Rituals as learning tools
The man who sells a television set does not tell you the intricate scientific principles that make it work.
He simply places a remote in our hands with an instruction booklet. Reading it, even a lay person who has no knowledge of science is able to tame the images, sound, brightness and colour, and switch channels by pressing buttons.
Many of us are not aware of how a mobile telephone functions but we are conversant with basic rituals like dialing a number, scrolling, typing a message – thereby helping us to communicate, send and receive messages.
Pure science abounds in theories, concepts, abstraction and perhaps even speculation. Technology reaches science to our doorstep. Technology is the external face, the outward expression of science.
Identical to the above is the relation between spirituality and religion. Religions are outward expressions of spirituality. They have evolved over time and each religion has its own constituency of followers.
Like science, the goal of spirituality is to help efface our problems and improve the quality of our lives. The difference exists in time dimension and vision. While science broadly deals with problems one by one and that which are external in nature, spirituality seeks to strike at the root of all problems that is embedded in our ignorance of the true purpose of life and inability to recognise the true Self.
While applying science to our lives we perform various rituals without questioning how it works because the 'how' has already been taken care of by those who formalised it. The rituals go hand-in-hand whenever technology-based appliances are in use. A religion, too, prescribes rituals, which are to be viewed in the light of the above. A religion adapts spirituality and enlists some easy steps for consumption and benefit of people.
If you are inclined to study and learn about science – understand theories and formulae and how things work – and you have the commitment, drive and a sense of urgency and adventure to explore and discover truths, then, you could similarly pursue spirituality, to plumb the depths of metaphysics.
It is irrational to reject or run down any ritual only because we have not understood it. Every ritual has been evolved with a great deal of thought and experience, in order to enhance physical and mental well being that will contribute towards spiritual uplift.
Taking three sips of water called aachamanam was intended to boost one's immunity. Touching various parts of body as part of prayer rituals was done to activate, in the process, nerve endings at these places. The various mudras expressed during chanting of mantras or dance are based on the principle of acupressure.
The sitting posture advocated in most kinds of yoga helps keep the spine erect to facilitate free flow of energy. Offering fruits, leaves and flowers during puja symbolizes purity, for the plant kingdom is one of the few life forms that procreates without sexual exchange, as we understand it. In this manner, religious rituals mostly do have an underlying meaning and significance that might have been forgotten over time, leaving us with form but bereft of the essence.
All the same, being struck in rituals life-long is like building new bridges every day and not crossing them.
Religious rituals are usually purification exercises designed to propel one towards refinement. They are not meant to add to the already swollen repertoire of our desires. Once true knowledge is gained, rituals can be abandoned, as they would have served their purpose. While science aims to enhance the comfort of human life, spirituality teaches us how to be comfortable with what we have. That is the difference.
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He simply places a remote in our hands with an instruction booklet. Reading it, even a lay person who has no knowledge of science is able to tame the images, sound, brightness and colour, and switch channels by pressing buttons.
Many of us are not aware of how a mobile telephone functions but we are conversant with basic rituals like dialing a number, scrolling, typing a message – thereby helping us to communicate, send and receive messages.
Pure science abounds in theories, concepts, abstraction and perhaps even speculation. Technology reaches science to our doorstep. Technology is the external face, the outward expression of science.
Identical to the above is the relation between spirituality and religion. Religions are outward expressions of spirituality. They have evolved over time and each religion has its own constituency of followers.
Like science, the goal of spirituality is to help efface our problems and improve the quality of our lives. The difference exists in time dimension and vision. While science broadly deals with problems one by one and that which are external in nature, spirituality seeks to strike at the root of all problems that is embedded in our ignorance of the true purpose of life and inability to recognise the true Self.
While applying science to our lives we perform various rituals without questioning how it works because the 'how' has already been taken care of by those who formalised it. The rituals go hand-in-hand whenever technology-based appliances are in use. A religion, too, prescribes rituals, which are to be viewed in the light of the above. A religion adapts spirituality and enlists some easy steps for consumption and benefit of people.
If you are inclined to study and learn about science – understand theories and formulae and how things work – and you have the commitment, drive and a sense of urgency and adventure to explore and discover truths, then, you could similarly pursue spirituality, to plumb the depths of metaphysics.
It is irrational to reject or run down any ritual only because we have not understood it. Every ritual has been evolved with a great deal of thought and experience, in order to enhance physical and mental well being that will contribute towards spiritual uplift.
Taking three sips of water called aachamanam was intended to boost one's immunity. Touching various parts of body as part of prayer rituals was done to activate, in the process, nerve endings at these places. The various mudras expressed during chanting of mantras or dance are based on the principle of acupressure.
The sitting posture advocated in most kinds of yoga helps keep the spine erect to facilitate free flow of energy. Offering fruits, leaves and flowers during puja symbolizes purity, for the plant kingdom is one of the few life forms that procreates without sexual exchange, as we understand it. In this manner, religious rituals mostly do have an underlying meaning and significance that might have been forgotten over time, leaving us with form but bereft of the essence.
