Apologetic Gesture!

Somebody 'bugged' the answering community with a question about ritualistic aspect of 'apology'.

It reminded me that we also place our forehead on a few pieces of stone (yes... sculpted ones, usually)... Even this seemed okay to me.... when I was a kid... no harm anyway.... no cost involved.... if there is some hidden benefit, let it reveal 'itself' at its own 'choice'.... then what is going to be my efforts in that direction?.... was the instant thought.... how do I work towards it, to be receptive enough, when it 'reveals' itself?.... At that kid-age, looking about is what we usually do.... mercifully, no 'rants' asking us to 'look within!'.... even if they did, I had a 'ready-reference'... all I needed to do was to point out at that baby-kid who turns back to 'look' for the source of the sound, when it happened to fart! ....

I happened to visit ruins of ancient temples in desolate forest area (about 45 years ago or so..)... The heads of a few 'Nandi' idols were missing.... Went close to 'look' at it .... there were square cavities at the neck region, in the middle, as if some crevice is carved out to place something.... I asked the local guide... he pointed to a few more Nandi idols, some of which 'escaped' the chopping... they were all single stone.... and then he proceeded to inform... some invaders happened to knock off the head, long ago, and discovered some precious stone embedded at that neck.... they now chopped a few more... some yielded such stones, some ... just half formed... yet others, just the cavity (all these in single, one-piece-blocks of stones of sculpting!)... Now I had an opportunity to re-look, super imposing the 'hearsay' that traditionally, we are not supposed to bow again before that Nandi, after coming out of the shrine of the main deity-shiva!'... These stones.... especially... the precious ones inside.... embedded into a cavity... by a evolved technique.... might perhaps, 'format' our head (if we have a brain in a good usable condition), and then we enter the shrine, imbibe the energy, and 'escape' notice of that Nandi, lest that 'bull' might re-format' the precious data again!).... That guide's eyes widened, and barely managed to withhold that new-found reverential look, when I offered this 'perhaps-plausible-explanation'! For me, that person was a chance to 'see' if it appeals to 'another' person also.... The appeal within me was way beyond just an appeal.. it was my turn to appeal to that unseen energy surging also into me (“please... I have other things to attend to right now!... may be some other time...” etc :).......)

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Now we have that “low-viscosity-oil” for heavy 'transformers' (used by Electricity Boards.... earlier, these transformers used to 'develop' a kind of heat, 'ushna' which used to simply eat-up its life-span sooner.... we simply accepted it as 'it-is/has-been only like that'... recently, this oil changed the way these transformers perform and last! It did remind me about the ayurvedic oil that drips on the head of the patient, for a long duration, when our 'transformers' get heated up badly, and malfunction too!)..... the main ingredients are imported and repacked, charging the oil-base appropriately.... Technical experts might substantiate or deny this, for its worth... But we the lay persons, know that Electrical energy 'fatigues' the metal that conducts it from one end to another (the flow itself, causes this fatigue)... The copper wiring becomes fatigued over a period of time.... If we are willing to accept that it is not merely enough if the light 'burns' when a pair of copper wire is properly connected, then there is a possibility that we would see the wisdom in replacing with fresh-virgin-copper wires periodically to save the meter from running /spinning faster than it is really required to light up that bulb (fatigued wires eat up more energy on the way, it seems!).... Human body is the most sophisticated design we can see till date (may science evovle to beat this concept). We too use tools to rejuvenate the energy-carrying-cells, nerves, subtle channels, to economise using up energy, to build up higher level of charge, to ensure unhindered flow of energy, to regulate surges, etc... Subtle energies, I am referring to...

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Now, if this seems a 'possibility' then bringing either the head or the object of reverence, close to each other... might seem logical enough .... (For infra-red connectivity, the two mobiles are brought into better-proximity than for that blue-tooth-connectivity!)... Spirituality afford both and more forms of connectivity, face-to-face, and remote !

Before this introductory details becomes too long.... the question itself!

psn(9^th June, 2012)

http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120608091020AA7gYuJ

Why do we Indian apologies when we put feet on Books, Language Words, pen?

accidentally...? what is the intention?

Additional Details

In india, while a child is being taught anything say ABC or Hindi, if they put their feet accidentally on study material, they are supposed to apologies by touching it to forehead. Not a joke. Specially Hindus.

My answer:

Even those who 'touch it to the forehead', usually think that it is an apology!
Strangely enough we have to hunt for an 'exact' word for 'apology' in most of the Indian languages! They use some words which seem to come very close... like 'Kshama' (Hindi)... so liberally... that it has come to stay as an equivalent to the 'apology'.... (this reference to Indian languages is perhaps necessary to reach the intrinsic significance of this 'action of apology' towards books!)...
True, the thought-process of saying 'I am sorry' or "I apologise" also brings us very close to the purpose (traditional purpose ) of touching it to forehead....
But otherwise, psychologically, this traditional , ritualistic-like-looking act also serves as a reminder to oneself to take care to rever such objects... Books, pen etc are tools of communicating the essence, the concepts of one's life experience (a deep understanding of somebody's experience obviates the need for us to go through the whole experience once again and waste a whole life-time! 'Reinventing the wheel... physically'.... not really needed... good enough to visualise that experience in much shorter time, using intense intuitive abilities).... incidentally, that word for apology 'Kshama' was once upon a time used to indicate 'capability'! (a person would thus wish... 'may I evolve into greater capability to be able to adequately rever this precious book'.... and the name "Kshamavaan" is an attribute to a deity also called as 'Shiva' propitiating whom, such capabilities are said to increase!
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(I lean upon the last two sentences.... "Not a joke..." and "Specially..." when I ventured to give out this not-so-logical-looking-answer! :).... )