Ideally this post should have been a part of Soul-stormers, my other blog where I write about myself and my thoughts.. This post is something I always wanted to share about (even at the cost of being disagreed upon). Many of the statements are "was-on-the-verge-of-saying-but-shut-my-mouth-instead" types.. But what the heck!! This is my space and I m free to write here.. (Open to debate that I am, feel free to comment I won't take any offence..)
I was with one of my friends and out of the blue, the topic of tantrik babas (yeah they are all over the place in Mumbai) came up and she was laughing upon the stupidity of people who approach such men in hope of relief. This was the ad stuck in train compartment we were talking about.
When we alighted from the train she started moving in the opposite direction. I asked her what happened when she said," There is a black cat approaching from the other side". :) This is the little superstitions I was talking about !!
Some might argue that these all ideas are passed on to us for generations and have been followed till date. There must be some reason, our ancestors certainly weren't fools!
I agree 100%.. Our ancestors weren't fools..!!
It is said that keeping one's footwear upside down brings badluck.. Certainly if someone just orders you to keep your footwear in order, you would take it lightly.. But the fear of badluck makes you always keep your footwear in the right position. Who ever said ancestors were fools??
There are n number of examples of the same kind one can give for many other little superstitions carried on in our families.
I particularly am against the feeling of impurity some females feel when they aren't supposed to touch anyone for 4 days of the month.. The very reason why women are put on such a high pedestal is because of their gift to conceive life.. Then how can the working of this gift be impure??
I know of friends who are not even allowed to enter the kitchen during this time..
So once I happened to ask one of them why they are put through this, so came the reply
"Wo hamare ghar me bhagwaan hai na" (refering to the family deity they have in their house)
I find it funny how people can limit God to a small temple room in their homes!! Hello God is omnipotent if you got the concept rightly.. If I m under the sun then I can well be in any temple any time of the year.
The few sane reasons I can think about (with inputs from my Mom, she too is against this) for these tradition are..
1. Not allowing into the kitchen..
In good old days where many women used to cook for the house, a woman could afford to rest and not enter the kitchen on such days.. This is still true in many homes in the native.
2. Not entering the temple..
Basically the idea is not to be in contact with fire.. The oil lamps are not to lighted because it is believed that it causes havoc with the hormonal changes and extreme mood changes during those days.
3. Staying outside the familial house.
Just to stay away from some embarrassments.. :P :P
Little superstitions vary from stepping over shit (its considered good luck, the reason I could think was to wash over the yucky feeling) to spilling of milk... and all must be having their own reasons..
If you tell a child to sleep because "early to bed, early to rise would make him healthy,wealthy and wise" would he sleep early??
What if you said "Sleep else ghosts will come?"
Different results right??
If you tell a school kid to do his homework for his better understanding, would he do it?
What if you said,"do homework else you would get punished?"
That's how the human nature is! We work not for the betterment but for the fear of loss!!
That is the psychology our ancestors used..
Little superstitions are as irritating and as destructive as the ones like sacrifice and blindfaith in babas..
The opinions above are my own and you are free to differ.. I just gave a piece of my mind... I anyway do what I please...I have broken many of the little superstitions around me but I don't make anyone do the same.. To each one his own is my philosophy...
I was with one of my friends and out of the blue, the topic of tantrik babas (yeah they are all over the place in Mumbai) came up and she was laughing upon the stupidity of people who approach such men in hope of relief. This was the ad stuck in train compartment we were talking about.
When we alighted from the train she started moving in the opposite direction. I asked her what happened when she said," There is a black cat approaching from the other side". :) This is the little superstitions I was talking about !!
Some might argue that these all ideas are passed on to us for generations and have been followed till date. There must be some reason, our ancestors certainly weren't fools!
I agree 100%.. Our ancestors weren't fools..!!
It is said that keeping one's footwear upside down brings badluck.. Certainly if someone just orders you to keep your footwear in order, you would take it lightly.. But the fear of badluck makes you always keep your footwear in the right position. Who ever said ancestors were fools??
There are n number of examples of the same kind one can give for many other little superstitions carried on in our families.
I particularly am against the feeling of impurity some females feel when they aren't supposed to touch anyone for 4 days of the month.. The very reason why women are put on such a high pedestal is because of their gift to conceive life.. Then how can the working of this gift be impure??
I know of friends who are not even allowed to enter the kitchen during this time..
So once I happened to ask one of them why they are put through this, so came the reply
"Wo hamare ghar me bhagwaan hai na" (refering to the family deity they have in their house)
I find it funny how people can limit God to a small temple room in their homes!! Hello God is omnipotent if you got the concept rightly.. If I m under the sun then I can well be in any temple any time of the year.
The few sane reasons I can think about (with inputs from my Mom, she too is against this) for these tradition are..
1. Not allowing into the kitchen..
In good old days where many women used to cook for the house, a woman could afford to rest and not enter the kitchen on such days.. This is still true in many homes in the native.
2. Not entering the temple..
Basically the idea is not to be in contact with fire.. The oil lamps are not to lighted because it is believed that it causes havoc with the hormonal changes and extreme mood changes during those days.
3. Staying outside the familial house.
Just to stay away from some embarrassments.. :P :P
Little superstitions vary from stepping over shit (its considered good luck, the reason I could think was to wash over the yucky feeling) to spilling of milk... and all must be having their own reasons..
If you tell a child to sleep because "early to bed, early to rise would make him healthy,wealthy and wise" would he sleep early??
What if you said "Sleep else ghosts will come?"
Different results right??
If you tell a school kid to do his homework for his better understanding, would he do it?
What if you said,"do homework else you would get punished?"
That's how the human nature is! We work not for the betterment but for the fear of loss!!
That is the psychology our ancestors used..
Little superstitions are as irritating and as destructive as the ones like sacrifice and blindfaith in babas..
The opinions above are my own and you are free to differ.. I just gave a piece of my mind... I anyway do what I please...I have broken many of the little superstitions around me but I don't make anyone do the same.. To each one his own is my philosophy...