All the same, being struck in rituals life-long is like building new bridges every day and not crossing them.
Religious rituals are usually purification exercises designed to propel one towards refinement. They are not meant to add to the already swollen repertoire of our desires. Once true knowledge is gained, rituals can be abandoned, as they would have served their purpose. While science aims to enhance the comfort of human life, spirituality teaches us how to be comfortable with what we have. That is the difference.
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The above feature could be dismissed as some wearisome prattle of a true (?) practicing Brahmin. However, I wish to question him on all his claims and that follows below:
(The above are some wonderful but idiotic explanations for Brahmanic rituals practiced by many in our community. One might hope that those who teach those rituals i.e Vedic priests might know the meanings and source theories behind them. He admits that scientists do know how and why their technologies work. In anticipation of such questions, like how his rituals work; the writer has an answer ready made, to make his idea clear by saying “In this manner, religious rituals mostly do have an underlying meaning and significance that might have been forgotten over time, leaving us with form but bereft of the essence.”
While he makes a lot out of puja rituals as being “Offering fruits, leaves and flowers during puja symbolizes purity, for the plant kingdom is one of the few life forms that procreates without sexual exchange, as we understand it.” He left out those pujas to various devies and deities in Tamil Nadu & Kerala where the offerings are not flowers and fruits but animals’ blood both large and small ones i.e fowls, goats, buffaloes and others. Many such rituals were shown in TV channels. A few months back “Utpal Parashar in Hindustan Times, November 25, 2009 reported, 25,000 buffaloes sacrificed in
However, he comes to paradigm conclusion “All the same, being struck in rituals life-long is like building new bridges every day and not crossing them.” He says: “Once true knowledge is gained, rituals can be abandoned, as they would have served their purpose.”
What is true knowledge? I have not come across any spiritual or other scholars whose claims were tested scientifically. They talk about contemplation and meditation. These are testable and therefore being tested extensively by neuro scientists. The short conclusion is that all inner knowledge is limited to known knowledge and other experiences are simple fantasies fit to fiction. This writer seems to be completely ignorant of such experiments.
“While science aims to enhance the comfort of human life, spirituality teaches us how to be comfortable with what we have. That is the difference.” This gentleman may be thinking that science feeds on avarice but being comfortable is spiritual. What is our spiritual legacy and wherefrom it did manifest? Who will be in a position to give us an answer? Brahmins were considered superior in all respects including their spiritual attainments since undefined ancient times. In addition, there are historical records that showed their avarice in grabbing power in their hands. They must have felt comfortable in their achievements rather than in spirituality. This attitude continued more or less strong at all times until this day.
People like the columnist should refrain from misleading others through misreading the means and aims of science and or spirituality. What appalls me is that of distressingly highhanded view that he completely kept silent on the several strains of religious and nonreligious ones; other than his own Brahmanic one.
People like the columnist should refrain from misleading others through misreading the means and aims of science and or spirituality. What appalls me is that of distressingly highhanded view that he completely kept silent on the several strains of religious and nonreligious ones; other than his own Brahmanic one.
“If you are inclined to study and learn about science – understand theories and formulae and how things work – and you have the commitment, drive and a sense of urgency and adventure to explore and discover truths, then, you could similarly pursue spirituality, to plumb the depths of metaphysics.” [The emphasis.]
The writer is advocating pursuit of spirituality a kind of profession to be learned and followed just like science. He accepted that science has some purpose to serve. But what purpose is served in pursuing spirituality? The purpose of science is to benefit entire human community, environment including animate inanimate ones. The spirituality advocated benefits only self not even his near ones. Then when all human individuals go for spirituality; the world could come to an end automatically. Then all bliss will descend on all.
“spirituality seeks to strike at the root of all problems that is embedded in our ignorance of the true purpose of life and inability to recognise the true Self.” Although the writer seems to be a Brahmin advocating brahmin rituals to understand the ‘true purpose of life’ he is too ignorant to consult one of the most significant Suktam from Rigveda
[10-129] HYMN. Nasadeeya Suktam.
6. Ko ahdhaa veda ka iha pravochad | kuta aa jataa kutha iyam visrishti: |
Arvag deva asya visarjanena | Adhaa ko veda yada aababhoova ||
6 Who verily knows and who can here declare it, whence it was born and whence comes this creation? The Gods are later than this world's production. Who knows then whence it first pravochat came into being? Griffith
Who knows or who could declare from what time it was born or why and whence this creation. Even gods could not know since they manifested late. May some one know or no one knows. (Mine.)
7. Iyam visrishtiryatha aababhoova | Yadi va dadhe yadi va na |
Yo asya adhyaksha: Parame vyoma manthaso anga veda yadi va na veda ||
7 He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it,
Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows not. Griffith
How this creation did came forth, whether some one did it or no one. He the one superintending it from high heavens may know it or he may not.(Mine)
K.N.Krishnan
Sept.28.2010
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