Nothing Wrong with Ritualism
Many people advocate for the abolition of ritualism in Hinduism, which stirs up questions in me. I wonder if this stems from a reformation movement or a supposed higher understanding of spirituality. The term ‘ritualism’ feels quite offensive because, in my view, a sincere Hindu does not engage in rituals as mere empty gestures without inner feeling or intent. Hindu worship, expressed through various rites, is profoundly different.
Consider the act of performing an ‘abhisheka,’ which symbolizes bathing the divine. Offering ‘prasad’ is another example; it represents feeding the deity. These actions are grounded in ‘bhavana’—a feeling or emotion. Even if this feeling is not initially present, it develops with the right intent over time. This is not ritualism but a practice—a way of communing with the divine, embodying Upanishadic philosophy and Vedantic principles through our actions, speech, and thoughts. These practices transform mere intellectual appreciation of Vedanta into inner realization. For this reason, we must preserve the traditional rites and rituals of Hinduism, avoiding changes driven by shame, political correctness, or a supposed higher spiritual understanding.
The images of our devatas (deities) are not mere figments of imagination. They were revealed to ancient rishis (sages) and carry the weight of thousands of years of worship, passed down from generation to generation—from our ancestors to our parents and now to us. Having darshan (sight) of these divine forms with devotion and love and worshipping them through Agama’s prescribed rites and rituals and the teachings of our seers and gurus brings these devatas to life. These images and idols become living, real, and tangible entities through sustained, single-minded devotion. Advanced spiritual masters and seers can invoke the divine power within these images or idols, a process known as ‘Prana Pratisthaapna’—the consecration or invocation of life in the vigraha (idol). This time-tested process is handed down through the ages, rooted in our rishis’ wisdom and meditative revelations. Why should we tamper with it?
Why should we ruin the successful formulas of worship passed down by our ancestors and deprive ourselves of our rich spiritual heritage? What is wrong with maintaining the diversity and heterogeneity of practices and beliefs within the vast family of Hindu traditions? Let us recall the cautionary words of Hamlet to Horatio: “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
Progressing Beyond
By getting into the Philosophy of the Nijanand Order, I gained an understanding of the three levels of worship: Ritualistic (Shariat or external worship), Jnana yogic or Gnostic (Haqiqat or delving into the knowledge of Absolute Truth/Gnosis), and Singular love-filled contemplational worship (Ma’rifat/Singular love for the Supreme).
A believer or devotee progresses through these three steps on one’s religious/spiritual journey. Obviously, ritualistic worship represents the toddler’s steps towards religiosity or spirituality. This is how one who gets initiated into religiosity or spirituality starts off. Then, they progress to the next two higher levels based on their past and present spiritual pursuit quotient. This is like the educational journey, where one progresses through primary, secondary, higher secondary, and college/university levels. There are only a few geniuses who might get double or triple promotions or may straight away enter the university level from the primary level.
Necessity to Take First Steps
There is the play of karmic quotient, whether in educational or spiritual pursuits. One who takes toddler steps towards religiosity or spirituality from the present birth will only have to go through the first step of worship naturally. It may take a few births before the individual progresses to the next higher levels through acquiring spiritual knowledge/wisdom. Only a few committed ones may leapfrog from level one to level three. Though rare, it is nevertheless possible. Only those who have been spiritualized in past births will progress to higher levels in the present birth. To all beginners, ritualism would hold allure or attraction. Nothing is wrong if their ritualistic worship involves mental/emotional bonding.
The initiation to the first level undoubtedly starts with worshipping community/family God/Goddess or individual/personal God or Goddess. It may even involve worshipping the higher triumvirate God heads or the Creator God. This involves worshipping forms to the formless (Saakar to Niraakar). The only unknown reality is that all these levels of worship are confined to the material realm only, though from the lowest to the highest level. It is a fact that one always progresses forward on one’s past birth spirituality as whatever level of spirituality one has attained in the past birth doesn’t go to waste and always gets a chance to move ahead by taking birth in an environment favouring spiritual progress.
Make the Move Towards the Supreme Lord*
What is unknown is that the Supreme Lord is beyond this material world or the created Cosmos of Universes and is in a different dimension/Cosmos. So, we need to undertake trans-cosmic transcendence to the third level of Ma’rifat through singular love-filled devotion by undertaking blissful Nijanand Meditation. These are the steps through Haqiqat to Ma’rifat. Only after knowing Him and attaining Him by unflinching singular love like that of a chaste woman can one get eternal salvation. All other salvations are attainable through various Gods and Goddesses, and even the Formless Creator God is transient of varying durations, and in ignorance, people take them as eternal salvation. At the end of the transient salvation period (however long beyond human comprehension), one has to take birth as per the remaining karmic load.
* Look up at other blogs to know about the Supreme Lord
