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Nearer, my God, to theeRituals are a tangible pathway to spirituality and should not be scoffed at, says A. Seshan
The observance of rituals is a common element in life all over the world. The rituals could be secular or religious. Any university convocation is an example of the former. At such functions, you see a procession of dignitaries in academic robes moving towards the dais on the occasion. The candidates in their own special dress receive their degrees. Could they not be dispensed with? Cannot the office of the university hand over the certificates to the candidates or send them by post as indeed it does in the case of those who are unable to attend the function? But no, the occasion is special, hence it calls for celebration. A celebration which requires solemnity.
Dressing appropriately for the occasion is part of any rituals. For example, uniforms are prescribed for the police and the military during their hours of work. They inspire respect, if not fear, and help in the discharge of their responsibilities. C. Rajagopalachari talked on the importance of the costumes that one wears in doing one’s duty. He quoted the example of circus. "The main artistes in leotards performed many difficult acrobatic feats like swinging from the trapeze and are applauded," he said. "But when the same stunts are performed by clown in his funny clothes and dunce cap, the audience laughs at him. He is not taken seriously and the whole act is treated as a joke."
In life, from is as important as content. It is said that in western markets, packaging could constitute as much as 20-25 per cent of the cost of what one buys in the super market or department store. Consumers want their products to be attractively packaged. One can be cynical and take a marketing view of rituals. But the symbolism is more serious than what it would be implied. Also the economic implication of rituals cannot be dismissed lightly. One has to calculate the amount of money spent on an occasion like the Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai alone. One man’s expenditure is another man’s income. Employment opportunities, especially for artisans making the idols, are enhanced.
There is the essential reasoning for the relevance of rituals. In Hinduism, God is conceptualised as one without form or attribute (‘Nirguna Brahma’). But the ordinary mortal cannot think of such an entity, leave alone concentrate his mind on it. He needs something tangible to which he can devote his attention. The idol, be it for Rama or any other god, helps in focussing his mind on the ultimate reality.
The term upasana (worship) means ‘to sit near the Lord’. Thus the rituals make him closer to God and help him concentrate on the divinity.
While talking about bhakti yoga, Swami Vivekananda, a great rationalist himself, said: "The greatest man I have seen in my life, the most wonderfully developed in spirituality, have all come through the discipline of these rituals. How do I know how these ideas act upon the mind, which of them I am to accept and which to reject? You must always bear in mind that emotional nature do not care for abstract definition of truth. God to them is something tangible, the only thing that is real; they feel, see and hear Him and only then love Him. Your rationalist seems to them to be like the fool who, when he saw a beautiful statue, wanted to break it to find out of what material it was made."
There is an interesting story in the Mahabharata to demonstrate the importance of adhering to rituals. The story goes that Dharmaraja Yudisthir was performing the annual death ceremony of his foster father Pandu. Towards the end of the ceremony, it is a custom to offer a pinda (rice ball) to the ancestor by reciting a mantra, placing it on the floor and sprinkling it with water and sesame seed. As he was about to place the offering on the floor, a hand came out of the air. Then an asariri (disembodied voice) spoke: "Dear son, I am your father Pandu. Please keep the pinda in my hand."
An ordinary mortal would have been immensely pleased to fulfil the desire of the ancestor. But Dharma, being Dharma, did not hesitate for a moment. He said: "Sorry father, blessed indeed am I that you came to receive my offering in person. But the Shastras forbid this. They say that I should keep it on the floor."
So saying, he recited the mantra and kept the pinda on the floor. Then he heard his father say: "You have made me happy. I just wanted to test your faith in our Shastras. You have passed the test gloriously."
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