Give sincerely with both hands

HINDU priests, while performing Yajna or any other ceremony, insist on making offerings to the deities with folded and outstretched hands. The gesture itself demonstrates an intention to give without reservation.

I have seen this practice followed during my travels to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. It was disarming and humiliating to see the girl at the hotel reception handing over my room keys with both hands outstretched. Just like a salesman giving change or the housekeeping staff offering tea bags.

In many ways, offerings made with both hands become an angelic exchange, with the status of the giver being doubled. In the Western way of life, removing the hat can mean acknowledging or saluting. The victory sign may look impressive, but using both hands in nonverbal communication signifies a deep connection. Our own folded hands namaste was recognized worldwide during the

Covid-19 pandemic. Namaste comes from the Sanskrit words “namah” (to bow) and “te” (to you).

The hands coupled with a small inclination of the head signify complete submission, with no reciprocity expected. It’s a total abandonment. Your intention to give appears in all its pure honesty. The apparent obligation to you is transparent enough to be felt, and you don’t need words to convey that emotion.

Arrogance, indignation, and ostentation are all put aside when you join hands in a one-on-one interaction. Also to bless or pray, outstretched hands are raised above eye level, as if to confirm that prayers are answered right then and there.

In a pagoda, I saw a devotee lying prostrate in obedience to the Lord and holding incense sticks in both hands, moving back and forth with them. This sight filled me with respect for the divinity. The devotee seemed oblivious to his surroundings. It was a picture of humility – no trace of affectation was visible.

Obedience may be a spiritual matter, while respect is a worldly attribute. By holding out both hands, respect is already guaranteed. Palm trees are joined to create an entire world of its own.

In Indian culture, and perhaps this is the one thing both hands should not do, it is said that charity is at its purest when the left hand does not know what and when the right donates. In a way, here too, both hands are involved – one ostensibly and the other vicariously.

In the Muslim way of life, when you pray for someone or give blessings (dua), you raise your hands together. This sums up the universality of this beautiful gesture.