| But if ritualism
makes too large a claim for the separateness and individuality of religions and ignores
the common spirit underlying all forms, it be comes an obstacle to the religious progress
of mankind. Therefore, it is our duty to recognize the limitations as well as the useful
functions of ritualism and give it its due place in religion. Of course, a perfect ritual is,like a perfect language,
impossibility We cannot super impose on any historical religion an ideally perfect
ritual any more than we can super- impose on any historical language an ideally perfect
spelling or an ideally perfect grammar. Rituals, like grammatical forms, are natural
growths. They cannot be thoroughly recast according to the heart's desire, but they can be
suitably modified by cautious reformers.
With these general observations on the place of ritualism in
religion we may now proceed to define more exactly the Hindu view of it. The Hindu
attitude to ritualism is midway between the Protestant attitude and the Catholic attitude.
The Hindu view is that all men need ritual, but in varying degrees and varying kinds,
until the end which the ritual is designed to secure is gained. |
