In the area of Vancouver Island on which I live, the elders of the Cowichan tribe speak of the "disease of the eye." They describe this condition as what occurs when we're walking down the road and avert our gaze when we pass by other humans instead of looking them directly in the eye, acknowledging them as God's noble creatures, seeing them and being seen by them. This act of aversion is seen as a turning away from a moment of grace and, ultimately, constitutes a turning away not just from the other person, but from ourselves as well, for the blessings of holding the gaze of other humans cure the disease of the eye and leave us feeling whole.
— Will Johnson, Rumi's Four Essential Practices