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Denis Giles

05 April 2017

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By Yogi Ashwini

Hanuman is the giver of gyan. When there is gyan, avidya vanishes. And then automatically all the problems also go away. All our problems stem from avidya. Avidya, which connects us with the unreal. It is because of avidya that a human being attaches him/herself to health, finances, relationships, social status etc…all of which are unreal. Unreal because, they are temporary and are bound to leave us, and when they leave, they leave us in pain. Think about it, is there anything in the physical world which you can hold on to, or which will not leave you? Even your own body is not your own and will be left behind. Yet all our life we keep chasing the temporary and getting troubled by it – this is avidya.

There is a famous episode from the life of Hanuman, where as a child he swallows the sun. Surya is the epitome of gyan, in being inside Hanuman, it is indicative of all the gyan of creation residing in this mighty energy.

Let us distinguish gyan from knowledge here. Gyan is the experience which you live through, it is granted by your Guru. Knowledge, is for the brain. The former dissolves the ego, the latter makes it shoot up, tying a being further into unreality and taking him/her away from reality. Ego, in fact, is considered as one of greatest barriers in yoga.

Take a look at majority of the learned men around you, you will find their egos touching the sky. Hanuman, on the other hand, was a gyani. An incarnation of Rudra aspect of Shiv, he was unparalleled in might and power and abilities, yet he made his place at the feet of Lord Rama. He was a gyani and so he dedicated his life to supporting the incarnation of Vishnu in its task of preserving the Creation.

Hanuman Jayanti marks the day when this phenomenal shakti took an earthly form. The energy of Hanuman exists on earth even today, but in a semi-dormant form, as there is no one to awaken them.Hanuman Jayanti is powerful day to awaken the force of Hanuman, through specific mantras and yagya, as prescribed by your Guru. This normally has the effect of wish fulfillment.

At Dhyan Ashram, a specific yagya is performed on this pious day to awaken this force, all are welcome to experience the effect of this awakening.

It's essential to awaken this dormant force.....what other day than Hanuman Jayanti!

Yogi Ashwini is the Guiding Light of Dhyan Foundation and can be reached at www.dhyanfoundation.com

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Denis Giles

29 March 2017

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By Yogi Ashwini

Navratras come twice a year and mark transition in seasons, winter-summer and summer-winter. According to ayurveda, during this time, one should consume nourishing foods and in minimal quantities to rid the body of the toxins collected during the rains. The nine nights and ten days of navratras hold within them the energy of ten forms of shakti– shailaputri, brahmcharini, chandrakanta, kushmanda, skandmata, katyayani, kaalratri, mahagauri, siddhidatri and aparajitha thus each navratra has a specific purpose. In the navratras weather changes, ie, various energies of this creation move from imbalance towards a new normalcy, including our body. In these nine days the prana shakti inside our body undergoes a process of re-alignment, ie from imbalance to new balance for new season.

For this re- aligning the body has to be kept light. Therefore our ancients prescribed fasting or upvaas in these nine days.Upavaas has a much greater connotation than what it is generally misunderstood as - mere holding back from eating certain foods. At Dhyan Ashram, sadhaks observe Upavaas in its aunthentic sense, that is, giving up pleasure to observe austerities during sadhna. This is done by celibating, eating food for energy, not sensual pleasure, following a niyam of the sadhna your Guru has given you - a mantra, dhyan or a tantric practice where senses are kept under strict control and the focus is your ishta deva and all your thoughts and actions during those days are devoted to the ishta-deva. Charity and service are an intrinsic part of such sadhnas. During navratras these fasts are observed for purification as well, both etheric as well as physical.

Apart from fasting, there are certain mantras also which are chanted on these days for a complete body detox. For the beginner, these nine days may be divided into 3 parts of 3 days each for the three parts of body-  the region below the navel, between navel and shoulders and the upper head region, corresponding to the energies of goddess sarawati, goddess lakshmi and goddess durga respectively. The 9 devis originate from these 3 devis which in turn have their origin in Adi shakti. These 3 parts are further divided into 3 parts each, thus the body is divided into 9 parts in all.

In the first 3 days the sadhak stops having spicy food and performs a havan at the morning and evening sandhya with the chants invoking ma durga. Offering of kala til along with ghrit is made and desi cows upla and palash samedha is used. In the next three days, sadhak stops intake of anna and only light foods are ingested in order to keep the body light. Havan for Ma Lakshmi is done at the two sandhyas by making offering of a sweet along with ghrit . In the last three days, the sadhak only consumes water and juice (not even milk as it is considered an animal product) and havan for Ma Saraswati is performed at the two sandhyas by making offerings of ghrit and guggal. On the 10th day, complete fast is kept and once more Ma Durga or Ma Kali is invoked as on this day Ravan had invoked Ma Kali and Ram had invoked Ma Durga. This process brings about the required re-alignment. After this, the sadhak performs his sadhna and chants specific mantra as prescribed by his/her Guru. With yog sadhna, all the energies that are invoked come to the sadhak. Navratras are days to prepare your body in order to accept the new energies of the coming season. For 9 days you re-align your body and after that on the 10th day accept new energies.

