Children, the number of people who believe in God is increasing in our country. More and more people are going to places of worship. There, however, does not seem to be a corresponding increase in spiritual awareness being reflected in their daily lives. In fact, there seems to be a degradation of values as well as increasing corruption and attachment to sensual pleasures.
Our religious consciousness seems to be associated largely with rituals and traditions. Generally, most people do not seem to have understood and assimilated spiritual principles properly; nor do they show much awareness of values. Even the knowledge that is propagated in placesof worship seems to be focused more on promoting sectarianism than on increasing awareness of values. Thousands are ready to die for their religion, but few are willing to live by spiritual principles and values. This is the main reason for the degradation of values in society.
Most devotees lack any real knowledge of the fundamental principles of religion. Many just blindly follow the religious practices of their ancestors. Once, the supervisor of a garden called four of his workers and gave them a job each: the first was to dig holes, the second, to sow seeds in them, the third, to water the seeds, and the fourth, to cover the holes with earth. They started working.
The first worker dug holes. The second worker came late.Ignoring this, the third worker watered the holes, and the fourth worker covered them. All their efforts were in vain. The aim was to sow seeds and to grow seedlings, but the second worker did not sow the seeds in the first place.
Many religious people are like this. They go through the rigmarole of rituals, but do not strive to assimilate spiritual principles and apply them. So, even though the numbers of believers have increased, society does not seem to have reaped the benefits of devotion.
The main aim of traditions and rituals is to cultivate remembrance of God and inculcate noble values. Customs help to foster good habits. Following customs brings about discipline and order in life. That said, we must first strive to understand the spiritual principles behind the customs. For as long as we are identified with the body, we need traditions and rituals.
It is not enough to say that everything is God or Brahman, the Supreme. We have not experienced this truth. Just as pictures and counting beads are used as aids to help teach children how to count, traditions and rituals are necessary to shape the mind. It makes no difference to God whether or not we observe traditions and rituals. We need them for our inner growth, however. Traditions and rituals uphold noble values and protect the well-being of society. Without them, dharma (righteousness) itself will disappear.
Spirituality is not a part-time affair; neither is life. Spirituality is the science of right living. Therefore, one cannot afford to deny or ignore spiritual principles. You cannot hope to have peace and joy in your life if most of your day’s activities cause disquiet and unrest. If you want to have peace and joy all the time, you have to orient your life towards this goal. This may appear to be an insurmountable feat, but one can reach the heights of spiritual bliss by taking one step at a time.The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian