Superstitions and Curiosity

Superstitions and Curiosity

There was a rich farmer in a village, he was the head of the village because of being most righteous person and wealthiest because of that, in villages every festival and celebration happens with each and every person’s involvement, if any kind of functions like marriages or holy functions everyone participates and involves without cast and creed, wealthy or poor, and sometimes even inviting peoples also is not required, as whole village feels like a family, on these occasions only women’s sometimes can be judged their wealth through their attires and jewels as it is their nature and they loves it too., But all the men’s would look same in those gatherings specially in southern states of India almost of them will be wearing the same white and white shirt and Panche(dhoti), whether they are wealthiest or not, no egos and attitudes between them, celebration means only celebration…

One day there was a Puja(Holy offering) programme at the home of the head of the village, the entire village was celebrating, lit up with the welcome boards, lights, banana & mango leaves, and different beautiful flowers, delicious meals like Sweet Payasa(a soup made up of all the dry fruits and milk products), Holige(sweet tortilla stuffed with jaggery and spices served hot with ghee), Rices of different flavours, Rasam, Sambhar, Pakodas and lastly Pan(Beetle nuts) were cooking in the backyard, The aroma was spread all-over the place., Kids playing around and happiness was everywhere. All the different Fruits, cooking’s and sweets were arranged well in front of worshipping, in the villages Cows, Dogs, Cats, Chickens etc.. all are treated like family members.

A cat was getting into the offerings, so the elder man(Grandpa) told his son to put the cat beneath a bamboo pot till the  offering is over, and the son did so, the grandson was sitting there and observed everything., some years passed and the grandson had become a professional in the city and was supposed to do the same puja, he arranged everything at his home and checked if anything is missing, suddenly he remembered something and told his servants to go and find a cat and bamboo pot, as the servant has to obey his boss he didn’t ask anything and went, after searching for hours he returned with a kitten and pot kept them as it was supposed to and started the puja.

After enjoying their meals which was catered by a restaurant, they started gossiping, someone asked him about the cat and why he did so, the grandson replied “ ohh it is our tradition and ritual and we have to follow it”, and again someone asked “why cat only why not dog or a chicken”, The grandson was unable to answer, so the conversation came to an end as it was not making sense at all, and some even said all these puja and all is for old generation not necessary to do in these days.

So in the same way many rituals and traditions are being misunderstood, which became superstitions, and also there are many other things like lighting up diyas in Diwali, Having Neem flowers in Ugadi(Gudipadva), and many more…, other matters like banyan trees have negative energies at night, worshipping animals and nature, and also things like why women’s should not cook and go to the worshipping areas on particular days and many like these, each and everything in our culture and tradition has its very scientific background which are being questioned by today’s generation, if the grandson had enough curiosity to ask or think why his grandpa did so, then it would not happen in that way, a simple thing made huge effects on beliefs and rituals.

   

Curiosity plays a very vital role in increasing our knowledge and learning, if we are curious enough and willing to know about anything it can be cooking or rocket science, it will automatically come to us., When kids asks different questions, we being responsible ones should answer their questions rather than shutting their mouth, which will only makes them not to prefer to  ask anything and they will start losing creativity and interests in such matters, rather if we start answering their questions, they will start to get more and more curious which will make them think out of the box and larger aspects as “Curiosity attracts knowledge”.

Creativity cannot be thought but we can provide an atmosphere by which creativity can be encouraged and promoted, and meditation is also expected to increase in creativity, it is a technique of turning the mind inwards, towards the infinite source of intelligence and creative energy, also experiments has proven that it can work and make phenomenal changes and gives splendid results.

This story was told me by Ramesh sir in 7^th standard at Ramakrishna School, Kampli., and many stories like these inspired children’s to seek for something greater and teaches how to, and what to think, and the best outputs will come in the society.

-Jai Hind