Ritual

What Are Rituals and Why Do They Matter?

Rituals are religious or solemn ceremonies consisting of a set of actions performed in a specific order. We all follow rituals — the ritual of celebrating a birthday or a wedding; the rituals that come with death… it is part of a prescriptive code of human social behavior that helps us make some meaning out of life and creates a sense of belonging.

Spiritual Ritual Meaning and Sacred Practice

When it comes to religious rituals, the prescribed codes attempt to bridge the space between our quotidian life and the grander sacred universe, using elaborate action and a sense of purpose. The rituals can range from a simple act like lighting an incense stick in front of an altar to an elaborate set of prayers and sacrifices. Seder meals and other evocative rituals during Passover are believed to be a symbolic reminder of the hardships and triumphs faced by the Jews. According to historian Jeffrey Kripal, “Getting a billion people to bow down five times a day facing a small city in Saudi Arabia is an extraordinary ritual accomplishment.”

Collective Effervescence and the Power of Ritual

The core of Confucianism is an adherence to prescribed rituals which were meant to cultivate certain virtues of character, with the highest virtue being “benevolence.” Hinduism perhaps has more rituals than any other religion owing to the vast diversity of the Hindu sects. Rituals are not just daily routine actions, they instill positive change in one’s character allowing us to ponder on what matters most in life. The Hindu saint Sri Ramakrishna has a beautiful analogy for summing this up: “When the fruit appears the blossom drops off. Love of God is the fruit, and rituals are the blossom.” According to Buddhist teachings, rituals act as a medicine; once cured, one can toss aside the medicine.

As with every aspect of religion, we should approach all rituals with a fluid mind and be flexible both in thought and practice. All rituals are man-made, but when they get stultified, and accompanied by dogma, there can be a problem.Émile Durkheim, the famous social scientist, argued that rituals help individuals transcend their individuality and feel ‘collective effervescence’ by participating in community’s rituals which is the essence of every religion and society. Hopefully more evolved forms of rituals will arise from within, driven by the sense of meaning and purpose, acting as an integrative effort to better serve all humanity going beyond confines of specific religion, and community.