This too shall pass

Poorvi Koutish has been voted out, I felt sad and my daughter cried....

I am talking about a singing reality show called Indian Idol where one of our top favorite contestants was voted out. Does it matter? Why, how?

Before that, a small story : Once king Akbar challenged Birbal to tell him a phrase that can make one happy when one is sad and make him sad when one is happy. The wise Birbal said "This too shall pass".....

Our religions and philosophies especially Bhagvad Geeta teaches us to be Nirvikar( unaffected).

Some people feel that these shows ruin the life of young contestants. They expose them to temporary glitter and fame at an early age and when they get eliminated, they are unable to face the harsh realities of life.

I think these reality shows teach us that :

1. A poor man's son/ daughter can become a success/ celebrity if he/ she has talent and hard work. So, focus on your strengths, work hard and the bad time shall pass...

2. The contestant who may be hot favorite for almost all episodes can get voted out in last round. So, good times shall also pass. Don't take them for granted.

3. The young viewers like my daughter experience happiness, dejection, anxiety, almost all emotions for contestants who are actually complete strangers to us. But once the show is over, life is normal soon again and we tend to forget them. It actually teaches us the importance and also the short shelf life of emotions.

I feel one doesn't need to suppress the emotions but find a way to live them and yet experience the detachment, the Nirvikarness....