Most people lighten their bodies by fasting for 9 days, only to make it heavy on the 10th day by crowding to restaurants and liquor shops. It is something like you clean your room and after that you bring all the garbage back to the room.  Fasting or any such technique will bear fruits only if carried out with a sense of detachment, for the purpose of evolution. The Guru knows the capacity of a shishya and prescribes a fast depending upon his/her requirements. Therefore it is of utmost importance to observe fasts in tandem with yogic practices such as the Sanatan Kriya under the sanidhya of a Guru to reap maximum benefits.

Yogi Ashwini is the Guiding Light of Dhyan Foundation and can be reached at www.dhyanfoundation.com

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Denis Giles

31 March 2017

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With all Indian airlines refusing to fly the MP who had bashed up an airline official, and with political leaders not willing to give up their fists and chappals, it looks like a stand-off is on the cards.

“The only thing we can do,” said a worried official of the government, “Is to have another mode of transport for our political leaders, where their violence need not be curbed and will not be noticed by the public!”

“Why not have an airline especially for them?” asked his assistant brightly. “We could even call it PoliticAir!”

“That’s a very interesting thought!” said the official, looking at his assistant with admiration, “An airline that caters only to our political leaders!”

“We could have robots as flight attendants, steel ones, so they can be punched, kicked, slippered and thrashed, but have the flexibility to rise again and serve without a change in expression!”

“And without making such a hue and cry over some measly twenty- five slaps!” sighed the official. “We can even have punching bags dropping instead of oxygen masks so our revered leaders can vent their anger on flight whenever they want! There’s so much for them to be angry about, with all the stone throwing, and other acts of violence all over the country! Those punching bags will help bring peace to their troubled minds!”

“Sir!” said his assistant, “We may have to build special airports for them. The counter staff at our present airports won’t handle them! The country will need funds for this!”

“Of course!” said his boss, “We just add on a VIP Fly Tax on top of the airport tax, on top of the travel tax, the fuel surcharge and flying insurance! There’s nothing in our country that’s unsolvable!”

“What about the pilots sir? They may refuse to fly?”

“There is no problem that is unsurmountable,” said the official with a smile, “Every politician will be given a crash course on flying as soon as he or she is elected! And since we are a democracy, they can elect one from their midst to fly them on every flight! Come let us go and tell our minister sahib this new idea, and get it implemented!”

The official and his assistant walked down the corridor to their boss’s office. They opened the door, at the most inappropriate time, as a slipper thrown by their master hit the official, who fainted.

“Take him away!” shouted the political leader angrily, “Did he have to open the door, just when I am practicing my slipper throw? Anyway, what did he want to tell me?”

“Nothing sir,” said the assistant looking at his fallen senior with dismay, “Nothing! He just wanted to wish you a safe journey as you drive back and forth to Delhi..!”

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Denis Giles

27 March 2017

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Theme: Wastewater

March 22, 2017

World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwaterand advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day.

Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. In 2017, the theme is “Wastewater.”

INTRODUCTION

World Water Day, on 22 March every year, is about taking action on water issues. In 2017, the theme is wastewater and the campaign, ‘Why waste water?’, is about reducing and reusing wastewater.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 6.3 requires us by 2030 to “improve water quality by reducingpollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.”

Progress towards target 6.3 will also help achieve the SDGs on health and well-being (SDG 3), safe water and sanitation (SDG 6), affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), life below water (SDG 14), and life on land (SDG 15), among others.

TOP LINE MESSAGES

 Globally, over 80% of the wastewater generated by society flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused.

 1.8 billion people use a source of drinking water contaminated with faeces, putting them at risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio. Unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene cause around 842,000 deaths each year.

 663 million people still lack improved drinking water sources.

 By 2050, close to 70% of the world’s population will live in cities, compared to 50% today. Currently, most cities in developing countries do not have adequate infrastructure and resources to address wastewater management in an efficient and sustainable way.

 The opportunities from exploiting wastewater as a resource are enormous. Safely managed wastewater is an affordable and sustainable source of water, energy, nutrients and other recoverable materials.

 The costs of wastewater management are greatly outweighed by the benefits to human health, economic development and environmental sustainability – providing new business opportunities and creating more ‘green’ jobs.

WASTEWATER AND THE WATER CYCLE

Water has to be carefully managed during every part of the water cycle: from fresh water abstraction, pre-treatment, distribution, use, collection and post-treatment, to the use of treated wastewater and its ultimate return to the environment, ready to be abstracted to start the cycle again.

Due to population growth, accelerated urbanisation and economic development, the quantity of wastewater generated and its overall pollution load are increasing globally. However, wastewater management is being seriously neglected, and wastewater is grossly undervalued as a potentially affordable and sustainable source of water, energy, nutrients and other recoverable materials. It therefore needs to be seen as a resource, rather than a burden to be disposed of.

