Evig, let me say without a preamble, is the word ‘give’ inverted. It is saner than its cousin ‘give’ and far less cocky. Giving is great but is intimidating when announced with intent to benefit because then you are giving only when you are expecting the world to acknowledge that you are the giver which makes it look like another act of some stand-up comedian ending with his asking the audience to come again. Consultants give advice in return for money, and lawyers, doctors, and all other professionals give something or the other for something or the other. I’ve heard even writers say, ‘I have given this book so much of my time, attention, and creative energy and I want it to bloody well give me back money and fame.’ By the way, even beggars give their best expressions and expect people to respond with generosity. Everyone expects everyone else to give. And the poor word stands cowering in a corner, unsure of what to do with all this attention.
But just look up at the sky. It simply pulls your imagination into its unbelievable vastness filling your being with hope and joy. The sky never says, ‘I give.’
Look at all the animals and plants. They go about doing what they were meant to do without attempting to change the plans of creation. Plants and animals never remind you that they give.
Look at a painting. Does it chant the ‘I give, I give, I give’ mantra? Does it hide itself from you unless you wave a ticket of admission? But yes, an artist can be different because he probably thinks he has given the world an artwork.
Look at a poem. It has just a few and sometimes more than a few words that go about tickling emotive responses. Does it ever ask you to give it even a pat? No.
Even idols in temples happily link themselves to blessings, unaware that there are placards and slogans all over exhorting devotees to give.
Books open their treasures for anyone who comes to them with a yearning to learn. I’ve never heard a book quote a fee or say, ‘I give only if you give.’
Love in the eyes of a paramour is all about selfless dedication.
The hands of an artisan create wonderful objects because they know there is joy in doing what they are doing.
And yet all the examples that you have read (and millions of them that are not included in this short paragraph) will thrive only if we decide to take the right action without blabbering about it. The sky will appreciate and love us more if we stop polluting the environment. Forests and all the animals (and even rivers and lakes) around can do without any unnecessary conflicts. We can surely grant them this little gift, can’t we? Paintings survive with patronage. By the way, even artistic graffiti on our city walls can do without posters being glued on them. Poetry discovers new forms when people hear it and recite it. The arts obviously need us to shower some well-deserved attention and encouragement. Idols too would be happier if we decide to demolish every closed-minded wall or barrier that we so love constructing around them. Love perishes if one says that one is giving it a life… and so even a silent acknowledgement nurtures it. The hands of artisans will keep on creating if we go on ensuring that they do not remain unnoticed and unwanted. This is really quite simple. Nothing that exists does so because of charity that is trumpeted. Everything thrives when a healthy relationship of mutual support finds a voice. To merely give because giving gets you attention or places you on some non-existing moralistic plane high up in the mortal echelons is like strangling life out of every good thing that there is in the universe.
Let me add here that there may be hundreds of girls who would dance better only if they had shoes. There could be those who could break records in sports only if they had the right diet. There are explorers, inventors, artists, and writers, to name a few, who are probably waiting for the right environment to foster their interest. Even causes and relationships wait until they get to where they must. Yes, a lot need a lot of us to come forward and assist in whatever way we can. This is how the world prospers.
But when we give, our ego takes away some of the magic that I am talking about. So, evig.
.
.
.
evig is give… inverted
#DaanUtsav
.
.
.
Arvind Passey
09 October 2017
