Rituals in Gyan

[A four year old article that still seems accurate]

We pride ourselves to be enlightened and rational beings who if need be, bravely defy socially accepted norms of behaviour. We decry superstition. We are always polite but firm in rejecting offers to eat food that does not match our strict standards of purity, cleanliness of the mind and the environs. We are willing to bear the social outrage at our decisions to lead a life of purity and define our own priorities in life. We are quick to spot the shallowness visible everywhere – how people often celebrate occasions such as festivals, birthdays, anniversaries etc without really being sincere.

And yet, rituals are the norm. Every now and then we catch ourselves going through a series of mindless actions. We find ourselves in quite amusing situations. For example: We may …

1. wake up in the early morning hours of nectar (Amrit Vela) to have the most powerful meditation and yet feel drowsy and have no experience of meditation.
2. want to control the traffic of our thoughts in the mind by observing periodic short “traffic control” times sincerely – and while religiously observing silence & stopping physical activity, we may forget to direct the mind to God or any particular focus.
3. like to start and end any activity with silent remembrance of God and yet while there is silence, at times there is no remembrance, just waiting alertly for someone to move their hands or legs thereby signaling the “end of the remembrance”.
4. offer food to God in an effort to give pure vibrations to the food so that it has a purifying effect on our body and mind … and yet find our mind wandering to more mundane pastures of work recently done or to be done.
5. attend spiritual class with full sincerity, understanding well that this is the only study that truly illuminate us souls and is critical for our self-development as a student of the supreme teacher. And yet we may catch ourselves nodding off, or paying attention to the “teacher’s” pronunciation and gestures more than the content of the talk. Sometimes we are concerned about how people ought to behave in class, sometimes alertly pay attention to who is entering or leaving class etc. Sometimes, we listen and even read without any value and therefore experience nothing other than having successfully completed another item to be done.
6. aim at doing ‘Service’ of humanity but forget to see what the intended audience is seeking. We sometimes proceed to ‘force’(though the word seems too harsh for this context) our own ideas and concepts on the trapped listeners. Interestingly, we may also not be following the ‘forcedly delivered’ idea or concept accurately.
7. use that wonderful greeting of peace ‘Om Shanti’ without the consciousness of ‘Om’ (i am a soul) or ‘Shanti’ (my nature is peace).
8. give or receive powerful ‘drishti’ (the soul conscious look that helps the receiver stabilize in soul consciousness and Godly remembrance), and all that happens is a blank yet focused gaze at the forehead of the giver/receiver of the ‘drishti’. Remembrance is cast aside and sometimes various wandering thoughts come by and sometimes thoughts of past interactions with the person in front flash by.

Certainly, there are many more examples that can be cited. Not all ‘rituals’ are performed by everyone… and certainly, all of us may perform these occasionally when we lose perspective and hurry through the ceremonies.

As long as actions, words, and – at the root level- thoughts go unmonitored, it is likely that some or the other ‘ritual’ will get inadvertently performed. A meaningful life and a joyful life are the results of a disciplined mind. The careful weeding out of the wasteful & negative thoughts and the intentional planting of noble, elevated thoughts – this is the process of disciplining the mind. This also ensures that only positive fruitful thoughts translate into corresponding actions.

This kind of wonderful gardening in the field of action, in the field of duty, is done by one who has a divine intellect; one who has realized the truth, and not just known it as a set of facts to be noted. A divine intellect that is full of wisdom applies itself to the work of cleansing the personality traits.

The result of such careful gardening and tender loving attention is a robust and healthy soul whose every thought bears fruit. Success follows every action. A life of constant bliss and peaceful equanimity arrives to stay. Liberation from bondages … liberation in Life… Ah freedom!