Vanshas. Later on, the Kirats invaded the valley and the reign of the Gopal Vanshas was put to an end. After this invasion, the Kirats forced them to be involved only in agricultural works. This is how the Jyapu community first got linked with this occupation. The first traces of Nepal Bhasa is therefore linked the Gopal Vanshas, and also influenced by the Kirats, which is why some of the Kirats who speak or are familiar with this language are called Newar Kirats and they fall within the Newar community.

The Kirat dynasty also came to an end when the Lichhivis attacked in the valley. The Lichhivis also learnt and accepted the local language. Then the Lichhivis again got invaded by the Baish Thakuris, from whom the Malla and Dev Kings reigned the valley. Some of the Kirats and the Lichhivis were mixed with the descendants Gopal Vanshas which is why we can find that the people of the existing Jyapu community belong to both Aryans and Mongolians. This applies to some of the other castes and communities of the valley as well.

During the reign of Baish Thakuris, there consisted of two Rajbanshis, the Devs and the Mallas, who were also known as Thakku Mallas. Several Dev and Thakku Malla Kings ruled over the 3 kingdoms, and also learnt and accepted the slowly evolving Nepal Bhasa. From India entered the Mallas, whose origin was of Rajputs, Chettris and Thakuris, who then took over the Baish Thakuris, and started ruling the valley. They accepted and to a great extent contributed to the Newari culture and language, and were thus known to be the Newar Rajputs, Chettris and Thakuris, who contributed to the Newari civilization as the reknowned Malla kings.

In this way, we can find that the Newari culture is a contribution from various civilizations that were derived and developed not only from the differences that existed, but from the development of a common base and acceptance of those differences that took the shape of Unity in diversity. The words 'Nepal' and 'Newar' are greatly interrelated. Either, 'Nepal' has been derived from 'Newar' or 'Newar' has been derived from 'Nepal', but it is speculated that both words have been derived from the word 'Nepar'. We can find various evidences from old times where the ancient Newari Kingdom was referred to as 'Nepal'. The references can be found in the scripts written by Kautilya, who is famously known as Chanakya, the script written in Magadi Bhasa (a Prakrit Bhasa) found in Pataliputra, Bihar, now known as Patna, the great pillar constructed by Samundra Gupta in Ihlaahbad. the coins issued during the time, ChandraGupta's reign in certain parts of India.(Chandra Gupta the Ist had married the Lichhivi Princess Kumar Devi, and Kumar Devi has been mentioned as the Princess of 'Nepal' on one side of these coin.)

So, as said by Historician Sleven Levi, the people living in the Kathmandu valley were therefore, known as the 'Newars', the whole valley was known as 'Nepal', and their language was thus known as Nepal Bhasa. They have their own calender Nepal Sambat.From the historical perspective, the newari community carries the historical identity of Nepal. Newars are therefore the original people of Kathmandu Valley- the then 'Nepal', and after the unification by King Prithivi Narayan Shah, the entire country was given the name 'Nepal' and Gorkhali language started to be known as the Nepali or, the national langauage since the name 'Nepal' had already established itself in the international community as well as the neighboring nations and had much more importance due to the rich history that this name was linked with (it maybe said as a type of recognition in Hinduaryavarta)

When we look over the history of Kathmandu valley, it is the history of Manjushree, the descendents of Lord Krishna, various Gods and Goddesses, Bihars, Bhichhus, Buddhism, Nag Devatas, Danasurs, and so on. It is a place of Lord Indra, Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwor, Sati Devi, Bikramajit (related story with Bajra Yogini), many Chettri Rajas, Brahmans, Kiratis, etc, and their Tantrik Vidhya, which some of their descendants have been following since the age of mythological periods of history, extending through the Sattya, Treta and Dwapar Yug or ages. It consists many curious legends regarding the temples, towns, and holy places of the country. It is the history of Gupta Dynasty by Nemuni, discovery of Pashupati Nath during Bhukta Mans' reign, Ahir Dynasty from Hindustan, Kirati Dynasty, Shakya Singha Buddha, Ashoka's visit in the valley as a sacred town, and his daughter Charumati getting married with a Rajbansi Chettri King Devpaal(Chabahil was named after Charumati; where Pashupati Nath temple lies in Devpattan, Chabahil and was famous earlier as Suwarnapuri, ie a Golden town). Bhrikuti, an Aryan Newar Princess, got married to the King of Tibet. Arniko, the famous sculptor who made the country proud in China, Suryavanshi Rajput Dynasty, overthrown of the Buddhist reign, Shankaracharya's visit to Nepal, Vikramajit's successors who founded Patan or Lalitpur, the Legend of Machhindra Nath, revival of Hindu religion under a supposed incarnation of Shankaracharya, a Rajput Dynasty founding Kirtipur, Bhaktapur, Raja Nyandev from South Karnataka, Turja Devi, and so on are closely linked with the Newari history.

It is also speculated that the Newari language of Dolakha is the secret language that used to be spoken by the 5 Pandavas during their exile (Gupta Baas). It shows that the existence of Newars was pre-historically linked. It has recently been found in a Khas Brahman Basti, in the remote village of Dolakha that a more than sixty-year-old calendar of Nepal Sambat was found and it is said that before the entrance of the Khas Brahmans from the West, there were Newar Rajopadhyaya Brahmans residing in Dolkha. Similarly, it is also said that before the Bhatta Brahmans, the Newar Rajopadhyaya Brahmans were the Mul Pujaris of Pashupati Nath temple. In Tokha, we can find that Sati Kunda is the place of Dakshya Prajapati, where we can find the remains of the stone walls surrounding the courtyard of his palace. There still remains the stage where Mahadeva carried the burning body of Sati Devi in angst and an inhabitant of that locality who was a very old person, described that we could still find the ashes of Sati Devi below that stage. If we visit the locality of Tokha, all the inhabitants are Newars and some are the descendents of Dakshaya Prajapati. Budhanilkantha was established by the assistant King Bishnu Gupta during the time of Newar Lichhivi King, Bhimarjun Dev. In the same way, Changunarayan, established by Mandev is the Kul Devta of Amatya Banshas. Similarly, SwayambhuNath was also built during the reign of the Newari Kings. Swasthani Katha was also originated from the Newar Bhumi, Shankhu, which is recited in all Hindu community, including the Indians. Even today, a research done in the field of Nepal is incomplete without having the knowledge of Nepal Bhasa, as all the authentic Tamrapatra, Shilalekha that are written in Newari language. Newari language is registered as mother tongue of Nepal in the U.N.O and out of the 10 World heritages of Nepal, 7 were built during the reign of the Newar dynasty.

Saying that Newar means only descendants Gopal Vanshis, or saying that Newar means only descendants of the Mallas, or similar other narrowing of our origin is totally wrong. When the Khas community entered the valley, there have been incidences when some of them claimed that Sanskrit is the language of the Khas coming from the West, and some of Newars have even supported them saying that the Newars have preserved the Sanksrit of the Khas people. This is wrong because they are ignorant of the fact that the ancestors of the Newars themselves are closely related with Sankrit language.

Just like 'Nepali' means all caste, race and culture, so is applicable to all the people of the 'Newar' community. I accept that I am a Newar, with pride and respect for all the different castes and cultures that my community holds and embraces. The Khas community has only Brahmans, Chettris and Sudras. But in the Newari community, we can find people belonging to Brahman, Chettris, Baishyas, and Sudras, which is why the Newari community is a complete community that consists the characteristics and the qualities to be found in the diversity of an entire nation. Here, we can find the Aadibaasis of the Gopal Banshas, the Malla kaalin Bhaardaars like Shrestha, Amatya, Rajbhandari, Pradhan, etc, the Rajopadhyaya, Guruwacharya, Joshi, Acharya who represent Gurutwa and Bhrahmatwa, Balaami, Duin, pahari, Putuwar, Chyame and Pode, whose conditions are still backward and need to be uplifted and given support from the entire Newari community as well as the Nepali government and must be given opportunities in education, preservation seats in the government sectors and so on. Therefore, the identity of Newars should not be limited to any subcommunity, caste, dress or ritual. Also, comparing 'Brahmans' with 'Newars', or 'Chettris' with 'Newars' or comparing any other 'caste' with 'Newar' community is wrong. 'Newar' should not be misconceived as a caste. Saying that 'Newars' mean 'Baishyas' would therefore, be like saying 'Fruits' mean 'Oranges'. Yes, Orange is a Fruit, but do fruits denote only Oranges? This question must be sufficient to answer how diverse the Newari community is.

