Those of you who have been following my blogs know that I do not like to follow rituals blindly or chant mantras without looking at the original source, the context in which they were written and understanding the “substance” behind them. I found a humorous anecdote on how rituals might have started, written by the famous Tamizh writer Pi. Sri. (பி.ஸ்ரீ.) in his book on Tamizh Festivals.
A Swamiji raises a cat to take care of mice in his hut. The
cat insists on sitting on Swamiji’s lap whenever he sits to meditate. This becomes a nuisance and
therefore the Swamiji ties the cat down every time he sits down to meditate.
His disciples note this routine and start a routine of tying down a cat – any
cat – before they sit down to meditate. This becomes a ritual among his followers!
No comments:
Post a Comment