By P.R. Pradhan
The corona virus pandemic has terrorized the entire globe and we are maintaining precaution to be saved from the deadly virus. Experts have suggested to avoid hugging, hand shaking, maintaining social distance to avoid the virus. Frequently washing hands, quarantining and self isolation are the prescribed measures to avoid COVID-19 outbreak.
In fact, these practices already existed in our eastern culture and tradition. Shaking hands and hugging are not the eastern culture, however, along with domination of the western culture, we have adopted these culture.
For the betterment of the entire mankind, the eastern culture carries a big significance and it has already been proven scientific as well. Our ancestors, after enough research, had introduced practices to be followed in daily life. Unfortunately, we didn’t try to find any scientific reasons while following the path shown by our ancestors, rather, we rushed to copy the western culture.
In our culture to greet anybody is Namaste. We don’t need to join another person’s hand while extending greetings to each other.
Besides, our ancestors had taught many things in our daily life. Changing clothes, specially putting white clothes, say “Dhoti’ while taking lunch or dinner; seating separately and eating silently were the traditional practice. Today, we find friends sipping tea or coffee from the shame glass; many persons sharing/eating food from one plate or pot, which was prohibited by our culture. Only husband and wife could share food together in the same plate and in case one of them is ill, it was prohibited to share food from a single plate.
Cow muck “Gobar” is used in religious occasions to clean body and environment mucks and urine “Gaut” are being used in our houses, built from stones and soil had to be cleaned with Gobar every fortnightly. A person with shoes was not allowed inside the main gate of the house. Shoes had to put off outside the main door of the house. The house also used to be cold proof as well as heat-proof.
Cooking utensils once used for cooking had to be cleaned by water and heated on fire before using it for another time.
Before entering the home, one had to wash hands and legs.
If one attended anyone’s cremation ceremony, the person had to take bath and touch fire compulsorily.
One was not allowed to catch or touch infant baby without touching fire.
When I try to find the meaning of such practices in our society, I believe, they were based on science and also based on purification of body from pandemic.
It has been proven that corona virus is a deadly virus transmitted from one person to another person, therefore, maintaining social distance is the effective precaution to remain safe from the virus.
Time and again, we are suffering from different pandemic. Due to our anti-nature practice, we are creating havoc and inviting different diseases. Now, time has come to review our lifestyle and conduct research on existing cultural values introduced in the eastern culture. If our western values are harmful for the mankind, we should not hesitate to adopt the eastern culture, so far, due to the advancement of the society, practices have to be modified on the basis of scientific base and welfare of mankind.
Indeed, our eastern culture is very rich in science and technology, however, we never tried to conduct research on it. If we talk about astrological mathematics, our ancestors had, thousands of years ago, forecast that when the solar or lunar eclipse were taking place and what will be the position of sun, moon and stars and what will be the effects.
Accordingly, we were advanced in Aryuvedic medicines and treatment. Later, we didn’t continue research and neglected such valuable assets gifted by our ancestors.
My conclusion is that we have become poor not because of our ancestors but because of our mentality to trust and adopt western civilization!
We didn’t look after and try to preserve our eastern values, culture, tradition and livelihood, rather, we wished to enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. In this way, we have become slaves and exploited from every side.
Now, I believe, it is time to rethink about own-self not the time to regret for having nothing with us today! We have everything and we need to preserve and harness them.
Reproduced from People’s Review