I am not a Brahmin, but I am proud and well aware of the fact that I have Brahmans in my own community, Brahmans who are our Purohits and guide us with the various rituals. I am proud of the fact that in our community, we have Brahmans who respect the rest of the castes within the Newars (unlike some of the Brahmans outside of our community, who do not perform any rituals but consider the rest of the castes as inferior). It is greatly misconceived that Newars do not have Brahmans, and it is not only to blame the media but we Newars ourselves. We also not only have the Hindu community, but the Buddhist community as well, who are enriched with the philosophy of Buddhism.

Our community is therefore one of the very few where we can find both religions and harmony since very ancient times. Similarly, I am not a Jyapu, but I am proud that Haku Patashi, is not only a part, but has become a symbol of the Newari community. This dress is worn with the golden Makasi, the thick silver chain and it is a true representation of the Jyapu samaj. This dress is perhaps linked with Lord Shiva, and connected or derived from the Vedic period. Along with this dress, why don't we show that we also wear 32 haat ko Chhit ko Saree, and Nepali Cholo, Damar Kumari Pachyaura, Dopatta Saree, Rato/Pahelo(Chir Bastra), and many more. We Nepalese are proud of the fact that the world knows Nepal to be the land of the Sherpas, but when they visit Nepal, or read further about Nepal, they come to know that is not just the Sherpas who live here, but within Nepal, there lies hundreds of other identities. Similarly, we Newars are proud of the fact that Haku Patashi is the symbolic dress of Newars, but when the rest of the other communities “visit” our community, we should be capable of telling them that, in here lies many other dresses, sub-cultures rituals and identities.

The purpose of this article is to make all the readers aware of the history that we belong to, because I believe history helps us to understand our origin and the state of our ancestors at old times. It clarifies the fact that the segregations in the society is made by man, and this has been done for whatever reasonable or unreasonable purpose seemed correct at those times. But as we move forward to a new era, only the trails of history remain in our mindsets, and we rarely get to the roots of it all. So, it will take much time and effort for everyone to understand the real meaning of equality, especially in the presence of such diverse culture.

Knowing little not only cripples us to answer who we are, but it also creates a path for many of us to have false perceptions about ourselves. History is authentic because it is made of facts, but as a certain age or civilization dawns upon us, the same History is then greatly manipulated and suppressed to glorify that particular civilization. A major part of our identity that has been lost over the years of civilization, such that we are familiar with only a certain aspect of our own history. But when we peep into our history, it leaves no space for anyone to look down upon our community because we have had great ancestors, who struggled with all their might to preserve our identity and our home.

Now in this age of information, we should realize that moving forward to development is not possible by forgetting or suppressing the past. We should be able to embrace our history and our roots, learn and apply the lessons they teach us, and pass them on to the next generations, so that they feel proud to be Newars and live with self respect and dignity. And we must accept the facts that Newari history is Nepal's history or nepal's history is newar's history till the onset of shah dynasty.

By: Pratibha Amatya Shrestha
References:
- Shrestha, Dr. Tulsi Narayan. Nepal ka Newarharu, Pahichaan ra Pristhabhumi. Dhaubanjaar,
- Dr. Gopal. Kathmandu Upatyaka ka Bastiharu.
- Wright, Daniel. History of Nepal(translated from Parbatiya).
- Amatya, Tulsi Lal. Samsmaran ka Panaharu.

