| Essence Of |
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HINDU RITUALS AND MYTHS |
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Closely connected
with this psychological function is the aesthetic function. Ritual satisfies not only our
craving for the expression of the religious emotion but also our sense of the beautiful.
In all ages
and all countries ritual and art have been closely connected together, as in the great
temples of Southern India, the mosques in Agra and Delhi and the cathedrals of Europe.
Beautiful places of worship, sacred vessels and vestments connected with ritualism satisfy
the aesthetic needs of the congregation and are accordingly encouraged by all great
historical religions.
Ritualism has also a moral function. In fact, we may say that rituals in one sense are
incipient morals. The numerous fasts and vigils, the numerous rules regarding eating and
drinking which a complex ritualism enjoins are not without their disciplinary value.
Almost every rite we perform is a lesson in self-control. It is the first step in that
long process of the liberation of the spirit from the thralldom of the flesh which is the
aim of- all morality and religion. That is why the Bhagvad Gita says that sacrifices,
gifts and penances purify the wise. |
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