Page 24 - Seniorstoday Aug 2024 Issue
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nature’s way is a delight to watch indeed.
Their ‘dil mange more’, is best reflected in
their lores and trips to our land, if not on
work, for the finger licking food that we
offer.
Our Indian food, though different every
100 kms of our vast country, is a uniform
medley of the dry, semi-dry, semi-gravy
and the gravy. It just cannot be relished or
relegated to being eaten except with our in our bodily system. While most Indians
fingers, the nature-given fork and knife would swear by eating with their fingers
and spoon. Our palms and fingers are and reflexively so given their upbringing,
unmatched in their versatility for sure. few would be aware of the logic or science
Are Indians (and many others of the ilk) behind it.
gross? Not the least. But most unversed, Many of our ancient texts, including
limited in their world view and knowledge Sushruta Samhita and Ayurveda, allude to
of cultures are guilty of this presumption. the ten natural elements, viz., the Pancha
They forget that their own forefathers Bhutas (five elements) - akash (space),
and ancestor were eating exactly the vayu (air), Jal (water), agni (fire) and
same way before the various evolutions Prithvi (earth) and the five meta-physical
and revolutions got them into cutleries, elements – kaal (time), disha (direction),
conveniences and etiquettes imposed by mann (mind), atma (soul) and tam (origin).
the snobs and the elites of the world and Human beings (the non-living too) are
eventually finding their ways into other subject to these natural elements and are
cultures and peoples. The mushrooming governed by them. Any extant misbalance
etiquette schools are but a hangover of our of these ten elements in our body will
colonial past and the continuation of the impact energy pathways and lead to health
‘English’ and the “White” biased outlook problems.
towards the behavioural patterns of the The sciences of these texts have been
‘heritage’ or the ‘coloured’ or the ‘under- well researched and practised over eons to
developed’ people and bringing in a new confirm that these ten elements are present
class system of the insider and the pariah in or represented by the ten fingers of our
(interestingly, this word has its etymology hands and the ten toes of our feet. At a
in Indian languages). practical level, given the presence of these
Most would be familiar with acupressure, elements in our fingers, eating with our
acupuncture, reflexology etc. The basis fingers have a conducive impact on the
principles behind all these curative enjoyment, digestion and absorption of
methods or treatments are the inter- food for our overall health and happiness.
connectedness of the various parts of the Forget the forks, let the fingers do their
body and how palpitating or prodding a job. It’s a freedom of a different kind, as
particular point in one part can cure the important as the freedom of speech, the
problem in some other part of the body by freedom of expression, the freedom of
setting right the imbalances or misbalances being. Just be!
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