यस्तै छ दुनियां, भुँडी सुनिया

विहानै उठि चियानास्ता खाई, बिहानी पदयात्रामा हिडियाे
स्वास्थ्य हुन, तर खै !
जताततै घुवां घुलाे, वाटाे वरपर प्लाष्टिक र फाेहरढलकाे दुर्गन्ध ,
गाडिकाे ट्वां टि हुई !
कता छ ब्रुमर अनि कता छन नगरपालिकाका कुचिकारहरू
न त भाेट दिएर जिताएका नेता र कार्यकर्ता
यस्तै छ दुनिया, भुँडी सुनिया

अस्पताल गयाे उस्तै, कमिलाका ताती जस्ता बिरामीहरू
एक बिरामीका तीन कुरूवा
न त बेड खाली छ न त क्याबिन नै, भर्ना हुन नपाएर छटपटाई रहेका
अाफ्नाे पालाे अाउछ भनेर, अपरेसनकाे मिति कुरिरहेका
चिनजानकाे मान्छे भए, सुटुक्क पालाे न सालाे माैंका पाएका
यस्ताे बेथिति सुल्झाउने, काेहि छैनन्,
त्यसैले तयस्तै छ दुनिया, भुँडी सुनिया

यात्र गर्न बसपार्क गयाे, खलांसीकाे कर्कस स्वर
अनि खालांसीहरूले झुम्मिएका यात्रीहरू
दसैंका खसीबाेका झै तानातान गरिएका यात्रीहरू
टिकट नम्बर बाझिएका, खलांसीले एकछिनमा मिलाउछु भन्दै
ड्राईभरले गाडी कुदाउदै, बिचरा मुढांमा यत्रा गर्दै
ल अायाे चिया नास्ता गराै, दिशा पिसाब फेराै, खलांसीकाे उर्दी
के नास्ता के खाना, सबैमा ब्रम्हलुट
बासी खाना अनि ढाड भाच्चिने मूल्य तेस्मा पनि चिल्लाे खाना
खै अनुगमनकर्ता, यात्रुहरू लुटिदै ठगिदै
यस्तै छ दुनिया, भुँडी सुनिया

By: Binaya Rajbhandari

नेपालले भारतिय च्यानल बन्द गरेकाे सन्दर्भमा मलाई एउटा कुरा लेख्न मन लागेर अायाे। मैले अाज भन्दा २०/२५ बर्ष पहिले मेडिकल रिप्रेजेन्टेटिभकाे काम शुरू गरेकाे थिए। पहिला एउटा भारतिय कम्पनिमा। चार महिना काम गरेर बजार बढाउदा पनि तलब अाएन। चाैथाे महिनामा तेस कम्पनिकाे म्यानेजर काठमाण्डाै अाएकाे थियाे। उ संग बजार धुमे, जमलकाे मायालु हाेटलमा बसेका थिए, संगै खाना खाए अनि तलबकाे कुरा गरे। उस्ले मलाई ड्रेफ्ट दियाे (पुरै चार महिनाकाे तलबकाे) । खुसी हुँदै घर गए। भाेली पल्ट पैसा साटे पछि राजिनामा पत्र थमाई दिए। म्यानेजर जिल्ल। मैले उसकाे बजार बढाई सकेकाे थिए, तेसैले नछाेड्न भन्याे, तर मैले भने काम गरेकाे चार महिना के हेरेर बसेकाे थियाे त कम्पनिले? उ निरूत्तर भयाे, र म अाफ्नाे बाटाे लागे।

तेसकाे केही दिनमा नेपाल फ्मास्युटिकलकाे MR मा ईन्टभ्यु दिए। म सफल भए। ठिक तेति नै बेला मेराे छाेरिकाे जन्म पनि भएकाे थियाे। घरमा लक्ष्मिकाे अागमन!

एक हप्ताकाे तालिम पछि म पुराना साथी MR संग बजार घुमे। अनि मैले काम शुरू गरे। तेतिबेला NPL काे मासिक ८० देखि ९० हजारकाे अाैषधि बिक्रि हुन्थियाे काठमाण्डाैंमा। मैले भटाभट काम शुरू गरे। अधिकांश नेपाली चिकित्सकलाई दैनिक जस्ताे अालापालाे समय मिलाएर भेटे। खासै उपलब्धि भएन। तर हार खाईन। मैले NPL मा साढे दुई बर्ष MR भएर काम गर्दा मासिक बिक्रि ४ देखि ५ लाख हुन थाल्याे। अब म्यानेजरकाे पाेस्ट खाली भयाे। पुरानाे साथीले हात झिके पछि त्याे ठाउँ मैले पाए। अनि नेपाल भरि दगुर्न थाले। झण्डै झण्डै ४२ जिल्ला पुगे। बसमा, ट्रकमा, ट्रिपरमा, सिमेन्ट बाेक्ने गाडिमा ( तेतिबेला बागलुङ्गकाे बाटाे बन्दै थियाे, र तेहा सिमेन्ट बाेक्ने गाडि मात्रै जान्थियाे), बैल गाडामा डुङ्गामा अनि माेटरसाईकलमा चारै तिर कुदे। १ कराेड हाराहारिकाे बार्षिक बिक्रि झन्डै झन्डै ६ कराेड सम्म पुर्याए। तर अन्तमा मार्केटिङ्ग मेयानेजर संग ठाकठुक परेर बार्षिक मिटिङ्ग मै राजिनामा ठाेकेर अाए।

