Repetition of Rituals

3 years ago By Yogi Anoop

Repetition of Rituals Effects on Mind & Body

The rituals of worship appear to be full of beauty and order but at the same time reveal such an atmosphere which makes it seem to the accustomed or the worshipper that he has tried to walk on the right path.

This gives the worshipper or the devotee the impression that he is walking on the divine and charitable path. He has some self-satisfaction that he has done some charitable work, through which he can be freed from the unknowing misdeeds or bad karma committed by him in the past and suffering from future miseries.

The mind seems to get some kind of peace when a person indulges in religious activities or worshipping but it soon leaves its effect on the human mind and heart just like any stimulating substance.

The effect of chanting of spiritual and holy mantras given by spiritual gurus also have the same impact on the human mind in the form of some spiritual intoxication. Its practice instils in the mind an attitude of peace and contentment for a few months and years. That instinct, that practice tries to discipline the mind. It is also natural for the mind to calm down to a certain extent with such discipline. However, it is important to go beyond the relentless repetitive pattern that the mind creates to experience the present moment in its true sense.

If you speak to fitness gurus, they will never ask a person to stick to an exercise routine for more than a month or so, it is because when a body becomes used to a pattern, it stops getting any fruit out of it. It hits a plateau and needs something more challenging or new. The same logic must be applied to the mind as well. I am not saying that indulging in religious practices or making a part of your routine is something that must not be done, it is great! What I am emphasising here is that it must be done being very conscious of the present moment. 

When the mind is in a repetitive mode, all pleasures derived in such a moment are negligible as compared to the pleasures attained in the present moment. This happiness is the ultimate, this happiness is called 'ananda' which leads to transcendence. 

Once the mind gets used to this repetition, it remains only a mental process. Such a mechanical repetition leads to the mind clipping off its wings, that is why, living in such a repetition is not exactly living to the fullest, it is trying to know the world but end up not knowing any of it. Those are a transient, sensory, imaginative form of happiness and not the actual rapture, only momentary pleasures obtained by a particular imagination and not the pleasures derived from the actual present as it is not present. 

Remember, happiness is not created by the sensations of happiness inside the mind, it is obtained in the direct form, by the experience of the present moment. In the present moment, there is a harmony between the mind, the senses and the body but in case the mind is stuck in a repetitive pattern it is not in sync with the senses and neither are senses connected to the body.  

The mind creates imaginary happiness by itself and gets used to living in it rather than getting pleasure from the present moment. This is the reason that even after getting happiness from that mechanicalness, it is not a true experience. Self-realization is not possible through this process. This type of mechanical repetition is seen as the biggest obstacle in self-philosophy.

In my spiritual experience, whether it is self-reflection or worldview, the awakening of the mind is necessary to attain the knowledge of both. And the awakening of the mind is possible only when there is no more repetition in it. This mind is intoxicated in experiential collections and wants to be always immersed in them. It wants to keep flowing in it. This is a sign of self-destruction. This is why it is important to assess the importance of the present moment. 

My two cents to seekers and those who want to pursue their meditative journey deeply - do not rest on repetitive practice in meditation. In meditation, give up the hope of getting pleasure by imagining an object. Awaken the mind by trying to establish it in peace.

 

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