Dear Aspirant,

Hope you have been doing well.

Today I will be sharing some thoughts that I learned during my college days. It did leave a deep impression on me.

I believe that you might resonate with it.

Do write back if this is something you liked. It is nice to read diverse views.

My Thoughts on Understanding the Spirit of Rituals

People might not know to read or write. Yet they might be aware that today is a Lunar eclipse. Culture has the power to distil scientific information into day-to-day practices.

But over time, the cultural practices get maligned by people who misunderstood the original intent of certain rituals. The spirit is forgotten. Only the ritual remains. Ask people why they are following a ritual and the majority may not be aware.

The reasoning of the benefits of a ritual is replaced by fear of not following the ritual. Fear influences the decisions of people in a much larger way than logic or reasoning. Thus fear has become the primary motivator for the practice of many rituals.

Fear does not operate alone. It spreads like wildfire and engulfs as many people as possible. The neighbour's aunty must have told your mom that if don't do certain rituals, you will face a certain problem. While the intent may be altruistic, it starts the grapevine of fear.

The ease of access to audio, video and print modes of communication makes the grapevine of fear go viral. The spirit behind the ritual is forgotten. But the fear of not doing the ritual has grown multiple times.

So what can we do to break this cycle? The next time you hear about a particular ritual, read a bit more to find the reason for practising it. The inhuman practice of Sati continued for many years because people did not pause and ask, "Why are following this ritual?"

When the people of a nation understand the meaning of the rituals they practice, the country will thrive as a Spiritual centre of Excellence that supports multiple cultures and faiths.

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That is all for this week folks!

See you again next week. Have a good time :)

Best Wishes,

Satya