Funny ain’t it?...
Digital Desk: In the days of social media that scream technology and modernity, people are still caught up on concepts like the Evil Eye.
Many worry while posting on media platforms, will this catch some unwanted/unwarranted attention?
Some give a damn. Often, they go on to splash more of their lives on these media than anyone would care to know, but that discussion is for another day.
Today let’s talk of nazar. As Indians, we have this deeply ingrained in us.
Perhaps the stark inequality of our economic condition also plays a part in these concerns.
In many other cultures across the world too, this is in evidence.
I recently heard of a practice of keeping a broken flower pot at the entrance of your new home, to deal with the evil eye of visitors!
Spiritual masters attest to the reality of the maleficent effect of arousing other people’s jealousy, or in short, of the evil eye.
There are rites and rituals one too many to cater to it.
A Kala Tika on small children to protect them from the evil eye shows the deep-rootedness of this belief.
But the truth is- our joys double when shared (just as sorrows get halved with the same technique, they say) and so, we must express our joy, and not simply bottle it up!
I believe we can be reasonably expressive of our joys, as long as we are willing to share the joy. Having nothing exclusive, I would say.
Generosity in joy is the perfect offset to jealousy.
Sure, celebrate your wins all you want. But include your neighbors, and competitors in that dance of happiness. Let them also bask in some reflected glory. Pass on the festivities, include others, and watch your wins get bigger by the day.
That, in my opinion, is much better than drawing black marks all over, or hanging slippers, lemons, and chillies, or worse still disfiguring your possessions in some way or the other, in the name of warding off the evil eye!
Here’s to happy posts on social media celebrating all your victories! Just remember to share the joy!
(The writer is a Senior Soft Skills trainer and can be reached at atifa@comeaspire.net)
-Atifa Deshamukhya
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