भएकाे के थियाे भने म संगै काम गर्ने देउरालि जनताकाे साथिकाे ३००० वा ३५०० तलब थियाे मेराे २८०० मात्र। तेसैले तलब बढाउनु पर्ने कुरा उठाएकाे त म्यानेजर बुरूक्क उफ्रदै बढि तलब दिने कम्पनिमा किन नगएकाे भने। कन्सरि ताती हाल्याे, बस के थियाे र टेबलमै बसि बसि राजिनामा लेखेर लुरू लुरू मिटि्ङग छाेडेर हिडे। MD र अरूले तेसाे नगर्न सम्झाउदै थिए। मैले यस्ताे भन्ने कम्पनिमा काम गरे पनि सम्बन्ध राम्राे नहुने भन्दै उनिहरूलाई नै सम्झाए। राजिनामा दिएकाे पर्सि पल्ट नयां बर्षकाे कार्यक्रममा उपस्थित भए, प्याराेडि गीत गाए। र मैले थाहा पाए कि मलाई फकाउन नगद उपहारकाे घाेषणा गर्दै छ भनेर। मैले सेल्स म्यनेजरलाई भन्दिए कि मेराे नाम घाेषणा भए मैले स्टेजमा नै त्याे नगद च्याति दिन्छु। बरू मेराे सट्टा अरूलाई दिनुस, नत्र राम्राे हुनेछैन। उनिहरूले मेराे नामकाे त्याे नगद पुरस्कार बाध्य भएर अरूलाई दिए। भाेली पल्ट MD ले मलाई उनकाे अफिसमा बाेलाएर खुब सम्झाउन र मार्क्टिङ्ग म्यानेजरकाे तर्फबाट माफि मागे म टससेमस भईन।अन्तमा हार खाएर, मेराे राजिनामा गरूङ्गाे मनका साथ स्वीकृति गरे र मलाई बिदाई गरे।

साढे छ बर्षमा काठमाण्डाैंकाे मासिक बिक्रि १९/२० लाखमा पुर्याए भने कम्पनिकाे बिक्रि १ कराेडबाट ७ कराेेड पुर्याए। यति गर्दा पनि तेतिबेला २८/२९ सय थियाे जबकि हाम्रा मित्र हरि भक्तकाे देउराली जनतामा ३४/३५ सय थियाे। यसैकाे उपहार मैले नराम्ररि पाए। तर एउटा के भने मेराे राजिनामा ले कम्पनि झस्किएर MR काे नै तलब ३५ सय पुर्याए। पछि MR हरूले बाटाेमा भेट्दा सुनाएकाे। मेराे लेभलकाे तलब ४००० भन्दा बढि भयाे भन्दै थिए, तपाईले गर्दा हाम्राे पनि तलब बढ्याे भन्दै थिए।
यी माथिका सब लेख्दै गर्दा एउटा के चै नभनि नहुने के भने, तेति बेला नेपाली कम्पनिलाई नेपाली चिकित्सकले नै खास्सै सहयाेग गर्दैन थिए। Quality छैन भन्थिए। तर पनि हामीले तेत्राे बेचेकै हाे। एकदुई जनाले केही अाषधि लेखिदिन्थे। र बाकि काम हामी Manager र MR ले गर्थियाैं। हामी बाध्य भएर अाैषधि पसलेलाई विभिन्न सामान ( टिभि, फ्रिज, पंखा, ल्यापटप तथा विभिन्न घरायसि सामान) दिएर उनीहरूकाे पसलमा राख्न लगाउथ्याैं। सामान भए पछि बेच्नै परयाे त?

मेराे भनाई के भने यदि नेपाली कम्पनिकाे अाैंषधि कमसल भए बिरामी कसरी निकाे हुन्थिए त! त्याे त खाली भारतिय कम्पनिकाे अाैंषधि लेख्नलाई मात्र एउटा बहाना हाे। अहिले पनि तेस्तै छ हालत। के Digine तेसै Digine भा काे हाेर? सबैले अन्धभक्त भएर लेखेर र त भएकाे। किन Normogel वा Megacid ले Digine काे ठाउँ लिन सकेन त।

हाे अब नेपाली चिकित्सकहरूले पनि यस्तै शुरू गर्नु पर्याे। भारतिय कम्पनि भन्दा नेपाली अाैंषधि कम्पनि Quality मा कम छैनन्। अाज पनि तेहिहाल छ। म मेरै अनुभव सुनाउछु। मेराे मुटुकाे नशा ब्लक भएर मनमाेहन कार्डियाे भाष्कुलर र ट्रान्षप्लान्ट सेन्टरमा यहि मङ्सिरमा स्टे्न्ट हालेकाे। मलाई मधुमेह पनि भएकाेले Linsa 5 mg (Linagliptin 5 mg) लेखेकाे छ, तर अस्पताल फार्मेसी ले मलाई Lipta 5 (Lapen, npl काे भगीनि कम्पनिकाे) दियाे म खुसि भएर लिईरहेकाे छु। खाई मलाई त एकदम फाईदा भई रहेकाे छ।

हाे यसरी नै अब नेपाल अाैंधिमा पनि अात्मनिर्भर हुन नेपाली चिकित्सकहरूले मद्दत गर्नु पर्याे। बेला अाई सकेकाे छ। भाेली भारतले नाकाबन्दि गरेमा पनि फरक पर्ने छैन।

नेपाली अाैंषधि कम्पनिलाई माैंका दिएर त हेरम न। जति नेपाली कम्पनि चल्दै जान्छ, उति उनिहरू बलिया हुन्छन र quality पनि बढ्दै जानेछ। पहिला खुट्टा टेक्न त माैंका दिनु पर्याे, अनि हेर्नू नेपाली कम्पनि कहाँ बाट कहाँ पुग्ने छन्। राेजगार बढ्ने छ। अत्याबस्यक अाैंषधि, ईन्जेक्सनहरू पनि नेपाल मै उत्पादन हुँदै जानेछन्। नेपलीकाे पैसा नेपाल मै लगानी हुनेछ, अनि देश सम्बृध्द हुने छ। माैका अाउछ पर्खदैन, बगेकाे खाला फर्कदैन। बस यति।

By: Binaya Rajbhandari

के पाईस नेपाली
भुत्राे काे गणतनत्र ल्याईस
चप्पलेलाई महल ठढ्याउने बनाईस

पानीकाे मुहानकाे देशमा पनि किनिखाने बनाईस
गाउंमा महल भएकालाई, शहरकाे सुकुम्वासी बनाई घरजग्गा थुपार्ने बनाईस
संसारकाे एक मात्र हिन्दु राष्ट्रलाई धर्मनिरपेक्षकाे नाममा ईसाईकरण गरिस
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भएभरका कलकारखाना बेच्नेलाई प्रधानमन्त्री बनाईस
अाफ्नै खुट्टामा उभिएका नेपालीलाई परनिर्भर बनाउने नेता ल्याईस
र तेस्काे भरणपाेषण गरिस
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भ्रष्टाचार गर्ने मन्त्री जन्माईस
तीन कराेड जनतालाई टेष्टगर्न
जम्मा दुईलाख कीट किनि
दस अर्ब सक्काउने सरकार जन्माईस
अासेपासेलाई मात्र जनता देख्नेलाई
सरकार प्रमुख बनाईस
सबै नेपालीले टेष्ट गर्न पाउनु पर्छ भन्नेलाई
लाठि बुट अनि पानीकाे फाेहरा हान्नलगाउने गृहमन्त्री भित्र्रयाईस
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