The Value of Ritual
(of course rituals can become mechanical and only feel nice when they stop!
Meditation can get like that.)

This is connected to the illusion of knowledge – merely repeating and not understanding. We can easily fool ourselves into thinking that we know something, mainly because we don’t ask the question…why?

As humans we are naturally ritualistic – we follow routines. It’s that old habitual patterning again. If we took an aerial shot of our lives, we’d see our deep tram lines of behaviour on the map: just check your browsing history on the internet. We are addicts ;-)! (incidentally, internet and phone surveillance records record these patterns. The funny thing is that those who are doing the surveillance will also be surveyed…like dogs chasing their tails…crazy!)

Spiritual ritual does have a value: it’s a ritual within a ritualistic life. It’s a reminder to stop being busy, but it can easily become part of our busy-ness…crazy!

Throughout our spiritual lives, we gradually pick up practices, and there are more formalised ones in spiritual centres. They do help to set a space aside from the humdrum life of being an information pundit.

It doesn’t really matter why we do ritual practice. It is at least something, and fruition may grow out of our confusion. The point is to be whole-hearted about it, and know what we are doing and why. We do it because it is meaningful to us.

Since doing certain practices, my life has changed: amongst these are the prayers to Manjushri (this helps with memory), Vajra Kilaya (for protection), Chenrezig (for compassion), Dorje Yudroma (for protection), and Guru Rinpoche for (correctness). Most important are the refuge prayers at the beginning, and the dedication to all sentient beings at the end, plus long life prayer for my teachers. Within the practices, there are breaks to just let go…it’s nice to stop…emptiness! This is called the completion stage.

I just couldn’t start the day without communicating with and receiving from the enlightened ones – supplications and blessings.

The recognition that all mental appearances are like rainbows – insubstantial – helps in the death process, where everything is seen as mere projections of the mind and therefore there is nothing to fear.