33.English Essay Example on : Superstitions

Superstitions

Superstitions are as old as man. The earliest men who had no scientific knowledge fell an easy prey to superstition. Thus, illiteracy and lack of knowledge and capacity to reason out are the hotbeds which generate and perpetuate superstition.
A few centuries before Christ, Mahatma Buddha appeared. He was probably the first great man to expound and explain the value and significance of reason which eliminated superstition altogether. He emphasized that everything should be thoroughly studied, judged and tested before being believed. Later, many other great men like Guru Nanak and Kabir exhorted the people to shun superstition.
Many people may believe that faith is also a form of superstition. But, as we can see if we think deeply, there is a difference. Faith is a positive factor whereas superstition is a negative factor.
Previously, the rural people, in particular, believed in superstitions. The belief in ghosts and fairies was very common. In most of the villages it was a common practice to believe that ghosts and fairies lived in particular trees as also at the cremation grounds. It was believed that these ghosts operated at night and that they were visible to some people and invisible to others.
Taking advantage of this gullibility and credulity of the simple-minded people, mostly ruralites, and many clever men turned into tantriks and controllers of ghosts and fairies and cheated these people. Unfortunately, even at present, such clever men are at work and surprisingly, in some cases, even some highly educated men fall a prey to them.
There are many kinds of superstitions which are observed by common people. For instance, the throbbing of a man’s left limb and a woman’s right limb, often an eye, is considered inauspicious while the reverse is the case in case of the other limb or eye.
If early in the morning we come across a sweeper, it is considered auspicious, but if we come across a Brahmin it is believed to be inauspicious.
If while going out, a cat crosses our way, it is believed to be bad luck. The cawing of a crow indicates the possibility of a guest visiting the house the same day.
Similarly, there are many other superstitions. Some of them are degrees as propagated by some cruel, greedy tantriks particularly as in the matter of dealing with infertile women. We should try to develop a scientific spirit of mind and judge everything on the basis of reason and not fall an easy prey to others, assertions and unfounded claims

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