Theos-Talk Archives (November 2006 Message tt00337)

Dear friends,

In his article, Ritual and the Quest for Enlightenment, David Frawley 
writes: 

Any action that is repeatedly energized with thought and intention 
gains power, thereby becoming a ritual of sorts. In fact, all our 
actions have a ritualistic orientation, because action tends toward 
repetition and reinforcement, thereby projecting a particular energy 
to link us with certain forces in the world in which we live. In this 
regard, even basic vital functions like eating and breathing are 
rituals, that is, rhythmic actions drawing into us various cosmic 
energies.

The Sanskrit word karma, which usually refers to the effects of our 
actions through various lives, originally meant "ritual". Action or 
karma is always ritual; that is, whatever action we do sets in motion 
certain forces, not only of a personal but of a collective and cosmic 
nature.
All action, we could say, is like jumping into a stream. We can 
choose the stream to jump into, but once in the stream we come under 
the stream's forces, which are not longer a matter of choice. 
Whatever we do places us in a stream of action which has a momentum 
that will carry us in a particular direction. Conscious actions 
reinforce the energy of consciousness, which causes us to grow in 
awareness. Unconscious actions reinforce habit, inertia, and the 
energy of ignorance, which places us under the domination of external 
world.

Once we recognize that action is karma, we will approach our actions 
with an awareness that makes them sacred. We will then give even 
simple and everyday actions an attention so that we do not let 
ourselves drift in the stream of unconscious action into greater 
darkness and sorrow.

Our rituals have become mundane and sensate, with no spiritual goal; 
they have become a repetition of sensation, and at worst, of negative 
emotions. To fill the void created by a lack of true ritual, or 
sacred action, we have created, perhaps unconsciously, an entire set 
of false rituals.

True ritual gives a universal meaning to all that we do and to all 
with whom we come in contact, including all of nature. 

The highest ritual is meditation, wherein everything we do becomes 
imbued with attention and awareness.

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In my view, therefore, we can not avoid ritual as it is inherent in 
the nature of things; it is the method of nature's working.

What we need is, in my opinion, to transform our meetings into 
rituals of material and spiritual democracy, to ritualize our 
everyday living and to introduce beauty, affection and respect in 
every our contact.

Warmest regards,
Anton