There are many treatment processes and operational systems that will allow us to use wastewater to meet the growing water demand in growing cities, support sustainable agriculture, and enhance energy production and industrial development.

WASTEWATER AND CITIES

By 2030, global demand for water is expected to grow by 50%. Most of this demand will be in cities and will require new approaches to wastewater collection and management. Indeed, reused wastewater may help address other challenges including food production and industrial development.

Mainly in low-income areas of cities and towns within developing countries, a large proportion of wastewater is discharged directly into the closest surface water drain or informal drainage channel, sometime without or with very little treatment. In addition to household effluent and human waste, urban-based hospitals and industries such as small-scale mining and motor garages, often dump highly toxic chemicals and medical waste into the wastewater system. Even in cities where wastewater is collected and treated, the efficiency of treatment may vary according to the system used. Traditional wastewater treatment plants may not remove certain pollutants, such as endocrine disruptors, which can negatively affect people and the ecosystem.

Examples:

 Dual distribution systems delivering reclaimed water. Since 1977 in St Petersburg, Florida, USA, a parallel network of pipes, separate from potable water mains, has served a mix of residential properties, and commercial and industrial parks, enabling them to use recycled water for irrigation, laundry, vehicle and building washing, and ornamental water features.

 Biologically purifying wastewater before discharging. The effluent volume from Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, is comparable to that of a small city with a population of 45,000. About half of the wastewater originates from passengers and businesses at the airport, 25% is discharged by aircraft and catering, and the remaining volume is produced by other aviation-related businesses. The on-site wastewater treatment plant biologically purifies water to a quality fit for discharge into local waterways.

WASTEWATER AND INDUSTRY

Societal and environmental pressures over recent years have led to a growing movement for industry to reduce its wastewater and to treat it before discharge. Wastewater is now seen as a potential resource and its use, or recycling after suitable treatment, can provide economic and financial benefits.

Wastewater can be used within the business itself or between several businesses through ‘industrial symbiosis’. Industrial water consumption is responsible for 22% of global water use (UN-Water, 2012). In 2009 in Europe and North America, water consumption by industries was 50% as compared to 4-12% in developing countries (WWAP, 2009). It is expected that in rapidly industrialising countries, this proportion could increase by a factor of five in the next 10-20 years. Therefore, there is a strong incentive to use wastewater in-house and locally, based on cost savings alone.

Businesses can directly use some wastewater, providing it is fit for purpose. For instance, using process water for cooling or heating, or rainwater from roof collection or concrete aprons for toilet flushing, irrigation or vehicle washing.

Examples:

 An industrial ecosystem. In Kalundborg, Denmark, the by-products of one enterprise are used as a resource by other enterprises, in a closed cycle. The Asnæs Power Station receives 700,000 m3 of cooling water from Statoil each year, which it treats and then uses as boiler feed water. It also uses about 200,000 m3 of Statoil’s treated wastewater for cleaning each year. The savings to local water resources are considerable: nearly 3,000,000 m3 of groundwater and 1,000,000 m3 of surface water per year.

 Reclaiming water from mining. The Witbank coalfields are located around Emalahleni, a small city in South Africa dealing with worsening water scarcity. The Anglo American mining company built a water treatment plant that uses desalination technology to convert water from the mine into drinking water, and treat industrial water so it can be safely released into the environment. As an added benefit, in the treatment process, gypsum is separated from the water and used as a construction material. The plant provides a safe and secure water source to the city, meeting 12% of Emalahleni’s daily water needs.

WASTEWATER IN AGRICULTURE

Partly to help maximise yields to meet demand, usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has increased in recent years, both in industrial and small farming, making agriculture a potential source of environmental pollution.

Pollution of groundwater and surface water by agricultural use of untreated or inadequately treated wastewater is a major issue in many developing countries where such irrigation is practised.

Farmers are increasingly looking into non-conventional water resources, mainly wastewater, whether due to its high nutrient content or lack of conventional water resources. If applied safely, wastewater is a valuable source of both water and nutrients, contributing to water and food security and livelihood improvements.

Improved wastewater management can improve the health of workers, especially in agriculture, by reducing the risk of pathogen exposure. It can also create direct and indirect jobs in water-dependent sectors and beyond.

Example:

 Use of wastewater in farming. It is estimated that more than 40,000-60,000 km2 of land is irrigated with wastewater or polluted water (Jimenez and Asano, 2008), posing health risks to farmers and to eventual consumers of the agricultural products. Available technologies allow removal of almost all contaminants from wastewater, making them suitable for every use. The WHO Guidelines on Safe Use of Wastewater in Agriculture and Aquaculture and the Sanitation Safety Planning (SSP) approach provides a comprehensive framework to ensure that health risks are managed to protect public health. Israel paves the way, where treated wastewater accounts for 50% of irrigation water (OECD, 2011).